If he wants a really good keyboard, he can get the the one I use. Although I've had it for less than a year, its construction feels more rugged than the standard Apple keyboard I foolishly bought with my PowerBook or the standard Dell keyboard I used to use.
Of course, as long as we're on the subject of keyboard pr0n, I suspect no keyboard today matches the IBM Model Ms of old.
Actually, those mostly interest high school males; you should generalize more broadly and just say "sex." That way you encompass both sexes and get at the single interest that unites all high school students.
Slashdot, it would appear, is also at least somewhat interested too, judging by the story that appears just above this one.
We (or at least I, since I can't speak for everyone else) are in favor of reverse-engineering; but that doesn't mean Apple is obligated to support the reverse-engineering. If Real wants to reverse-reverse-reverse-reverse-engineer to get around whatever Apple just did, they're welcome to do so.
If Apple invoked a law to prevent reverse-engineering, that would be a different situation; if Apple were a monopoly, that would be a different situation; since Apple is neither, we can be a) pro-reverse-engineering while b)acknowledging Apple's right to do what they want.
I needed a specific song for a party mix one night. I logged on to iTunes and downloaded it in less than a minute; the process was quick and painless, and by using Hymn I later removed the DRM.
There are times when iTMS is very, very helpful. That isn't to say I don't buy CDs, because I do, but sometimes speed is an issue. Also, if I only want one song, buying an entire CD is wasteful.
It's not only the Wen Ho Lee thing; the NYTimes also had the Jayson Blair problem, as well as one other less-publicized example of journalistic malfeasance, although the name of the other guy escapes me.
Anyone who is interested in the Times' problems, which may or may not have been solved (depending on to whom one lisetns) should read Howell Raines' article in the Atlantic.
The Wall Street Journal - Business oriented coverage with a solid conservative editorial page. The newspaper for Republican men.
I disagree with your assessment that the WSJ is for "Republican men." Its front page has among the most interesting, timely and unique stories of any news source in the country, and its Marketplace is valuable not only to corporate types, but those interested in what's going on in the greater American commericial sector. The recently launched Personal Journal and older Weekend Journal specifically target women. The front page and Marketplace articles are gender-neutral, so far as I can tell.
Certainly the editorial page is conservative, but that doesn't mean it the columns and signed editorials don't present a range of opinion views. There have been a spate of articles from leading Democrats about how to take back political power from the Republicans. The editorials on fiscal policy often don't come from a particular political point of view.
I read the WSJ and NYTimes on most days. I'd say they tie for best paper in the country, because they're sufficiently different that it is difficult to compare them.
I'd hardly call some of the companies you cite "marketing-driven fiascos." Intel still controls 80% of the world chip market and has a market cap vastly larger than its primary rival, AMD. Microsoft makes billions in profit every month, and has obscene profit margins. It crushed rivals so effectively that these days its greatest rival is itself -- i.e. people who choose to keep Win98 machines instead of upgrading to XP. McDonald's is the world's largest non-governmental owner of real estate.
I'd say their focus on the largest possible market has resulted in great returns for investors. Granted, I write this on a PowerBook and I haven't eaten at McDonald's in years, so I identify with your conception of yourself as a discriminating person with more refined tastes than the masses you subtley scorn. But I still understand why some of the companies you mention thrive.
MSO might be tremendously expensive, but I imagine that most people either buy the "Student/Teacher" edition for $150, which is a considerably lower percentage of the cost of a new eMac, or pirate Word.
That isn't to say OO or Abiword aren't useful products, because they are; but I suspect plenty of people don't pay $500 for MSO.
On another note, does anyone know why the Abiword people aren't providing OS X binaries? That would make it easier for the non-technical to use the program.
If IBM really wants to do something useful, they should open source Wordpro and Organizer. I use both programs daily until last summer when I left Windows, and I miss both enormously. Those two would help the effort to make a superior OSS office suite enormously.
I don't think IBM has anything to lose: the number of people willing to pay for an office suite that doesn't say "MS" shrinks daily; all the others are caught between the dominant MSO and the free OpenOffice.or. It's hard for me to perceive how anything else can survive on the desktop while caught in such a vice.
Considering that one gets an extra two inches of screen real estate for the same weight and less height given the dimensions you posted, I think you proved the point of the grandparent poster.
That being said, I still regard Thinkpads as the best x86 laptops around, as stated in a post earlier. Both Thinkpads and PowerBooks have their virtues.
Actually, IBM also made non-clacky PS/2 keyboards; you must be referring to the infamous Model M, which is a very nice keyboard. Still, I'm a fan of the clacky Tactile Pro, which is a clone of an old Apple keyboard. Unlike the original Model Ms, however, it can't double as a weapon, but it does have extra USB ports.
These days I use a PowerBook, but whenever someone asks me for a laptop recommendation, they get the same advice: buy a Thinkpad or a Mac. The Thinkpad is simply the best x86 laptop on the market.
Granted, most people ignore my advice and buy Dells, but at least they were forewarned.
MS is in the OS business -- not the OEM building computer business -- and Intel is in the chipmaking business -- not the OEM business. Thinkpads only ship with MS operating systems and Intel chips. That means IBM's OEM business doesn't infringe on either MS or Intel's business; the OEM business competes with Dell, HP, etc.
