I picked up this recent release in my local games store last weekend and was disgusted to discover it has a three installation limit due to DRM - this is despite my carefully reading the packaging before I picked it up - the only thing it says on the box is "Important Notice - This product is copy protected".
To me, this is totally wrong - DRM protection should be mentioned on the packaging, "copy protected" just implies that you cannot make a copy of the disk.
So don't buy this game!
Re:Game companies deserve it, high time ...
on
Why Bother With DRM?
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· Score: 1
The major reason why old games no longer work is not really the fault of the games companies but more to do with changes in hardware and OS upgrades - although I do accept that if 95% of the worlds' population is running an OS in which an old game doesn't work, then something positive should be done about it.
The best solution is for the games company to release the source code to the Internet (like ID have done with Doom and Quake) so that the programming community can update the games engines. They don't even have to release the game data (levels, textures, etc.) free of charge - hand it over to gog.com to sell at the kind of prices it's doing at the moment so we can download updated engines put pay for the data files if they need them - or just get them off of the original CD they bought.
Incidentally, you don't have to rebuy games from gog.com. Don't get me wrong, they're doing a sterling job and if you want to play old games without hassle, then paying for one of their games packages is a great thing. But not having bought anything on there yet myself (I have the original CDs of most of the old games I enjoy playing), as far as I know all they are doing is packaging up each game with a pre-configured DOSBox environment (if required) so that you don't need to do it yourself. But if you like fiddling about with config files (like me) and Googling for answers, you can do it yourself.
But otherwise, you are correct. Many old games were patched a few times to fix bigger bugs in them but that's not to say that it wouldn't be good to see some continued enhancements to things like AI, etc.
You are digressing from the core topic but, now that you've mentioned it, let's look more closely at your comparison...
Apple has fired store workers and is closing stores, presumably because there aren't enough iPods, iPhones and Macs being sold. That implies that there are fewer Apple machines being bought.
Microsoft does not run stores so presumably certain projects like Zune have been affected and other development stuff has been shelved. That implies that certain Microsoft products may not appear as quickly or at all but it will not affect the amount of Windows machines being bought.
Incidentally, you fanbois need to start seeing things in shades other than "black" and "white". Just because I deign to say negative things about your beloved Apple does not necessarily make me a Microsoft fanboi. As it happens, I myself use mostly Linux and a bit of Windows XP but in 25+ years of working and playing with computers, have never once found the slightest need to own anything made by Apple.
With all respect to you, I wasn't touting for business either - but I suggest as an IT manager you yourself need to learn a little more politeness in your responses also.
I actually consider it quite rude if I'm sat down enjoying a coffee that someone is sprawled out on 4 seats or talking loudly on a mobile phone because that's where he or she has chosen to conduct their business - call me old fashioned but if someone rings me on a mobile in a place of relaxation then I immediately step out the door to take the call.
Sorry, but if you can't pull yourself away from work for 20 minutes to sit quietly and enjoy a coffee, then either bugger off out of the shop until you can or go organise your job better.
I thought the statement was that no-one is liable for a package if something goes wrong - in which case I have stated how that can be possible by purchasing a Red Hat, or SuSE, or several other distros, support contract.
I have no idea how long you get updates for - I assume it's for as long as the release is current, software companies usually support the current release and the one before it.
I'm not sure I understand where we started, I think you've actually disappeared off tangentially somewhere...
There's a gigantic conflict of interest here. By treating MacOS as a second-class citizen, they can hurt a competitor in the OS market. If MS can make people perceive Windows as the only first-class platform on which to run Office, it makes MS more likely to retain market share for Windows. MS's interests in this case are diametrically opposed to the interests of their users.
I talk a walk around my office the other day - not one desktop machine was running OS X or Linux.
Then I went into our server room - lots of machines running Linux, Windows, Solaris but... nope, not one OS X machine in their either.
This tells me Linux and Solaris compete with Windows in the server space but nothing competes with Windows on the desktop.
So get used to it - OS X is no competition on the desktop. Neither is Linux but I still love it and use it for most of my computing tasks and find that XP fills in for the things Linux cannot do. Thus my computing needs are fulfilled by both OSes and I'm a happy bunny who doesn't give a shit about "The Battle For The Desktop".
You Apple fanbois have a real chip on your shoulders about reminding the rest of the world how wonderful your platforms of choice are - despite the fact that most of the world doesn't give a toss about OS X.
