I've been using OO.org for the past year in a highly collaborative environment where I constantly share docs, spreadsheets, powerpoint with a large number of people using different versions of MS Office.
Compatibility is just not a problem. In fact, I have better luck using files from all versions of MS Office than those using MS Office. (MS Office compability across versions is poor.)
The devemopment model of FOSS has been shown time and again to produce better quality software that is more reliable and is updated more quickly than closed source.
Microsoft is the prime example of a closed source company that produces buggy software and is slow to fix the bug. In contrast, look at the Apache or Mozilla software which is more reliable and more responsive than the Microsoft competing products.
BTW, I don't know what you are doing to your systems, but I have never had FireFox crash on Windows or Linux.
Well, duh, Sun's thin client is clearly not successful since it is expensive and is tied to their expensive servers.
However, a (generic) thin client can be assembled from commodity PC parts to network boot in Linux and provide a browser, terminal and other basic services. No need for hard disk, floppy, or CD (or a big box to hold them and their power supply). These are cheap and low maintenance.
I guess the up front cost to purchase a commodity PC (which is overkill) is less than a thin client of some kind.
However, at some point you should consider the cost or operating a more complex machine (hard disk, Windows virus magnet bloatware, power use, etc.) and this should tip the TCO to a more appropriate thin client.
"Only a very poorly run it department would host an application on desktop PC as it is the worst possable place to store data. Insecure, hard to backup and easy to lose."
Only a very poorly run IT department would run a high maintenance platform when a simpler client would cost less.
Under the current (capitalist/political) system, the inventor would gain a monopoly and charge monopoly rents for use of the system. The result would be a concentration of political and economic power in the hands of the inventor and no effect on the welfare of most people.
"So, neither side can honestly play the "use us because of our document formats" game....
They both have to compete on functionality/price."
This is a contest between open formats (where the use controls access to and use of the documents they create and closed formats where Microsoft controls access to and use of users documents. This is an important distinction. For Microsoft, it is about control of the customer. For OpenOffice.org it is about giving the user control.
It's not really about functionality/price. However, if you properly price the cost of having to pay Microsoft for access to your documents, you could make a functionality/price argument. It would be difficult to anticipate possible future changes to Microsoft's policies on allowing you access to your documents. They might (as they have in the past) raise prices significantly, discontiue support for "old" formats, require the use of new more restrictive formats, encumber your documents with their IP baggage, etc.
They could even, in some bizarre death throe, require you to view a video from "Supreme Chairman Bill and his Mini-Me sidkick Stevie" before viewing your document. That would be priceless.
"The solution allows at least 350 highway miles per charge and can be fully recharged in 5 minutes or less."
I think you're being a bit unrealistic here. What you describe is the typical characteristics of a gas powered vehicle. However, how many people need to drive for 6 hours and then refuel in 5 minutes (so they can drive another 6 hours)?
Most people drive less than 100 miles a day commuting and have all night to recharge. This car meets these specs just fine.
If Microsoft invested in Yahoo, that would be the final straw that motivated me to leave Yahoo completely. They have steadily gone downhill and adding Microsoft "services" would kill them for me.
Actually, my experience is that the audio quality of VOIP is much better than land line it seems to have a much greater frequency range (better high and low frequency reproduction). I use Skype primarily... others may not be as good.
Of course, Skype runs on the public Internet and is subject to traffic congestion, etc. so you can get delays and breakup but I have used it successfully from very distant places in Africa and Asia and it works very well.
This also prevents Apple for selling songs for less than 99 cents. I would prefer to have the option to buy some music for less (i.e. promotional songs, older music, less popular music).
This fellow is confusing complexity with ease of use. What he really means is that software should be easy to use (duh!).
He cites MS Office (and OpenOffice.org) and programs that are easy to use. I think most people would argue that MS Office has set the standard for complexity and obscurity (as well as making it a moving target by changing menus, etc every version). These programs are only easy to use because we have put in a lot of time to learn their complexity.
All software is complex (and making it easy to use often makes it more complex internally).
I agree. Installing Windows XP is a PITA even if you have all the drivers and application discs. I recently had to reinstall Windows XP on my daughters laptop due to spyware, etc. it took the better part of a day to install Windows (from the manufacturer disc which included drivers), update the OS and drivers, install firewall, antivirus, spyware scanner. Then install applications MS Office, etc. and update and patch all of them to the latest versions.
Compare that to my latest install of Ubuntu on several laptops. One hour to install and update a complete OS and all applications. Everything just worked without any fiddling around (including WiFi).
