Agreed, but most businesses don't develop their own software, they use a COTS package, and the COTS developers tend to use the fastest/easiest devlopment path. Guess what browser that approach uses?
I've been running Windows XP for about four years now, and it has been an "OK" experience. Most things in the box worked right out of the box, with the notable exception of networking with other operating systems, but that got better as time went on. Games were the high point of the Windows experience. The less said about Microsoft Office the better.
There were few applications included with the operating system, really almost none. Many things not included were expensive to buy, and some didn't work well at all. I noticed that there were no applications worth talking about when it came to doing anything involving video editing that didn't crash the machine. And even playing a DVD required me to spend an extra $60 on WinDVD.
And then I noticed how completely broken the security is on Windows XP.
So I switched to Linux, the best OS the planet has ever seen.
Does Linux have any flaws? Probably. But Microsoft is in a panic over it. Maybe they're afraid that Windows will disappear in the shadow of Linux. So they've been conducting a FUD campaign for some time now, using a stalking horse named SCO. But that horse broke a leg recently, and will soon be humanely put to sleep.
Windows is about having to spend endless hours of your time applying security patches, scanning for malware and sometimes restoring the entire operating system when it glitches. Linux is about enjoying your computer.
For most people and organizations, I recommend Linux. I don't recommend Windows.
(Aw, heck, I couldn't help myself...)
--
Microsoft alleges that Linux violates 235 Microsoft patents. I say put up, or shut up.
Microsoft is worried enough to have repudiated the vouchers that Novell was to have used as FUD where GPLv3 software is concerned:
At this point in time, in order to avoid any doubt or legal debate on this issue, Microsoft has decided that the Novell support certificates that we distribute to customers will not entitle the recipient to receive from Novell, or any other party, any subscription for support and updates relating to any code licensed under GPLv3.
So it looks as if Microsoft will be left holding a bag of worthless vouchers as soon as Novell adds GPLv3 code to SuSE.
Vista is plenty ready for use. It's your employer that apparently isn't ready for it.
I'll not question if Vista is ready for 'prime-time', but I will note that there are dozens, if not hundreds of applications that run on XP but will not run on Vista. That's a real showstopper for any business that depends on these applications.
If all you want to do is email and surf the internet, then Vista is great. For any mission critical use, it isn't. At least that's what corporate America is saying.
The only problem with your suggestion is the liability of IBM's counterclaims that any buyer of SCO would inherit. As it stands now, IBM will collect next to nothing, as SCO has almost no value, especially after Novell gets the $25 million owed to it by SCO. If Microsoft was foolish enough to buy SCO, the damages could be in the "billions and billions" as Carl Sagan might have said.
Where else but from Microsoft? Mr Ballmer is positioning himself to take up where Darl McBride left off regarding baseless allegations against Linux - as a matter of fact, he's begun already.
Stay tuned, the Chair-Throwing FUD Special is just warming up.
The Coffee Fool has good, fresh coffee, but it is high priced and to get the benefit of fresh coffee you have to order every week (roasted coffee loses much of its flavor by the time a week has passed).
I roast green beans in a FreshRoast+8 every two or three days to get the maximum freshness. It takes about 15 minutes to roast enough for 10-12 cups, or about 2-3 days worth for me. SweetMaria's has the best green beans that I've found so far. As far as a favorite bean, I lean toward the Yemen Mokha, but this is really up to your personal taste.
Grind the beans in a good burr grinder, if you can, but a cheap blade grinder will work if you are using a drip maker. The exception to this is if you are going to make espresso, where the grind is of critical importance. If you are grinding for espresso, beprepared to spend from $200 to $450 for a decent grinder. CoffeeGeek has some great reviews of the different grinders.
Press pots are good, but you have to really like gritty coffee, as the screen is not fine enough to filter the coffee 'dust' in all ground coffee. An improvement on the press pot is the Aerobie AeroPress, in which the coffee is forced through a paper filter.
By far, the most important part of good coffee is a good, well-roasted, extremely fresh bean.
You can roast your own beans at home if you can find green beans. Most coffee roasters will be more than happy to sell you green beans, as coffee loses 10-25% of its weight during roasting, so they can make more money selling you unroasted beans at roasted bean prices.
Green beans are less than half the price of roasted beans. Green beans are available at several websites, just search on 'green coffee beans'.
Stovetop roasting is interesting, but it is difficult to produce an even roast. Using a hot air roaster, even an old hot air popcorn popper, will make a real difference in the final product.
Agreed that computers are just tools, and that using a Mac isn't going to make you innovative, but craftsmen choose their tools carefully. Graham is pointing out that the craftsmen are choosing the Mac and OSX as a superior tool. Choosing to use Windows is just making the job more difficult.
There already is a specification that meets the requirements that Powered USB attempts to satisfy - it's called Firewire.
All that needs to happen is for the peripheral manufacturers to start producing Firewire devices and for the PC manufacturers to include Firewire ports on motherboards and laptops. The last thing that is needed is yet another half-baked 'standard', especially one that can be implemented in any number of ways.
Slashdot Mirror
Why not? Seems to have worked for SCO.
