I am working on a multi-media application right now for Mac, Windows, and Linux. I am using Qt, OpenGL, and a open source library called PortAudio. The app is multi-threaded.
I am having a much easier time on the Mac than on the other two. Both Windows and X11 have weird issues around multi-threading and OpenGL. Also, I have found that the audio support on the Mac is much better than the other two.
I can't speak to writing "server" applications because I have never written one. But on my stuff, the Mac is not worse than Linux or Windows. The three platforms have many similarities, but all present different challenges. The things that are important to me on this project are: threads that can be put to sleep for precise time periods, being able to have fine grain control over the audio playback, accurate measurement of the audio latency, precise synchronization of audio and video threads, a responsive UI while this is happening, etc.
So, to say the Mac's threading support is "bad", is not consistant with my experiences on OS X. (I will agree that the threading support on OS 9 was really terrible.)
Not to mention that you have a hardware lock-in because Apple probably won't support you if you use hardware other than what they sell.
There's no "probably" to it. Why would Apple support something they didn't sell? They don't qualify MacOS X to run on anything but their own hardware. This is not to desparage Apple - it is their business model.
Oh, you do realize that the entire article is just a troll to get Mac fans and Linux fans angry at each other, right? There is no factual basis for this arguments presented in the article at all.
Very little of the electricity in the US is generated by oil. Most of the electricity in the US that is generated by oil is backup generators and other specialty uses.
About half is generated by coal which contributes to pollution. The other big chunks are hydro, nuclear, and natural gas. Natural gas does produce CO2, but by far natural gas is the easiest type of power plant to get the permits to build.
It is really hard to build new Hydro plants because people are concerned about the environmental impact. When I livedin the northwest, I heard lots of talk about people wanting to get rid of the hydro dams because they believe it would be beneficial to salmon. (This seems NUTS to me.)
A lot of nuclear plants have actually been shut down. Still, the US gets lots of its energy from nuclear.
A huge chunk of the electricity used in the US is actually wasted by AC to DC power adaptors for electronics and also for standby mode in other types of electronics (TVs, VCRs, etc.)
If I could do whatever I wanted with energy policy, I would give serious consideration to re-starting existing nuclear plants that are unused and I would try to get as many people as possible to put solar panels on their roofs. I would also ban standby mode and try to find ways for consumer electronics to generate DC power more efficiently. More hydro plants would be good, but we are close to having as many as can be built. So, I'd look into building a few more, trying to reduce demand, and trying to close as many of the coal plants as possible.
He did a juvenile novel every year up until his publisher (Scribner's) rejected "Starship Troopers". His editor at Scribner's was apparently difficult to put up with and when the rejected ST, it was the last straw. After that he focused on writing for adults and had several huge break-out novels including Stranger in a Strange Land, Moon is a Harsh Mistress, etc. and his editors basically stopped editing him.
What you could do would be to create an application that presents a user interface into someone else's computer except using YOUR customized UI metaphors. That way, you could perform an action using your UI and the person you are helping would see that action happening on their computer in their own UI.
So, you are right, it wouldn't be email support, but it would not be impossible to provide remote technical support, but it would have to be designed into the system from the ground up in order to really be workable.
I'll assume you are either a Microsoft or Linux fanboy.
If you are a Microsoft fanboy, I'll mention the irony that your platform is the one that actually implemented an idea as assinine as this article (menu items that go away and re-arrange themselves).
If you are a Linux fanboy, I'll just assume you think usability is a bug, not a feature.
Re:It's like nothing we've seen .. since Linux
on
A New Kind of OS
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
If it was really effortless, I guess we would be out of a job.
I have seen some of these things come and go. For example, I remember when VB6 came out and there was a lot of talk about it would be the end of C++. For example, why ever write an actual win32 based application, when it is easier to just crank something out in VB in a shorter time.
At the time, I remember some Windows C++ guys who I worked with being all like, "I guess I will have to find another career because I really don't want to be a VB programmer".
Well, it didn't happen.
This kind of a statement, that there will be some new revolutionary thing where computers can do new things that they didn't do before without having to be programmed - if you can really do it, then more power to you, but my guess is that it just won't be possible.
I thought a Simpson's episode did a bit of fable (complete with moral) where Bart wanted some video game incredibly bad, then when he could just about get the game, some rude kid shows up in a shop and tells his mother the game is passe and he doesn't want it, he wants something else now.
I believe the game was called Bonestorm and that Bart actually tried to steal it from the store. Instead, he was caught by security for shoplifting. Eventually his parents find out and he is humiliated. To add an extra sauce to the humiliation, Milhouse has the game and doesn't think it is very fun - he quit playing with it and now prefers a "cup and ball" toy. There was another kid at the store who was getting the game at the time that Bart stole it who was very rude to his mother - calling her "stupid" while she was buying the game for him. This made Bart feel like he might be more justified in stealing the game because he is more "deserving" of the game than the rude kid.
At the end, Bart just wants to get his mother's respect back.
