"I find Gnome 2.8 to be just fine, thanks; on a server, if you need a "user interface", maybe you should be reconsidering what you're doing, or pay someone who knows what they're doing. (I work for a company that provides dedicated servers, and I've seen some people buy Windows dedicated servers, and be like "uh... now what?" - these are people who really should pay an admin...)"
So what you're saying is that the UI in XP is horrible but if someone points out that maybe Gnome or KDE isn't any better then of course, the UI isn't that important if you're using a desktop OS on a server, and you're obviously not 1337 enough to go near a computer if you're not using a command line interface.
We're talking about a DESKTOP OS. I can manage my own desktop OS well enough that I don't get infested with spyware and malware. Also, more than two years after I installed it, including constant installing and uninstalling of games, trying out browsers, playing with mail clients, hardware swaps (including remove PIII and m/board, replace with Athlon, turn machine back on and let the OS sort things out) XP Pro is still behaving itself. I don't need or want a sysadmin for my HOME machine.
I'm not bashing Linux by any means, it's a great OS, and, quite frankly, I like the fire that it lights under Microsoft (and Apple, if it comes to that). I'd happily agree with you if you were to simply argue that Microsoft have employed questionable business tactics and that some of their efforts with operating systems in the past have been iffy, but really, merrily smacking everything Microsoft is at best, peurile, and at worst, myopic. Likewise, comparing server and desktop requirements, especially with regards to issues like UI friendliness, demonstrates either a total lack of understanding of those issues, or lack of any desire other than to utterly distort any discussion on that issue.
Ecept that this situation isn't analagous to leaving the door unlocked with a note pinned to it. It's more analagous to giving the building's tenants each a key to the door and saying "Don't leave that door unlocked because then uninvited people can get in."
Hear, hear. I was scrolling down looking for someone who'd already mentioned this. The screenshots were glorious, the teaser vid was great. I was ready to buy it (you hear that Lucasarts? Not hunt for it via Kazaa or BitTorrent...BUY it!) the moment it came out. Well and truly pissed off by that one disappearing.
Also, resolution ain't everything. You can bet that this camera, like the mars landers and unlike your generic handheld digi-camera has a CCD an inch or two wide rather than a few millimetres. Good light sensitivity makes up for a lot. Big chunky pixels in the CCD mean fewer dead black spots from radiation and suchlike as well.
I've mentioned this game before, but I'm going to do it again. There's a racing sim called "Live for Speed" that was released as its first retail iteration a bit over a year ago.
This is about as indie as it gets. Three guys have been working on this for some time and have produced a seriously top shelf product. They decided not to go with physical distribution; you download the game and purchase a registration key for a very reasonable GBP12. They've been approached by a number of publishing houses with offers of finance/distribution which they've turned down in order to retain total control over content. This allows them to listen to the incredibly enthusiastic online community that has sprung up around this game and incorporate feedback quickly and effectively.
They're just about to release the next installation of this game and that same community (including myself) has been waiting with bated breath, wiping the dribble from their collective chin for the past few months.
Go download the demo. If you like driving sims, you'll more than likely shell out for the full version with a huge grin and join the rest of us in waiting for the next edition. Note that I have no personal interest in this game other than the fact that I play it regularly and thoroughly enjoy it.
In short,a small group that codes for the love of it, no corporate support, wide reaching, low cost distribution model...that's indie.
And assuming Valve goes out of business and noone is supporting HL2, your objections to using a crack are what, exactly? They're not moral. (who's being injured?) If you're worried about someone prosecuting you over cracking a game that's now longer part of a business model and which you legitimately purchased, and which, incidentally, is now several years old, then I suggest you cut back on the cocaine. So...what exactly is the problem you see here?
Incidentally, for those of you that wonder about the viability of online distribution, I suggest you take a look at Live for Speed. This is a remarkably good, independently developed racing sim which has NO physical distribution channel at all, which requires online authentication, and which has a thriving online community which is waiting for the next installment with enthusiasm that is approaching fever pitch. A community which, I might add, has a significant number of dialup users.
