Don't trust computers with only one mouse button that won't let you eject floppies on your own.
The Mac I'm using to type this has a three-button wheel mouse. No drivers required - I plugged it in and it worked.
And as far as floppies go - not that I use them any more - I wouldn't trust a system that allowed me to easily eject removable media without unmounting the filesystem first.
Either you dangerously store your weapons or they're of no use to you
No, I safely store them, loaded and with the safety enabled, in a gun safe with a quick-release combination lock. That way, they're safely stored away from children and thieves, but I can get at them quickly if I need to.
Don't get me wrong, I love shooting too
I find it rather boring. Guns aren't toys, and shooting at the range isn't entertainment. It's something I do to hone skills I hope I'll never need.
So, when someone breaks into your house with the intent of raping your wife and daughter, what do you do then? Ask him nicely to wait for you, while you run down to the club to get your weapon so you can defend them?
Sorry but the OpenGL implementation is a lot bigger than 5 megs, even when it's compressed.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but Apple's compiled binary distribution weighs in at just over 4.5MB, with GLUT adding another 670KB or so - and that's uncompressed. Don't take my word for it, just look and see:
bash-2.05$ pwd /System/Library/Frameworks bash-2.05$ du -ks OpenGL.framework/ 4892 OpenGL.framework/ bash-2.05$ du -ks GLUT.framework/ 672 GLUT.framework/
A compressed tarball of these weighs in at just over 1.5MB:
bash-2.05$ du -ks OpenGL.tgz 1644 OpenGL.tgz
The 25-30MB distributions you mentioned earlier are distributed as source. A binary-only distribution like Apple's is tiny in comparison. In Mesa's case, it's easy to see how much of the download is demos, as they're packaged separately as a 10MB tarball. I'm on dialup, so I'm not going to download the main 21MB file to compare the space used by source vs. that used by docs.
At any rate, the original point stands. OpenGL 1.4, while really nice to have and very important for those who want it, makes up a very small percentage of the 30MB taken up by this update.
There is more to it then just that framework, the opengl 1.2 downloads on the net are in the 30 meg range depending on platform.
The downloads you mention are all in one, with both the developer suite and run-time libraries, so quite a bit of that 30MB is API docs, examples, and so forth. Apple splits it up, and puts just the framework in the system update, with the rest in the developer tools.
I didn't create the technique, and I certainly didn't have the privilege of working at Origin. I wish I had! All I can take credit (or blame) for is writing an article in an old USENET FAQ.:-)
I wouldn't call it a bug. If segment size limits were reset upon returning to real mode, that could easily result in problems. If, for example, the 32-bit EIP register had a value in it that was larger than 64K, immediately resetting the segment size limit upon returning to real mode would mean that the instruction immediately following the mode switch would be inaccessible. Worse, whatever was left in the bottom 16 bits of EIP would be used as the address of the next instruction - the result wouldn't be pretty. Equally ugly things could happen with the stack, and ESP.
To prevent problems like this, Intel's documented procedure after a mode switch required you to first ensure that you were executing in an address range that would be safe for real mode execution, and then reset segment limits yourself after ensuring that you could safely do so. Some clever person - Michael Abrash, IIRC, although I could easily be wrong - figured out that, by skipping this step, you could access large memory segments from real mode.
it's actually better to get one of the emualtors for C64 or Apple ][ for the earlier (1,2,3,4) Ultima games.
Amen to that. CGA was the worst. I can understand why, given the technical limitations of the time, IBM chose to implement a 4-color display. What I don't understand is why they chose four colors that, in combination, are one of the most hideous palettes ever to "grace" a PC screen.
Wow - that really takes me back. Many, many years ago, in '91 or '92 I think, I wrote an article about Flat Real Mode for the comp.lang.asm.x86 FAQ. I wonder now if the U7 programmers read it - it would be *really* cool to find that I had contributed, in even a small way, to one of my favorite game series.
It can still be useful - and as far as I know, sometimes still used - in embedded applications that need to address more than 1MB of memory while dealing with a high rate of interrupts. Interrupts in protected mode cause a context switch, which carries with it a substantial amount of overhead.
From the hell (huh?) where he tells the dude to "get a life" for asking a halfway reasonable question.
Anyone who tries to analyze the deeper philosophical and/or psychological implications of a Saturday Night Live sketch does need to be told to get a life.
Most importantly, I want to be able to formatshift, burn, mix, freely trade, and put the music files on any device I wish. I will never use a service that imposed DRM restrictions on my fair use rights
Please, if what you really want is to download music for free, just say so. Trying to claim that your "free trading" is fair use just dilutes the message of those who are defending things that are fair use, such as format shifting and such.
Perhaps allowing you to buy more than 1 license so you can put it on your computer AND your mp3 player.