Most OS X applications install like this. However, some applications (iWork, iLife) still use an installer. Some older programs that are a carry over from OS 9 also use installers.
But most 3rd party, well written OS X applications use merely a drag install.
Re:Maybe Joe Schmoe shouldn't be using a computer.
on
AOL 9.0 Called Badware
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
You get paid to fix problems - I get paid to prevent them.
Actually it is pretty easy to make your own printed T-Shirts with whatever design you want. I used these directions and have made several of my own designs.
Do you honestly think the idiot driving the Hummer way too fast cares whether she is tailgating you? If you stop in half the distance she can, she will just flatten you and she probably won't even notice.
Well, considering that our concept is that we want to spread freedom, and they want to spread strict Islamic law.
This is why we should not be trying to spread freedom in the middle east. If you let muslims vote, they will vote in a bunch of insane terrorists. The "palestinians" have done exactly that. The Iraqis have done that. The Iranians have done that. The closest thing to "free" an islamic country is going to get is with a dictator.
Under the Shah, women were treated decently, non-muslims were not being persecuted. The only people that were being persecuted were those trying to overthrow the Shah.
Instead of trying to get rid of Sadaam Hussein, we should have been SUPPORTING Sadaam Hussein. Look at the facts. Under him, Iraq was stable and there was more oil coming out of there than there is now. He gassed his own people? Well, boo-fucking-hoo. They were trying to overthrow him and they probably deserved what they got. He tried to assasinate Bush I? Who hasn't wanted to do that? (Note to the gov't official reading this: it is a JOKE!)
The fact is Sadaam Huessein is as good of a leader as you will EVER have in a muslim country.
We should not have invaded Iraq. We should have invaded Iran - and we should have done in 1980.
Iran is a sovereign country. Irrespective of what anyone's opinion of their current leadership (or the public rhetoric of their leadership), I think that is A Good Thing. Remember that they had to overthrow the US-supported Shah to get their country back.
You are completely wrong. Iran would be a lot better off if someone nuked them into radioactive dust.
Slashdot Mirror
I am working on a multi-media application right now for Mac, Windows, and Linux. I am using Qt, OpenGL, and a open source library called PortAudio. The app is multi-threaded.
I am having a much easier time on the Mac than on the other two. Both Windows and X11 have weird issues around multi-threading and OpenGL. Also, I have found that the audio support on the Mac is much better than the other two.
I can't speak to writing "server" applications because I have never written one. But on my stuff, the Mac is not worse than Linux or Windows. The three platforms have many similarities, but all present different challenges. The things that are important to me on this project are: threads that can be put to sleep for precise time periods, being able to have fine grain control over the audio playback, accurate measurement of the audio latency, precise synchronization of audio and video threads, a responsive UI while this is happening, etc.
So, to say the Mac's threading support is "bad", is not consistant with my experiences on OS X. (I will agree that the threading support on OS 9 was really terrible.)
Not to mention that you have a hardware lock-in because Apple probably won't support you if you use hardware other than what they sell.
There's no "probably" to it. Why would Apple support something they didn't sell? They don't qualify MacOS X to run on anything but their own hardware. This is not to desparage Apple - it is their business model.
Oh, you do realize that the entire article is just a troll to get Mac fans and Linux fans angry at each other, right? There is no factual basis for this arguments presented in the article at all.
Very little of the electricity in the US is generated by oil. Most of the electricity in the US that is generated by oil is backup generators and other specialty uses.
About half is generated by coal which contributes to pollution. The other big chunks are hydro, nuclear, and natural gas. Natural gas does produce CO2, but by far natural gas is the easiest type of power plant to get the permits to build.
It is really hard to build new Hydro plants because people are concerned about the environmental impact. When I livedin the northwest, I heard lots of talk about people wanting to get rid of the hydro dams because they believe it would be beneficial to salmon. (This seems NUTS to me.)
A lot of nuclear plants have actually been shut down. Still, the US gets lots of its energy from nuclear.
A huge chunk of the electricity used in the US is actually wasted by AC to DC power adaptors for electronics and also for standby mode in other types of electronics (TVs, VCRs, etc.)
If I could do whatever I wanted with energy policy, I would give serious consideration to re-starting existing nuclear plants that are unused and I would try to get as many people as possible to put solar panels on their roofs. I would also ban standby mode and try to find ways for consumer electronics to generate DC power more efficiently. More hydro plants would be good, but we are close to having as many as can be built. So, I'd look into building a few more, trying to reduce demand, and trying to close as many of the coal plants as possible.
He did a juvenile novel every year up until his publisher (Scribner's) rejected "Starship Troopers". His editor at Scribner's was apparently difficult to put up with and when the rejected ST, it was the last straw. After that he focused on writing for adults and had several huge break-out novels including Stranger in a Strange Land, Moon is a Harsh Mistress, etc. and his editors basically stopped editing him.
I guess people didn't understand the my thread was meant to be sarcastic.
How dare they use an available tool to comply with a british law!
And for what flimsy reason?? To give a CRIMINAL defendant a FAIR TRIAL!
