I, or almost anyone with a Mac, could stand in front of a two machines and make a giant list of glaring and astonishingly obvious problem with fonts, alignment, the way UI elements operate, how colour is used to convey importance and information, the names of applications, the sets of options presented to the user, how errors are handled, and so on.
I, or almost any computer tech with experience with Windows, Linux, AND Mac have to actually sit down in front of the machine and use the input devices to discover what is wrong with each system. I use Linux because other systems deprive me of a level of control and fluidity. Mac is a great, great operating system, and it's absolutely the best for certain users. But if I had to set up an environment for myself, I choose Linux. If I have to set up an environment for 20 people with different ideas about how a computer should work, I use Linux.
I highly recommend Macs to people, regardless of their hardware track record. I recommend Thinkpads alongside them as a disclaimer about build quality. You are a fanboi, plain and simple. I think you haven't seen a properly configured Linux desktop, which nowadays means installing one of the many polished distros (Ubuntu 7.04 is the ubiquitous current favorite).
When it was just Windows vs Mac, I found it hard to argue with Mac users, except that they tended to be arrogant and cultish. Now that I get to argue Linux vs Mac, I discover that Mac users are generally just unwilling to learn something different, and proud of it to boot.
Here: 1. Open Finder 2. Think, "Oh, I need a network icon on my desktop, and Apple make everything perfectly" 3. Drag the network icon to the desktop. 4. Ask yourself, "Where did my network icon go?"
I can't remember any single element of the Windows UI that is as ridiculous as the above. Now, the UI as a whole? Ridiculous as all hell. But still, if Redmond were the measuring stick, Apple fanbois would STFU.
THE TOUCH-WHEEL THING: I have owned a Sansa e200 series until I realized I had no money, and why was I purchasing an MP3 player, stupid. My father owns a Sansa e280. My friend Jay owns a Sansa e260. They are freaking beautiful. The only thing IMHO is the click-wheel. It isn't nearly as pleasant as the touchwheel. Thank god for patent law. Creative has a touch-based solution, and Sansa goes with a mechanical wheel.
I think that this single element is important. Also, the momentum of the hype is very very important. The iTMS thing is important. I know people who have purchased an iPod because it seemed like a good idea, and they never use it, because they didn't really think about whether they wanted an MP3 player. The accessories didn't come out when nobody owned an iPod. It's taken many years, so that counts as momentum. And if you don't think the iPod idea has a strong hype-driven element, you haven't talked to people.
While the Sansa doesn't have software as nice as iTunes, I think their Rhapsody-based solution for music downloads is ingenious. You pay $9.99/mo, and get unlimited downloads to your Sansa. You can also have it generate a playlist for you based on your listening selection, a la last.fm. Not the same as owning music, and I'm not a fan of poorly-implemented DRM, but this is at least as good as iTMS, albeit with a different intention.
Anyway, [/rant], and stop being such a ridiculous fanboi.
I rather think that integrating bookmarks and history into a light database would be pretty decent. They can then put all my passwords, phone number, SSN, pictures of my penis, and home address in a database, and my life will soon be very Convenient(tm).
But really./.ers seem very reluctant to apply Reading for Comprehension to the summary, which clearly states a restructuring of the system. Maybe this new feature will make us all happy and the genocide will stop. Speaking pragmatically, probably not.
I for one welcome our query-driven overlords.
In case none of you have guessed, I'm visiting a friend who is having lady trouble, and I am therefore drinking. w00t!
Windows is cheaper than the free OS. That makes sense.
I think for Linux installs they don't get revenue from Symantec's trial of the worst security suite in the world, WildTangent, Office trials, Quicken trials, video game trials, some poker, etc.
So maybe it DOES cost less overall to install Windows.
I've got T-Mobile, and I noticed that I was paying an average of $10/month on text overages, what with automated notifications from OnForce, and text-y friends. I called in, and found out that not only could I get like 300 texts for like $6/month, they recredited the past 3 months' worth of text messaging charges to account for my not noticing that I was being a jackass.
