What the hell is that?! No one has a right to try and get me to buy something. And if they do, it damn well needs to be taken away. That's not a right, it's an abuse of my personal space. If a good or service is well produced and I need/want it, then I will buy it. Otherwise, that business has the right to keep OUT of my life.
Re:Administration hasn't done anything bad
on
Weapons in Space
·
· Score: 1
I really wish the right would cut the crap and just be honest. They want to fuck the economy and then tell the unemployed people, "it's [insert non-white race here] fault. They want to fuck public education to make certain that the people on the bottom aren't smart enough to figure out what they're doing. And then they want to pit them against each other: "Those illegal immigrants/indian insourcers are taking jobs you should be having! Hate them!" They want to get us divided by saying, "Gay marriage is a bad thing. As soon as you allow them to get married... blah blah blah... slippery slope..." Then they want to distract us once one of the following happens in November:
1. Another "terrorist attack" that this administration miraculously "saves" us from 2. Pop! We found Bin Laden! 3. A "terrorist attack" succeeds and we suddenly need to suspsend elections for national security. 4. Bush loses like Gore did, and Kerry wins like Bush did, then the G.O.P. cries out for recounts and howe unfair it all is
Damned lying sins of bitches. And that include you.
But can you decompile iTunes and use it for your own purposes? I don't think so. That's where Ogg Vorbis works for me. Sure, that's not your average user's needs, and I'm not an average user. But I'm also not foolish enough to spend $300 on something that's just going to be a piece of rubbish in a few years.
If the Apple product works for you ad you happen to be wealthy enough to afford it, fine. But don't try and dissuade others from choosing an alternative that is substantially better for their own needs. Ogg Vorbis is just what the doctor ordered for someone like me. I can't afford to waste money on something that really doesn't give me much more than a discman. Everyone else can have their end-use,r prepackaged middling quality products. You are more than welcome to buy into that. But you are not welcome to try and sour people's opinions against something that may work for them.
Still a dork even now I see... After having gotten back from working abroad that past year and not having access to the net in any affordable way, I come back and The Bungi is still an idiot and proud of it. I suppose it should be comforting to me in some way that some things never change, but it's not. Oh well... BTW... from what a friend of mine told me, you will soon be a member of the "List of FAILURES" Keep watching your freaks list.
Wow! I just grabbed the tarball, and did the autoconf, configure, make jig. I must say I am impressed! First of all, the size of the installation is pretty small compared to all other environments. AND... this really beats the pants off of KDE and GNOME. As usual, there is lots of innovation. All the window widgets can be moved around to suit the needs and tastes of the user rather than forcing them to use one style. They've added the ability to incorporate scents into the themes! (I am using the Evergreen scent right now... Ahhh fresh!) But what's impressed me the most so far is the predictive nature of the interface. There is some mechanism that Raster has worked out to detect the readiness potential in your brain before you actually click on something. This results in menus and objects performing operations just before you actually decide to utilize those menus and objects. Pretty slick! So far it's been dead on every time. as I think, Mozilla is loading up web pages and links in extra tabs behind this page. Kind of interesting to find out what you are going to look at just a fraction of a second before you realize it. The file manager is JUST INCREDIBLE!!! No more of that silly hierarchical jazz... Now we finally have a file manager that works just like we think. For any document you create, the files are offloaded to paper hardcopies. This results in a more tangible object with a limited, but pretty reliable user interface. To re-open and edit the file, You just slam it on the flatbed and E 1.0 will automatically scan and OCR it back into the application of your choice! How cool is that? the best thing is that you no longer have to worry about magnetic media failure with regard to your docs. Ahhh.. I think I'm in love! Enlightenment 1.0, you light up my life!
...he will remain in office as long as he doesn't do anything stupid.
Whoa! You've just made me feel a whole lot better. Now I KNOW he won't remain in office. He's done sooo many stupid things I lost count a long time ago.
One reason to encourage people to build these is just the sheer fun of it. There is so much more of a thrill that you get when you make something yourself compared to just buying it prefab.
And the other reason is to save $200 minus the cost of the materials. While YOU may be able to throw away $200 on something like this, not everyone can. $200 is a sizable amount for some of us. That's a good chunk of my car payment...