I am sure that John Kerry and the ACLU are behind this.
What you could do would be to create an application that presents a user interface into someone else's computer except using YOUR customized UI metaphors. That way, you could perform an action using your UI and the person you are helping would see that action happening on their computer in their own UI.
So, you are right, it wouldn't be email support, but it would not be impossible to provide remote technical support, but it would have to be designed into the system from the ground up in order to really be workable.
I'll assume you are either a Microsoft or Linux fanboy.
If you are a Microsoft fanboy, I'll mention the irony that your platform is the one that actually implemented an idea as assinine as this article (menu items that go away and re-arrange themselves).
If you are a Linux fanboy, I'll just assume you think usability is a bug, not a feature.
If it was really effortless, I guess we would be out of a job.
I have seen some of these things come and go. For example, I remember when VB6 came out and there was a lot of talk about it would be the end of C++. For example, why ever write an actual win32 based application, when it is easier to just crank something out in VB in a shorter time.
At the time, I remember some Windows C++ guys who I worked with being all like, "I guess I will have to find another career because I really don't want to be a VB programmer".
Well, it didn't happen.
This kind of a statement, that there will be some new revolutionary thing where computers can do new things that they didn't do before without having to be programmed - if you can really do it, then more power to you, but my guess is that it just won't be possible.
I thought a Simpson's episode did a bit of fable (complete with moral) where Bart wanted some video game incredibly bad, then when he could just about get the game, some rude kid shows up in a shop and tells his mother the game is passe and he doesn't want it, he wants something else now.
I believe the game was called Bonestorm and that Bart actually tried to steal it from the store. Instead, he was caught by security for shoplifting. Eventually his parents find out and he is humiliated. To add an extra sauce to the humiliation, Milhouse has the game and doesn't think it is very fun - he quit playing with it and now prefers a "cup and ball" toy. There was another kid at the store who was getting the game at the time that Bart stole it who was very rude to his mother - calling her "stupid" while she was buying the game for him. This made Bart feel like he might be more justified in stealing the game because he is more "deserving" of the game than the rude kid.
At the end, Bart just wants to get his mother's respect back.
But will they sell you a computer without OSX?
Sure. Buy an iPod.
Mac cannot run most of the programs which most people are used to using
There are a lot of people who use their web browser for everything.
Hell-- they wouldn't even let me get a laptop WITHOUT windows
Try Apple - they will sell you one.
Most OS X applications install like this. However, some applications (iWork, iLife) still use an installer. Some older programs that are a carry over from OS 9 also use installers.
But most 3rd party, well written OS X applications use merely a drag install.
You get paid to fix problems - I get paid to prevent them.
In related news, a drunken Slashdotter runs aground causing the premature deaths of many "in Soviet Russia" jokes.
While many slashdot visitors are not exactly savvy in the culinary arts, I would guess that most of us can use a fork pretty well.
Sure we know how to use fork! It is easy - it doesn't even take any arguments.
The one who almost ran me over in her efforts to get around my Vespa so she could run a red light was a she.
Actually it is pretty easy to make your own printed T-Shirts with whatever design you want. I used these directions and have made several of my own designs.
Do you honestly think the idiot driving the Hummer way too fast cares whether she is tailgating you? If you stop in half the distance she can, she will just flatten you and she probably won't even notice.
Well, considering that our concept is that we want to spread freedom, and they want to spread strict Islamic law.
This is why we should not be trying to spread freedom in the middle east. If you let muslims vote, they will vote in a bunch of insane terrorists. The "palestinians" have done exactly that. The Iraqis have done that. The Iranians have done that. The closest thing to "free" an islamic country is going to get is with a dictator.
Under the Shah, women were treated decently, non-muslims were not being persecuted. The only people that were being persecuted were those trying to overthrow the Shah.
Instead of trying to get rid of Sadaam Hussein, we should have been SUPPORTING Sadaam Hussein. Look at the facts. Under him, Iraq was stable and there was more oil coming out of there than there is now. He gassed his own people? Well, boo-fucking-hoo. They were trying to overthrow him and they probably deserved what they got. He tried to assasinate Bush I? Who hasn't wanted to do that? (Note to the gov't official reading this: it is a JOKE!)
The fact is Sadaam Huessein is as good of a leader as you will EVER have in a muslim country.
We should not have invaded Iraq. We should have invaded Iran - and we should have done in 1980.
If you think they have peaceful ambitions, you are a fool. The minute the get the bomb, they will nuke Tel Aviv. You can COUNT on it.
The problem is that the Iranians won't care about the consequences, so long as they destroy Israel. They are suicidal maniacs.
Iran is a sovereign country. Irrespective of what anyone's opinion of their current leadership (or the public rhetoric of their leadership), I think that is A Good Thing. Remember that they had to overthrow the US-supported Shah to get their country back.
You are completely wrong. Iran would be a lot better off if someone nuked them into radioactive dust.
They are in Taiwan, not China. Taiwan is a free society.