Or you could just buy the LinspirePC from TigerDirect which includes a 2.4GHz Celeron, 256Meg, 40 Gig HD, CD-RW, network, integrated graphics and audio for $199.
(Please restrain yourselves from flaming about Linspire, TigerDirect, Celeron, etc.... this IS a CHEAP machine. It does, however, show what can be done at the low end of the market.)
Actually, the IRS says that the greatest loss to tax evasion is from small businesses (restaurants, beauty salons, etc.) that are paid in cash. These people have lots of opportunity to pocket cash and not report it. A cashless environment would track every transaction and greatly improve tax reporting and collection.
"...to install things (the one thing I think windows makes so much easier than linux)"
This is an old troll that is getting tiresome.
Last time I had to install Windows (a few months ago when my daughter's laptop was overrun with spyware, etc.), it took more than a day to install XP, update and patch it, install firewall, virus scanner (and update them), then install MS Office (and update and patch it), plus other software that she used.
Last time I installed Linux, it was also on a laptop (Ubuntu on an IBM) and the full install took less than an hour with the latest updates and the install included full Office suites, graphics, AV software, etc... (more software that I could ever buy for a Windows machine). Absolutey no problems recognizing and installing drivers for the laptop hardware (and my WiFi card was plug and play... it "Just Worked (TM)".
The only excuse for not switching to Linux is just plain laziness... losing that competitive edge?
You and the GP are clueless. This article has nothing to do with genetic engineering. The article is about nanotechnology. These are two completely different things.
India is much more efficient at programming (and many other tech jobs)... perhaps one reason is that they use Linux and don't have to deal with Windoze.
What this means is that Microsoft is using the same corrupt Republican lobby mechanism that many other big businesses use. They are buying favors in Congress...
I have no special knowledge of this project but I assume that it is like most OS projects where you have a small group of people working on it full time and a larger group of occasional contributors. It can be frustrating to make an initial contact as the core group (rightly) needs to limit the time they spend talking with random people who may not be ready and willing to help (as you are). The project (and the wiki) are new it does take some time to organize these things.
I would persevere, though, in your areas of interest and expertise.
I can't tell if you are genuinely interested in helping the project or are just trolling... but I'll assume that you are interested in helping and are just having trouble finding information.
Developers conference: "We are planning an international-developers conference to be held most probably in Singapore at the end of the year. As presently envisioned, the invitation-only meeting of a thousand or more developers would last from three to five days and focus on open-source, localization and educational-software issues." I'm sure if you were interested and contacted some people (check the "Contacts" page on the wiki and the "Getting Involved" page below) and had a genuine interest in helping that you could receive an invitation.
Slashdot Mirror
Lots of sources for cheap PCs... check out TigerDirect for one source.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/c ategory_tlc.asp?CatId=31
Compatibility is just not a problem. In fact, I have better luck using files from all versions of MS Office than those using MS Office. (MS Office compability across versions is poor.)
It's not about "free beer".
The devemopment model of FOSS has been shown time and again to produce better quality software that is more reliable and is updated more quickly than closed source.
Microsoft is the prime example of a closed source company that produces buggy software and is slow to fix the bug. In contrast, look at the Apache or Mozilla software which is more reliable and more responsive than the Microsoft competing products.
BTW, I don't know what you are doing to your systems, but I have never had FireFox crash on Windows or Linux.
Actually, this Nobel laureate http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd -3527312757.html has proposed a "methanol economy" as being better than the hydrogen version.
Some just make better pets than others.
- Anonymous
However, a (generic) thin client can be assembled from commodity PC parts to network boot in Linux and provide a browser, terminal and other basic services. No need for hard disk, floppy, or CD (or a big box to hold them and their power supply). These are cheap and low maintenance.
This is a "real" thin client.
I guess the up front cost to purchase a commodity PC (which is overkill) is less than a thin client of some kind.
However, at some point you should consider the cost or operating a more complex machine (hard disk, Windows virus magnet bloatware, power use, etc.) and this should tip the TCO to a more appropriate thin client.
"Only a very poorly run it department would host an application on desktop PC as it is the worst possable place to store data. Insecure, hard to backup and easy to lose."
Only a very poorly run IT department would run a high maintenance platform when a simpler client would cost less.
Ubuntu is a complete system with more programs than you'll ever need (add EasyUbuntu for multimedia, VOIP and other candy).
It's installed and run flawlessly on everything I've tried (laptops and desktops) and hasn't required any fiddling. Even WiFi "just worked".
