People will have to buy Apple hardware in order to get support, proper drivers and well-designed computers.
Being able to run OSX on their computers will only allow them to experiment with MacOS just like PearPC does now. Well... A little bit better, perhaps.
I am very curious which approach will yield the first useable MacOS X - PC combination: the PearPC VM approach or the XPostFacto "blind'em with drivers" approach
Too bad it is still a PC-style computer. Does it have PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports?;-)
I hope Apple will build a legacy-free x86 box for the real ones.
Yet, I think installing Windows on a Mac is one incredibly dull idea. Why would you ruin a Porsche by putting a Yugo engine inside?
As for installing MacOS X on generic x86 boxes, that should not be that hard at all, nothing that hasn't been done with XPostFacto - I doubt Apple will take the effort to lock it down as the only ones who will use it will be the very same pirates that made Windows a de facto standard. Piracy, in their case, may very well help sales.
Maybe if we can offer cash prizes for the guy whose Playstation changed the world by finding the first extraterrestrial civilization or the cure for aging.
Without entry-level, inexpensive and interesting (i.e. "Xenon-based" or dual-core FreeScale G4s), PPC Linux will starve to death.
Nobody will pay more than what a entry-level x86 costs for an entry-level PPC system.
IBM and FreeScale (the current most affected by Apple's switch) should think about getting simple Linux based PPC desktops at rock-bottom prices in the hands of developers, even if it means selling them at a loss.
When developers lose interest in a platform, it is doomed.
Re:I'm all for science/technology/astronomy but...
on
Back to Moon in 2015?
·
· Score: 1
The problem of building something on the moon is that you must ship the factory first.
Simple. When you install stuff yourself, you are on your own. No package manager can ever protect you from yourself.
Nor should it try.
I use Debian mainly because of APT, but I manage my Zope and its products myself. I also keep an eye on PostgreSQL, as every upgrade disrupts things a little.
If, however, you download a package from sf.net that has dependencies _inside_ the package-set of your specific distro, there should be no problem.
I think decent package managers are way better than DLL Hell. I think dependency hell is way better too.
If you want to avoid it, reduce the complexity. If you think you can do a better job, create a Debian-derived distro and simplify it. Support only one version of GTK, gcc, Python, Perl. Support only a handful Gnome or KDE apps, have PostgreSQL as your only RDBMS and Apache as your only http server.
Keep automated tests for all packages.
You could also create "superpackages" that install other packages and all their dependencies in a single consistent and verified process.
When in college (80 something), I wrote a small math toolbox where all operands were represented as decimals with fractions. It was very cool. It is somewhere in a 5 1/4 floppy disk.;-)
That's exactly what I said. When it's time to thtow out the processor, it's also time to throw out the mobo and get a new nicer case too.
But I will allow the exception of a video board. Yet, my 64 meg Nvidia is doing just fine (the 8 meg one in another computer is also doing fine, btw) as I am no heavy gamer.
Apart from the paid effort by programmers supported by companies, all effort on FOSS is volunteer.
It would be hard to convince a volunteer that decided he would fix the NetBSD on Alpha port of Evolution (I don't know if it's broken - it's an example) to work on fixing the more relevant Linux on AMD64 port (which I also don't know if it's broken).
Donated effort cannot be wasted.
I would suggest, instead, abandoning Red Hat, which is not my prefered distro, and diverting all resources from it to Debian, which is highly relevant to me, so we could all live together in happiness and not waste our efforts on that OS named after a hat.;-)
Just imagine what could be done later if we could cut costs. Think of a telescope that could be larger or work for a couple decades because it's on the moons's surface and there is a guy that can be sent over to repair it when something breaks down.
While I don't think the current NASA can succeed in making cheap access to space a reality, that is what's needed to get more science done within the same budget limitations.
And, of course, getting people there is what is all about - If we only send machines, we can only measure. Life should not only be measured. It should be felt.
What if Columbus could send machines accross the ocean withou taking risks himself?