Then use Windows XP, it really is a good gaming platform. Just keep in mind that Linux is no schlub if it's properly configured. I've played Unreal 2k3 under both OSes with identical hardware and see no game impeding performance issues. The game is fully playable on both platforms. Not much of a war game fan, so I have no interest in 1942 myself.
Actually, I have a laptop that I instlled Windows XP on about a half a year ago to give it a try (I am a 100% Linux user at home, only use Windows at work). The laptop has been up for as long as 90 days at a time and has only had to go down because I wanted to shut it down. It could probably run longer than the 90 days I've seen so far. I have had several applications crash, but no OS crash to date. However, I will also say that Linux has been just as stable for me. My record uptime so far is 299 days. I lost the uptime because of a power failure and didn't have a UPS on the system. Current uptime on that system is 51 days. It runs as my PDC, WINS server, internal and external DNS servers (running to instances of named), SAMBA File and Print server and mail server all on a Celeron 400 with 64 Megs of RAM. Same thing with this box as the XP Pro box, no OS crashes, only application crashes every so often. At this point, I'd say that a custom installed XP and a custom installed Linux done by someone who KNOWS what they are doing are equally stable. The major benefits with the Linux box are price and licensing. Since I build my own Linux from scratch I don't have to pay for the OS distribution or licensing. I didn't have to pay for XP Pro for my laptop either since it's not my laptop, but my employers. So, if you've had crappy experiences with either OS, chances are you haven't researched the problem enough to resolve it. There is no substantial benefit of going with Windows for me, so I stick with Linux. It does everything I need it to. Inlucding video capture, video editing, and games. With RedHat 8.0 the stakes just got higher too.
Re:"Nerds" are interested in more than OSS
on
CIOs Looking At OSS
·
· Score: 1
I've been watching this thread for a bit and have been resisting the urge to respond... but your ridiculous commentary just called for some response. Trolling4Dollars appears to have been talking about users with technical proficiency using Linux. Not end-users that only know their apps by wrote. So this line:
You forget the CAD users that use linux boxes at work, but didn't build them, and lots of other people that use unix boxes that didn't build them, they have no knowledge of their systems, only knowledge of how to use AutoCad.
doesn't make any sense within the context of the argument. Of course they can't do administrative tasks on their Windows boxes, they AREN'T technically Linux users.
And this line:
Don't say all Linux users are Gurus and that most of windows users are idiots. It makes you sound like an elitist.
attempts to twist what he seemed to originally be saying. He didn't say that there are no Windows users that can work with Linux or that all Linux users can work with Windows. There are always exceptions and he appeared to leave room for that.
Looking at your posts, it sounds like you are someone who has used both OSes and doesn't seem to have a problem with either. That's cool, I use both as well. But I will always contend that Linux is better at most things than Windows is. The only place that Windows has a leg up on Linux is entertainment: games and multimedia. That will change over the years.
I won't even get into the salary issue. But I will say, leave this guy alone. He seems to be a decent sort with a sense of humor. Something that you appear to lack which is why you made it onto my foes list. I have no intention of getting embroiled in this any further other than to say request that you both stop this foolishness right now.
It will probably be a while before "Joe User" can afford HDTV. Give it about 5 years or so and the price mugh come down to a reasonable level though. For me, it's out of the question right now. Anything over $1000 that isn't essential to survival is out of the question, in fact. I would hazard to guess this is true for 90% of the population...
Sadly, I had to have the last two spindly trees in my backyard cut down to get DirecTV. Trees DO interfere with the signal. I don't feel too badly about the trees since one was pretty sick and the other was a tree that only attracted ants and birds and were inedible. I have since planted a few new trees, but they are strategically positioned to be out of the way of the dish.
I kind of agree with the original poster. But I think it's a little idealistic to expect complete legal advice for free. There might be some people who would believe in something like this, but not many. However, the concept of a forum to discuss legal problems with real lawyers is not a bad idea. I'm not sure if it could be done for free, but it could probably be a very small fee. The other poster pointed out that people don't want to work for nothing. Sadly, he's right in most cases. I think people in the legal field are much less likely to be prone to giving away advice.
