I currently use a Zaurus 5500 and there are certainly a number of advantages to a Linux handheld. HOWEVER.... Most of these are advantages that mean very little to your average PDA user. I feel that my Zaurus is more of a handheld laptop replacement than a PDA, and as such the ability to install and run thousands of Linux applications is very appealing. I use my Z mainly as a portable terminal to VNC/SSH/SFTP etc into other devices to manage them. This is not something that an average PalmOS user is interested in, so we really are talking about two different markets here I think. My experience has been that the majority of Zaurus users are using their Z's for much more than just PDA/PIM functions. Flexibility is what Linux gives you on a handheld.
Looks like the specs are pretty close to my Zaurus 5500, excepting the fact that my Z has a built-in keyboard as opposed to that snap on thingy (extra $$ ?) and includes a Compact Flash slot. Oh yeah - and I only paid US$190 for my Z a year ago. Sure the processor may be a bit faster, but I really don't see much to justify the price. Also, only one expansion slot means that when you plug an 802.11x card in the SDIO slot you are stuck with the built-in 64MB of SDRAM and 32MB of Flash. Judging from the way I use my Z, that would be severely limiting, especially when you are doing online activities that need to keep logs, like kismet.
I believe the server you are referring to is actually the "SlimServer5" streaming media server that is provided (for free!) by the same folks that make the Squeezbox CLIENT, which is the newer version of the SliMp3 client device. Yes, it is a very good server. Check here for clarification.
Just to clarify, all the devices that you list are CLIENTS - not servers as you stated in your post. All of them depend on your PC to serve the media files. So, what is it you really want to build? A client like the devices listed, or a cheap wireless PC to handle the server duties?
I got to the similar point just a while ago, but I took a slightly less drastic approach. I will now no longer just fix the problem for someone. What I WILL do though is sit THEM down at the keyboard and chat with them about how to fix the problem. This does not mean that I give step by step instructions - more that I will ask the person a question to get their mind progressing towards the right solution. This seems to work in that the folks see that they can fix the problem on their own, and they realize that every problem they solve themselves makes them better equipped to solve problems in the future.
This exists, although unfortunately I cannot point you at a make/model. I saw a young girl using the flashlight built into her phone the other day, and I too thought it might be a useful feature. Didn't get a chance to inquire about the model though...:-(
From the article: "some abusers, he said, consume more than a terabyte of data each month -- equal to about 1,000 gigabytes, or 1,000 copies of the Encyclopedia Britannica"
I'm Confused. How much is that in "Libraries of Congress"?
There's a lot to agree with in this post, but I think that the overall net effect should not be that you feel dumb. Yes, things do work one heck of a lot easier in Mac OS X than they do on any flavor of Linux. A lot of things are easier in Windows too. Sure Linux is narrowing this gap everyday, but still the main reasons that I (and most other people I have met) use Linux do not relate to ease of use. The main reasons are usually (in no particular order) power, choice, cost, freedom, flexibility and the fact that setting something up in Linux almost invariably teaches you something that you didn't previously know about computers and surrounding technologies.
By the way, concerning your problems with Mandrake 9 and RPM, if you haven't already you really ought to give URPMI a whirl as it handles dependencies very nicely - almost as well as apt-get...;-)
Perhaps some of you taxpayers in this area would like to share your views on Ms. Sweeneys expressed opinions? This page lists all email addresses at the school.
Play nice!
If this happens, then DSL will become the more attractive option. Remember, DSL is not a shared segment like Cable. This makes a big difference in real world performance. DSL may have a lower cap, but I get 1.5mb all day, every day.
If you want to see examples of this happening right now, google for 'thin client' or citrix.
If you want to see examples of people who have done this for decades, google instead for 'dumb terminal' , '3270' etc....
Server centric computing has been around for years. You can buy a current model thin client for $299 (maybe less) that does not store any data locally, and boots from an image delivered across a network. Load Citrix, or an open source equivalent like LTSP (Linux Terminal Server Project) on a server, connect your thin clients to the LAN, and compute away.
Parent and grandparent posts have hit the proverbial nail right on the head. Mandrake has always been very easy to setup, and out of the box it is an extremely useful distro. Remember, just because you have the pretty Drak UI tools to do the admin stuff does not mean that you have to use them. If you pull back the covers you realize that it's still JUST A LINUX BOX, and you can manually edit config files if you wish. Mandrake just gives you the option to take the easy route, if you wish to. If you haven't tried Mandrake in a while, it's work trying for the hardware detection/setup alone. I haven't seen another distro that does a better job of this yet (excepting Knoppix - it seems to be pretty good too), and I've tried all the majors.