I'm always amused by the defensiveness of the Apple fanbois...
Does is actually *REALLY MATTER* what size the update is in these days of fast broadband connections? And who actually gives a toss how much of the update is bug fixes and how much is localizations, feature updates, etc.
I'm not an OSX user but the update has a size that implies it's a Service Pack - so either install it or don't install it, just stop with the excuse making to the rest of us!
I mean, there are developers who maintain packages, but if shit hits the fan, no one is liable for it.
That is precisely the reason why companies like Red Hat package up Linux into a (Red Hat) supportable distribution that they will accept liability for if something does go wrong - which is the reason why you pay them for the actual distro and for their support of it.
You've should see my missus playing Ten Pin Bowling on the Wii - the Wii being the only computer game device she has ever used in the 15 years I've known her.
She takes a run up from the other side of the lounge and everything... the funny thing is that doing it this way she manages strikes just about every time and thrashes me completely at it.:-(
Intel and Microsoft are evil power-bastard corporations but as an EU citizen myself, the EU fines system smacks of Mafia-like extortion - namely, siphon off some profits occasionally but not enough so as the company goes bust so you can go back again at a later date and siphon more off...
If anything, the EU don't want either of them to comply to the law - they'd much rather have the fines money!
Maybe if computer's start becoming a bit more pricey, "Joe Sixpack" won't automatically go out and by himself a new PC just because it was advertised on a TV screen at him and his old PC is getting a bit slow just because he doesn't know how to defrag.
Even the tree-huggers will be happy with the fact that there's less computer waste to recycle...
The coffee shop was much more condusive to my studies than home, where toddlers and pre-teens raised a continual ruckus.
Ever heard of a place called a "public library"? Surely the quiet environment in there would have been even more condusive to your studies...
In my former position, I was on an on-call rotation. Whenever I was on-call and knew I needed to be online beceause there was testing going on, or because a major project was in process, I usually parked at a location with free Wi-Fi access, so I could monitor the situation and provide support as needed.
Based on my own 25 years experience as some kind of IT techie, I'd suggest that a coffee shop's wifi is probably not the best thing to be reliant upon if you're on call. Not to mention the issue of security where you're running work applications over a public access point. I hope the encryption was strong...
but they didn't do their homework to understand how a road warrior will use Internet access.
That, my friend, is my single most pet hate about the job I do - that stupid, stupid phrase "road warrior" - I hardly think the Mad Max imagery in that phrase applies to the fat, middle-aged bald bloke with a laptop and a "Fat Bald Bloke Of Borg" Bluetooth earpiece poking out of his lug-hole!
So, I'm sorry some grungy Mac-geek student sprawled over your favorite seating area at some coffee shop on numerous occasions, but lay off the attacks on the rest of us. You're already probably working for one of us.
Actually, it sounds more like you ought to be paying me for some of my telecoms and security consultancy knowledge, Mr Road Warrior... the first thing I'd do is see how much information you're giving away about your company over that public wifi and people looking over your shoulder at your laptop screen...
I'm a geek just like most other Slashdotters but my experiences of going into coffee shops (I can't remember the last time I went to a McDonald's) is that the people using wi-fi in there tend to be ignorant social misfits, usually students, who are just showing of their new Mac laptop and who sprawl out across 4 seats so that nobody else can sit down - whilst drinking one small cup of the cheapest coffee they can buy but spreading it out over 4 days.
Personally, they don't look much to me like people with such busy lives that they can't disconnect themselves from the Internet for 30 minutes and go take a break - hell, maybe even go with a friend and have a C-O-N-V-E-R-S-A-T-I-O-N, or even just read a book.
The solution is to have two distinct areas, one with wifi and one without - let the misfits pose to each other in the wifi zone whilst the part of the human race that still has communication skills and social awareness goes in the other one.
Not at all - but I'll boycott a company because they're screwing someone over, not because they prosecuted an idiot that deserved it in the first place.
@1: I don't care what extra steps you have to take to keep whatever OS you use working properly. The fact is, I don't have to take them. It doesn't matter if they are free or easy or FOSS, its time I don't have to waste, period.
So you have the incorrect belief that your system requires zero administration - so be it, it's your system.
