XP is already fast enough. On a 500mhz notebook, I almost never experience the same kind of "lag" that my Mac (and Linux) using friends do.
I'll leave the comparison between XP and MacOS to someone who knows something about it (on Slashdot and all; the irony...:-))
But I have a friend with a 700 MHz laptop with XP, and I have an identical machine with Linux, Gnome 2.4 and so forth. My friend has had to admit that my machine is a lot snappier in both loading and operation of the apps the two machines have in common (OpenOffice and the GIMP) and the Linux machine is a lot more consistent with smooth audio output when the machine is under I/O and CPU load.
Unfortunately, this is the downside of throwing your dollars into proprietary systems. If you really want X-windows, there are alternatives. I'm not quite sure what you mean by native PDF; if you are looking for perfect text rendering on screen, it is now available in those same alternatives.
Though I freely admit the Mac hardware does look very cool, I'm not so sure that it represents good value for money, though I guess that depends on what you use it for.
is a simple caller-ID display unit similar to the many cheap (~$AU15) models available, but which the user can program to associate the caller's name with the number. Does anybody know of a gadget like this? I haven't seen one on the market here in Australia. I don't imagine such a thing would be hard to produce...
I learned that I was a victim of learning curve bias. I never did bother to learn photoshop
It's the same with any tool. The more powerful it is, the longer it takes to learn to use it. I know a couple of graphic designers (familiar with Photoshop, as I am not) who have been impressed with output from the GIMP. That doesn't mean to say they'll switch, of course, since they've already paid for the product, but the GIMP has nothing to be ashamed of from a functionality point of view.
I just want 1.4stable...
on
GIMP goes SVG
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· Score: 2, Insightful
Have you tried the development version? (x.3 I think)
1.3.20.
I periodically try out the development releases and admire the pretty widgets if the thing will compile or load. As a matter of fact, I built one this morning; compiled fine but crashed within 5 minutes of loading.
Personally, I would be much more impressed if the developers decided on a feature-freeze and cleaned up their mess. I can't remember off-hand how long stable has been at 1.2.5, but it's beginning to look a bit incongruous with GTK-1.x widgets and non-antialiased fonts on a modern desktop. I haven't been keeping track of dates, but it seems to me that stable has been at 1.2.x for years now.
Sooner or later they're going to have to decide what gets put into 1.4 and what gets left out. I would be happy to accept what they've implemented so far if it can be made stable and have all the scriptability put back.
I do not understand why... does not use a date format that is understandable by the entire audience.
And what, pray, is so much more logical about year-month-day than day-month-year? If what you really mean is "Do as I say, underdog, we are your US overlords" then say so, but don't be too surprised if the rest of the world tells you to get fucked.
But you go on to describe a typical spam message, 99.999% of which have forged headers, and most of which are easily filterable. I would be willing to bet that the majority of Linux advocates use some sort of filtering on their email, so where's the overconfidence/laziness? You weren't actually going to click that link, were you?
Fair comment. And as for the grandparent saying "I garuntee[sic] if my Mom started using Linux all she'd be doing the same things she's doing now.", it's pretty easy to set up a bomb-broof Linux for the "average" user.
My wife (a militant non-geek) is perfectly happy and productive with Slackware on her computer (and none of that dual-booting, thank you), and I even heard her making fun of one of her friends who got bitten by SoBig.
So much for the drivel about "Linux isn't ready for the desktop".
...but predict that record companies will find success with more customer-friendly alternatives for reducing infringement.
Having just read all the posts in this thread, and gone back to the beginning, I see that italicised line from the abstract as the most important. The next generation of copy-protected discs will need a different workaround, but ultimately the recording companies are going to have to think hard about their approach.
for projects like this is Scientific Applications on Linux. There are heaps of applications there, many of them GPL, but I don't have a very clear idea of exactly what you are trying to achieve...
The viscosity of the ink is what tires the palm and elbow faster than the the rest.
Hey wow, my bullshit-o-meter just went completely frigging haywire.
Actually, I think he might have a point. I was half joking in an earlier post when I mentioned goose quills, but I have actually used those instruments (as well as the more modern metal-tipped dip-pens), which have a tendency to release their ink quite freely. I have noticed much more stress when writing with ballpoint pens (though in the wrist, rather than the palm or elbow) as a result of the relatively high amount of pressure required at the tip of the pen to make a mark.