A few fruitless Google searches didn't realy turn up much of a free legal forum kind of thing though...
In the prologue to "CmdrTaco's Geeks": First there was Pavlov... now there is CmdrTaco - Making geeks foam at the mouth since 1997
I hope you were only being "Ogre-ish" when you said this:
And for the record, the following music genres need not apply because they are fundamentally flawed to begin with: Punk, Ska, Grunge, most variations of Rap. Sorry, but counter-culture is worthless if it's inferior.
When it comes down to it, the kind of music that a person likes is highly subjective. I personally hate "classic rock" and have no idea why anyone would like it, but that's my opinion. I also think "hip-hop" is completely lame, but again... it's an opinion. In my opinion, the best form of music is electronica. (Plaid, Autechre, or even some Drum and Bass like Roni Size and Reprazent) But "Mr. Music Authority" Eminem has decreed that "techno sucks". Again... both views are opinions.
I think you would consider a particular "counter-culture" worthless only based on whatever your personal agenda is. And your choice in agenda is based on opinion. The forms of music you listed as "worthless" are only worthless to you because they don't speak to you. But they are very valuable to the people who can relate to them. Just like "Jock Rock" doesn't speak to me... It's all opinions. So... prove to me that you aren't a troll and stop stating your opinions as fact.
but I had to bring it up. Speaking as a musician, I would like to point out a different side to this whole thing. I think it would be awesome is there was open source software that could essentially create music "source code" that could be passed around the net freely. This would be FAR more interesting to both the music listener and the musician than anything that the RIAA is currently offering. A music "tarball" if you will:
-A stereo mixdown as the musician/band intended -Multichannel audio files for each individual track, to allow for remixes and sampling -MIDI files and custom sample libraries used in the original production for those who create their music in an electronic fashion (Using Roland, Emu or Akai samplers, not Soundblasters). This would allow the use of just some of the samples in new compositions. -Some text explaining what the musician was inspired by and perhaps some analysis so that anyone else could do their own mix to change the mood. -"Album art" in an electronic format meant for display on a screen as well as print.
Then anyone who gets one of these tarballs could mix, re-mix, or even incorporate the music or custom samples into new works.
Most of the Windows and Macintosh based audio sequencers and MIDI/Audio sequencers have "Project" files of some kind that usually bundle the audio and MIDI data together already. But thsy lack the extra files that would make them interesting to the end-user.
I've been thinking of doing this myself for a while and just may start working on it...
However... that means that "X" is at the mercy of "V"s whims. Developer "U" could add the features to "Y" that "X" wants... in two years... four years... Or... never. Whereas developer "W" could add them within a reasonable amount of time based on the complexity of "Y". In general non-open-source companies never add the features that their clients want unless they get too much money. Much better for them to go with open-source so that they can get anyone to work on it or even hire someon in house to maintin it. Can't do that with product "V".
Re:Unlikely!
on
Halloween VII
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Actually... "upgrading" with Windows is anything but smooth. When I upgraded from Win 3.1 to Win95, my video didn't work (the display was monochrome red), the system was completely unstable. When I did a clean install on the same exact system, Win95 worked like a charm. In my early days as a RedHat user, I also tried an upgrade. NOT SMOOTH. It was just as bad as the Win 3.1 -> Win95 upgrade. However, after having gained a lot of experience with Linux and Windows over the past decade, I've found that you can pretty easily move to the next version of either OS as long as you know what data to save and restore. You won't lose any functionality in Linux and you won't lose most functionality in Windows.
However, the original parent poster is partially correct. It is wrong that any company should be able to extort money from anyone for something as trivial as an OS or a basic application. However, history proves that this, sadly, IS sustainable. Just look at the auto industry. They can extort large amounts of money from people around the world no matter what the economy is. But you wind up with certain consequences. Go into any impoverished region (city, state or nation) and you won't see many of the exotic or luxury cars zooming around on the road. You will see beaters, maybe some mid-level used cars, but that's it. If there does happen to be someone who has a really expensive ride, chances are that they didn't get it by totally legitimate means. (Meaning that all Apple users are crooks. Just kidding, I Love the Mac.) The one things that distinguishes computers from cars is open source-GNU/Linux, etc... It's the equivalent of being able to get car parts for your beater or mid-level used car that can improve it's performance, but not having to pay. So... while the Windows user's don't have a lot of options to upgrade their OS that are non-MS, ANY user of any flavor of Linux does. It just takes a little more effort, but it's effort well spent.