@2: I apologize if I have insulted your delicate sensibilities by implying you apt-get. But the point stands, as emerge is effectively the same as apt-get, which is effectively the same as rpm, which is effectively the same as yum, which is effectively the same as pacman, ad infinitum. A package manager by any other name is still a package manager. And frankly, time spent checking to make sure a potential GPU, CPU, mobo, monitor, printer, wifi chipset, or whatever works with my particular kernel/xorg configuration does not appeal to me. I would rather buy a computer that doesn't require any finagling just to make sure it works.
As I stated, my Linux systems "just work" also - yes I spend time carefully selecting hardware, and you don't wish to do that. No problem, your choice - just don't make incorrect statements about the lack of hardware support in Linux.
I actually laughed at this. Just as you really don't need to do any basic security and administration tasks on a Linux machine because there is no malware for the platform besides the ever so rare trojan, you really don't need to do any basic security and administration tasks on an OS X machine because there is no malware for the platform besides the ever so rare trojan.
I feel you are clutching at straws because you feel yourself losing this discussion. I do not once recall saying that Linux machines need no admistration - in fact they do, just like every other computer system.
Like I said, I work in OS security, I'm constantly monitoring sites like CERT, Bugtraq, Red Hat, Microsoft, etc. for new vulnerability reports. If and when a trojan appears on Linux, I will be ready to deal with it.
However, it appears your not insulting the platform itself, but rather the "stupid mac users" who believe their immune. Well, I suppose the ever so popular fall-back argument of "when Mac malware starts appearing in any great volume" actually happens, I'll still be safe. Just like I can keep a windows box locked down from malware and linux boxes running despite the rough edges concerning hardware support, I won't be downloading the "XXX MOV1E PARIS HILTON BRITNEY SPEERS CODEC", nor will I be visitng bank0fam3rica.com, nor will I be running version 10.6.1 instead of todays update 10.6.7.
Well, "bully for you", your first demonstration that you have any inkling about computer security. Well done.
Of course though, until that day I still don't need to worry about my computer needing defragging every 6 months and keeping my AVG up to date, nor do I need to keep track of whatever various bugs/regressions are affecting my newly "emerged" bleeding edge 2.29.3 kernel. You can have fun with that though. I'll stick with my "just works".
Just to correct you - my Windows PCs defrag daily with JKDefrag. It takes several hours to run the first time but then only a couple of minutes each day afterwards - if you don't believe it then so be it.
As for your kernel comment, you demonstrate a complete lack of understanding about controlling software releases. There is no obligation, in Linux, to automatically update to a new kernel - about the only reason to do it is if you need better support for a piece of hardware in the machine that the kernel provides. Otherwise, just leave it alone.
In my home environment and work lab, I each have a Linux machine for testing that I can afford to lose for a while if a new kernel or other software causes a problem - it's just standard pre-production testing.
If you don't want to spend time administering a computer then that's your choice and good luck to you. But please don't make statements that have no foundation in fact, otherwise I may feel the need to put you straight again.
A theoretical flaw in Safari, no matter how urgently the pundits bark about it, is not the "same problem" as active exploits that are actually occurring to Windows users. You equate them falsely. Your comparison is not relevant to reality.
If you believe the exploits in Safari to be "theoretical" then there you are quite clearly beyond help. I work in OS security and if you believe that nobody will every exploit those holes in Safari then I shall leave you to it.
The problem isn't that you could have been more clear" or that I should have "read your reply properly," but that you are simply and quite obviously wrong....although I should have properly noted that you were moderated as flamebait before falling into your trap of illogical, circular nonsense peddling.
Erm, this is Slashdot. People use negative moderation just because they don't agree with what the poster is saying - it really has no relevance to content, particularly in Apple discussion topics.
There is an obvious corollary to "It could be argued that if an OS ships with more updates then maybe it was a bit lacking when it was first released" when defending Microsoft release schedule.
Sorry, but you need to read the thread again. The poster I responded to made the statement about the number of updates relating to the OS quality, not myself. I gave examples that disproved that statement (e.g. Fallout 3 is not a good game just because it has had 5 or 6 updates since release.)
No, no they can't. Unless you also equate stubbing your toe on your bed with running over your foot with an improperly designed lawn mower. I presented you with some relevant facts to bring realism into to world view, clearly these pearls were unwelcome to your trough-rooting snout.
In other words, you lack the knowledge to respond intelligently to my comment, instead resorting to insult. Let's see if you get modded "Flamebait" - oh, of course you won't because you're defending Apple...