"Allowing," my ass. I can do that right now, with a CD I've purchased once - and it's perfectly legal. What you're talking about is requiring me to buy multiple licenses in order to retain the same functionality that I already have - and it's bullshit.
It's not identical - it's a new game. It's a full, free-moving 3d environment rendered in real time, unlike the original, which was basically just a series of canned cartoons.
My point was that it's a true update to the original, not just some Joe Schmoe using the name to make a quick buck. Most of the original voice recordings were used, Bluth was involved with the 3d modeling, the original cels were scanned and used as texture maps, etc.
Space Ace was another of Don Bluth's creations - that's why it was so similar to Dragon's Lair. IIRC, they used the same cabinet; arcade owners could convert a DL machine to SA by dropping in the SA laserdisk, applying new decals to the outside, and rebooting.
If DL3D sells well enough, it'd be foolish not to follow it up with SA3D.
its just using an old license but which has little relevance to the arcade laser disk game
The new Dragon's Lair 3D is very, very relevant to the original. Each scene is based on one from the old game, and the progression from one scene to the next is nearly identical. Also, the 3d models were built with Don Bluth's help, and the texture maps taken mostly from his original artwork.
You're right that it's not exactly revolutionary, but it's not just an old name applied to a new game. It's the real thing.
Does it come with an automated system that makes it break down every 15 minutes
Well, if you wanted a true simulation of a real traveling carnival ride, you'd have to do much more than that.
You'd also have to forgo any and all maintenance, and keep the operator supplied with enough hash (or other intoxicants) for him to be completely oblivious to the terrified screams of customers whose children are being thrown from the ride due to inadequate restraints.
For a little added bonus, you can have the operator sell the above-mentioned hash (or other intoxicants) to passing children. This will provide an additional source of cash for you - which will, sooner or later, be necessary to pay for legal expenses and bail.
Frankly, I've been trying hard to repress that memory - and you had to go and bring it up again. Thanks a lot! Now it's back to the therapist's couch for me...
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Don't trust computers with only one mouse button that won't let you eject floppies on your own.
The Mac I'm using to type this has a three-button wheel mouse. No drivers required - I plugged it in and it worked.
And as far as floppies go - not that I use them any more - I wouldn't trust a system that allowed me to easily eject removable media without unmounting the filesystem first.
iBook, it's quite possably the sweatest laptop out there
If carrying an iBook makes you work up a sweat, you are seriously out of shape.
Either you dangerously store your weapons or they're of no use to you
No, I safely store them, loaded and with the safety enabled, in a gun safe with a quick-release combination lock. That way, they're safely stored away from children and thieves, but I can get at them quickly if I need to.
Don't get me wrong, I love shooting too
I find it rather boring. Guns aren't toys, and shooting at the range isn't entertainment. It's something I do to hone skills I hope I'll never need.
Sure own a gun, *at a club!*.
So, when someone breaks into your house with the intent of raping your wife and daughter, what do you do then? Ask him nicely to wait for you, while you run down to the club to get your weapon so you can defend them?
Sorry to burst your bubble, but Apple's compiled binary distribution weighs in at just over 4.5MB, with GLUT adding another 670KB or so - and that's uncompressed. Don't take my word for it, just look and see:
A compressed tarball of these weighs in at just over 1.5MB:The 25-30MB distributions you mentioned earlier are distributed as source. A binary-only distribution like Apple's is tiny in comparison. In Mesa's case, it's easy to see how much of the download is demos, as they're packaged separately as a 10MB tarball. I'm on dialup, so I'm not going to download the main 21MB file to compare the space used by source vs. that used by docs.
At any rate, the original point stands. OpenGL 1.4, while really nice to have and very important for those who want it, makes up a very small percentage of the 30MB taken up by this update.
There is more to it then just that framework, the opengl 1.2 downloads on the net are in the 30 meg range depending on platform.
The downloads you mention are all in one, with both the developer suite and run-time libraries, so quite a bit of that 30MB is API docs, examples, and so forth. Apple splits it up, and puts just the framework in the system update, with the rest in the developer tools.
The real answer ... is to lock people with proprietary codecs and/or file formats.
Your "answer" ignores one important fact - that neither the MPEG4 codec, nor the MPEG4 file format are proprietary.
I didn't create the technique, and I certainly didn't have the privilege of working at Origin. I wish I had! All I can take credit (or blame) for is writing an article in an old USENET FAQ. :-)
I wouldn't call it a bug. If segment size limits were reset upon returning to real mode, that could easily result in problems. If, for example, the 32-bit EIP register had a value in it that was larger than 64K, immediately resetting the segment size limit upon returning to real mode would mean that the instruction immediately following the mode switch would be inaccessible. Worse, whatever was left in the bottom 16 bits of EIP would be used as the address of the next instruction - the result wouldn't be pretty. Equally ugly things could happen with the stack, and ESP.
