In politics, we vote with our voice. With respect to big business, we vote with our $$$. If your representative, or supplier, or whoever doesn't meet your needs, vote them out of office.
In other words, return the damn thing, and purchase a similar laptop from their competitor!
After reading their web page, it seems they do use a 3rd party provider for their messaging, ORBCOMM, who's web site was down when I tried to access it. If your parents already have a computer, it might be easier to find a satellite modem like the one offered here. Too bad theirs is an OEM unit without even a case. How good of a provider is ORBCOMM? And do others manufacture satellite modems for their service? Sounds like a lot more research has to be done...
GPS Satellites do not carry any extraneous information, such as data streams to carry e-mail, etc. If Magellan's unit provides communicaion abilities, it will be with other similar units, or through a 3rd party provider, such as a cellular phone company, the latter being more probable. If they are using a 3rd party provider, does their provider extend their service into Mexico?
I know there are several projects to extend the reach of the internet into technologically dead areas of the world. And while I don't know all of the details, I know there has been an effort to use HAM radio as a transmission medium to connect computers in areas where they have poor or no communication infrastructure. Perhaps a better 'Ask Slashdot' would be to pose the question of how to connect when there are no local ISPs.
Well, when you are a cog in a corporate machine, what use do you have for science? Just do your job, and you will get paid.
I think most people find it easier to fall into line than to push their boundaries. As for those who believe in Aliens, ESP, and Astrology, they want to believe that life is more exciting than it really is, and these outlets are both entertaining, with an element of believability.
And what is wrong with a Firewire burner? Or an external burner? After all, isn't that the draw of an iMac? Basics in a convenient case, with lots of plugs to connect external devices. Old iMac, or new? Old iMac might require that you use USB instead of Firewire if you are to go the external route.
Some more information would be helpful as to the choice of path you are planning to take. If it is just for a 'l33t case mod' then I think you are on your own.
If I'm giving money to the government, and they turn around and spend that money to help develop software, then I sure as hell deserve a piece of it! I helped to pay for it's existence, therefore I believe that I own a piece of it. If the government spends the money on a corporation to help them develop software that they are going to turn around and charge me for, then I am being charged twice for the same software!
This is where I totally support the government giving money to free software projects, projects that will be released under the GPL. If the software is licenced under the GPL, then there is no way that a company can take the software that I helped fund and use it to steal me blind.
Does Microsoft or anyone else deserve to reap the rewards of their own R&D work? Yes indeed, but only if they were the sole providers of funding. If I helped fund it, I want something tangible in return, and the GPL provides that.
So, is this an indicator that the economy has turned around, and people are willing to spend hard earned cash on a good computer system? Or is it the masterful leadership of Jobs that has turned this computer company around?
Although I do think the economy is playing a part in this, I think that it is more the strong leadership of Jobs who has been able to deliver on the hype, and who has focused the creative talents of his employees to produce an excellent operating system, and some cool looking computers and computing devices.
I disagree. I think that when it comes time to choose which web sites to visit, or which portals to make your home page, people may make their choice by who follows P3P, and who doesn't. After all, if I have the choice of visiting Fox News or Cable News Network or USA Today, and each of which provide pretty much the same information, this could be the deciding factor.
Gee, I go to MSN and they protect my privacy, vs. Yahoo who will sell my information first chance they get, I think I would rather visit the site that has the better privacy policy, and thanks to P3P I know who that is!
Luckily for me, I went to a school that encouraged collaboration, and sharing of ideas, even in the comp. sci. dept. The professors had heard of Linux, and how its development was the act of many, many individuals working in a colaborative effort.
Thus, they encouraged collaboration in programming projects, but to discourage cheating, homework was weighed less than the examinations were. If you understood the assignments, you would pass easily. If all you did was copy what was on the board, or what your classmates did, you would fail miserably, because you would not understand how to do it.
Unfortunately, even though you pay $50 per copy at the store, most of that goes to the store, the warehouse, the distributor, the company that presses the CDs, etc. I ended up purchasing a copy of Railroad Tycoon 2 for Linux for less than $10 at E.B. because they had held on to it for too long, and they just wanted to reduce inventory.
You know what is sad? E.B. probably covered their costs by selling it at $10.
I think you are asking the wrong crowd. Over the past several years, those of us in the Open Source/Free Software communities have seen what Microsoft has done, and we don't want that to happen to us. We don't want a repeat of Kerberos on some other important protocol. We don't want to see Microsoft Bob for Gnome.
The basic issue is trust. Time after time Microsoft has broken that trust. It would take a gesture of huge proportions to regain that trust, and I for one don't think we will see it.
From Senator Ernest F. Hollings' Letter to President George W. Bush:
"...comsumers desire high-quality digital contenton on the Internet, and it is not being provided in any widespread, legal fashion."
Of course if the content creation industries and their representatives first reaction was to negotiate a solution rather than sue sue sue, we might have legal solutions rather than illegal solutions with no single liable entity.
