Maybe not. But there is that rare occasion where you suddenly need 100% brain power to make a quick decision. If you are engrossed in a phone conversation, it ain't there. Sorry. I should not be subject to your lack of attention on the road.
You're subject to it whether you wish to be or not. Not having a cell phone to my ear does not preclude me from talking to passengers in the car, being distracted by concerns over job security, having my attention on some other car, or just plain zoning out.
And how do you drive with a cell in your hand? Turn signals are NOT optional despite popular opinion.
With my left hand on the wheel, I can flick on the turn signal using the tips of my fingers, without removing my hand from the wheel. I do this virtually 100% of the time--even with both hands on the wheel.
...get a copy of Gentoo Linux and have fun learning lots more detail about Linux internals.
No, sorry. As much as I enjoyed Gentoo back in the day when I used it, it teaches you squat about Linux internals. Following a three-page command-line installation process verbatim does not teach you a thing about how Linux works, much less actual Linux internal algorithms and structures.
Having used Debian, I'd probably recommend Ubuntu for you. Most of the problems you've mentioned are basically non-issues
1. No fecking media support! I get XMMS inform me on first attempt at playing an MP3 that it won't because of licensing conflict. Wtf? Codecs for avi's and DVDs were a simular story; all had to be downloaded via yum (bloody excellent tool!). Seriously; not good, but fixed in the end.
A non-issue in Debian and Ubuntu. In GNOME, gstreamer-0.10 has support for virtually every audio/video codec, and it's included as a core component of GNOME.
2. Why the hell do I have to install a new kernel? Why? I've never had to on Windows - why is Linux different? Is it so buggy? I installed with a factory version something ending 054. Now I have something ending 122 I believe. I did it ok, but that's not the point I'm making; were there really 68 cock-ups so great in the kernel build from release-time until that now they had to re-release 68 times? I'm guessing probablly not, but still.
Not sure why Fedora Core would have that many revisions. Debian usually has about two or three bugfix revisions for each kernel version. Most of them fix relatively obscure bugs, but on occasion they will fix a bug that affects large numbers of users. I can't say for Ubuntu, but I'd reason it would be a similar number.
As for updating your Windows kernel, yes you do. It comes as part of security updates, service packs, etc. They just don't tell you that it's specifically a kernel update--but it is.
3. Point 2 also breaks my nvidia drivers. I don't want to re-compile new drivers everytime there's a new 'patch'. For the love of god, why?!
You don't really have to use the NVidia binary-only drivers unless you're actually using significant amounts of 3D acceleration. Since most people aren't running Linux to play games or do other types of 3D rendering, this should really be a non-issue, but new people don't tend to realize that.
If you are using it, then this is one of those sad things that you will have to put up with. Linus doesn't want to encourage binary-only drivers, so every kernel revision prevents drivers compiled against a previous revision from working on it. And NVidia won't release their drivers as open source. It's a sucky battle that the user unfortunately is dragged into, but both sides have their reasons.
4. X-Windows. What a mess. Why do I have to tell it my x & y refresh rates for my monitor? Windows just 'knows'. Many more things here I feel that X-Windows should just 'know' - the number of buttons on my USB mouse for-instance. If Windows can do it, there's no reason why Linux can't. Also, X-Windows 'feels' slower than Windows. I'm sure there's good reasons for this, but I don't care; Windows is snappier.
Basically, use a distribution other than Fedora Core. I know Ubuntu doesn't require you to know this, and the refresh rates selection is optional (but still presented to you) in Debian. I'm surprised that Fedora still requires you to do this, but know that this isn't pandemic of Linux--only your particular distribution. Debian and Ubuntu can autodetect your mouse settings as well as your refresh rates and resolutions (although, as mentioned, Debian still asks for the information; you just don't have to fill it in).
5. Lack of decent file-browser. The best I've come across is Nautilus in a mode that resembles Windows Explorer. It'll do for now, but as far as I'm aware, offers no context-sensitive menus for applications (like the Winamp "Play in Winamp" right-click menu on folders.
This is something that could be improved. However, most people who use Linux with any regularity quickly discover that the command line is sickeningly more useful than a GUI file browser for doing virtually anything file-based. Editing files (even if you open up a GUI editor), viewing directories, moving/ren
Even more specifically, encrypting messages repeatedly with several keys is entirely useless if the cipher forms a group, in which case E(E(P,K1),K2) == E(P,K3) and you don't gain any benefit whatsoever.
I would, if you are paranoid, encrypt your messages many times each time with a different key.
Please stop suggesting things like this without any reasonably in-depth knowledge of cryptography. Encrypting something multiple times does not necessarily increase security (c.f., Double DES).
