Again, respect for developers. Is it necessary for all software to be open source at every stage of development? Take "Hydra" for example. They have created one sweet application, using the great Rendezvous, but it is not open source. However, it is FREEWARE. They have reasons, you have reasons, and we all need to make money somehow. Until then, keep your expletives (AKA words of a person with limited vocabulary or ability to properly express themselves) to yourself.
Open Source is an end, can be a beginning, but not always both all of the time. Reason in a season for everything.
Just seeing the first few posts seems we have a few/.'ers with some outspoken gripes about other developers doing something that gets some recognition. Can't we all be excited about something useful and interesting, even though perhaps it is similar to things that may have existed previously, and uses a new but not yet ideal technology (rendezvous). The fact of the matter is, we have a developer making a nifty application that will no doubt be adopted by thousands of Mac Users in a matter of days, and its FREEWARE! Job well done, Erik.
The people who appreciate it the most often do not speak as loud as the people who are upset they didn't make it first.
I'm a new Mac user, so that was one of my questions that I failed to include in my post (how early this technology has been integrated in Mac OS). Thanks for the clarification.
Sometimes I walk away from the computer and then it talks back to me as if it misses me, and wants my attention. Talk about "artificial intelligence"...or is that personality?
I run Mac OS X and in a lot of applications you have the option for the computer to read an entire document. For example, in TextEdit (a simple text editor by Apple) you can go to Edit, Speech, Start Speaking...in the menu and it will read everything for you. There are 10-15 different default voices to choose from, and built into the OS you can control pretty much everything by speech and get information by voice.
How does this compare? I think it is at least at the same level, if not further along! Good work Apple for being in the game, if not ahead of the game on this one.
You say Apple Developer's discount is that good. What is required to become a "Developer"? I am an ADC member already, but I didn't pay for any membership or anything. Please advise...
I was waiting until our University store got one in to look at, now I will have to be on the lookout. I could handle a big laptop like this. The thickness is still 1", so just a bit wider in 2 directions. I had my laptop for a study group and another guy came in with a brand new Compaq laptop. It must have been 3 times as thick!
I would assume that for most people the majority of their laptop use is in 1-2 places, so carrying it around is a matter of putting it in some bag, walking it to the car/bus/etc., and then setting up in the next place. This is a nice option, having such a big screen.
They didn't say the 17"-er was everyone, they just say you have more of a choice. But then again, everyone should have one. Way to go Apple.
Anyone think they will be putting in Wi-fi for public access anytime soon? I am guessing most stores don't have a theatre like this SOHO one, but maybe integrating a small cafe where you can access your email and behold the Mac's around you. What stipulations would you want to incur? Must be using an airport card, must buy something (if only trivial), or must have had a purchase/repair previously?
Won't affect me unless I move out of the middle of Missouri though.:)
On a different note, I LOVE going to our University Bookstore's computer department just to look at the Mac's there...that makes me want to own one of everything alone. Maybe it is the product more than the store! But maybe the store is a great vehicle for understanding the product.
If NASA wants some more money why don't they bring some of those water paintings home by freezing them and then selling them on ebay?
Space Ice Loops - starting bid: $3000
Or better yet, make a couple thousand of them with some sugar and food coloring, and sell them as "NASA candy: Lollipops from outer space"...in your local frozen food section.
Does anyone remember these types of machines at Comdex 2001? I remember distinctly a company from Korea (or thereabouts) having a system just like this, but it was the ONLY one! Now we have iMacs, which totally rule, and then the Dell clone, and now this VAIO (which is cool, but not quite as impressive as the iMac). This International company had theirs with a cable TV feed, and it was attached with velcro to the back. I thought it was innovative.
It searches PubMed (http://www.pubmed.gov) for journal articles released in medical and science journals. Real helpful for a student like me. Give it a whirl, and tell your science/medical/Mac friends about it.
It is a work in progress, but it works. Look for a nice update in a couple of weeks to improve the interface and searching options.
I have been using a FANTASTIC but less well-known platform called in1 (because it literally and immediately enables you with amazing tools, though not overstepping on any of your design, etc.). InShift Technologies is the company behind it. They are a great group of techies, coders, and designers to work with too. They have a handful of HTML-like tags that work with a database and perform programming functions (if, else, etc.). They work with MySQL, MSSQL, Access, Oracle, etc., so you are not tied to proprietary databases. Also, you don't have the java overhead like coldfusion. Oh, and a license is $295! You can try a demo and they can walk you through some training if you contact them. Very easy to learn. I have taught secretaries and executives to use it! Also, for a web savvy user they are as empowered as they are with PHP, ColdFusion etc., if not more so with the simplicity and Perl-integration ability. It is worth taking a look!
Did I mention they do dynamic static publishing, output in XML, run a simple CRON, have User authentication built-in, include an e-commerce website with the license, integrate with PERL and other languages, run on Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, and more!