I think we should right now focus on having cheaper access to orbit, a permanent presence on the moon and a fleet of modular vehicles, manned and unmanned, that could be assembled in space for varied purposes.
Science was a only by-product of Apollo.
We need something like Apollo to lay foundations to have more science done later at lower budgets. Until science is no longer hideously expensive, it won't be done.
It gets down to patience, objectives and the will to get from here to there.
I tend to think in terms of desktop computing. Since it seems to revolve around either Windows or *x (OSX included) these days, RiscOS (like BSD) appears very low on the radar.
I can remember how enthusiastic I was when I first read about the Archimedes on BYTE.
We are in bad need of a bit more hardware diversity.
Still, At 499 pounds, it seems a no-no when compared to the Mac Mini.
How long can it take for package maintainers to update the source and run the package-assembly scripts.
I mean, it is automated, isn't it?
Mozilla guys are not obligated to wait until the slowest of the crowd gets its job done. And they shouldn't treat any OS/distro differently from one another.
If Red Hat feels having up-to-the-minute RPMs is all that important, they should compensate Mozilla Foundation for the additional hassle. If not, they should wait in line just like everyone else.
Slashdot Mirror
Not at all.
People will have to buy Apple hardware in order to get support, proper drivers and well-designed computers.
Being able to run OSX on their computers will only allow them to experiment with MacOS just like PearPC does now. Well... A little bit better, perhaps.
I am very curious which approach will yield the first useable MacOS X - PC combination: the PearPC VM approach or the XPostFacto "blind'em with drivers" approach
Just curious
Too bad it is still a PC-style computer. Does it have PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports? ;-)
I hope Apple will build a legacy-free x86 box for the real ones.
Yet, I think installing Windows on a Mac is one incredibly dull idea. Why would you ruin a Porsche by putting a Yugo engine inside?
As for installing MacOS X on generic x86 boxes, that should not be that hard at all, nothing that hasn't been done with XPostFacto - I doubt Apple will take the effort to lock it down as the only ones who will use it will be the very same pirates that made Windows a de facto standard. Piracy, in their case, may very well help sales.
Maybe if we can offer cash prizes for the guy whose Playstation changed the world by finding the first extraterrestrial civilization or the cure for aging.
It is their way of saying "it WILL go on". It makes them appear to be absolutely confident.
;-)
They did it 28 times so far. Even if this doctor ruins it, it will make the series about 3.57% less successful
The ones I looked at are still quite a bit more expensive than a Mac Mini.
Without entry-level, inexpensive and interesting (i.e. "Xenon-based" or dual-core FreeScale G4s), PPC Linux will starve to death.
Nobody will pay more than what a entry-level x86 costs for an entry-level PPC system.
IBM and FreeScale (the current most affected by Apple's switch) should think about getting simple Linux based PPC desktops at rock-bottom prices in the hands of developers, even if it means selling them at a loss.
When developers lose interest in a platform, it is doomed.
The problem of building something on the moon is that you must ship the factory first.
I guess the fact it orbits the star every two days puts it very close to it.
So, if any life is not squashed by a somewhat stronger gravity, it will certainly be cooked beyond recognition by a whole lot stronger sunlight.
Democracy needs the rule of law. There can be no democracy without it.
If you have a democracy that does not sit on a rule of law, it's fake. If you have a rule of law without democracy, it's all for nothing.
Simple. When you install stuff yourself, you are on your own. No package manager can ever protect you from yourself.
Nor should it try.
I use Debian mainly because of APT, but I manage my Zope and its products myself. I also keep an eye on PostgreSQL, as every upgrade disrupts things a little.
If, however, you download a package from sf.net that has dependencies _inside_ the package-set of your specific distro, there should be no problem.
I think decent package managers are way better than DLL Hell. I think dependency hell is way better too.