Of course, I am of the belief that if the content creators provided a REASONABLE system to aquire content by purchase over the Internet, we would see a decline in online piracy. After all, why would I want to gamble that the other Napster/Morpheous/Gnutella user might cut me off in the middle of a download when I can be assured of getting what I want.
Suddenly I am reminded of those 10-10-220 commercials. 'A buck? What can I buy with a buck?' Well, how about that song you have stuck in your head?
There is obviously a conflict of interest. Luckily for us, Linux has always been about choice. For most developers, the lighter, more responsive it is, the better. For users, the more intuitive, helpful, and feature heavy it is, the better for them to get their tasks done. In most cases these two goals are mutually exclusive, but I think the point of the article was that Ximian had produced a unique desktop that could be run on both low end machines for those who do not have the option of the latest and greatest, and also on the higher end machines. We should never forget about the users.
Now there are a great number of reasons why people and organizations are unable to use the latest and greatest hardware, most of which can be traced to one problem - financial. I myself have observed this firsthand supporting a school network full of P-II 333mhz machines. As hardware starts to fail (hard drives, power supplies, etc) they are only able to afford replacing them at minimal cost, which usually means finding used hardware. I couldn't think about replacing the entire system, but thanks to the freedom of choice offered by Linux, we can provide them options to upgrading the entire system. Currently, I am looking at purchasing a terminal server, and converting all of their current computers into xterms, and using the K12LTSP distribution.
At least this way, they will have access to the latest and the greatest, without a major investment in computing hardware. Lets see other Operating Systems provide these kinds of choices for these kinds of financially strapped institutions and individuals.
I think we are going to see a shift in thought about what computers are, and what they can do for us. As Alan stated, users want services, if their computer messes up, they want to hit the power button, and have it all come back like it was. Users don't want to have to deal with hardware issues, they want their computer to work like their phone. Plug it in, and it works - it just works.
Perhaps what Alan was unconsciously advocating was the promotion of terminal services like those being developed by LTSP and perhaps companies offering terminal/computer services to employees, and perhaps in a broader sense, 'computer utilities' who would offer computer service to residential and small business customers.
Compared to Microsoft, which requires 3 (count them, 3) licences for one user on one thin client to connect to one terminal server (one for the terminal server OS, one for the client OS, and one for the Client Access Licence), Linux can provide better functionality at a fraction of the cost. Linux opens this market, where Microsoft has sufficiently stifled its growth by making it more difficult than it should be to enter that market.
Slashdot Mirror
In politics, we vote with our voice. With respect to big business, we vote with our $$$. If your representative, or supplier, or whoever doesn't meet your needs, vote them out of office.
In other words, return the damn thing, and purchase a similar laptop from their competitor!
I don't get it, why don't you just do a search at tucows and download one of several emulators that are listed?
After reading their web page, it seems they do use a 3rd party provider for their messaging, ORBCOMM, who's web site was down when I tried to access it. If your parents already have a computer, it might be easier to find a satellite modem like the one offered here. Too bad theirs is an OEM unit without even a case. How good of a provider is ORBCOMM? And do others manufacture satellite modems for their service? Sounds like a lot more research has to be done...
GPS Satellites do not carry any extraneous information, such as data streams to carry e-mail, etc. If Magellan's unit provides communicaion abilities, it will be with other similar units, or through a 3rd party provider, such as a cellular phone company, the latter being more probable. If they are using a 3rd party provider, does their provider extend their service into Mexico?
I know there are several projects to extend the reach of the internet into technologically dead areas of the world. And while I don't know all of the details, I know there has been an effort to use HAM radio as a transmission medium to connect computers in areas where they have poor or no communication infrastructure. Perhaps a better 'Ask Slashdot' would be to pose the question of how to connect when there are no local ISPs.
Well, when you are a cog in a corporate machine, what use do you have for science? Just do your job, and you will get paid.
I think most people find it easier to fall into line than to push their boundaries. As for those who believe in Aliens, ESP, and Astrology, they want to believe that life is more exciting than it really is, and these outlets are both entertaining, with an element of believability.
Oh, so I guess this isn't what you are looking for. ;)
And what is wrong with a Firewire burner? Or an external burner? After all, isn't that the draw of an iMac? Basics in a convenient case, with lots of plugs to connect external devices. Old iMac, or new? Old iMac might require that you use USB instead of Firewire if you are to go the external route.
Some more information would be helpful as to the choice of path you are planning to take. If it is just for a 'l33t case mod' then I think you are on your own.
If I'm giving money to the government, and they turn around and spend that money to help develop software, then I sure as hell deserve a piece of it! I helped to pay for it's existence, therefore I believe that I own a piece of it. If the government spends the money on a corporation to help them develop software that they are going to turn around and charge me for, then I am being charged twice for the same software!
This is where I totally support the government giving money to free software projects, projects that will be released under the GPL. If the software is licenced under the GPL, then there is no way that a company can take the software that I helped fund and use it to steal me blind.
Does Microsoft or anyone else deserve to reap the rewards of their own R&D work? Yes indeed, but only if they were the sole providers of funding. If I helped fund it, I want something tangible in return, and the GPL provides that.
The icon was perfect for a speech talking about how closed source software is so much better than GPL software.