I made the statement that Apple has also been slack on fixing security updates as has Microsoft. That statement is rooted in fact, if you choose to deny it then so be it.
Mosaic was based on initial web standards in the late 90s, but since then both Netscape (built on Mosaic by its founder) and Microsoft (IE was based on Spyglass, the commercial offshoot of NCSA's Mosaic) worked very hard to pervert the web into a series of browser-specific proprietary conventions.
Your statement is correct in as much as both Netscape Navigator and IE introduced their own HTML extensions. However, you did not read my comment properly again because had you done so, you would have seen I was talking about Mosaic, not Navigator (which succeeded Mosaic).
If you are not aware of the gross lack of standardization in the web browser field, welcome back from your decade long coma.
I fail to see how you can draw that analogy based on my factual statement that Mosaic was a standards compliant browser in 1993. If anything, based on the fact that I made that statement, it might cause a logical-minded person to assume that actually I *do* know a thing or two about standards compliance and browsers because I clearly know about the history of browsers.
Or perhaps two decades: Apple supported TCP/IP on Macs starting in (!) 1988 with MacTCP, and delivered its second TCP/IP networking architecture in 1995 as OpenTransport. Macs were TCP/IP capable before anyone used Windows, let alone TCP/IP on Windows. Apple continued to support AppleTalk, but Microsoft continued to support NetBEUI, too, so the idea that you couldn't configure your Macs really has no bearing on the fact that Microsoft has only ever followed in the tech industry, despite its leadership position and its vast resources.
I am fully aware of the development of NetBEUI and it being pretty-much dropped by MS - but I stand corrected regarding TCP/IP support on Macs. You can have that one as a win.
Perhaps it's better to know what you're talking about before you repeat distant memories colored by decades of propaganda about how wonderful its been to have the tech industry locked up under the talons of a criminal monopolist gang of tasteless snake oil salesmen like Ballmer and Gates.
With the exception of my error above regarding TCP/IP support in Macs (I recall saying "correct me if I'm wrong" in my original posting though), I do know what I am talking about with more than a quarter century
Maybe that says something about the platforms that you cite, rather than that the users need to be part of an elitist club. People use Mac because its fast, easy to use, the hardware is nice, and it doesn't get shitty over time unlike windows, AND I don't need to know how to sudo apt-get an old graphics driver because of all the regressions in my new one like ubuntu.
Let me correct that above statement for you.
1. Having discovered a few simple free tools like CCleaner and JKDefrag that I run on a regular basis, I have Windows XP machines that were built by me more than 18 months ago that I use daily, install and deinstall games and software on but have not suffered any noticeable slowdown. Yes, I prefer Linux but I must say that for an inherently flawed OS by design, XP has finally dispelled the "rebuild every 6 months" Windows myth for me.
2. I use "emerge" not "sudo apt-get" as a Gentoo, not Ubuntu, user. However, just like Apple designs its Macs with great care and attention, using only specific manufacturers of chipsets for graphics, network cards, etc., I too select my PC hardware for Linux machines with equal care. Ultimately, what that means is that every Linux box I build has kernel support for all of the hardware without any need to download or install external drivers - the only exception to that is if I'm building a Linux desktop machine, in which case I will "emerge nvidia-drivers" or "emerge ati-drivers" to support 3D acceleration on the appropriate graphics card inside the machine. Incidentally, the only reason I need to do that is because the graphics cards manufacturers refuse to publish their specifications openly meaning that an accelerated driver cannot be directly incorporated directly into the Linux kernel.
It just works. I know how to manage a windows computer without it getting all virus ridden and slow over time, and I know how to keep wifi/audio/video running on linux through updates and upgrades. I just don't want to. That's why I use a mac.
In that case, you have just confirmed my suspicions - namely that some Apple users are stupid enough to believe that they don't need to perform basic security & administration tasks on their machines, meaning that if and when Mac malware starts appearing in any great volume, they will almost certainly get it on their machines.
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How about taking the USB as understood and just calling them "Flash Drives"?
I picked up this recent release in my local games store last weekend and was disgusted to discover it has a three installation limit due to DRM - this is despite my carefully reading the packaging before I picked it up - the only thing it says on the box is "Important Notice - This product is copy protected".
To me, this is totally wrong - DRM protection should be mentioned on the packaging, "copy protected" just implies that you cannot make a copy of the disk.
