A friend of mine lives in Denver and his phone has a service provided by Qwest (I think he got the service when they were still USWest) that plays a message stating that "this number does not accept solicitations... if you're a solicitor hang up and put this # on do-not-call list, otherwise press 1..." His phone doesn't ring unless the caller presses 1. There is also some legislation in Colorado that states, with a system like that, any solicitor who presses 1 to go through anyway can be sued for something like $10k per incident. My friend tells me there have been very few times when a solicitor comes through (where he then mentions the possible fine and they hang up abruptly).
I wonder why there aren't more phone companies offering such a service and why more states don't back up the disturbances with hefty fines. Maybe the telemarketers' lobbyists are lining pockets... maybe(?).
How about making all new cell phones communicate short-range with other phones nearby... and adhere to 'popular vote' of the group? If enough people in an auditorium specify on their phones that they 'vote' for silent rings, all phones will be forced to go with majority.
Electric shocks are kinda funny, but I think there are probably many more effective ways to affect the 'intrusiveness' of cell phones.
Not LOTR related, but the idea of using popular authors' writing styles and major works' concepts and applying to the writing of 'Leave It To Beaver' episodes produced a book called 'The Beaver Papers'. Dunno if it is still in print, but look for it. Highlarious funny stuff.
I don't mean to imply that I think the OSX UI and general verbage within are perfect, however, the 'diary' seems to posit that the UI should be *absolutely* geared for the totally incompetent user (not that I'm saying the author is incompetent... just assuming he was taking on the role of someone who didn't know his arse from a hole in the ground... for the sake of his 'diary'-based review of the various imperfect elements in OSX). I am not a 'newbie' to the various elements of OSX... I've used MacOS, various *NIXes, NEXT/OPENSTEP, [other platforms], so perhaps I'm not ignoring my experience enough to make a fair judgement... in any case, I don't think the OSX UI/experience is likely to be quite the confusing fiasco portrayed in the 'diary'.
From the first time I installed OSX, I have had *no* trouble understanding when/how to use packages and when/how to enter which passwords. The lack of an active 'root' user was a bit disorienting at first, but was figured out/resolved/activated within a couple of minutes (BTW- Rather than the oft-posted "use NetInfoManager.app to activate...", I simply gave the root user a password in Terminal.app... same effect). I must say that I feel the article announcement's brief bio on the author's background (UNIX experience) set me up to be rather surprised at his inability to *grep* (ha!) the various pieces... that's why I've assumed that he's taking on the role of a newbie and not necessarily so confused himself.
I love OSX. I want it to improve. I know it will. Surely, it will improve to some degree by user feedback... but, I don't think that feedback is altogether useful when delivered in the form of: "stupid [designers]" or "lack of [some pre-existing feature]?!?!?! Apple/Steve is KILLING ME!!!!!". Sadly the vast numbers of people yelling in such manner, in ernest, also drags down the 'humorous' nature of such satire.
Wow... Amazon won out on their stupid patent for a 'single-click' purchase...
What does it mean if BT were to be victorious in their claims to own the rights to, effectively, the thing a person 'single-clicks' in order to make a purchase under the Amazon patent?
Patent chaining... everybody gets paid (well, except you and me). I'm not very wise in the way of patents... perhaps this would be nothing new. But, if it is a new idea, maybe I could patent it(?).
I have no idea if someone else already proposed this... I got real tired, real quick of reading all the tangential drivel...
What if you go with a flexATX M/B and build a case ala SV24 for use with CDs and HDs from the laptop market? Initially, parts would be more expensive, but you generally do pay more for unique qualities (size, in this case). Maybe, if the idea was a hit, demand for it would aid in the reduction of the cost of laptop-sized components(?).
Take the SV24 and reduce its height by 1/2 (maybe) while still allowing room for some HDs and a CD/DVD/Writer. Dump the floppy and you've got room for yet another drive or two.