Why would someone take a break from college to... do more... studying?
Some of us do it all our lives. I've muddled through three academic disciplines since I left high school (1979), and that's only a scratch on the total reading I've done. I'm sure I'm not unique in this, it's simply a matter of taking an interest in things, that's all.
Is not Slashdot "News for nerds"? As I remember, one of the "badges" of a nerd is the writing implements he carries around. Sure, many go for quantity while others go for quality. I guess in my opinion the ultimate nerd's writing instrument would have to be the goose quill, but there's quite a knack to using one of those...
When I was at school we were required to use pens with a real nib (yes I know it was conservative, but it didn't kill me) but they were not too fussed as to whether we used a fountain or cartridge pen or a dipper.
I used the latter for a long time; it takes a bit of getting used to, but once you get into the rhythm of it, it's quite relaxing, quite fast, and you have the freedom to use really good (indian) inks. For a pen that's really easy on the hands, try a goose quill. It takes a much lighter touch than a modern nib, but it needs a hell of a lot of practice.
Having said that, I now mostly use a modern Mont Blanc fountain pen with Cross ink. The more common Parker "Quink" is yucky.
I am a bit wary of that patent mentioned in the ToDo. I can forsee some ugly situations arising as a result of a select number of powerful corporations hijacking the protocol.
I would be happier if he GPL'ed it.
Actually, that brings something important to mind: Here in Australia a very large proportion of mail servers are Debian boxes. If that patent idea gets taken up, I can't see Debian including SPF; it'll be poison.
Tim Searcy of the ATA was quoted in The Los Angeles Times as saying that the impact of the Do Not Call Registry would be (I did not make this quote up) ''like an asteroid hitting the earth.'' Yes. An asteroid!
We can dream, I guess.
Marketroids (or any kind of businessman, for that matter) always seem to have this attitude that nothing should be permitted to stand between them and making money, regardless of how unscrupulously, immorally or inconsiderately they are acting.
Permit me to extend this rant somewhat: I am sure most readers will have noticed that some of the biggest lobbyists petitioning governments worldwide are businesses seeking subsidies or "incentives".
Yet these same individuals are often the same ones who extol the virtues of a free-market economy. What these parasites don't seem to accept is that these conditions are mutually exclusive.
...thief who walks in and takes your stuff is still a thief, still guilty in the eyes of the law, and still deserves to be put away.
That might apply where you are, but it doesn't here (Western Australia).
For some reason, it is a different criminal offence here to break into someone's house during the day as opposed to doing so during the night. Sometimes the law is just an ass.
Slashdot Mirror
I'll leave the comparison between XP and MacOS to someone who knows something about it (on Slashdot and all; the irony... :-))
But I have a friend with a 700 MHz laptop with XP, and I have an identical machine with Linux, Gnome 2.4 and so forth. My friend has had to admit that my machine is a lot snappier in both loading and operation of the apps the two machines have in common (OpenOffice and the GIMP) and the Linux machine is a lot more consistent with smooth audio output when the machine is under I/O and CPU load.
Though I freely admit the Mac hardware does look very cool, I'm not so sure that it represents good value for money, though I guess that depends on what you use it for.
Shouldn't this be OS X.III ?
is a simple caller-ID display unit similar to the many cheap (~$AU15) models available, but which the user can program to associate the caller's name with the number. Does anybody know of a gadget like this? I haven't seen one on the market here in Australia. I don't imagine such a thing would be hard to produce...
It's the same with any tool. The more powerful it is, the longer it takes to learn to use it. I know a couple of graphic designers (familiar with Photoshop, as I am not) who have been impressed with output from the GIMP. That doesn't mean to say they'll switch, of course, since they've already paid for the product, but the GIMP has nothing to be ashamed of from a functionality point of view.
1.3.20.
I periodically try out the development releases and admire the pretty widgets if the thing will compile or load. As a matter of fact, I built one this morning; compiled fine but crashed within 5 minutes of loading.
Personally, I would be much more impressed if the developers decided on a feature-freeze and cleaned up their mess. I can't remember off-hand how long stable has been at 1.2.5, but it's beginning to look a bit incongruous with GTK-1.x widgets and non-antialiased fonts on a modern desktop. I haven't been keeping track of dates, but it seems to me that stable has been at 1.2.x for years now.