So don't buy this game!
The major reason why old games no longer work is not really the fault of the games companies but more to do with changes in hardware and OS upgrades - although I do accept that if 95% of the worlds' population is running an OS in which an old game doesn't work, then something positive should be done about it.
The best solution is for the games company to release the source code to the Internet (like ID have done with Doom and Quake) so that the programming community can update the games engines. They don't even have to release the game data (levels, textures, etc.) free of charge - hand it over to gog.com to sell at the kind of prices it's doing at the moment so we can download updated engines put pay for the data files if they need them - or just get them off of the original CD they bought.
Incidentally, you don't have to rebuy games from gog.com. Don't get me wrong, they're doing a sterling job and if you want to play old games without hassle, then paying for one of their games packages is a great thing. But not having bought anything on there yet myself (I have the original CDs of most of the old games I enjoy playing), as far as I know all they are doing is packaging up each game with a pre-configured DOSBox environment (if required) so that you don't need to do it yourself. But if you like fiddling about with config files (like me) and Googling for answers, you can do it yourself.
But otherwise, you are correct. Many old games were patched a few times to fix bigger bugs in them but that's not to say that it wouldn't be good to see some continued enhancements to things like AI, etc.
You are digressing from the core topic but, now that you've mentioned it, let's look more closely at your comparison...
Apple has fired store workers and is closing stores, presumably because there aren't enough iPods, iPhones and Macs being sold. That implies that there are fewer Apple machines being bought.
Microsoft does not run stores so presumably certain projects like Zune have been affected and other development stuff has been shelved. That implies that certain Microsoft products may not appear as quickly or at all but it will not affect the amount of Windows machines being bought.
Incidentally, you fanbois need to start seeing things in shades other than "black" and "white". Just because I deign to say negative things about your beloved Apple does not necessarily make me a Microsoft fanboi. As it happens, I myself use mostly Linux and a bit of Windows XP but in 25+ years of working and playing with computers, have never once found the slightest need to own anything made by Apple.
Then answer me one question - if OS X is becoming competition on the desktop, how come Apple is making 16,000 people redundant in its stores then?
It actually suggests to me that sales of Macs are dropping - maybe due to the recession, but still dropping...
With all respect to you, I wasn't touting for business either - but I suggest as an IT manager you yourself need to learn a little more politeness in your responses also.
I actually consider it quite rude if I'm sat down enjoying a coffee that someone is sprawled out on 4 seats or talking loudly on a mobile phone because that's where he or she has chosen to conduct their business - call me old fashioned but if someone rings me on a mobile in a place of relaxation then I immediately step out the door to take the call.
Sorry, but if you can't pull yourself away from work for 20 minutes to sit quietly and enjoy a coffee, then either bugger off out of the shop until you can or go organise your job better.
I thought the statement was that no-one is liable for a package if something goes wrong - in which case I have stated how that can be possible by purchasing a Red Hat, or SuSE, or several other distros, support contract.
I have no idea how long you get updates for - I assume it's for as long as the release is current, software companies usually support the current release and the one before it.
I'm not sure I understand where we started, I think you've actually disappeared off tangentially somewhere...
There's a gigantic conflict of interest here. By treating MacOS as a second-class citizen, they can hurt a competitor in the OS market. If MS can make people perceive Windows as the only first-class platform on which to run Office, it makes MS more likely to retain market share for Windows. MS's interests in this case are diametrically opposed to the interests of their users.
I talk a walk around my office the other day - not one desktop machine was running OS X or Linux.
Then I went into our server room - lots of machines running Linux, Windows, Solaris but... nope, not one OS X machine in their either.
This tells me Linux and Solaris compete with Windows in the server space but nothing competes with Windows on the desktop.
So get used to it - OS X is no competition on the desktop. Neither is Linux but I still love it and use it for most of my computing tasks and find that XP fills in for the things Linux cannot do. Thus my computing needs are fulfilled by both OSes and I'm a happy bunny who doesn't give a shit about "The Battle For The Desktop".
You Apple fanbois have a real chip on your shoulders about reminding the rest of the world how wonderful your platforms of choice are - despite the fact that most of the world doesn't give a toss about OS X.
I'm always amused by the defensiveness of the Apple fanbois...