Oh, FUCK this raises an interesting concern. Imagine the kind of situation this virus would have caused in a machine with an embedded TPM chip. It would have been bad enough if the virus author was smart enough to use public/private key cryptography, but locking files and storing the key using the unreadable hardware storage provided by a TPM chip would be utterly devastating.
Assuming a standard 18-month release cycle, they would support a distribution for exactly the three years offered by RedHat. Each previous version of "stable" is supported for eighteen months, so support for Woody should be phased out as soon as Etch is released. If they keep with the standard release cycle, eighteen months after that when Etch+1 is released, Sarge support will be phased out.
Sorry, not really interested in reading a review from some crackpot who thought the first Kingdom Hearts suffered from gameplay that was "weak". The fighting was extremely fun, and relied on quick reflexes. It feels a lot like a 3D Secret of Mana, with special moves and abilities thrown in.
I've yet to come across a site that purports to be something targetted towards underage children, but is really pornography. I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess it's for one simple reason: you don't sell something to people who are incapable of buying it.
Yeah, I'm sure there's the occasional whacko out there who'll do it just to be a dick, but I'm guessing that search engines' natural filtering/ranking processes will kill most of these attempts right out of the door.
Actually, as far as I know, the theory of "gravity as a force" is still going strong, with the search for the force's messenger particle: the graviton.
Potentially, also, the patent would be kept secret until approved. This would have the nice side effect of, if a competitor starts producing a similar widget in the time between when you applied for the patent and received it, it should be tossed on the grounds of being obvious--since the competitor clearly came up with the idea on their own.
Honestly, when was the last time we've seen a senator or representative out asking his state where they stand on a given issue and then actually voting that way in Congress? I can't speak for anyone else, but I sure haven't seen it lately.
This defeats the purpose of a Republic. We elect representatives to make these decisions for us, since the task of deciding everything would be too onerous for every single American to do. It's expected that your representative is brought up to speed on the issues on which he/she is voting on, does research, engages in debates to flesh out the pros and cons of the idea, and in general knows more than the average citizen about the topics on which the vote is centered on. The citizenry can and should provide feedback on issues they strongly believe in, especially when they disagree with their represenative, but this should not be considered the norm.
Of course, it doesn't exactly play out like that in the real world, but having the representative query his constituency on lots of issues doesn't solve the problem either.
On the other hand, studies have shown that the number of bugs in code is strictly tied to the number of lines of code, thus giving favor to more terse languages.
Scrolling fucks with your history, so if you want to go back, you have to either click the back button a few thousand times. Also, highlighting seems slightly broken. If you go over certain thresholds, it highlights a chunk backwards from where your cursor is.
"The quality of our search and the relevance of our search from a solution perspective to the consumer will be more relevant," he told the Reuters Global Technology, Media and Telecoms Summit.
Something about the way this guy talks tells me that he is probably one of the people least able to judge relevance to the average consumer.
You don't look at side-by-side screenshots of XBox and XBox 360 games and go, "Holy shit, that's amazing!" like you did when you first saw the SNES.
I'd normally agree with you, but screenshots don't do a console like the 360 justice. Seeing games on the XBox 360 on an HDTV compared to the original XBox is absolutely stunning.
Games like Kameo and Project Gotham Racing 3 are absolutely breathtaking in the quality of their visuals--and I'm not one so easily impressed by such things, having witnessed basically every graphical revision in the PC market for at least 12 years. Trust me when I say that, while the 360 does represent an evolutionary as opposed to revolutionary leap in graphical capabilities, it does represent a leap, and not a small one at that.
Hell, Dell fucks them right out of the door with only 256MB of RAM. Somewhat like putting a 550hp engine into a car, then giving it tires that'll blow if you're going faster than 30mph.
Most of the time I see people buying a new computer because their current one is "slow", it could simply be fixed by going up to 512MB at a minimum. Of course, Dell highly discourages this sort of behavior by charging obscene prices for RAM upgrades.
Note: I'm ragging on Dell because of personal experience with them, but as far as I know, the same holds true of the others: Gateway, HP, etc.
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--> The Joke <--
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Having used Debian, I'd probably recommend Ubuntu for you. Most of the problems you've mentioned are basically non-issues
A non-issue in Debian and Ubuntu. In GNOME, gstreamer-0.10 has support for virtually every audio/video codec, and it's included as a core component of GNOME.
Not sure why Fedora Core would have that many revisions. Debian usually has about two or three bugfix revisions for each kernel version. Most of them fix relatively obscure bugs, but on occasion they will fix a bug that affects large numbers of users. I can't say for Ubuntu, but I'd reason it would be a similar number.