Slashdot Mirror
Again, respect for developers. Is it necessary for all software to be open source at every stage of development? Take "Hydra" for example. They have created one sweet application, using the great Rendezvous, but it is not open source. However, it is FREEWARE. They have reasons, you have reasons, and we all need to make money somehow. Until then, keep your expletives (AKA words of a person with limited vocabulary or ability to properly express themselves) to yourself. Open Source is an end, can be a beginning, but not always both all of the time. Reason in a season for everything.
Just seeing the first few posts seems we have a few /.'ers with some outspoken gripes about other developers doing something that gets some recognition. Can't we all be excited about something useful and interesting, even though perhaps it is similar to things that may have existed previously, and uses a new but not yet ideal technology (rendezvous). The fact of the matter is, we have a developer making a nifty application that will no doubt be adopted by thousands of Mac Users in a matter of days, and its FREEWARE! Job well done, Erik.
The people who appreciate it the most often do not speak as loud as the people who are upset they didn't make it first.
I'm a new Mac user, so that was one of my questions that I failed to include in my post (how early this technology has been integrated in Mac OS). Thanks for the clarification.
Sometimes I walk away from the computer and then it talks back to me as if it misses me, and wants my attention. Talk about "artificial intelligence"...or is that personality?
I run Mac OS X and in a lot of applications you have the option for the computer to read an entire document. For example, in TextEdit (a simple text editor by Apple) you can go to Edit, Speech, Start Speaking...in the menu and it will read everything for you. There are 10-15 different default voices to choose from, and built into the OS you can control pretty much everything by speech and get information by voice.
How does this compare? I think it is at least at the same level, if not further along! Good work Apple for being in the game, if not ahead of the game on this one.
You say Apple Developer's discount is that good. What is required to become a "Developer"? I am an ADC member already, but I didn't pay for any membership or anything. Please advise...
I was waiting until our University store got one in to look at, now I will have to be on the lookout. I could handle a big laptop like this. The thickness is still 1", so just a bit wider in 2 directions. I had my laptop for a study group and another guy came in with a brand new Compaq laptop. It must have been 3 times as thick!
I would assume that for most people the majority of their laptop use is in 1-2 places, so carrying it around is a matter of putting it in some bag, walking it to the car/bus/etc., and then setting up in the next place. This is a nice option, having such a big screen.
They didn't say the 17"-er was everyone, they just say you have more of a choice. But then again, everyone should have one. Way to go Apple.
Glad to be informed! Thanks
Now if I can only push for an Apple store here in our college town (Columbia, Missouri)...across the street from my house?
Anyone think they will be putting in Wi-fi for public access anytime soon? I am guessing most stores don't have a theatre like this SOHO one, but maybe integrating a small cafe where you can access your email and behold the Mac's around you. What stipulations would you want to incur? Must be using an airport card, must buy something (if only trivial), or must have had a purchase/repair previously?
:)
Won't affect me unless I move out of the middle of Missouri though.
On a different note, I LOVE going to our University Bookstore's computer department just to look at the Mac's there...that makes me want to own one of everything alone. Maybe it is the product more than the store! But maybe the store is a great vehicle for understanding the product.
From graphpad.com Prism is very decent for doing a lot of 2D plots. It has a lot of analysis tools. It works great for my posters.
If NASA wants some more money why don't they bring some of those water paintings home by freezing them and then selling them on ebay?
Space Ice Loops - starting bid: $3000
Or better yet, make a couple thousand of them with some sugar and food coloring, and sell them as "NASA candy: Lollipops from outer space"...in your local frozen food section.
NASA Candy - 2 for $4000
Does anyone remember these types of machines at Comdex 2001? I remember distinctly a company from Korea (or thereabouts) having a system just like this, but it was the ONLY one! Now we have iMacs, which totally rule, and then the Dell clone, and now this VAIO (which is cool, but not quite as impressive as the iMac). This International company had theirs with a cable TV feed, and it was attached with velcro to the back. I thought it was innovative.
I recently made a sherlock 3 channel for the science/medical bunch. It is called "et al." You can try it at:
GO HERE FOR LINKS TO TRY OR ADD
It searches PubMed (http://www.pubmed.gov) for journal articles released in medical and science journals. Real helpful for a student like me. Give it a whirl, and tell your science/medical/Mac friends about it.
It is a work in progress, but it works. Look for a nice update in a couple of weeks to improve the interface and searching options.
I have been using a FANTASTIC but less well-known platform called in1 (because it literally and immediately enables you with amazing tools, though not overstepping on any of your design, etc.). InShift Technologies is the company behind it. They are a great group of techies, coders, and designers to work with too. They have a handful of HTML-like tags that work with a database and perform programming functions (if, else, etc.). They work with MySQL, MSSQL, Access, Oracle, etc., so you are not tied to proprietary databases. Also, you don't have the java overhead like coldfusion. Oh, and a license is $295! You can try a demo and they can walk you through some training if you contact them. Very easy to learn. I have taught secretaries and executives to use it! Also, for a web savvy user they are as empowered as they are with PHP, ColdFusion etc., if not more so with the simplicity and Perl-integration ability. It is worth taking a look!
Did I mention they do dynamic static publishing, output in XML, run a simple CRON, have User authentication built-in, include an e-commerce website with the license, integrate with PERL and other languages, run on Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, and more!