What is your response to the charge that the poster above made that Mr. Bush was AWOL? He didn't honorably fulfill his requirements, his daddy (far more intelligent and dangerous than his idiot son) pulled some srings so he could get the honorable discharge. All that proves is that he's got connections. Don't change the subject. Address what the poster above was referring to. I'll bet you didn't go so easy on Bill Clinton.
Re:Evidence? QWZX
on
Howl-o-ween
·
· Score: 0, Offtopic
Hehehe... no "Bush backers" willing to take this guy on? Typical. In the face of cold fact, the conservatives ignore it.
Neo: Whoa, deja vu.
Trinity: What did you just say?
Neo: Nothing, I just had a little deja vu.
Trinity: What did you see?
Cypher: What happened?
Neo: A black cat went past us, and then another that looked just
like it.
Trinity: How much like it, was it the same cat?
Neo: Might have been, I'm not sure.
Morpheus: Switch, Apoc.
Neo: What is it?
Trinity: Deja vu is usually a glitch in the matrix. It happens
when they change something.
I think the person is probably asking about commodity parts. Anyone can go into a local hole in the wall PC shop and buy an Intel/AMD compatible mobo and plug commodity hardware (video, NIC, sound, IDE HDs, etc...) into it and get a working computer out of it. But, is it possible to get a PowerPC based mobo with PCI/AGP slots, an IDE controller, USB in an ATX (I'm not a hardware guy, so ATX could be the wrong term) form factor and have it work with an OS like Linux? That would be a great way to get away from the WinTel world and avoid paying the steep prices that Apple fetches. However, since any mobos like this are likely to be made in a much smaller volume and harder to find (implying a small customer base), they would probably be fairly expensive anyway. It's a beautiful idea, but it's not a reality at this time.
Slashdot Mirror
What the hell is that?! No one has a right to try and get me to buy something. And if they do, it damn well needs to be taken away. That's not a right, it's an abuse of my personal space. If a good or service is well produced and I need/want it, then I will buy it. Otherwise, that business has the right to keep OUT of my life.
I really wish the right would cut the crap and just be honest. They want to fuck the economy and then tell the unemployed people, "it's [insert non-white race here] fault. They want to fuck public education to make certain that the people on the bottom aren't smart enough to figure out what they're doing. And then they want to pit them against each other: "Those illegal immigrants/indian insourcers are taking jobs you should be having! Hate them!" They want to get us divided by saying, "Gay marriage is a bad thing. As soon as you allow them to get married... blah blah blah... slippery slope..." Then they want to distract us once one of the following happens in November:
1. Another "terrorist attack" that this administration miraculously "saves" us from
2. Pop! We found Bin Laden!
3. A "terrorist attack" succeeds and we suddenly need to suspsend elections for national security.
4. Bush loses like Gore did, and Kerry wins like Bush did, then the G.O.P. cries out for recounts and howe unfair it all is
Damned lying sins of bitches. And that include you.
Some of us also have less money to work with than others.
Love the smug sense of superiority you ooze. Keep that up; it really works for you.
Seems to work for you too Mr. T. ;P
But can you decompile iTunes and use it for your own purposes? I don't think so. That's where Ogg Vorbis works for me. Sure, that's not your average user's needs, and I'm not an average user. But I'm also not foolish enough to spend $300 on something that's just going to be a piece of rubbish in a few years.
If the Apple product works for you ad you happen to be wealthy enough to afford it, fine. But don't try and dissuade others from choosing an alternative that is substantially better for their own needs. Ogg Vorbis is just what the doctor ordered for someone like me. I can't afford to waste money on something that really doesn't give me much more than a discman. Everyone else can have their end-use,r prepackaged middling quality products. You are more than welcome to buy into that. But you are not welcome to try and sour people's opinions against something that may work for them.
