Keep support for the hardware only and put Suse 7.3 Sparc on it.
We've thought of doing that.. but not to save money (our sun contracts only cover the hardware as it is) Compiling something on Solaris versus compiling on Linux is night and day... the GNU environment is just so much better.
Installing libXML2 and libXSLT took several days of troubleshooting. Sunfreeware is outdated, and we needed the latest versions to do some of the stuff we wanted.
However, some of our systems are almost 10 years old now, and the support contracts for the hardware alone are tens of thousands of dollars per year. For what we're paying in hardware support, we could buy new Sparcs every year.
This reminds me a bit of the test CCs that used to be used. Internet store software like InterShop allowed you to just punch in all 1's as the CC number so you can test out your store without charging your credit card.
Problem was, InterShop didn't make it obvious on how to disable this test number and many stores would go online with the test CC number still active.
The internet kiosks in Sky Harbor Airport (Phoenix) had this vulnerability as well.. you could use them all you wanted with the test CC.
At work we buy Sun hardware because it's probably the most reliable hardware you can buy.
However, lately, we've been having trouble justifying the costs. A cheap linux box will get the job done, even if we need to have cheap backups around for any hardware failures.
The rules are different when a court determines your business is a monopoly. This change would not have happened if that was not the case.
It's safe to say that Apple has a monopoly on online music sales. You could argue that Apple is abusing their monopoly status by requiring iTunes and Quicktime in order to use the store.
Apparently, lik sang is looking at making an SNES to USB adaptor.. that'd probably be the best solution, if and when it comes out.
But for me, I just have my SNES hooked up to the bedroom TV (and a pair of wireless snes controllers)... emulation may be cheaper, but nothing compares to having the actual system and carts.
You obviously have never had to support any production servers or you would never make such a stupid statement. Let me guess: you are a 13-year-old with a computer in you bedroom. Yep, in your case, upgrade to Fedora. No problem. I have updated my home system and my laptop to Fedora -- works great, I like it.
Put your files on a NetApp.. then spend the $1000 for a test server. Set up the test server to clone the server you're going to upgrade. Swap the IPs.. and that gives you all the time in the world to upgrade your production server.
We do this all the time, both for our Sparcs and our x86 linux boxes.
To not have any spare servers to use as backups is very reckless. What do you do when you have a harddrive failure? Run around like a chicken with its head cut off?
Develop an emergency plan and fix your upgrade problem at the same time.. buy a NetApp and a few spare servers.. use them as development platforms and they'll always be ready to swap out with a broken server.
What company/doesn't/ have a quality/money tradeoff?
True, but Apple's problems aren't related to quality/money. They're related to laptops. Even their most expensive TiBooks have a history of product defects and other problems.
Apple laptops may be sexy, but they're much more poorly built than their desktops. I still have a Mac Classic that was built in 1990 and it still works. I'm confident in saying that none of Apple's laptops will last 10 years.
Sorry, sitting in front of my computer trying to discover new music by taking time to download things I may not like is not as efficient as listening to the radio while I am already doing some other task, like driving.
You're sitting in front of your computer now, why not pop on over to http://di.fm and broaden your horizons.. no downloading, free internet radio that plays the same stuff they're selling on Bleep.
and especially not on dance/techno/electronica/whatever the heck this stuff is, but I have only heard of two of the 'bout 100 artists they even list.
That would explain why you haven't heard of most of those artists. I couldn't name you any Country Music artists other than Garth Brooks... that doesn't mean a thing.
Point 5: My trash can is in the corner, it is never hidden, and never shifts position. It's called preferences. Turn off magnification, turn off auto-hiding and put the Dock along one side. Takes care of all of this point.
Your trash can will still move. If you minimize a window, your trashcan will shift as the dock grows.
Even the lowly Apple Menu allowed for hierarchial folders so *everything* didn't have to be in the main list....how about the same thing for the Dock?
That's why I use DragThing.
The only problem I have now is that Apple made it so damn impossible to turn off the Dock without completely breaking things. (You can only turn it off by renaming the binary, and then once you do, you can no longer minimize windows or drag icons in the finder).
after a few hours having a massive analog clock in the center of your screen gets old, no matter how neat it once looked.
All this means is a clock widget isn't useful. We use Konfabulator here at work all the time. We have written several widgets that are very useful. One talks to our project management software. I've got an nice widget that lists all my current projects. Another interfaces with BigBrother (www.bb4.com) and a nice little alert pops up when one of our servers goes down.
Konfabulator is an amazing and powerful piece of software.. especially in the hands someone like me, who can make custom widgets.
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Keep support for the hardware only and put Suse 7.3 Sparc on it.
We've thought of doing that.. but not to save money (our sun contracts only cover the hardware as it is) Compiling something on Solaris versus compiling on Linux is night and day... the GNU environment is just so much better.
Installing libXML2 and libXSLT took several days of troubleshooting. Sunfreeware is outdated, and we needed the latest versions to do some of the stuff we wanted.
However, some of our systems are almost 10 years old now, and the support contracts for the hardware alone are tens of thousands of dollars per year. For what we're paying in hardware support, we could buy new Sparcs every year.
That's the price of inertia I guess.
This reminds me a bit of the test CCs that used to be used. Internet store software like InterShop allowed you to just punch in all 1's as the CC number so you can test out your store without charging your credit card.
Problem was, InterShop didn't make it obvious on how to disable this test number and many stores would go online with the test CC number still active.
The internet kiosks in Sky Harbor Airport (Phoenix) had this vulnerability as well.. you could use them all you wanted with the test CC.
c.) last forever. They still use old sparc station 4's for the tech desk staff.