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"I find Gnome 2.8 to be just fine, thanks; on a server, if you need a "user interface", maybe you should be reconsidering what you're doing, or pay someone who knows what they're doing. (I work for a company that provides dedicated servers, and I've seen some people buy Windows dedicated servers, and be like "uh... now what?" - these are people who really should pay an admin...)"
So what you're saying is that the UI in XP is horrible but if someone points out that maybe Gnome or KDE isn't any better then of course, the UI isn't that important if you're using a desktop OS on a server, and you're obviously not 1337 enough to go near a computer if you're not using a command line interface.
We're talking about a DESKTOP OS. I can manage my own desktop OS well enough that I don't get infested with spyware and malware. Also, more than two years after I installed it, including constant installing and uninstalling of games, trying out browsers, playing with mail clients, hardware swaps (including remove PIII and m/board, replace with Athlon, turn machine back on and let the OS sort things out) XP Pro is still behaving itself. I don't need or want a sysadmin for my HOME machine.
I'm not bashing Linux by any means, it's a great OS, and, quite frankly, I like the fire that it lights under Microsoft (and Apple, if it comes to that). I'd happily agree with you if you were to simply argue that Microsoft have employed questionable business tactics and that some of their efforts with operating systems in the past have been iffy, but really, merrily smacking everything Microsoft is at best, peurile, and at worst, myopic. Likewise, comparing server and desktop requirements, especially with regards to issues like UI friendliness, demonstrates either a total lack of understanding of those issues, or lack of any desire other than to utterly distort any discussion on that issue.
Oh nothing so radical. The threads just immediately turned to discussing Windows exploits instead. It soothes the pain, you see.
Ecept that this situation isn't analagous to leaving the door unlocked with a note pinned to it. It's more analagous to giving the building's tenants each a key to the door and saying "Don't leave that door unlocked because then uninvited people can get in."
Hear, hear. I was scrolling down looking for someone who'd already mentioned this. The screenshots were glorious, the teaser vid was great. I was ready to buy it (you hear that Lucasarts? Not hunt for it via Kazaa or BitTorrent...BUY it!) the moment it came out. Well and truly pissed off by that one disappearing.
Also, resolution ain't everything. You can bet that this camera, like the mars landers and unlike your generic handheld digi-camera has a CCD an inch or two wide rather than a few millimetres. Good light sensitivity makes up for a lot. Big chunky pixels in the CCD mean fewer dead black spots from radiation and suchlike as well.
I've mentioned this game before, but I'm going to do it again. There's a racing sim called "Live for Speed" that was released as its first retail iteration a bit over a year ago.
This is about as indie as it gets. Three guys have been working on this for some time and have produced a seriously top shelf product. They decided not to go with physical distribution; you download the game and purchase a registration key for a very reasonable GBP12. They've been approached by a number of publishing houses with offers of finance/distribution which they've turned down in order to retain total control over content. This allows them to listen to the incredibly enthusiastic online community that has sprung up around this game and incorporate feedback quickly and effectively.
They're just about to release the next installation of this game and that same community (including myself) has been waiting with bated breath, wiping the dribble from their collective chin for the past few months.
Go download the demo. If you like driving sims, you'll more than likely shell out for the full version with a huge grin and join the rest of us in waiting for the next edition. Note that I have no personal interest in this game other than the fact that I play it regularly and thoroughly enjoy it.
In short,a small group that codes for the love of it, no corporate support, wide reaching, low cost distribution model...that's indie.
So what if you set up a hybrid vehicle using a good diesel engine instead of a petrol engine?
And assuming Valve goes out of business and noone is supporting HL2, your objections to using a crack are what, exactly? They're not moral. (who's being injured?) If you're worried about someone prosecuting you over cracking a game that's now longer part of a business model and which you legitimately purchased, and which, incidentally, is now several years old, then I suggest you cut back on the cocaine. So...what exactly is the problem you see here?
Incidentally, for those of you that wonder about the viability of online distribution, I suggest you take a look at Live for Speed. This is a remarkably good, independently developed racing sim which has NO physical distribution channel at all, which requires online authentication, and which has a thriving online community which is waiting for the next installment with enthusiasm that is approaching fever pitch. A community which, I might add, has a significant number of dialup users.