Under the current (capitalist/political) system, the inventor would gain a monopoly and charge monopoly rents for use of the system. The result would be a concentration of political and economic power in the hands of the inventor and no effect on the welfare of most people.
This is a contest between open formats (where the use controls access to and use of the documents they create and closed formats where Microsoft controls access to and use of users documents. This is an important distinction. For Microsoft, it is about control of the customer. For OpenOffice.org it is about giving the user control.
It's not really about functionality/price. However, if you properly price the cost of having to pay Microsoft for access to your documents, you could make a functionality/price argument. It would be difficult to anticipate possible future changes to Microsoft's policies on allowing you access to your documents. They might (as they have in the past) raise prices significantly, discontiue support for "old" formats, require the use of new more restrictive formats, encumber your documents with their IP baggage, etc.
They could even, in some bizarre death throe, require you to view a video from "Supreme Chairman Bill and his Mini-Me sidkick Stevie" before viewing your document. That would be priceless.
I think you're being a bit unrealistic here. What you describe is the typical characteristics of a gas powered vehicle. However, how many people need to drive for 6 hours and then refuel in 5 minutes (so they can drive another 6 hours)?
Most people drive less than 100 miles a day commuting and have all night to recharge. This car meets these specs just fine.
If you're driving cross country, rent a gas car.
If Microsoft invested in Yahoo, that would be the final straw that motivated me to leave Yahoo completely. They have steadily gone downhill and adding Microsoft "services" would kill them for me.
Of course, Skype runs on the public Internet and is subject to traffic congestion, etc. so you can get delays and breakup but I have used it successfully from very distant places in Africa and Asia and it works very well.
This also prevents Apple for selling songs for less than 99 cents. I would prefer to have the option to buy some music for less (i.e. promotional songs, older music, less popular music).
This does preserve Apple's profit.
He cites MS Office (and OpenOffice.org) and programs that are easy to use. I think most people would argue that MS Office has set the standard for complexity and obscurity (as well as making it a moving target by changing menus, etc every version). These programs are only easy to use because we have put in a lot of time to learn their complexity.
All software is complex (and making it easy to use often makes it more complex internally).
Compare that to my latest install of Ubuntu on several laptops. One hour to install and update a complete OS and all applications. Everything just worked without any fiddling around (including WiFi).
(Please restrain yourselves from flaming about Linspire, TigerDirect, Celeron, etc.... this IS a CHEAP machine. It does, however, show what can be done at the low end of the market.)
Actually, the IRS says that the greatest loss to tax evasion is from small businesses (restaurants, beauty salons, etc.) that are paid in cash. These people have lots of opportunity to pocket cash and not report it. A cashless environment would track every transaction and greatly improve tax reporting and collection.
Does that go for free gmail also?
This is an old troll that is getting tiresome.
Last time I had to install Windows (a few months ago when my daughter's laptop was overrun with spyware, etc.), it took more than a day to install XP, update and patch it, install firewall, virus scanner (and update them), then install MS Office (and update and patch it), plus other software that she used.
Last time I installed Linux, it was also on a laptop (Ubuntu on an IBM) and the full install took less than an hour with the latest updates and the install included full Office suites, graphics, AV software, etc... (more software that I could ever buy for a Windows machine). Absolutey no problems recognizing and installing drivers for the laptop hardware (and my WiFi card was plug and play... it "Just Worked (TM)".
The only excuse for not switching to Linux is just plain laziness... losing that competitive edge?
You and the GP are clueless. This article has nothing to do with genetic engineering. The article is about nanotechnology. These are two completely different things.
India is much more efficient at programming (and many other tech jobs)... perhaps one reason is that they use Linux and don't have to deal with Windoze.
What this means is that Microsoft is using the same corrupt Republican lobby mechanism that many other big businesses use. They are buying favors in Congress...
I would persevere, though, in your areas of interest and expertise.
Best wishes.
The source code for the OLPC software is at: http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/proje cts/olpc/
This is the specific software that they will be using, not just a generic Red Hat distribution
Developers conference: "We are planning an international-developers conference to be held most probably in Singapore at the end of the year. As presently envisioned, the invitation-only meeting of a thousand or more developers would last from three to five days and focus on open-source, localization and educational-software issues." I'm sure if you were interested and contacted some people (check the "Contacts" page on the wiki and the "Getting Involved" page below) and had a genuine interest in helping that you could receive an invitation.
What work to do?: The wiki page "Getting involved in OLPC" http://wiki.laptop.org/wiki/Getting_involved_in_OL PC has lots of ways to help. If you can't find something here, I don't know what to say...
Best wishes and I hope it works out for you.