Does is actually *REALLY MATTER* what size the update is in these days of fast broadband connections? And who actually gives a toss how much of the update is bug fixes and how much is localizations, feature updates, etc.
I'm not an OSX user but the update has a size that implies it's a Service Pack - so either install it or don't install it, just stop with the excuse making to the rest of us!
I mean, there are developers who maintain packages, but if shit hits the fan, no one is liable for it.
That is precisely the reason why companies like Red Hat package up Linux into a (Red Hat) supportable distribution that they will accept liability for if something does go wrong - which is the reason why you pay them for the actual distro and for their support of it.
That would be Simon Clark's Night Of The Triffids that you would be looking for then...
You've should see my missus playing Ten Pin Bowling on the Wii - the Wii being the only computer game device she has ever used in the 15 years I've known her.
She takes a run up from the other side of the lounge and everything... the funny thing is that doing it this way she manages strikes just about every time and thrashes me completely at it. :-(
Intel and Microsoft are evil power-bastard corporations but as an EU citizen myself, the EU fines system smacks of Mafia-like extortion - namely, siphon off some profits occasionally but not enough so as the company goes bust so you can go back again at a later date and siphon more off...
If anything, the EU don't want either of them to comply to the law - they'd much rather have the fines money!
That's actually a good thing.
Maybe if computer's start becoming a bit more pricey, "Joe Sixpack" won't automatically go out and by himself a new PC just because it was advertised on a TV screen at him and his old PC is getting a bit slow just because he doesn't know how to defrag.
Even the tree-huggers will be happy with the fact that there's less computer waste to recycle...
The coffee shop was much more condusive to my studies than home, where toddlers and pre-teens raised a continual ruckus.
Ever heard of a place called a "public library"? Surely the quiet environment in there would have been even more condusive to your studies...
In my former position, I was on an on-call rotation. Whenever I was on-call and knew I needed to be online beceause there was testing going on, or because a major project was in process, I usually parked at a location with free Wi-Fi access, so I could monitor the situation and provide support as needed.
Based on my own 25 years experience as some kind of IT techie, I'd suggest that a coffee shop's wifi is probably not the best thing to be reliant upon if you're on call. Not to mention the issue of security where you're running work applications over a public access point. I hope the encryption was strong...
but they didn't do their homework to understand how a road warrior will use Internet access.
That, my friend, is my single most pet hate about the job I do - that stupid, stupid phrase "road warrior" - I hardly think the Mad Max imagery in that phrase applies to the fat, middle-aged bald bloke with a laptop and a "Fat Bald Bloke Of Borg" Bluetooth earpiece poking out of his lug-hole!
So, I'm sorry some grungy Mac-geek student sprawled over your favorite seating area at some coffee shop on numerous occasions, but lay off the attacks on the rest of us. You're already probably working for one of us.
Actually, it sounds more like you ought to be paying me for some of my telecoms and security consultancy knowledge, Mr Road Warrior... the first thing I'd do is see how much information you're giving away about your company over that public wifi and people looking over your shoulder at your laptop screen...
Then Mr Shane Becker - I declare you a right plonker!
This explains why staying away from the plasticized corporate world of McDonalds is a good thing.
I'm a geek just like most other Slashdotters but my experiences of going into coffee shops (I can't remember the last time I went to a McDonald's) is that the people using wi-fi in there tend to be ignorant social misfits, usually students, who are just showing of their new Mac laptop and who sprawl out across 4 seats so that nobody else can sit down - whilst drinking one small cup of the cheapest coffee they can buy but spreading it out over 4 days.
Personally, they don't look much to me like people with such busy lives that they can't disconnect themselves from the Internet for 30 minutes and go take a break - hell, maybe even go with a friend and have a C-O-N-V-E-R-S-A-T-I-O-N, or even just read a book.
The solution is to have two distinct areas, one with wifi and one without - let the misfits pose to each other in the wifi zone whilst the part of the human race that still has communication skills and social awareness goes in the other one.
Not at all - but I'll boycott a company because they're screwing someone over, not because they prosecuted an idiot that deserved it in the first place.
@1: I don't care what extra steps you have to take to keep whatever OS you use working properly. The fact is, I don't have to take them. It doesn't matter if they are free or easy or FOSS, its time I don't have to waste, period.
So you have the incorrect belief that your system requires zero administration - so be it, it's your system.