As for updating your Windows kernel, yes you do. It comes as part of security updates, service packs, etc. They just don't tell you that it's specifically a kernel update--but it is.
You don't really have to use the NVidia binary-only drivers unless you're actually using significant amounts of 3D acceleration. Since most people aren't running Linux to play games or do other types of 3D rendering, this should really be a non-issue, but new people don't tend to realize that.
If you are using it, then this is one of those sad things that you will have to put up with. Linus doesn't want to encourage binary-only drivers, so every kernel revision prevents drivers compiled against a previous revision from working on it. And NVidia won't release their drivers as open source. It's a sucky battle that the user unfortunately is dragged into, but both sides have their reasons.
Basically, use a distribution other than Fedora Core. I know Ubuntu doesn't require you to know this, and the refresh rates selection is optional (but still presented to you) in Debian. I'm surprised that Fedora still requires you to do this, but know that this isn't pandemic of Linux--only your particular distribution. Debian and Ubuntu can autodetect your mouse settings as well as your refresh rates and resolutions (although, as mentioned, Debian still asks for the information; you just don't have to fill it in).
This is something that could be improved. However, most people who use Linux with any regularity quickly discover that the command line is sickeningly more useful than a GUI file browser for doing virtually anything file-based. Editing files (even if you open up a GUI editor), viewing directories, moving/ren
More like any router at all.
Even more specifically, encrypting messages repeatedly with several keys is entirely useless if the cipher forms a group, in which case E(E(P,K1),K2) == E(P,K3) and you don't gain any benefit whatsoever.
Oh, FUCK this raises an interesting concern. Imagine the kind of situation this virus would have caused in a machine with an embedded TPM chip. It would have been bad enough if the virus author was smart enough to use public/private key cryptography, but locking files and storing the key using the unreadable hardware storage provided by a TPM chip would be utterly devastating.
Assuming a standard 18-month release cycle, they would support a distribution for exactly the three years offered by RedHat. Each previous version of "stable" is supported for eighteen months, so support for Woody should be phased out as soon as Etch is released. If they keep with the standard release cycle, eighteen months after that when Etch+1 is released, Sarge support will be phased out.
Sorry, not really interested in reading a review from some crackpot who thought the first Kingdom Hearts suffered from gameplay that was "weak". The fighting was extremely fun, and relied on quick reflexes. It feels a lot like a 3D Secret of Mana, with special moves and abilities thrown in.
I've yet to come across a site that purports to be something targetted towards underage children, but is really pornography. I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess it's for one simple reason: you don't sell something to people who are incapable of buying it.
Yeah, I'm sure there's the occasional whacko out there who'll do it just to be a dick, but I'm guessing that search engines' natural filtering/ranking processes will kill most of these attempts right out of the door.
Actually, as far as I know, the theory of "gravity as a force" is still going strong, with the search for the force's messenger particle: the graviton.
Potentially, also, the patent would be kept secret until approved. This would have the nice side effect of, if a competitor starts producing a similar widget in the time between when you applied for the patent and received it, it should be tossed on the grounds of being obvious--since the competitor clearly came up with the idea on their own.
Of course, it doesn't exactly play out like that in the real world, but having the representative query his constituency on lots of issues doesn't solve the problem either.
I assume that just reading TFA would be too much work for you?
On the other hand, studies have shown that the number of bugs in code is strictly tied to the number of lines of code, thus giving favor to more terse languages.
Scrolling fucks with your history, so if you want to go back, you have to either click the back button a few thousand times. Also, highlighting seems slightly broken. If you go over certain thresholds, it highlights a chunk backwards from where your cursor is.
It's not "identity theft", it's "identity piracy".
Additionally, when it strikes ground again, the fragile sides will probably have significant rotational velocity.
Games like Kameo and Project Gotham Racing 3 are absolutely breathtaking in the quality of their visuals--and I'm not one so easily impressed by such things, having witnessed basically every graphical revision in the PC market for at least 12 years. Trust me when I say that, while the 360 does represent an evolutionary as opposed to revolutionary leap in graphical capabilities, it does represent a leap, and not a small one at that.
Hell, Dell fucks them right out of the door with only 256MB of RAM. Somewhat like putting a 550hp engine into a car, then giving it tires that'll blow if you're going faster than 30mph.
Most of the time I see people buying a new computer because their current one is "slow", it could simply be fixed by going up to 512MB at a minimum. Of course, Dell highly discourages this sort of behavior by charging obscene prices for RAM upgrades.
Note: I'm ragging on Dell because of personal experience with them, but as far as I know, the same holds true of the others: Gateway, HP, etc.