If you want to avoid it, reduce the complexity. If you think you can do a better job, create a Debian-derived distro and simplify it. Support only one version of GTK, gcc, Python, Perl. Support only a handful Gnome or KDE apps, have PostgreSQL as your only RDBMS and Apache as your only http server.
Keep automated tests for all packages.
You could also create "superpackages" that install other packages and all their dependencies in a single consistent and verified process.
I can't se the point of this discussion.
And yes, Symphony looks great.
When in college (80 something), I wrote a small math toolbox where all operands were represented as decimals with fractions. It was very cool. It is somewhere in a 5 1/4 floppy disk. ;-)
That's exactly what I said. When it's time to thtow out the processor, it's also time to throw out the mobo and get a new nicer case too.
But I will allow the exception of a video board. Yet, my 64 meg Nvidia is doing just fine (the 8 meg one in another computer is also doing fine, btw) as I am no heavy gamer.
It is a long time since I last upgraded a PC, disk and memory excepted.
In fact, selling the old box and buying a new one is far less hassle.
Apart from the paid effort by programmers supported by companies, all effort on FOSS is volunteer.
;-)
It would be hard to convince a volunteer that decided he would fix the NetBSD on Alpha port of Evolution (I don't know if it's broken - it's an example) to work on fixing the more relevant Linux on AMD64 port (which I also don't know if it's broken).
Donated effort cannot be wasted.
I would suggest, instead, abandoning Red Hat, which is not my prefered distro, and diverting all resources from it to Debian, which is highly relevant to me, so we could all live together in happiness and not waste our efforts on that OS named after a hat.
OK. Don't shoot. Just kidding.
They are so deeply different in each and every aspect that it's a miracle the dont't develop allergic reactions on the contact elements ;-)
Dunno about you, but I couldn't care less about the vector FP performance of my servers...
Putting Cell on them seems dumb for the kind of things we do on them. The 3 core PPC inside the XBox 360 seems a lot smarter choice.
For rendering farms or numeric modeling tough, they look like a smart choice.
Can the APU run a kind of hypervisor and coordinate Linux running on the SPUs?
I keep reading the APU is a rather dumb PowerPC and all the heavy lifting is done within SPUspace.
As said earlier, John Dvorak is always wrong.
This will simply not happen.
Just imagine what could be done later if we could cut costs. Think of a telescope that could be larger or work for a couple decades because it's on the moons's surface and there is a guy that can be sent over to repair it when something breaks down. While I don't think the current NASA can succeed in making cheap access to space a reality, that is what's needed to get more science done within the same budget limitations. And, of course, getting people there is what is all about - If we only send machines, we can only measure. Life should not only be measured. It should be felt. What if Columbus could send machines accross the ocean withou taking risks himself?
I think we should right now focus on having cheaper access to orbit, a permanent presence on the moon and a fleet of modular vehicles, manned and unmanned, that could be assembled in space for varied purposes.
Science was a only by-product of Apollo.
We need something like Apollo to lay foundations to have more science done later at lower budgets. Until science is no longer hideously expensive, it won't be done.
It gets down to patience, objectives and the will to get from here to there.
If only we could make Angelina Jolie act in a sequel to "hackers"...
Could we please try to restore the word "hacker" a more positive meaning on mainstream media?
That's interesting!
I tend to think in terms of desktop computing. Since it seems to revolve around either Windows or *x (OSX included) these days, RiscOS (like BSD) appears very low on the radar.
I can remember how enthusiastic I was when I first read about the Archimedes on BYTE.
We are in bad need of a bit more hardware diversity.
Still, At 499 pounds, it seems a no-no when compared to the Mac Mini.
How long can it take for package maintainers to update the source and run the package-assembly scripts.
I mean, it is automated, isn't it?
Mozilla guys are not obligated to wait until the slowest of the crowd gets its job done. And they shouldn't treat any OS/distro differently from one another.
If Red Hat feels having up-to-the-minute RPMs is all that important, they should compensate Mozilla Foundation for the additional hassle. If not, they should wait in line just like everyone else.