@2: I apologize if I have insulted your delicate sensibilities by implying you apt-get. But the point stands, as emerge is effectively the same as apt-get, which is effectively the same as rpm, which is effectively the same as yum, which is effectively the same as pacman, ad infinitum. A package manager by any other name is still a package manager. And frankly, time spent checking to make sure a potential GPU, CPU, mobo, monitor, printer, wifi chipset, or whatever works with my particular kernel/xorg configuration does not appeal to me. I would rather buy a computer that doesn't require any finagling just to make sure it works.
As I stated, my Linux systems "just work" also - yes I spend time carefully selecting hardware, and you don't wish to do that. No problem, your choice - just don't make incorrect statements about the lack of hardware support in Linux.
I actually laughed at this. Just as you really don't need to do any basic security and administration tasks on a Linux machine because there is no malware for the platform besides the ever so rare trojan, you really don't need to do any basic security and administration tasks on an OS X machine because there is no malware for the platform besides the ever so rare trojan.
I feel you are clutching at straws because you feel yourself losing this discussion. I do not once recall saying that Linux machines need no admistration - in fact they do, just like every other computer system.
Like I said, I work in OS security, I'm constantly monitoring sites like CERT, Bugtraq, Red Hat, Microsoft, etc. for new vulnerability reports. If and when a trojan appears on Linux, I will be ready to deal with it.
However, it appears your not insulting the platform itself, but rather the "stupid mac users" who believe their immune. Well, I suppose the ever so popular fall-back argument of "when Mac malware starts appearing in any great volume" actually happens, I'll still be safe. Just like I can keep a windows box locked down from malware and linux boxes running despite the rough edges concerning hardware support, I won't be downloading the "XXX MOV1E PARIS HILTON BRITNEY SPEERS CODEC", nor will I be visitng bank0fam3rica.com, nor will I be running version 10.6.1 instead of todays update 10.6.7.
Well, "bully for you", your first demonstration that you have any inkling about computer security. Well done.
Of course though, until that day I still don't need to worry about my computer needing defragging every 6 months and keeping my AVG up to date, nor do I need to keep track of whatever various bugs/regressions are affecting my newly "emerged" bleeding edge 2.29.3 kernel. You can have fun with that though. I'll stick with my "just works".
Just to correct you - my Windows PCs defrag daily with JKDefrag. It takes several hours to run the first time but then only a couple of minutes each day afterwards - if you don't believe it then so be it.
As for your kernel comment, you demonstrate a complete lack of understanding about controlling software releases. There is no obligation, in Linux, to automatically update to a new kernel - about the only reason to do it is if you need better support for a piece of hardware in the machine that the kernel provides. Otherwise, just leave it alone.
In my home environment and work lab, I each have a Linux machine for testing that I can afford to lose for a while if a new kernel or other software causes a problem - it's just standard pre-production testing.
If you don't want to spend time administering a computer then that's your choice and good luck to you. But please don't make statements that have no foundation in fact, otherwise I may feel the need to put you straight again.
A theoretical flaw in Safari, no matter how urgently the pundits bark about it, is not the "same problem" as active exploits that are actually occurring to Windows users. You equate them falsely. Your comparison is not relevant to reality.
Well, you've beaten me. That's it, discussion over.
If you believe the exploits in Safari to be "theoretical" then there you are quite clearly beyond help. I work in OS security and if you believe that nobody will every exploit those holes in Safari then I shall leave you to it.
Nice guide! But can I make a suggestion?
At the top put a short note in bold, something like "NB. If you still have the brains you were born with then this guide will be of no use to you."
The problem isn't that you could have been more clear" or that I should have "read your reply properly," but that you are simply and quite obviously wrong. ...although I should have properly noted that you were moderated as flamebait before falling into your trap of illogical, circular nonsense peddling.
Erm, this is Slashdot. People use negative moderation just because they don't agree with what the poster is saying - it really has no relevance to content, particularly in Apple discussion topics.
There is an obvious corollary to "It could be argued that if an OS ships with more updates then maybe it was a bit lacking when it was first released" when defending Microsoft release schedule.
Sorry, but you need to read the thread again. The poster I responded to made the statement about the number of updates relating to the OS quality, not myself. I gave examples that disproved that statement (e.g. Fallout 3 is not a good game just because it has had 5 or 6 updates since release.)