Sooner or later they're going to have to decide what gets put into 1.4 and what gets left out. I would be happy to accept what they've implemented so far if it can be made stable and have all the scriptability put back.
And what, pray, is so much more logical about year-month-day than day-month-year? If what you really mean is "Do as I say, underdog, we are your US overlords" then say so, but don't be too surprised if the rest of the world tells you to get fucked.
But you go on to describe a typical spam message, 99.999% of which have forged headers, and most of which are easily filterable. I would be willing to bet that the majority of Linux advocates use some sort of filtering on their email, so where's the overconfidence/laziness? You weren't actually going to click that link, were you?
My wife (a militant non-geek) is perfectly happy and productive with Slackware on her computer (and none of that dual-booting, thank you), and I even heard her making fun of one of her friends who got bitten by SoBig.
So much for the drivel about "Linux isn't ready for the desktop".
Having just read all the posts in this thread, and gone back to the beginning, I see that italicised line from the abstract as the most important. The next generation of copy-protected discs will need a different workaround, but ultimately the recording companies are going to have to think hard about their approach.
for projects like this is Scientific Applications on Linux. There are heaps of applications there, many of them GPL, but I don't have a very clear idea of exactly what you are trying to achieve...
Hey wow, my bullshit-o-meter just went completely frigging haywire.
Actually, I think he might have a point. I was half joking in an earlier post when I mentioned goose quills, but I have actually used those instruments (as well as the more modern metal-tipped dip-pens), which have a tendency to release their ink quite freely. I have noticed much more stress when writing with ballpoint pens (though in the wrist, rather than the palm or elbow) as a result of the relatively high amount of pressure required at the tip of the pen to make a mark.
Some of us do it all our lives. I've muddled through three academic disciplines since I left high school (1979), and that's only a scratch on the total reading I've done. I'm sure I'm not unique in this, it's simply a matter of taking an interest in things, that's all.
Is not Slashdot "News for nerds"? As I remember, one of the "badges" of a nerd is the writing implements he carries around. Sure, many go for quantity while others go for quality. I guess in my opinion the ultimate nerd's writing instrument would have to be the goose quill, but there's quite a knack to using one of those...
I used the latter for a long time; it takes a bit of getting used to, but once you get into the rhythm of it, it's quite relaxing, quite fast, and you have the freedom to use really good (indian) inks. For a pen that's really easy on the hands, try a goose quill. It takes a much lighter touch than a modern nib, but it needs a hell of a lot of practice.
Having said that, I now mostly use a modern Mont Blanc fountain pen with Cross ink. The more common Parker "Quink" is yucky.
I would be happier if he GPL'ed it.
Actually, that brings something important to mind: Here in Australia a very large proportion of mail servers are Debian boxes. If that patent idea gets taken up, I can't see Debian including SPF; it'll be poison.
Or else show up in a pair of overalls and a Day-Glo jacket with a jackhammer and cut off their phone lines under the pavement :-)
I know it's pushing the boundaries a little, but I'm a "take-no-prisoners" sort of person :-)
There's nothing wrong with using a public payphone for the job, though. A few cents well spent, IMHO.
I like that; sounds like something Douglas Adams might have come up with :-)
We can dream, I guess.
Marketroids (or any kind of businessman, for that matter) always seem to have this attitude that nothing should be permitted to stand between them and making money, regardless of how unscrupulously, immorally or inconsiderately they are acting.
Permit me to extend this rant somewhat: I am sure most readers will have noticed that some of the biggest lobbyists petitioning governments worldwide are businesses seeking subsidies or "incentives".
Yet these same individuals are often the same ones who extol the virtues of a free-market economy. What these parasites don't seem to accept is that these conditions are mutually exclusive.
Nobody will take action against a spammer under that threat.
So have I. On a Dell Pentium 4 at my university.
Phoenix aren't the only people out there making BIOSes. We don't have to buy them.
That presumes a diligent cop. The other week, I spotted a burglar in the act of breaking in to a neighbour's house and called the plods.
The stupid fuckwits let the bastard go because he was wearing "respectable" clothes and was driving a nice car...
That might apply where you are, but it doesn't here (Western Australia).
For some reason, it is a different criminal offence here to break into someone's house during the day as opposed to doing so during the night. Sometimes the law is just an ass.