Hewlett-Packard has a very nice lineup of Thin Client products using the Crusoe processor. Crusoe is near perfect for this market niche: Low power and low heat are the way to go (you don't want to have a fan on a TC - moving parts just introduce another breaking point). The only problem is that the VIA processors compete very well at a lower price point. If Transmeta can keep the price down, the Efficeon should be great for high-end Thin Clients, as well as subnotebooks.
Quoted from the article "the mass media generally assumes all good players are teenagers and oldsters are klutzes... In reality, those who play computer games - and are adept at them - are getting on in years"
I call bullshit. Yes, the folks in my generation (mid 30's) are better at computer games than the same age group was 10 years ago, but as an older gamer myself I can attest to the fact that most of the teenagers are better at the current crop of games than I am. The reason why is very simple: They have more time to play. Once you have a spouse/family/career/mortgage the amount of time you can spend honing your skills at various games is drastically reduced. Show me some data to backup your claims.
This already exists in part of the Sacramento, CA Metro region. Roseville Telephone bought out a company called WinFirst that had run optical fiber to the home, with 10MB Ethernet, CATV, and phone service. The available area is somewhat small right now, but people that I know with the service are really happy with it.
Good god...get a load of this loser in his disco mobile home.
If I was a spammer I'd be looking to change jobs quickly, just to avoid being associated with this ass.
That the manufacturers will pull an 'Ink Jet Cartridge' here and make it so that these things are not (easily) refillable? Plan on having to buy these only from the manufacturer, at a ridiculously inflated price. The whole Ink Jet cartridge BS is the main reason I stepped up and bought a laser printer for home use.
What we really need to understand here is that the true rights to any artistic work belong solely to the creator, and if you wish to enjoy this work you damn well better be okay with doing it on their terms. It matters not if you think it's fair for an artist to place restrictions on use of a particular piece of work. If you don't like the restrictions, your ONLY option is to vote with your dollars by not purchasing said work. All of these discussions about licensing, fair use, copyright etc are all moot - you do not have the right to dictate how a creation is used if it was not you who invested time, energy and talent to create it. Period. Everything else here is just sour grapes from a group of people that don't like having their free access to other people's work taken away. In reality, 'Fair Use' is simply good business practice for the various recording agencies, and not something that we should look to legislate.
On your other point, I agree that the industries were wrong about what would happen with VCR's, and I personally believe that file sharing can be beneficial to all parties. HOWEVER, I realize that I have no power to tell the creators of any sort of media how they must distribute it.
Final point - you mentioned that the parent post offered "no chain of logic, offers guesses instead of facts, has no historical perspective"...blah blah blah, but your rebuttal offered none of this either.
Zaurus 5500/5600 would work out well
on
Cybercafè Travel Kit?
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· Score: 3, Informative
I've been using a Sharp Zaurus 5500 for a while, and I think that this would be the perfect device for you. You have both a Compact Flash and SD slot available, so you could have one of the new SD 802.11B cards + the CF from the camera mounted at once. You could also carry a card with a standard wired ethernet jack for Cafe's without wireless. Yes, the keyboard is small, but you can type surprisingly quickly once you get used to it, and besides this is a blog not a novel. Also, since it runs Linux you have a ton of apps to choose from for any other needs you might have on the road.
Also nice is the fact that you can now find the 5500 for less than $200 if you shop around.
I would however recommend getting some sort of case for it. I haven't had any problems with my unit, but I wouldn't want to drop it unprotected... It just sort of feels like it wouldn't hold up well.
because the only people that will buy it are the ones that have absolutely no concern that they look like a BIG FREAKIN' DORK with a gigantic Go-Bot attacking their arm. Seriously, there is a percentage of dateless geeks that will wear this thing and be okay with it, but for an item like this to sell it *MUST* be the same size as a conventional wristwatch. Maybe the one that Fossil is working on will be better, but this Wristomo will only sell to Slashdotters that never leave the house.
Second that. I have a Samsung SCH-8500 from Sprint and this thing rocks. I have had numerous cell phones over the years, of varying brand, and the best before I got the Samsung lasted about 18 months. I've had the Samsung now for three years, have dropped it innumerable times (once in the toilet...), used it non-stop the whole time that I've owned it, and it has never had one single problem. The thing is definitely battle-scarred, but the battery still holds a charge for days and the signal strength is better than any phone I've ever had. Yes, I would definitely buy another one.
Is those creepy freaks that leave you a voicemail message trying to make it sound as if they are someone you're supposed to know. I get ~4 telemarketing calls a day, and some of the newer ones leave a message along the lines of "Hey guys how are you doing? We really need to get togther and have dinner or something soon! The reason I'm calling is because we just signed up for this amazing timeshare and wanted to let you in on it!" etc etc....
The first time I got one of these I admit I was a bit confused trying to figure out which of our friends was leaving this message - until they got to the timeshare part of course. Damn vermin telemarketers....