I'm sure you'd have a harder sell at 6000+ text messages, but you'd still be paying a fraction of the bill. I'm not the kind of guy to back up a corporation based on its morals, but T-Mobile dishes out some damn fine service. Contrary to Verizon's great-product-no-service-no-support gameplan.
I've currently set my threshold for a PC power supply at 400W (and one of those 80% efficiency rated ones, at that), which is still ridiculously high, IMO. I love quiet computers, and I love low-power stuff. I waited to upgrade from an underclocked Barton to a Venice-core AMD because I wanted a cool, quiet PC.
Of course, I play guitar through a MM 210 Sixty Five, and my buddy Jim plugs his bass into a big fat half-stack. And let's not forget A/C so my equipment doesn't get damaged. And my car isn't running so great either, these days.:-)
Now that I'm writing it, that'd be kind of cool. Especially when something explodes nearby and he turns to look at it just as you come under fire!
my favorite part is when you shoot the stupid photographer in the face, and you get to hang the fucking camera around your neck so you can see what you're shooting at.
You can bet that Dell is going to license a lot of non-free codecs, and create a Dell non-free crap repo that won't bug you when you install it. It'll still be cheaper than Windows.
Well, that is sort of unethical - of course, you are free to do as you will, but I'd just say that doing so with a clear conscience is usually a good idea.
The relative ethicality, which Firefox assures me is not a word, of GP's suggestions is entirely dependent upon the how fine and upstanding the gentlemen at his employment are, and if they have--or would, if given the chance--dicked him over.
But yes, I would agree with you in any case with no extenuating circumstances.
I kind of got discouraged by being having to hear about--stop the presses--how gorgeous Cate Blanchett was. Especially when there was a photo. I mean, I can judge the ladies for myself, thank you.
I'm the last one to defend the MPAA, but the only reason for sharing this number is so that cheapskates can get free movies. Right?
Not quite. The issue is wrapped up in the temper tantrum the RIAA and MPAA have been throwing for several years now that their distribution model is getting messed up. They have always used strong-arm tactics to manufacture a monopoly in a genre that is replete with passion and creativity--I'm talking about art. Of course, the MPAA and the RIAA don't protect the artist, or protect the consumer. They protect the BUSINESS MODEL. Their argument that if people copy media, it makes it harder to get media, has collapsed in the past few years, and they've started randomly suing people.
In fact, look into how much music we would never get to hear but for the industrious hobbyists and fanatics keeping the original vinyls of their favorite music in pristine condition. There are tons of classic recordings that record labels are sitting on, and if I were any one of those dead artists, I would rise up from my grave and unleash my motherfucking zombie face on those cocksuckers. It's unfair.
So, to the conclusion. The encryption keeps people from making backups of their movies. HD-DVDs are not archival quality, I'm betting, and I WILL NOT replace my fucking media at a "reasonable price" (retail, according to the MPAA and RIAA). When you share information that has a fair use, and you get threatened with legal action by a corporate behemoth, sometimes people rise up and defend you. If reason, logic, pleading, conscience, legal action, and appealing to their better nature have failed, why not try the million flies in the ointment method?
Oh, but if you copy an album, the artist doesn't get his 80 cents.
PS: It still fucks me off that the RIAA is trying to claim ownership of the fucking royalties to my music. Really.
I'm not sure how much good writing the Pope would do. You might want to try writing certain studios in Nashville, some of the Christian Universities that are heavy on media and music (Liberty University comes to mind), and some of the larger religious coalitions (like the Southern Baptist Convention).
I was being somewhat facetious... *grin* But your idea IS a lot better than mine.:-)
I have a tendency to place trust in artists turned producers, like David Byrne, or Prince. I place trust in those who have had to deal with the music industry, and have done their own thing and survived.