That's certainly true, I have a pizza box SparcStation2 in my closet.. the thing may be pretty useless these days (33mhz) but it still works.
At work we buy Sun hardware because it's probably the most reliable hardware you can buy.
However, lately, we've been having trouble justifying the costs. A cheap linux box will get the job done, even if we need to have cheap backups around for any hardware failures.
Hasn't hell frozen over yet? :)
Yes it has. I'm reporting live from hell, and I can tell you that it's might cold out there! Brr!
don't most recording studios have their machines in another room? The only thing in the studio are mics and a lot of egg cartons on the wall.
I'm fairly sure that no recording studio has a computer in the same room as the mics.
On a side note, I own 2 completely silent computers. They're called iOpeners.. no harddrive, no fan, no moving parts.. great little xterminals.
Well, an Xserve doesn't take that much space. Anyone ever attempt to install a rack-mount computer into an entertainment center?
An Xserve is so loud, you wouldn't be able to hear your TV. Probably not a very good living room machine.
Ofcourse, Alias|Wavefront's Maia is the existing champion my a long way, and since I doubt they are up for sale(how cool would THAT be?)
No, that would suck.. the day Apple buys Maya would be the same day they announce that they're cancelling their Linux version.
I remember the "Summer olympics" games back in the days, where the runner ran faster the faster you moved the joystick back and forth.
That game was the quickest way to break an Apple][e joystick.
I remember Nintendo put out the Power Pad for that game.. great leg workout, although most people just knelt down and hit the pad with their hands.
The rules are different when a court determines your business is a monopoly. This change would not have happened if that was not the case.
It's safe to say that Apple has a monopoly on online music sales. You could argue that Apple is abusing their monopoly status by requiring iTunes and Quicktime in order to use the store.
Don't forget the other Teacher's notes:
Does not work well with others.
Disruptive in class.
Fails to finish assignments.
Attendance problems.
Apparently, lik sang is looking at making an SNES to USB adaptor.. that'd probably be the best solution, if and when it comes out.
But for me, I just have my SNES hooked up to the bedroom TV (and a pair of wireless snes controllers)... emulation may be cheaper, but nothing compares to having the actual system and carts.
IIRC, an incomplete doesn't count as anything.. it's the same as if you had never taken the course at all.
Which is also, oddly appropriate.
You obviously have never had to support any production servers or you would never make such a stupid statement. Let me guess: you are a 13-year-old with a computer in you bedroom. Yep, in your case, upgrade to Fedora. No problem. I have updated my home system and my laptop to Fedora -- works great, I like it.
Put your files on a NetApp.. then spend the $1000 for a test server. Set up the test server to clone the server you're going to upgrade. Swap the IPs.. and that gives you all the time in the world to upgrade your production server.
We do this all the time, both for our Sparcs and our x86 linux boxes.
To not have any spare servers to use as backups is very reckless. What do you do when you have a harddrive failure? Run around like a chicken with its head cut off?
Develop an emergency plan and fix your upgrade problem at the same time.. buy a NetApp and a few spare servers.. use them as development platforms and they'll always be ready to swap out with a broken server.
What company /doesn't/ have a quality/money tradeoff?
True, but Apple's problems aren't related to quality/money. They're related to laptops. Even their most expensive TiBooks have a history of product defects and other problems.
Apple laptops may be sexy, but they're much more poorly built than their desktops. I still have a Mac Classic that was built in 1990 and it still works. I'm confident in saying that none of Apple's laptops will last 10 years.
We have 10 year old ThinkPads that still work.
What the hell is with all these people bitching? You can upgrade to Fedora for free.
"Waah, redhat isn't supporting my free OS even though they've released a free upgrade for me"
The "Current issue" and "Back Issue" link to 192.168.1.100/... addresses for crying out loud!
What's even more amazing is that their Current issue has the exact same files on it as my other computer!
Sorry, sitting in front of my computer trying to discover new music by taking time to download things I may not like is not as efficient as listening to the radio while I am already doing some other task, like driving.
You're sitting in front of your computer now, why not pop on over to http://di.fm and broaden your horizons.. no downloading, free internet radio that plays the same stuff they're selling on Bleep.
and especially not on dance/techno/electronica/whatever the heck this stuff is, but I have only heard of two of the 'bout 100 artists they even list.
That would explain why you haven't heard of most of those artists. I couldn't name you any Country Music artists other than Garth Brooks... that doesn't mean a thing.
Which will yield only 900 Marketing GB or about 800 Real GB
No, it's 900 Real GB, and about 800 GiB
It's your OS which displays the size incorrectly.
TiVo makes you social.
Point 5: My trash can is in the corner, it is never hidden, and never shifts position. It's called preferences. Turn off magnification, turn off auto-hiding and put the Dock along one side. Takes care of all of this point.
Your trash can will still move. If you minimize a window, your trashcan will shift as the dock grows.
Well, that was sure intuitive!
Even the lowly Apple Menu allowed for hierarchial folders so *everything* didn't have to be in the main list....how about the same thing for the Dock?
That's why I use DragThing.
The only problem I have now is that Apple made it so damn impossible to turn off the Dock without completely breaking things. (You can only turn it off by renaming the binary, and then once you do, you can no longer minimize windows or drag icons in the finder).
after a few hours having a massive analog clock in the center of your screen gets old, no matter how neat it once looked.
All this means is a clock widget isn't useful. We use Konfabulator here at work all the time. We have written several widgets that are very useful. One talks to our project management software. I've got an nice widget that lists all my current projects. Another interfaces with BigBrother (www.bb4.com) and a nice little alert pops up when one of our servers goes down.
Konfabulator is an amazing and powerful piece of software.. especially in the hands someone like me, who can make custom widgets.