Still a dork even now I see... After having gotten back from working abroad that past year and not having access to the net in any affordable way, I come back and The Bungi is still an idiot and proud of it. I suppose it should be comforting to me in some way that some things never change, but it's not. Oh well... BTW... from what a friend of mine told me, you will soon be a member of the "List of FAILURES" Keep watching your freaks list.
This is absolutely true. Even MS' Craig Mundie admitted to this during the Open Source vs. Shared Source debate last year.
Wow! I just grabbed the tarball, and did the autoconf, configure, make jig. I must say I am impressed! First of all, the size of the installation is pretty small compared to all other environments. AND... this really beats the pants off of KDE and GNOME. As usual, there is lots of innovation. All the window widgets can be moved around to suit the needs and tastes of the user rather than forcing them to use one style. They've added the ability to incorporate scents into the themes! (I am using the Evergreen scent right now... Ahhh fresh!) But what's impressed me the most so far is the predictive nature of the interface. There is some mechanism that Raster has worked out to detect the readiness potential in your brain before you actually click on something. This results in menus and objects performing operations just before you actually decide to utilize those menus and objects. Pretty slick! So far it's been dead on every time. as I think, Mozilla is loading up web pages and links in extra tabs behind this page. Kind of interesting to find out what you are going to look at just a fraction of a second before you realize it. The file manager is JUST INCREDIBLE!!! No more of that silly hierarchical jazz... Now we finally have a file manager that works just like we think. For any document you create, the files are offloaded to paper hardcopies. This results in a more tangible object with a limited, but pretty reliable user interface. To re-open and edit the file, You just slam it on the flatbed and E 1.0 will automatically scan and OCR it back into the application of your choice! How cool is that? the best thing is that you no longer have to worry about magnetic media failure with regard to your docs. Ahhh.. I think I'm in love! Enlightenment 1.0, you light up my life!
Whoa! You've just made me feel a whole lot better. Now I KNOW he won't remain in office. He's done sooo many stupid things I lost count a long time ago.
2004 - Anybody But Bush
One reason to encourage people to build these is just the sheer fun of it. There is so much more of a thrill that you get when you make something yourself compared to just buying it prefab.
And the other reason is to save $200 minus the cost of the materials. While YOU may be able to throw away $200 on something like this, not everyone can. $200 is a sizable amount for some of us. That's a good chunk of my car payment...
Then use Windows XP, it really is a good gaming platform. Just keep in mind that Linux is no schlub if it's properly configured. I've played Unreal 2k3 under both OSes with identical hardware and see no game impeding performance issues. The game is fully playable on both platforms. Not much of a war game fan, so I have no interest in 1942 myself.
Actually, I have a laptop that I instlled Windows XP on about a half a year ago to give it a try (I am a 100% Linux user at home, only use Windows at work). The laptop has been up for as long as 90 days at a time and has only had to go down because I wanted to shut it down. It could probably run longer than the 90 days I've seen so far. I have had several applications crash, but no OS crash to date. However, I will also say that Linux has been just as stable for me. My record uptime so far is 299 days. I lost the uptime because of a power failure and didn't have a UPS on the system. Current uptime on that system is 51 days. It runs as my PDC, WINS server, internal and external DNS servers (running to instances of named), SAMBA File and Print server and mail server all on a Celeron 400 with 64 Megs of RAM. Same thing with this box as the XP Pro box, no OS crashes, only application crashes every so often. At this point, I'd say that a custom installed XP and a custom installed Linux done by someone who KNOWS what they are doing are equally stable. The major benefits with the Linux box are price and licensing. Since I build my own Linux from scratch I don't have to pay for the OS distribution or licensing. I didn't have to pay for XP Pro for my laptop either since it's not my laptop, but my employers. So, if you've had crappy experiences with either OS, chances are you haven't researched the problem enough to resolve it. There is no substantial benefit of going with Windows for me, so I stick with Linux. It does everything I need it to. Inlucding video capture, video editing, and games. With RedHat 8.0 the stakes just got higher too.
I've been watching this thread for a bit and have been resisting the urge to respond... but your ridiculous commentary just called for some response. Trolling4Dollars appears to have been talking about users with technical proficiency using Linux. Not end-users that only know their apps by wrote. So this line:
You forget the CAD users that use linux boxes at work, but didn't build them, and lots of other people that use unix boxes that didn't build them, they have no knowledge of their systems, only knowledge of how to use AutoCad.
doesn't make any sense within the context of the argument. Of course they can't do administrative tasks on their Windows boxes, they AREN'T technically Linux users.