So here's Mr. Byrne's word on the royalty change they are suggesting. I think it's highly relevant. It implies, when combined with the presumed ownership of MY MUSIC, Prince's music, God's music, etc, that they are trying to shut down internet radio, plain and simple.
And I just had a thought while rambling: Would the RIAA really steal music from religious sources? It's an interesting implication of what they're doing. Someone should write the Pope. It'll be like an episode of South Park.:-)
Clicking it will result in a temporal vortex opening up and taking away your internets.
I hate it when that happens. The worst part is that the internets won't slip into my hard drive sometimes until the next day in the AM, and I have to wait all that time. Waiting. Worrying.
I'm not trying to troll, but: Unfortunately, the Sierra Club thinks that this 5% of ANWR is more valuable as a wildlife reserve than a strategic one.
Is a very troubling statement to me. At what point does any amount of environmentalism become valuable, and how do you quantify it? We wouldn't need strategic reserves if we'd spent all the money we spent on this war (420 billion dollars) on renewable resources, incentives for alternative fuels and hybrids (some of which are in place, but we could do better), and (why the fuck not?) EDUCATION.
We'd be almost like a real civilized country. We could expand that education to include stuff like How Not Even The Pope Disagrees With Evolution Anymore, or The Bill of Rights.
In Mexico, you start learning your constitution in 1st grade. Is it middle school in the USA? Or high school?
There has to be a fault in your perspective if you truly support this presidential administration's policies and tactics. They violate basic rules of humanity, dignity, and truth, and do it in my name. After stealing the election.
More proof of which is discussed above. Let's get back on topic.
Slashdot Mirror
As a PC gamer, are you sure you don't mean "mainly do to games?"
I, or almost any computer tech with experience with Windows, Linux, AND Mac have to actually sit down in front of the machine and use the input devices to discover what is wrong with each system. I use Linux because other systems deprive me of a level of control and fluidity. Mac is a great, great operating system, and it's absolutely the best for certain users. But if I had to set up an environment for myself, I choose Linux. If I have to set up an environment for 20 people with different ideas about how a computer should work, I use Linux.
I highly recommend Macs to people, regardless of their hardware track record. I recommend Thinkpads alongside them as a disclaimer about build quality. You are a fanboi, plain and simple. I think you haven't seen a properly configured Linux desktop, which nowadays means installing one of the many polished distros (Ubuntu 7.04 is the ubiquitous current favorite).
When it was just Windows vs Mac, I found it hard to argue with Mac users, except that they tended to be arrogant and cultish. Now that I get to argue Linux vs Mac, I discover that Mac users are generally just unwilling to learn something different, and proud of it to boot.
Here:
1. Open Finder
2. Think, "Oh, I need a network icon on my desktop, and Apple make everything perfectly"
3. Drag the network icon to the desktop.
4. Ask yourself, "Where did my network icon go?"
I can't remember any single element of the Windows UI that is as ridiculous as the above. Now, the UI as a whole? Ridiculous as all hell. But still, if Redmond were the measuring stick, Apple fanbois would STFU.
THE TOUCH-WHEEL THING:
I have owned a Sansa e200 series until I realized I had no money, and why was I purchasing an MP3 player, stupid. My father owns a Sansa e280. My friend Jay owns a Sansa e260. They are freaking beautiful. The only thing IMHO is the click-wheel. It isn't nearly as pleasant as the touchwheel. Thank god for patent law. Creative has a touch-based solution, and Sansa goes with a mechanical wheel.
I think that this single element is important. Also, the momentum of the hype is very very important. The iTMS thing is important. I know people who have purchased an iPod because it seemed like a good idea, and they never use it, because they didn't really think about whether they wanted an MP3 player. The accessories didn't come out when nobody owned an iPod. It's taken many years, so that counts as momentum. And if you don't think the iPod idea has a strong hype-driven element, you haven't talked to people.