No, no they can't. Unless you also equate stubbing your toe on your bed with running over your foot with an improperly designed lawn mower. I presented you with some relevant facts to bring realism into to world view, clearly these pearls were unwelcome to your trough-rooting snout.
In other words, you lack the knowledge to respond intelligently to my comment, instead resorting to insult. Let's see if you get modded "Flamebait" - oh, of course you won't because you're defending Apple...
I made the statement that Apple has also been slack on fixing security updates as has Microsoft. That statement is rooted in fact, if you choose to deny it then so be it.
Mosaic was based on initial web standards in the late 90s, but since then both Netscape (built on Mosaic by its founder) and Microsoft (IE was based on Spyglass, the commercial offshoot of NCSA's Mosaic) worked very hard to pervert the web into a series of browser-specific proprietary conventions.
Your statement is correct in as much as both Netscape Navigator and IE introduced their own HTML extensions. However, you did not read my comment properly again because had you done so, you would have seen I was talking about Mosaic, not Navigator (which succeeded Mosaic).
If you are not aware of the gross lack of standardization in the web browser field, welcome back from your decade long coma.
I fail to see how you can draw that analogy based on my factual statement that Mosaic was a standards compliant browser in 1993. If anything, based on the fact that I made that statement, it might cause a logical-minded person to assume that actually I *do* know a thing or two about standards compliance and browsers because I clearly know about the history of browsers.
Or perhaps two decades: Apple supported TCP/IP on Macs starting in (!) 1988 with MacTCP, and delivered its second TCP/IP networking architecture in 1995 as OpenTransport. Macs were TCP/IP capable before anyone used Windows, let alone TCP/IP on Windows. Apple continued to support AppleTalk, but Microsoft continued to support NetBEUI, too, so the idea that you couldn't configure your Macs really has no bearing on the fact that Microsoft has only ever followed in the tech industry, despite its leadership position and its vast resources.
I am fully aware of the development of NetBEUI and it being pretty-much dropped by MS - but I stand corrected regarding TCP/IP support on Macs. You can have that one as a win.
Perhaps it's better to know what you're talking about before you repeat distant memories colored by decades of propaganda about how wonderful its been to have the tech industry locked up under the talons of a criminal monopolist gang of tasteless snake oil salesmen like Ballmer and Gates.
With the exception of my error above regarding TCP/IP support in Macs (I recall saying "correct me if I'm wrong" in my original posting though), I do know what I am talking about with more than a quarter century
I consider no day to be complete until I have learnt a new word or acronym that describes a particular sexual activity.
Thanks for making my day complete.
Maybe that says something about the platforms that you cite, rather than that the users need to be part of an elitist club. People use Mac because its fast, easy to use, the hardware is nice, and it doesn't get shitty over time unlike windows, AND I don't need to know how to sudo apt-get an old graphics driver because of all the regressions in my new one like ubuntu.
Let me correct that above statement for you.
1. Having discovered a few simple free tools like CCleaner and JKDefrag that I run on a regular basis, I have Windows XP machines that were built by me more than 18 months ago that I use daily, install and deinstall games and software on but have not suffered any noticeable slowdown. Yes, I prefer Linux but I must say that for an inherently flawed OS by design, XP has finally dispelled the "rebuild every 6 months" Windows myth for me.
2. I use "emerge" not "sudo apt-get" as a Gentoo, not Ubuntu, user. However, just like Apple designs its Macs with great care and attention, using only specific manufacturers of chipsets for graphics, network cards, etc., I too select my PC hardware for Linux machines with equal care. Ultimately, what that means is that every Linux box I build has kernel support for all of the hardware without any need to download or install external drivers - the only exception to that is if I'm building a Linux desktop machine, in which case I will "emerge nvidia-drivers" or "emerge ati-drivers" to support 3D acceleration on the appropriate graphics card inside the machine. Incidentally, the only reason I need to do that is because the graphics cards manufacturers refuse to publish their specifications openly meaning that an accelerated driver cannot be directly incorporated directly into the Linux kernel.
It just works. I know how to manage a windows computer without it getting all virus ridden and slow over time, and I know how to keep wifi/audio/video running on linux through updates and upgrades. I just don't want to. That's why I use a mac.
In that case, you have just confirmed my suspicions - namely that some Apple users are stupid enough to believe that they don't need to perform basic security & administration tasks on their machines, meaning that if and when Mac malware starts appearing in any great volume, they will almost certainly get it on their machines.