On another point, I don't understand how there are escape clauses for politicos and charities. Perhaps this should be up to the consumer as to whether or not they want to receive these calls? Maybe there can be an option when you sign up for the DNC list to block these calls too? I would certainly at least want to block the politicians.
Slashdot Mirror
I currently use a Zaurus 5500 and there are certainly a number of advantages to a Linux handheld. HOWEVER.... Most of these are advantages that mean very little to your average PDA user. I feel that my Zaurus is more of a handheld laptop replacement than a PDA, and as such the ability to install and run thousands of Linux applications is very appealing. I use my Z mainly as a portable terminal to VNC/SSH/SFTP etc into other devices to manage them. This is not something that an average PalmOS user is interested in, so we really are talking about two different markets here I think. My experience has been that the majority of Zaurus users are using their Z's for much more than just PDA/PIM functions. Flexibility is what Linux gives you on a handheld.
Looks like the specs are pretty close to my Zaurus 5500, excepting the fact that my Z has a built-in keyboard as opposed to that snap on thingy (extra $$ ?) and includes a Compact Flash slot. Oh yeah - and I only paid US$190 for my Z a year ago. Sure the processor may be a bit faster, but I really don't see much to justify the price. Also, only one expansion slot means that when you plug an 802.11x card in the SDIO slot you are stuck with the built-in 64MB of SDRAM and 32MB of Flash. Judging from the way I use my Z, that would be severely limiting, especially when you are doing online activities that need to keep logs, like kismet.
I believe the server you are referring to is actually the "SlimServer5" streaming media server that is provided (for free!) by the same folks that make the Squeezbox CLIENT, which is the newer version of the SliMp3 client device. Yes, it is a very good server. Check here for clarification.
Just to clarify, all the devices that you list are CLIENTS - not servers as you stated in your post. All of them depend on your PC to serve the media files. So, what is it you really want to build? A client like the devices listed, or a cheap wireless PC to handle the server duties?
Kicking Tyson's ass was loads of fun in this game, but they missed out on the most obvious opponents of all: Robin Givens & Mitch "Blood" Green. :-)
I got to the similar point just a while ago, but I took a slightly less drastic approach. I will now no longer just fix the problem for someone. What I WILL do though is sit THEM down at the keyboard and chat with them about how to fix the problem. This does not mean that I give step by step instructions - more that I will ask the person a question to get their mind progressing towards the right solution. This seems to work in that the folks see that they can fix the problem on their own, and they realize that every problem they solve themselves makes them better equipped to solve problems in the future.
This exists, although unfortunately I cannot point you at a make/model. I saw a young girl using the flashlight built into her phone the other day, and I too thought it might be a useful feature. Didn't get a chance to inquire about the model though... :-(
I'm Confused. How much is that in "Libraries of Congress"?
By the way, concerning your problems with Mandrake 9 and RPM, if you haven't already you really ought to give URPMI a whirl as it handles dependencies very nicely - almost as well as apt-get... ;-)
Perhaps some of you taxpayers in this area would like to share your views on Ms. Sweeneys expressed opinions? This page lists all email addresses at the school. Play nice!
-1 inappropriate-leetboy-Gentoo-reference
If this happens, then DSL will become the more attractive option. Remember, DSL is not a shared segment like Cable. This makes a big difference in real world performance. DSL may have a lower cap, but I get 1.5mb all day, every day.
If you want to see examples of this happening right now, google for 'thin client' or citrix. If you want to see examples of people who have done this for decades, google instead for 'dumb terminal' , '3270' etc.... Server centric computing has been around for years. You can buy a current model thin client for $299 (maybe less) that does not store any data locally, and boots from an image delivered across a network. Load Citrix, or an open source equivalent like LTSP (Linux Terminal Server Project) on a server, connect your thin clients to the LAN, and compute away.
The Mac and (unfortunately for me) Linux versions are not available yet. Release of these ports is "To Be Announced"... :-(
Parent and grandparent posts have hit the proverbial nail right on the head. Mandrake has always been very easy to setup, and out of the box it is an extremely useful distro. Remember, just because you have the pretty Drak UI tools to do the admin stuff does not mean that you have to use them. If you pull back the covers you realize that it's still JUST A LINUX BOX, and you can manually edit config files if you wish. Mandrake just gives you the option to take the easy route, if you wish to. If you haven't tried Mandrake in a while, it's work trying for the hardware detection/setup alone. I haven't seen another distro that does a better job of this yet (excepting Knoppix - it seems to be pretty good too), and I've tried all the majors.