While the Sansa doesn't have software as nice as iTunes, I think their Rhapsody-based solution for music downloads is ingenious. You pay $9.99/mo, and get unlimited downloads to your Sansa. You can also have it generate a playlist for you based on your listening selection, a la last.fm. Not the same as owning music, and I'm not a fan of poorly-implemented DRM, but this is at least as good as iTMS, albeit with a different intention.
Anyway, [/rant], and stop being such a ridiculous fanboi.
I rather think that integrating bookmarks and history into a light database would be pretty decent. They can then put all my passwords, phone number, SSN, pictures of my penis, and home address in a database, and my life will soon be very Convenient(tm).
/.ers seem very reluctant to apply Reading for Comprehension to the summary, which clearly states a restructuring of the system. Maybe this new feature will make us all happy and the genocide will stop. Speaking pragmatically, probably not.
But really.
I for one welcome our query-driven overlords.
In case none of you have guessed, I'm visiting a friend who is having lady trouble, and I am therefore drinking. w00t!
Allow, oh, Allow
Yes, Allow! Allow! Oh, Yes!
YES!!! Oh. Uh... Cancel...
I'll say. Q_Q
It's two jerks, slugging it out!
(for the thought-impaired, I mean Microsoft and Thompson)
I think for Linux installs they don't get revenue from Symantec's trial of the worst security suite in the world, WildTangent, Office trials, Quicken trials, video game trials, some poker, etc.
So maybe it DOES cost less overall to install Windows.
I've got T-Mobile, and I noticed that I was paying an average of $10/month on text overages, what with automated notifications from OnForce, and text-y friends. I called in, and found out that not only could I get like 300 texts for like $6/month, they recredited the past 3 months' worth of text messaging charges to account for my not noticing that I was being a jackass.
I'm sure you'd have a harder sell at 6000+ text messages, but you'd still be paying a fraction of the bill. I'm not the kind of guy to back up a corporation based on its morals, but T-Mobile dishes out some damn fine service. Contrary to Verizon's great-product-no-service-no-support gameplan.
I've currently set my threshold for a PC power supply at 400W (and one of those 80% efficiency rated ones, at that), which is still ridiculously high, IMO. I love quiet computers, and I love low-power stuff. I waited to upgrade from an underclocked Barton to a Venice-core AMD because I wanted a cool, quiet PC.
:-)
Of course, I play guitar through a MM 210 Sixty Five, and my buddy Jim plugs his bass into a big fat half-stack. And let's not forget A/C so my equipment doesn't get damaged. And my car isn't running so great either, these days.
Could Security Metrics Destroy the Internet?!
Posted by FUD on Thursday, May 17, @07:12AM
You must be thinking of the other land of the free.
my favorite part is when you shoot the stupid photographer in the face, and you get to hang the fucking camera around your neck so you can see what you're shooting at.
You can bet that Dell is going to license a lot of non-free codecs, and create a Dell non-free crap repo that won't bug you when you install it. It'll still be cheaper than Windows.
Now, you'll be able to buy a non-functioning, mint-condition DVD at a pawn shop!
Well, that is sort of unethical - of course, you are free to do as you will, but I'd just say that doing so with a clear conscience is usually a good idea.
The relative ethicality, which Firefox assures me is not a word, of GP's suggestions is entirely dependent upon the how fine and upstanding the gentlemen at his employment are, and if they have--or would, if given the chance--dicked him over.
But yes, I would agree with you in any case with no extenuating circumstances.
I kind of got discouraged by being having to hear about--stop the presses--how gorgeous Cate Blanchett was. Especially when there was a photo. I mean, I can judge the ladies for myself, thank you.
I'm throwing away my Mods, but I just have to point out that that doesn't happen on a Mac.
But wouldn't that make it hard to fry eggs on your XBOX? I mean, who are you kidding?
