I think in general it helps to teach more than one language. The current trend is to have a "core language" that schools teach in excruciating detail so that students will be able to go out and get a job right away, because they have a "skill".
But much of the time, they don't understand how or why what they've been taught actually works, which makes learning other programming languages vastly more difficult, since they're focusing on what's different in the syntax rather than on what's the same in the semantics.
Sorry if that first came off a bit adversarial. It's been a long day.
I think the key word is "custom". A lot of the tweaking people would like to be able to do with regards to Aqua can probably be done without hacking the OS.
I suppose I was just poking some fun at the overly dramatic tone of the/. article I linked to.:-)
The core issue is Apple hiding APIs to hinder customization of their OS. The fact that Audio Hijack can exist proves that low-level APIs that Apple doesn't want people seeing(at least not yet) are still accessible to adventurous hackers.
I think what this refers to is that third party apps that use the toolbar are relegated to something of a second class citizen status, and lack some of the capabilities of Apple-sponsored toolbar items.
For instance, my Proteus icon doesn't stay on the toolbar if Proteus isn't running, and I can't easily rearrange it on the toolbar by dragging while holding the Apple key down. I can do this(or remove the icon entirely) with the system-related icons approved by Apple(modem status, volume, resolution).
As a disclaimer, I am still using 10.1.5, so I can't speak for 10.2.
The response from every single person working for the college is "if you don't have Office then you can't do anything worthwhile anyway."
It's always nice to have these people inform me that AppleWorks doesn't work. Now I just have to go around and get back all of the papers I wrote in it before my old teachers realize that I obviously didn't do the work, since only Office allows a student to get any work done.
A Windows license is cheaper... until you realize that unless students are bringing brand new computers to school, they're probably using hand-me-downs that are incapable of running Windows XP well enough to be useful. Yes, they could stick with Win98SE, but...
Professors tend to do really stupid things, like distributing course material online in Office documents that have a nasty habit of only opening in the latest greatest version of Office.
You don't have to force anyone to buy anything. Just refuse to support OSes with chronic security issues.
"You can have your Windows machine, but don't come whining to the Help Desk when you have a virus. We told you how to avoid such things, and you chose not to take that advice to heart."
Besides offering a better interface for novices, you might want to look at how else a consistent interface across the platform benefits users.
It provides an environment where I can go from one OS X machine to another, and instantly be at home, even if someone else is currently using it. It makes it easier to break out of an "assigned computer for each user" way of thinking and start thinking about a more network-centric environment where there are a bunch of machines and a bunch of users, and a server, and anyone can do any of their work at any workstation.
Until the thin client concept really matures, and network transparent windowing systems get fast enough to deal with something like Quartz, this is how Apple has to tackle such a situation.
Besides, Apple has the strongest branding in the industry(what other software or hardware vendor can be almost universally identified by just a non-alphanumerc image?), so it's in their best interest to make their machines recognizable.
While I agree, I think it's wrong to consider Apple a small company. Yes, Windows has vastly higher marketshare than MacOS and Mac OS X, but, that marketshare is divided among hardware vendors beyond count, and that's Apple's market.
While I would be *slightly* more tactful, I have fund it absurd that PHP supports at least basic OO, yet still uses absurdly long function names. This is what OO in C looks like, and there's a reason that's not a very popular approach to programming.
I know it's made it hard for me to have much enthusiasm about PHP. As for an alternative, http://www.modruby.net
That's called "being honest". Most IT guys I've run into really have no deep knowledge of Windows. They've just gotten really good at reinstalling.
Simplicity appeals to just about everyone. Some times there's a point when you want a computer to do what you expect, without lowering your expectations.
Everyone who isn't a trained actor looks like an idiot when a camera is trained on them. That's the point. Real, goofy, quirky, neurotic, normal people, not paid actors.
Additionally, Mac mice, particularly the "hockey puck" aren't the type of mice you're supposed to wrap your entire hand around. They're far more effectively and ergonomically manipulated with fingertips.
In this case, it's natural for only one finger to actually be touching the button.
Optional strong typing should making debugging much easier, while leaving the easy stuff really easy.
Parallel iterations are one of the things that culd really sell Perl6 among skeptics. C, C++, Java, C#, etc. programmers may scoff at regular expressions, and say "oh but we already have objects and garbage collection and type checking and all of that, so why would we want to learn Perl?" Well, how in any of those languages do you do something like:
my int @a = 0.. 5; my str @b = 'A'.. 'F'; for @a; @b -> $a; $b {
print "$b is $a\n"; }
Slashdot Mirror
The parens aren't necessary. They are in Perl5, however.
Having another revenue stream - even a small one - never hurts, either.
I think in general it helps to teach more than one language. The current trend is to have a "core language" that schools teach in excruciating detail so that students will be able to go out and get a job right away, because they have a "skill".
But much of the time, they don't understand how or why what they've been taught actually works, which makes learning other programming languages vastly more difficult, since they're focusing on what's different in the syntax rather than on what's the same in the semantics.
Sorry if that first came off a bit adversarial. It's been a long day.
/. article I linked to. :-)
I think the key word is "custom". A lot of the tweaking people would like to be able to do with regards to Aqua can probably be done without hacking the OS.