I own a 6GB Nomad Jukebox. With ~3GB of MP3s, every time I turn it on (with all songs in current playlist), it takes several minutes (I dunno, 5-10) to "Prepare the Library". I've sorta gotten use to it, but in the back o' my mind, I know it just ain't right. What if I filled the thing up? Would it take 10-20 minutes before I can play music?
The thing I haven't gotten used to is the slow-ass transfer of ~3GB of song data over USB. I don't have to move the whole enchillada often, of course, but when I do... it takes... a long... long... time. Bring on the firewire. If you don't have FW, why complain about the iPod? It would make as much sense to complain that I can't plug my scanner in to my jacuzzi tub.
Also, some on this topic have mentioned "almost no interface" for the iPod... man, you wanna see a bad interface, drop some bones on a Nomad Jukebox. It is pathetic. iPod's jog wheel sounds like heaven. Jukebox has a thumbwheel on it... for volume. To go up/down through (potentially) thousands of songs, you get to use up/down arrow buttons... to jump song by song by song. So many other painful elements to the interface, that I feel you'd be hard pressed to make it worse. Whether it be extensive or limited, I'm certain that Apple will make a 'slick' interface for this thing.
So, I have a firewire Mac, I have OS X (already sweet, well on it's way to greatness)... I'll definitely go for the iPod in November (or wait... Xmas is coming soon). I know that puts me in the niche market... don't care. I enjoy nearly every minute of using OSX... every minute I use the Jukebox (other than just letting it play) I cringe. I look forward to enjoying my MP3 player as much as I enjoy my Mac (with OSX, hated OS9).
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A friend of mine lives in Denver and his phone has a service provided by Qwest (I think he got the service when they were still USWest) that plays a message stating that "this number does not accept solicitations... if you're a solicitor hang up and put this # on do-not-call list, otherwise press 1..." His phone doesn't ring unless the caller presses 1. There is also some legislation in Colorado that states, with a system like that, any solicitor who presses 1 to go through anyway can be sued for something like $10k per incident. My friend tells me there have been very few times when a solicitor comes through (where he then mentions the possible fine and they hang up abruptly).
I wonder why there aren't more phone companies offering such a service and why more states don't back up the disturbances with hefty fines. Maybe the telemarketers' lobbyists are lining pockets... maybe(?).
How about making all new cell phones communicate short-range with other phones nearby... and adhere to 'popular vote' of the group? If enough people in an auditorium specify on their phones that they 'vote' for silent rings, all phones will be forced to go with majority.
Electric shocks are kinda funny, but I think there are probably many more effective ways to affect the 'intrusiveness' of cell phones.
Not LOTR related, but the idea of using popular authors' writing styles and major works' concepts and applying to the writing of 'Leave It To Beaver' episodes produced a book called 'The Beaver Papers'. Dunno if it is still in print, but look for it. Highlarious funny stuff.
In one of the pix, he's got the table leaning on a NeXT cube. Melt it down, and add it to the table.
Though it seems you may be simply trolling... just in case it was unclear in my prior post:
-- The author seems to think that *a* GUI (any GUI) should be written for incompetence. I disagree. --
Other than that; you don't like Macs. I do (with OSX, anyway). You don't, I do, so what?
What is a clue, anyway. Maybe I should get one. Are they expensive? If not, perhaps I'll get two; one for each of us.
I don't mean to imply that I think the OSX UI and general verbage within are perfect, however, the 'diary' seems to posit that the UI should be *absolutely* geared for the totally incompetent user (not that I'm saying the author is incompetent... just assuming he was taking on the role of someone who didn't know his arse from a hole in the ground... for the sake of his 'diary'-based review of the various imperfect elements in OSX). I am not a 'newbie' to the various elements of OSX... I've used MacOS, various *NIXes, NEXT/OPENSTEP, [other platforms], so perhaps I'm not ignoring my experience enough to make a fair judgement... in any case, I don't think the OSX UI/experience is likely to be quite the confusing fiasco portrayed in the 'diary'.