A trash can filled with unused lightbulbs.
Throw away all those ideas coming from those bright minds in college, because you can't innovate with the GPL!
So, is this an indicator that the economy has turned around, and people are willing to spend hard earned cash on a good computer system? Or is it the masterful leadership of Jobs that has turned this computer company around?
Although I do think the economy is playing a part in this, I think that it is more the strong leadership of Jobs who has been able to deliver on the hype, and who has focused the creative talents of his employees to produce an excellent operating system, and some cool looking computers and computing devices.
I disagree. I think that when it comes time to choose which web sites to visit, or which portals to make your home page, people may make their choice by who follows P3P, and who doesn't. After all, if I have the choice of visiting Fox News or Cable News Network or USA Today, and each of which provide pretty much the same information, this could be the deciding factor.
Gee, I go to MSN and they protect my privacy, vs. Yahoo who will sell my information first chance they get, I think I would rather visit the site that has the better privacy policy, and thanks to P3P I know who that is!
Luckily for me, I went to a school that encouraged collaboration, and sharing of ideas, even in the comp. sci. dept. The professors had heard of Linux, and how its development was the act of many, many individuals working in a colaborative effort.
Thus, they encouraged collaboration in programming projects, but to discourage cheating, homework was weighed less than the examinations were. If you understood the assignments, you would pass easily. If all you did was copy what was on the board, or what your classmates did, you would fail miserably, because you would not understand how to do it.
Unfortunately, even though you pay $50 per copy at the store, most of that goes to the store, the warehouse, the distributor, the company that presses the CDs, etc. I ended up purchasing a copy of Railroad Tycoon 2 for Linux for less than $10 at E.B. because they had held on to it for too long, and they just wanted to reduce inventory. You know what is sad? E.B. probably covered their costs by selling it at $10.
I think you are asking the wrong crowd. Over the past several years, those of us in the Open Source/Free Software communities have seen what Microsoft has done, and we don't want that to happen to us. We don't want a repeat of Kerberos on some other important protocol. We don't want to see Microsoft Bob for Gnome.
The basic issue is trust. Time after time Microsoft has broken that trust. It would take a gesture of huge proportions to regain that trust, and I for one don't think we will see it.
From Senator Ernest F. Hollings' Letter to President George W. Bush:
"...comsumers desire high-quality digital contenton on the Internet, and it is not being provided in any widespread, legal fashion."
Of course if the content creation industries and their representatives first reaction was to negotiate a solution rather than sue sue sue, we might have legal solutions rather than illegal solutions with no single liable entity.
Of course, I am of the belief that if the content creators provided a REASONABLE system to aquire content by purchase over the Internet, we would see a decline in online piracy. After all, why would I want to gamble that the other Napster/Morpheous/Gnutella user might cut me off in the middle of a download when I can be assured of getting what I want.
Suddenly I am reminded of those 10-10-220 commercials. 'A buck? What can I buy with a buck?' Well, how about that song you have stuck in your head?
There is obviously a conflict of interest. Luckily for us, Linux has always been about choice. For most developers, the lighter, more responsive it is, the better. For users, the more intuitive, helpful, and feature heavy it is, the better for them to get their tasks done. In most cases these two goals are mutually exclusive, but I think the point of the article was that Ximian had produced a unique desktop that could be run on both low end machines for those who do not have the option of the latest and greatest, and also on the higher end machines. We should never forget about the users.
Now there are a great number of reasons why people and organizations are unable to use the latest and greatest hardware, most of which can be traced to one problem - financial. I myself have observed this firsthand supporting a school network full of P-II 333mhz machines. As hardware starts to fail (hard drives, power supplies, etc) they are only able to afford replacing them at minimal cost, which usually means finding used hardware. I couldn't think about replacing the entire system, but thanks to the freedom of choice offered by Linux, we can provide them options to upgrading the entire system. Currently, I am looking at purchasing a terminal server, and converting all of their current computers into xterms, and using the K12LTSP distribution.
At least this way, they will have access to the latest and the greatest, without a major investment in computing hardware. Lets see other Operating Systems provide these kinds of choices for these kinds of financially strapped institutions and individuals.
just build build build ... a beige landscape
That's not so bad, after all, the color of the universe is beige.
I think we are going to see a shift in thought about what computers are, and what they can do for us. As Alan stated, users want services, if their computer messes up, they want to hit the power button, and have it all come back like it was. Users don't want to have to deal with hardware issues, they want their computer to work like their phone. Plug it in, and it works - it just works.
Perhaps what Alan was unconsciously advocating was the promotion of terminal services like those being developed by LTSP and perhaps companies offering terminal/computer services to employees, and perhaps in a broader sense, 'computer utilities' who would offer computer service to residential and small business customers.
Compared to Microsoft, which requires 3 (count them, 3) licences for one user on one thin client to connect to one terminal server (one for the terminal server OS, one for the client OS, and one for the Client Access Licence), Linux can provide better functionality at a fraction of the cost. Linux opens this market, where Microsoft has sufficiently stifled its growth by making it more difficult than it should be to enter that market.