To prevent problems like this, Intel's documented procedure after a mode switch required you to first ensure that you were executing in an address range that would be safe for real mode execution, and then reset segment limits yourself after ensuring that you could safely do so. Some clever person - Michael Abrash, IIRC, although I could easily be wrong - figured out that, by skipping this step, you could access large memory segments from real mode.
it's actually better to get one of the emualtors for C64 or Apple ][ for the earlier (1,2,3,4) Ultima games.
Amen to that. CGA was the worst. I can understand why, given the technical limitations of the time, IBM chose to implement a 4-color display. What I don't understand is why they chose four colors that, in combination, are one of the most hideous palettes ever to "grace" a PC screen.
Wow - that really takes me back. Many, many years ago, in '91 or '92 I think, I wrote an article about Flat Real Mode for the comp.lang.asm.x86 FAQ. I wonder now if the U7 programmers read it - it would be *really* cool to find that I had contributed, in even a small way, to one of my favorite game series.
It can still be useful - and as far as I know, sometimes still used - in embedded applications that need to address more than 1MB of memory while dealing with a high rate of interrupts. Interrupts in protected mode cause a context switch, which carries with it a substantial amount of overhead.
I hope that either the prohibition on linking out of kids.us is relaxed to allow linking to kids. of any country
I'd like to see that too - but I'm not holding my breath waiting for it. At least, not while George "xenophobe is my middle name" Bush is in office.
From the hell (huh?) where he tells the dude to "get a life" for asking a halfway reasonable question.
Anyone who tries to analyze the deeper philosophical and/or psychological implications of a Saturday Night Live sketch does need to be told to get a life.
Hmm, what could be the attraction?
I'm a UNIX user. I didn't switch to MacOS - MacOS switched to UNIX.
Knock it off - you guys are both being a Major Pain.
Again, SWF is an 'Open Standard'
Documented, yes. Open, no. The SWF format is defined and owned by Macromedia.
Most importantly, I want to be able to formatshift, burn, mix, freely trade, and put the music files on any device I wish. I will never use a service that imposed DRM restrictions on my fair use rights
Please, if what you really want is to download music for free, just say so. Trying to claim that your "free trading" is fair use just dilutes the message of those who are defending things that are fair use, such as format shifting and such.
Perhaps allowing you to buy more than 1 license so you can put it on your computer AND your mp3 player.
"Allowing," my ass. I can do that right now, with a CD I've purchased once - and it's perfectly legal. What you're talking about is requiring me to buy multiple licenses in order to retain the same functionality that I already have - and it's bullshit.
It's not identical - it's a new game. It's a full, free-moving 3d environment rendered in real time, unlike the original, which was basically just a series of canned cartoons.
My point was that it's a true update to the original, not just some Joe Schmoe using the name to make a quick buck. Most of the original voice recordings were used, Bluth was involved with the 3d modeling, the original cels were scanned and used as texture maps, etc.
Looks like someone's not reading at "-1, Oldest First"...
Space Ace was another of Don Bluth's creations - that's why it was so similar to Dragon's Lair. IIRC, they used the same cabinet; arcade owners could convert a DL machine to SA by dropping in the SA laserdisk, applying new decals to the outside, and rebooting.
If DL3D sells well enough, it'd be foolish not to follow it up with SA3D.
its just using an old license but which has little relevance to the arcade laser disk game
The new Dragon's Lair 3D is very, very relevant to the original. Each scene is based on one from the old game, and the progression from one scene to the next is nearly identical. Also, the 3d models were built with Don Bluth's help, and the texture maps taken mostly from his original artwork.
You're right that it's not exactly revolutionary, but it's not just an old name applied to a new game. It's the real thing.
Any idea who first came up with the corollary to Clarke's Law? "Technology that is distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced."
Does it come with an automated system that makes it break down every 15 minutes
Well, if you wanted a true simulation of a real traveling carnival ride, you'd have to do much more than that.
You'd also have to forgo any and all maintenance, and keep the operator supplied with enough hash (or other intoxicants) for him to be completely oblivious to the terrified screams of customers whose children are being thrown from the ride due to inadequate restraints.
For a little added bonus, you can have the operator sell the above-mentioned hash (or other intoxicants) to passing children. This will provide an additional source of cash for you - which will, sooner or later, be necessary to pay for legal expenses and bail.
Doesn't anybody remember CDE?
Frankly, I've been trying hard to repress that memory - and you had to go and bring it up again. Thanks a lot! Now it's back to the therapist's couch for me...