By ending the OEM to focus on other things -- like PowerPC and Cell chips or Linux -- IBM is getting closer to direct competition with MS and Intel, not further away.
I think that's the crux of it: so many people use webmail that Thunderbird is bound to receive less publicity than Firefox. I know an amazingly large number of people who access their mail solely through webmail, whether it's free (hotmail, etc.) or through a paid ISP (mine, www.adhost.com, has offered webmail for years, although I seldom use it).
Because of webmail, many people view their browser as their mail client too. Therefore, the nature of how people access their e-mail means Thunderbird isn't going to get the media and blogsphere cacophony FireFox did.
Slashdot Mirror
Of course, as long as we're on the subject of keyboard pr0n, I suspect no keyboard today matches the IBM Model Ms of old.
Slashdot, it would appear, is also at least somewhat interested too, judging by the story that appears just above this one.
If Apple invoked a law to prevent reverse-engineering, that would be a different situation; if Apple were a monopoly, that would be a different situation; since Apple is neither, we can be a) pro-reverse-engineering while b)acknowledging Apple's right to do what they want.
There are times when iTMS is very, very helpful. That isn't to say I don't buy CDs, because I do, but sometimes speed is an issue. Also, if I only want one song, buying an entire CD is wasteful.
Anyone who is interested in the Times' problems, which may or may not have been solved (depending on to whom one lisetns) should read Howell Raines' article in the Atlantic.
Yes.
I disagree with your assessment that the WSJ is for "Republican men." Its front page has among the most interesting, timely and unique stories of any news source in the country, and its Marketplace is valuable not only to corporate types, but those interested in what's going on in the greater American commericial sector. The recently launched Personal Journal and older Weekend Journal specifically target women. The front page and Marketplace articles are gender-neutral, so far as I can tell.
Certainly the editorial page is conservative, but that doesn't mean it the columns and signed editorials don't present a range of opinion views. There have been a spate of articles from leading Democrats about how to take back political power from the Republicans. The editorials on fiscal policy often don't come from a particular political point of view.
I read the WSJ and NYTimes on most days. I'd say they tie for best paper in the country, because they're sufficiently different that it is difficult to compare them.
I have yet to determine whether this is social or medical in origin.
And Elvish. We can't forget Sindarin.
I meant in my profile link.
Egg, meet face.
Exactly. There are businesses -- like mine, which is in my sig -- that proofread resumes, CVs and other documents for individuals.
I'd say their focus on the largest possible market has resulted in great returns for investors. Granted, I write this on a PowerBook and I haven't eaten at McDonald's in years, so I identify with your conception of yourself as a discriminating person with more refined tastes than the masses you subtley scorn. But I still understand why some of the companies you mention thrive.
MSO might be tremendously expensive, but I imagine that most people either buy the "Student/Teacher" edition for $150, which is a considerably lower percentage of the cost of a new eMac, or pirate Word.
That isn't to say OO or Abiword aren't useful products, because they are; but I suspect plenty of people don't pay $500 for MSO.
On another note, does anyone know why the Abiword people aren't providing OS X binaries? That would make it easier for the non-technical to use the program.
Actually VPC is fine; it's the potential operating systems one installs that are the problem.
I don't think IBM has anything to lose: the number of people willing to pay for an office suite that doesn't say "MS" shrinks daily; all the others are caught between the dominant MSO and the free OpenOffice.or. It's hard for me to perceive how anything else can survive on the desktop while caught in such a vice.
That being said, I still regard Thinkpads as the best x86 laptops around, as stated in a post earlier. Both Thinkpads and PowerBooks have their virtues.
Actually, IBM also made non-clacky PS/2 keyboards; you must be referring to the infamous Model M, which is a very nice keyboard. Still, I'm a fan of the clacky Tactile Pro, which is a clone of an old Apple keyboard. Unlike the original Model Ms, however, it can't double as a weapon, but it does have extra USB ports.
These days I use a PowerBook, but whenever someone asks me for a laptop recommendation, they get the same advice: buy a Thinkpad or a Mac. The Thinkpad is simply the best x86 laptop on the market.
Granted, most people ignore my advice and buy Dells, but at least they were forewarned.
MS is in the OS business -- not the OEM building computer business -- and Intel is in the chipmaking business -- not the OEM business. Thinkpads only ship with MS operating systems and Intel chips. That means IBM's OEM business doesn't infringe on either MS or Intel's business; the OEM business competes with Dell, HP, etc.
By ending the OEM to focus on other things -- like PowerPC and Cell chips or Linux -- IBM is getting closer to direct competition with MS and Intel, not further away.
I think that's the crux of it: so many people use webmail that Thunderbird is bound to receive less publicity than Firefox. I know an amazingly large number of people who access their mail solely through webmail, whether it's free (hotmail, etc.) or through a paid ISP (mine, www.adhost.com, has offered webmail for years, although I seldom use it).
Because of webmail, many people view their browser as their mail client too. Therefore, the nature of how people access their e-mail means Thunderbird isn't going to get the media and blogsphere cacophony FireFox did.
Wait, Canada has a warship?
Definitely no BFG.
But are you writing that comment, or the script you wrote to make jokes about scripts on /.?
Youre in college to get a job.
The parent poster is also not in college to learn English, apparently.
(Directions: apply liberally until problem ceases.)