I suppose I was just poking some fun at the overly dramatic tone of the
Actually, I do know what I'm talking about.
The core issue is Apple hiding APIs to hinder customization of their OS. The fact that Audio Hijack can exist proves that low-level APIs that Apple doesn't want people seeing(at least not yet) are still accessible to adventurous hackers.
Weren't we just talking about how this kind of tweaking and hacking is supposed to be impossible with Mac OS X?
I think what this refers to is that third party apps that use the toolbar are relegated to something of a second class citizen status, and lack some of the capabilities of Apple-sponsored toolbar items.
For instance, my Proteus icon doesn't stay on the toolbar if Proteus isn't running, and I can't easily rearrange it on the toolbar by dragging while holding the Apple key down. I can do this(or remove the icon entirely) with the system-related icons approved by Apple(modem status, volume, resolution).
As a disclaimer, I am still using 10.1.5, so I can't speak for 10.2.
The response from every single person working for the college is "if you don't have Office then you can't do anything worthwhile anyway."
It's always nice to have these people inform me that AppleWorks doesn't work. Now I just have to go around and get back all of the papers I wrote in it before my old teachers realize that I obviously didn't do the work, since only Office allows a student to get any work done.
Given that Sam is shown covering a very pale Frodo, I think we can assume Shelob will be present in TTT.
I could believe this. The Two Towers could refer to any number of combinations of locations.
The "tower" of the Misty Mountains where Gandalf was reborn and strove with the Dark Tower, and Barad-dur. Or...
Barad-dur and Orthanc, and the collaboration and rivalry between Sauron and Saruman. Or...
The two watch towers overlooking the Black Gate.
The tower of Minas Tirith and Orthanc. Or...
It could involve the watch tower that guards the pass of Cirith Ungol, where Frodo was taken, which is not Minas Morgul.
It could mean a lot of things.
A Windows license is cheaper... until you realize that unless students are bringing brand new computers to school, they're probably using hand-me-downs that are incapable of running Windows XP well enough to be useful. Yes, they could stick with Win98SE, but...
Professors tend to do really stupid things, like distributing course material online in Office documents that have a nasty habit of only opening in the latest greatest version of Office.
You don't have to force anyone to buy anything. Just refuse to support OSes with chronic security issues.
"You can have your Windows machine, but don't come whining to the Help Desk when you have a virus. We told you how to avoid such things, and you chose not to take that advice to heart."
The iPod's 1.8" hard drive is manufactured by Toshiba.
Besides offering a better interface for novices, you might want to look at how else a consistent interface across the platform benefits users.
It provides an environment where I can go from one OS X machine to another, and instantly be at home, even if someone else is currently using it. It makes it easier to break out of an "assigned computer for each user" way of thinking and start thinking about a more network-centric environment where there are a bunch of machines and a bunch of users, and a server, and anyone can do any of their work at any workstation.
Until the thin client concept really matures, and network transparent windowing systems get fast enough to deal with something like Quartz, this is how Apple has to tackle such a situation.
Besides, Apple has the strongest branding in the industry(what other software or hardware vendor can be almost universally identified by just a non-alphanumerc image?), so it's in their best interest to make their machines recognizable.
While I agree, I think it's wrong to consider Apple a small company. Yes, Windows has vastly higher marketshare than MacOS and Mac OS X, but, that marketshare is divided among hardware vendors beyond count, and that's Apple's market.
While I would be *slightly* more tactful, I have fund it absurd that PHP supports at least basic OO, yet still uses absurdly long function names. This is what OO in C looks like, and there's a reason that's not a very popular approach to programming.
I know it's made it hard for me to have much enthusiasm about PHP. As for an alternative, http://www.modruby.net
So if I realize it...
;-)
time to update the ol' resume
That's called "being honest". Most IT guys I've run into really have no deep knowledge of Windows. They've just gotten really good at reinstalling.
Simplicity appeals to just about everyone. Some times there's a point when you want a computer to do what you expect, without lowering your expectations.
Having the keyboard there as an option never hurts.
Except when there's no way to shield it from the world. Really bad design.
While I personally believe Apple mice are the result of considerable ergonomics research, that isn't what I was saying.
I made a suggestion for how to more ergonomically use these mice.
Everyone who isn't a trained actor looks like an idiot when a camera is trained on them. That's the point. Real, goofy, quirky, neurotic, normal people, not paid actors.
Additionally, Mac mice, particularly the "hockey puck" aren't the type of mice you're supposed to wrap your entire hand around. They're far more effectively and ergonomically manipulated with fingertips.
In this case, it's natural for only one finger to actually be touching the button.
Close. RHTML already exists. Ruby embedded in HTML is wonderful to work with.
A few other things:
.. 5; .. 'F';
Optional strong typing should making debugging much easier, while leaving the easy stuff really easy.
Parallel iterations are one of the things that culd really sell Perl6 among skeptics. C, C++, Java, C#, etc. programmers may scoff at regular expressions, and say "oh but we already have objects and garbage collection and type checking and all of that, so why would we want to learn Perl?" Well, how in any of those languages do you do something like:
my int @a = 0
my str @b = 'A'
for @a; @b -> $a; $b {
print "$b is $a\n";
}