I'm the last one to defend the MPAA, but the only reason for sharing this number is so that cheapskates can get free movies. Right?
Not quite. The issue is wrapped up in the temper tantrum the RIAA and MPAA have been throwing for several years now that their distribution model is getting messed up. They have always used strong-arm tactics to manufacture a monopoly in a genre that is replete with passion and creativity--I'm talking about art. Of course, the MPAA and the RIAA don't protect the artist, or protect the consumer. They protect the BUSINESS MODEL. Their argument that if people copy media, it makes it harder to get media, has collapsed in the past few years, and they've started randomly suing people.
In fact, look into how much music we would never get to hear but for the industrious hobbyists and fanatics keeping the original vinyls of their favorite music in pristine condition. There are tons of classic recordings that record labels are sitting on, and if I were any one of those dead artists, I would rise up from my grave and unleash my motherfucking zombie face on those cocksuckers. It's unfair.
So, to the conclusion. The encryption keeps people from making backups of their movies. HD-DVDs are not archival quality, I'm betting, and I WILL NOT replace my fucking media at a "reasonable price" (retail, according to the MPAA and RIAA). When you share information that has a fair use, and you get threatened with legal action by a corporate behemoth, sometimes people rise up and defend you. If reason, logic, pleading, conscience, legal action, and appealing to their better nature have failed, why not try the million flies in the ointment method?
Oh, but if you copy an album, the artist doesn't get his 80 cents.
PS: It still fucks me off that the RIAA is trying to claim ownership of the fucking royalties to my music. Really.
Video games cause violence? PFFFFFFFT! I'll meet any m+f-er who tries to pry my controller from my fingers with a hail of bullets.
;-)
A m-f-ing hail, my bitches. Of bullets. That's right.
I'm not sure how much good writing the Pope would do. You might want to try writing certain studios in Nashville, some of the Christian Universities that are heavy on media and music (Liberty University comes to mind), and some of the larger religious coalitions (like the Southern Baptist Convention).
:-)
I was being somewhat facetious... *grin* But your idea IS a lot better than mine.
I have a tendency to place trust in artists turned producers, like David Byrne, or Prince. I place trust in those who have had to deal with the music industry, and have done their own thing and survived.
:-)
So here's Mr. Byrne's word on the royalty change they are suggesting. I think it's highly relevant. It implies, when combined with the presumed ownership of MY MUSIC, Prince's music, God's music, etc, that they are trying to shut down internet radio, plain and simple.
And I just had a thought while rambling: Would the RIAA really steal music from religious sources? It's an interesting implication of what they're doing. Someone should write the Pope. It'll be like an episode of South Park.
Clicking it will result in a temporal vortex opening up and taking away your internets.
I hate it when that happens. The worst part is that the internets won't slip into my hard drive sometimes until the next day in the AM, and I have to wait all that time. Waiting. Worrying.
People all know the word 'A' but probably couldn't tell you if it is an article or a noun.
:-)
It's a fucking noun, isn't it?
I'm not trying to troll, but:
Unfortunately, the Sierra Club thinks that this 5% of ANWR is more valuable as a wildlife reserve than a strategic one.
Is a very troubling statement to me. At what point does any amount of environmentalism become valuable, and how do you quantify it? We wouldn't need strategic reserves if we'd spent all the money we spent on this war (420 billion dollars) on renewable resources, incentives for alternative fuels and hybrids (some of which are in place, but we could do better), and (why the fuck not?) EDUCATION.
We'd be almost like a real civilized country. We could expand that education to include stuff like How Not Even The Pope Disagrees With Evolution Anymore, or The Bill of Rights.
In Mexico, you start learning your constitution in 1st grade. Is it middle school in the USA? Or high school?
There has to be a fault in your perspective if you truly support this presidential administration's policies and tactics. They violate basic rules of humanity, dignity, and truth, and do it in my name. After stealing the election.
More proof of which is discussed above. Let's get back on topic.