I suggest you read the licensing agreement that covers OS X. Especially the part that says that it can only be installed on Apple hardware.
Just because you 'can', doesn't mean you 'may'.
Wrong. Please go read the GPL .
Agreed, but most businesses don't develop their own software, they use a COTS package, and the COTS developers tend to use the fastest/easiest devlopment path. Guess what browser that approach uses?
Bread and circuses, just bread and circuses.
The Food Network is available in HD, but your provider probably doesn't offer it yet.
What else do you expect from the Department of Homeland Insanity?
So Microsoft is now treating employees the same way they treat customers?
I've been running Windows XP for about four years now, and it has been an "OK" experience. Most things in the box worked right out of the box, with the notable exception of networking with other operating systems, but that got better as time went on. Games were the high point of the Windows experience. The less said about Microsoft Office the better.
There were few applications included with the operating system, really almost none. Many things not included were expensive to buy, and some didn't work well at all. I noticed that there were no applications worth talking about when it came to doing anything involving video editing that didn't crash the machine. And even playing a DVD required me to spend an extra $60 on WinDVD.
And then I noticed how completely broken the security is on Windows XP.
So I switched to Linux, the best OS the planet has ever seen.
Does Linux have any flaws? Probably. But Microsoft is in a panic over it. Maybe they're afraid that Windows will disappear in the shadow of Linux. So they've been conducting a FUD campaign for some time now, using a stalking horse named SCO. But that horse broke a leg recently, and will soon be humanely put to sleep.
Windows is about having to spend endless hours of your time applying security patches, scanning for malware and sometimes restoring the entire operating system when it glitches. Linux is about enjoying your computer.
For most people and organizations, I recommend Linux. I don't recommend Windows.
(Aw, heck, I couldn't help myself...)
--
Microsoft alleges that Linux violates 235 Microsoft patents. I say put up, or shut up.
So it looks as if Microsoft will be left holding a bag of worthless vouchers as soon as Novell adds GPLv3 code to SuSE.
DRM?
Fourteen.
Vista is plenty ready for use. It's your employer that apparently isn't ready for it.
I'll not question if Vista is ready for 'prime-time', but I will note that there are dozens, if not hundreds of applications that run on XP but will not run on Vista. That's a real showstopper for any business that depends on these applications.
If all you want to do is email and surf the internet, then Vista is great. For any mission critical use, it isn't. At least that's what corporate America is saying.
"Mmmmm, donuts!"
The only problem with your suggestion is the liability of IBM's counterclaims that any buyer of SCO would inherit. As it stands now, IBM will collect next to nothing, as SCO has almost no value, especially after Novell gets the $25 million owed to it by SCO. If Microsoft was foolish enough to buy SCO, the damages could be in the "billions and billions" as Carl Sagan might have said.
Stay tuned, the Chair-Throwing FUD Special is just warming up.
Because you can't copyright a concept, perhaps?
I roast green beans in a FreshRoast+8 every two or three days to get the maximum freshness. It takes about 15 minutes to roast enough for 10-12 cups, or about 2-3 days worth for me. SweetMaria's has the best green beans that I've found so far. As far as a favorite bean, I lean toward the Yemen Mokha, but this is really up to your personal taste.
Grind the beans in a good burr grinder, if you can, but a cheap blade grinder will work if you are using a drip maker. The exception to this is if you are going to make espresso, where the grind is of critical importance. If you are grinding for espresso, beprepared to spend from $200 to $450 for a decent grinder. CoffeeGeek has some great reviews of the different grinders.
Press pots are good, but you have to really like gritty coffee, as the screen is not fine enough to filter the coffee 'dust' in all ground coffee. An improvement on the press pot is the Aerobie AeroPress, in which the coffee is forced through a paper filter.
By far, the most important part of good coffee is a good, well-roasted, extremely fresh bean.
Green beans are less than half the price of roasted beans. Green beans are available at several websites, just search on 'green coffee beans'.
Stovetop roasting is interesting, but it is difficult to produce an even roast. Using a hot air roaster, even an old hot air popcorn popper, will make a real difference in the final product.
Thanks to Vista, that day is coming closer.
If it is, it's really poor timing, given the recent rulings on software patents.
The line has been drawn in the sand - Microsoft delenda est!
When Microsoft illegally restricts the ability of my state government, funded by my tax dollars, to use only their document formats, they are evil.
Agreed that computers are just tools, and that using a Mac isn't going to make you innovative, but craftsmen choose their tools carefully. Graham is pointing out that the craftsmen are choosing the Mac and OSX as a superior tool. Choosing to use Windows is just making the job more difficult.
msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista
www.answers.com/topic/microsoft-windows
support.microsoft.com
www.annoyances.org
www.windowssecrets.com
technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista
You get the idea...
There already is a specification that meets the requirements that Powered USB attempts to satisfy - it's called Firewire.
All that needs to happen is for the peripheral manufacturers to start producing Firewire devices and for the PC manufacturers to include Firewire ports on motherboards and laptops. The last thing that is needed is yet another half-baked 'standard', especially one that can be implemented in any number of ways.
Powered USB? Gah.