And this line:
Don't say all Linux users are Gurus and that most of windows users are idiots. It makes you sound like an elitist.
attempts to twist what he seemed to originally be saying. He didn't say that there are no Windows users that can work with Linux or that all Linux users can work with Windows. There are always exceptions and he appeared to leave room for that.
Looking at your posts, it sounds like you are someone who has used both OSes and doesn't seem to have a problem with either. That's cool, I use both as well. But I will always contend that Linux is better at most things than Windows is. The only place that Windows has a leg up on Linux is entertainment: games and multimedia. That will change over the years.
I won't even get into the salary issue. But I will say, leave this guy alone. He seems to be a decent sort with a sense of humor. Something that you appear to lack which is why you made it onto my foes list. I have no intention of getting embroiled in this any further other than to say request that you both stop this foolishness right now.
It will probably be a while before "Joe User" can afford HDTV. Give it about 5 years or so and the price mugh come down to a reasonable level though. For me, it's out of the question right now. Anything over $1000 that isn't essential to survival is out of the question, in fact. I would hazard to guess this is true for 90% of the population...
Sadly, I had to have the last two spindly trees in my backyard cut down to get DirecTV. Trees DO interfere with the signal. I don't feel too badly about the trees since one was pretty sick and the other was a tree that only attracted ants and birds and were inedible. I have since planted a few new trees, but they are strategically positioned to be out of the way of the dish.
If only I had moderation points today... this WAS truly funny if you are a Quake player. Someone please mod this up as funny.
I kind of agree with the original poster. But I think it's a little idealistic to expect complete legal advice for free. There might be some people who would believe in something like this, but not many. However, the concept of a forum to discuss legal problems with real lawyers is not a bad idea. I'm not sure if it could be done for free, but it could probably be a very small fee. The other poster pointed out that people don't want to work for nothing. Sadly, he's right in most cases. I think people in the legal field are much less likely to be prone to giving away advice.
A few fruitless Google searches didn't realy turn up much of a free legal forum kind of thing though...
In the prologue to "CmdrTaco's Geeks": First there was Pavlov... now there is CmdrTaco - Making geeks foam at the mouth since 1997
I hope you were only being "Ogre-ish" when you said this:
And for the record, the following music genres need not apply because they are fundamentally flawed to begin with: Punk, Ska, Grunge, most variations of Rap. Sorry, but counter-culture is worthless if it's inferior.
When it comes down to it, the kind of music that a person likes is highly subjective. I personally hate "classic rock" and have no idea why anyone would like it, but that's my opinion. I also think "hip-hop" is completely lame, but again... it's an opinion. In my opinion, the best form of music is electronica. (Plaid, Autechre, or even some Drum and Bass like Roni Size and Reprazent) But "Mr. Music Authority" Eminem has decreed that "techno sucks". Again... both views are opinions.
I think you would consider a particular "counter-culture" worthless only based on whatever your personal agenda is. And your choice in agenda is based on opinion. The forms of music you listed as "worthless" are only worthless to you because they don't speak to you. But they are very valuable to the people who can relate to them. Just like "Jock Rock" doesn't speak to me... It's all opinions. So... prove to me that you aren't a troll and stop stating your opinions as fact.
but I had to bring it up. Speaking as a musician, I would like to point out a different side to this whole thing. I think it would be awesome is there was open source software that could essentially create music "source code" that could be passed around the net freely. This would be FAR more interesting to both the music listener and the musician than anything that the RIAA is currently offering. A music "tarball" if you will:
-A stereo mixdown as the musician/band intended
-Multichannel audio files for each individual track, to allow for remixes and sampling
-MIDI files and custom sample libraries used in the original production for those who create their music in an electronic fashion (Using Roland, Emu or Akai samplers, not Soundblasters). This would allow the use of just some of the samples in new compositions.
-Some text explaining what the musician was inspired by and perhaps some analysis so that anyone else could do their own mix to change the mood.