From the first time I installed OSX, I have had *no* trouble understanding when/how to use packages and when/how to enter which passwords. The lack of an active 'root' user was a bit disorienting at first, but was figured out/resolved/activated within a couple of minutes (BTW- Rather than the oft-posted "use NetInfoManager.app to activate...", I simply gave the root user a password in Terminal.app... same effect). I must say that I feel the article announcement's brief bio on the author's background (UNIX experience) set me up to be rather surprised at his inability to *grep* (ha!) the various pieces... that's why I've assumed that he's taking on the role of a newbie and not necessarily so confused himself.
I love OSX. I want it to improve. I know it will. Surely, it will improve to some degree by user feedback... but, I don't think that feedback is altogether useful when delivered in the form of: "stupid [designers]" or "lack of [some pre-existing feature]?!?!?! Apple/Steve is KILLING ME!!!!!". Sadly the vast numbers of people yelling in such manner, in ernest, also drags down the 'humorous' nature of such satire.
All the above: IMNSHO
Wow... Amazon won out on their stupid patent for a 'single-click' purchase...
What does it mean if BT were to be victorious in their claims to own the rights to, effectively, the thing a person 'single-clicks' in order to make a purchase under the Amazon patent?
Patent chaining... everybody gets paid (well, except you and me). I'm not very wise in the way of patents... perhaps this would be nothing new. But, if it is a new idea, maybe I could patent it(?).
Microsoft won
ac
[a]nonymous (and apparently listless, lethargic, pusillanimous, spineless and dumpy) [c]ow
Perhaps they have beaten you...
I have no idea if someone else already proposed this... I got real tired, real quick of reading all the tangential drivel...
What if you go with a flexATX M/B and build a case ala SV24 for use with CDs and HDs from the laptop market? Initially, parts would be more expensive, but you generally do pay more for unique qualities (size, in this case). Maybe, if the idea was a hit, demand for it would aid in the reduction of the cost of laptop-sized components(?).
Take the SV24 and reduce its height by 1/2 (maybe) while still allowing room for some HDs and a CD/DVD/Writer. Dump the floppy and you've got room for yet another drive or two.
Um, yeah.
Sorry if I'm just a repeater.
I own a 6GB Nomad Jukebox. With ~3GB of MP3s, every time I turn it on (with all songs in current playlist), it takes several minutes (I dunno, 5-10) to "Prepare the Library". I've sorta gotten use to it, but in the back o' my mind, I know it just ain't right. What if I filled the thing up? Would it take 10-20 minutes before I can play music?
The thing I haven't gotten used to is the slow-ass transfer of ~3GB of song data over USB. I don't have to move the whole enchillada often, of course, but when I do... it takes... a long... long... time. Bring on the firewire. If you don't have FW, why complain about the iPod? It would make as much sense to complain that I can't plug my scanner in to my jacuzzi tub.
Also, some on this topic have mentioned "almost no interface" for the iPod... man, you wanna see a bad interface, drop some bones on a Nomad Jukebox. It is pathetic. iPod's jog wheel sounds like heaven. Jukebox has a thumbwheel on it... for volume. To go up/down through (potentially) thousands of songs, you get to use up/down arrow buttons... to jump song by song by song. So many other painful elements to the interface, that I feel you'd be hard pressed to make it worse. Whether it be extensive or limited, I'm certain that Apple will make a 'slick' interface for this thing.
So, I have a firewire Mac, I have OS X (already sweet, well on it's way to greatness)... I'll definitely go for the iPod in November (or wait... Xmas is coming soon). I know that puts me in the niche market... don't care. I enjoy nearly every minute of using OSX... every minute I use the Jukebox (other than just letting it play) I cringe. I look forward to enjoying my MP3 player as much as I enjoy my Mac (with OSX, hated OS9).