Hewlett-Packard has a very nice lineup of Thin Client products using the Crusoe processor. Crusoe is near perfect for this market niche: Low power and low heat are the way to go (you don't want to have a fan on a TC - moving parts just introduce another breaking point). The only problem is that the VIA processors compete very well at a lower price point. If Transmeta can keep the price down, the Efficeon should be great for high-end Thin Clients, as well as subnotebooks.
I call bullshit. Yes, the folks in my generation (mid 30's) are better at computer games than the same age group was 10 years ago, but as an older gamer myself I can attest to the fact that most of the teenagers are better at the current crop of games than I am. The reason why is very simple: They have more time to play. Once you have a spouse/family/career/mortgage the amount of time you can spend honing your skills at various games is drastically reduced. Show me some data to backup your claims.
This already exists in part of the Sacramento, CA Metro region. Roseville Telephone bought out a company called WinFirst that had run optical fiber to the home, with 10MB Ethernet, CATV, and phone service. The available area is somewhat small right now, but people that I know with the service are really happy with it.
Good god...get a load of this loser in his disco mobile home. If I was a spammer I'd be looking to change jobs quickly, just to avoid being associated with this ass.
That the manufacturers will pull an 'Ink Jet Cartridge' here and make it so that these things are not (easily) refillable? Plan on having to buy these only from the manufacturer, at a ridiculously inflated price. The whole Ink Jet cartridge BS is the main reason I stepped up and bought a laser printer for home use.
What we really need to understand here is that the true rights to any artistic work belong solely to the creator, and if you wish to enjoy this work you damn well better be okay with doing it on their terms. It matters not if you think it's fair for an artist to place restrictions on use of a particular piece of work. If you don't like the restrictions, your ONLY option is to vote with your dollars by not purchasing said work. All of these discussions about licensing, fair use, copyright etc are all moot - you do not have the right to dictate how a creation is used if it was not you who invested time, energy and talent to create it. Period. Everything else here is just sour grapes from a group of people that don't like having their free access to other people's work taken away. In reality, 'Fair Use' is simply good business practice for the various recording agencies, and not something that we should look to legislate.
On your other point, I agree that the industries were wrong about what would happen with VCR's, and I personally believe that file sharing can be beneficial to all parties. HOWEVER, I realize that I have no power to tell the creators of any sort of media how they must distribute it.
Final point - you mentioned that the parent post offered "no chain of logic, offers guesses instead of facts, has no historical perspective"...blah blah blah, but your rebuttal offered none of this either.
I've been using a Sharp Zaurus 5500 for a while, and I think that this would be the perfect device for you. You have both a Compact Flash and SD slot available, so you could have one of the new SD 802.11B cards + the CF from the camera mounted at once. You could also carry a card with a standard wired ethernet jack for Cafe's without wireless. Yes, the keyboard is small, but you can type surprisingly quickly once you get used to it, and besides this is a blog not a novel. Also, since it runs Linux you have a ton of apps to choose from for any other needs you might have on the road. Also nice is the fact that you can now find the 5500 for less than $200 if you shop around. I would however recommend getting some sort of case for it. I haven't had any problems with my unit, but I wouldn't want to drop it unprotected... It just sort of feels like it wouldn't hold up well.
because the only people that will buy it are the ones that have absolutely no concern that they look like a BIG FREAKIN' DORK with a gigantic Go-Bot attacking their arm. Seriously, there is a percentage of dateless geeks that will wear this thing and be okay with it, but for an item like this to sell it *MUST* be the same size as a conventional wristwatch. Maybe the one that Fossil is working on will be better, but this Wristomo will only sell to Slashdotters that never leave the house.
Second that. I have a Samsung SCH-8500 from Sprint and this thing rocks. I have had numerous cell phones over the years, of varying brand, and the best before I got the Samsung lasted about 18 months. I've had the Samsung now for three years, have dropped it innumerable times (once in the toilet...), used it non-stop the whole time that I've owned it, and it has never had one single problem. The thing is definitely battle-scarred, but the battery still holds a charge for days and the signal strength is better than any phone I've ever had. Yes, I would definitely buy another one.
Is those creepy freaks that leave you a voicemail message trying to make it sound as if they are someone you're supposed to know. I get ~4 telemarketing calls a day, and some of the newer ones leave a message along the lines of "Hey guys how are you doing? We really need to get togther and have dinner or something soon! The reason I'm calling is because we just signed up for this amazing timeshare and wanted to let you in on it!" etc etc....
The first time I got one of these I admit I was a bit confused trying to figure out which of our friends was leaving this message - until they got to the timeshare part of course. Damn vermin telemarketers....
On another point, I don't understand how there are escape clauses for politicos and charities. Perhaps this should be up to the consumer as to whether or not they want to receive these calls? Maybe there can be an option when you sign up for the DNC list to block these calls too? I would certainly at least want to block the politicians.
Oh well, maybe that'll be in V2.0