-"Album art" in an electronic format meant for display on a screen as well as print.
Then anyone who gets one of these tarballs could mix, re-mix, or even incorporate the music or custom samples into new works.
Most of the Windows and Macintosh based audio sequencers and MIDI/Audio sequencers have "Project" files of some kind that usually bundle the audio and MIDI data together already. But thsy lack the extra files that would make them interesting to the end-user.
I've been thinking of doing this myself for a while and just may start working on it...
However... that means that "X" is at the mercy of "V"s whims. Developer "U" could add the features to "Y" that "X" wants... in two years... four years... Or... never. Whereas developer "W" could add them within a reasonable amount of time based on the complexity of "Y". In general non-open-source companies never add the features that their clients want unless they get too much money. Much better for them to go with open-source so that they can get anyone to work on it or even hire someon in house to maintin it. Can't do that with product "V".
Actually... "upgrading" with Windows is anything but smooth. When I upgraded from Win 3.1 to Win95, my video didn't work (the display was monochrome red), the system was completely unstable. When I did a clean install on the same exact system, Win95 worked like a charm. In my early days as a RedHat user, I also tried an upgrade. NOT SMOOTH. It was just as bad as the Win 3.1 -> Win95 upgrade. However, after having gained a lot of experience with Linux and Windows over the past decade, I've found that you can pretty easily move to the next version of either OS as long as you know what data to save and restore. You won't lose any functionality in Linux and you won't lose most functionality in Windows.
However, the original parent poster is partially correct. It is wrong that any company should be able to extort money from anyone for something as trivial as an OS or a basic application. However, history proves that this, sadly, IS sustainable. Just look at the auto industry. They can extort large amounts of money from people around the world no matter what the economy is. But you wind up with certain consequences. Go into any impoverished region (city, state or nation) and you won't see many of the exotic or luxury cars zooming around on the road. You will see beaters, maybe some mid-level used cars, but that's it. If there does happen to be someone who has a really expensive ride, chances are that they didn't get it by totally legitimate means. (Meaning that all Apple users are crooks. Just kidding, I Love the Mac.) The one things that distinguishes computers from cars is open source-GNU/Linux, etc... It's the equivalent of being able to get car parts for your beater or mid-level used car that can improve it's performance, but not having to pay. So... while the Windows user's don't have a lot of options to upgrade their OS that are non-MS, ANY user of any flavor of Linux does. It just takes a little more effort, but it's effort well spent.
Bring on the bukkake comments...
What is your response to the charge that the poster above made that Mr. Bush was AWOL? He didn't honorably fulfill his requirements, his daddy (far more intelligent and dangerous than his idiot son) pulled some srings so he could get the honorable discharge. All that proves is that he's got connections. Don't change the subject. Address what the poster above was referring to. I'll bet you didn't go so easy on Bill Clinton.
Hehehe... no "Bush backers" willing to take this guy on? Typical. In the face of cold fact, the conservatives ignore it.
Neo: Whoa, deja vu.
Trinity: What did you just say?
Neo: Nothing, I just had a little deja vu.
Trinity: What did you see?
Cypher: What happened?
Neo: A black cat went past us, and then another that looked just like it.
Trinity: How much like it, was it the same cat?
Neo: Might have been, I'm not sure.
Morpheus: Switch, Apoc.
Neo: What is it?
Trinity: Deja vu is usually a glitch in the matrix. It happens when they change something.
I think the person is probably asking about commodity parts. Anyone can go into a local hole in the wall PC shop and buy an Intel/AMD compatible mobo and plug commodity hardware (video, NIC, sound, IDE HDs, etc...) into it and get a working computer out of it. But, is it possible to get a PowerPC based mobo with PCI/AGP slots, an IDE controller, USB in an ATX (I'm not a hardware guy, so ATX could be the wrong term) form factor and have it work with an OS like Linux? That would be a great way to get away from the WinTel world and avoid paying the steep prices that Apple fetches. However, since any mobos like this are likely to be made in a much smaller volume and harder to find (implying a small customer base), they would probably be fairly expensive anyway. It's a beautiful idea, but it's not a reality at this time.
Hehehe... pretty cool story. If only it were true. At least you managed to remain slightly on topic.