Maybe a Nokia N810 or N800 (with an external Bluetooth GPS).
I grabbed a Kogan GPS Watch for AU$129 and paired it with my Nokia N800, which works fine. You can use the default Wayfinder Navigator application for a fee, or try any of the free GPS/Nav packages available. Maemo Mapper is good if you don't want route planning, while Navit looks like a promising contender for an open-source car navigation system with routing engine.
The underlying OS is Maemo, a Debian port optimised for the N8xx/ARMs. Very easy to hack with, and nicely robust too.
If the acid were brushed on to the a sufficiently narrow part of the knot, and all collected as it dripped down
We've used a similar technique in one of our workshops, but there's no need to brush and collect - you use an inert sponge and/or capillary tube to circulate the etchant. Likewise, you don't need to use acids which produce potentially corrosive fumes and aerosols. A solution of copper sulphate and sodium chloride will do the job nicely with less risk.
And to be clear, if you read the article, it's obvious that the engineers working on this are SERIOUS and have thought of just about anything that slashdot readers have come up with.
Would breaking off and sinking California really be all that bad for the rest of the country?
Hell yeah!
If California breaks away, the weight of Maine hanging so far east will drag the whole country into a barrel roll around the Houston/Williston axis. Before you know it, the USA will be face-down in the ocean with it's ass in the air.
perhaps you can give the numbers for some other pieces of similarly complex commercial software to compare and contrast. OS X, Photoshop, SAP, Oracle DB, for example.
Apple states its profit margins as around 25%, though that's pretty meaningless in the context, since it includes hardware and iPhone/iPod businesses.
As far as the other major OS vendors go, Sun offers Solaris for free, Redhat, Novell and Canonical, likewise with their Linux distros. Symbian OS available for as little as $2.50 per device, though admittedly it is less complex. IBM's operating systems (ie, z/OS) cost money, but it's hard to work out their margins, given the state of the mainframe market.
With the limited number of samples available (due in no small part to Microsoft's own predatory practices), you'd have to say the amortized cost of an operating system should be very low or zero, if support is paid for..
Don't tell me Windows costs and arm and a leg, you're a savvy user.
Savvy enough to recognise monopoly rents when I see them.
Microsoft's latest financial returns show that their operating systems division returned net earnings of US$2.1 billion on sales of US $3.1 billion worldwide. Their Office division returned net earnings of US $1.7 billion on sales of US$4.5 billion.
Nobody gets those sort of margins in a competitive market.
Most netbooks exceed the capabilities of full business laptops from just four years ago:
Toshiba Tecra A2 P-M 1.5GHz
Australian RRP (inc GST) - $2,365.00
Intel Pentium M Processor 1.5GHz, 400MHz FSB.
40GB hard disk
Compared to:
Toshiba NB100
Australian RRP (inc GST) - $$599
Intel Atom N270 Processor 1.6GHz, 400MHz FSB.
120GB hard disk
The RRP is the deciding factor here. Microsoft just doesn't like the idea of cheap computers where they will struggle to compete with their expensive OS.
That logic has worked in the past because users haven't seen anywhere else to go (except even further up the price range with Apple), but Linux is doing well on netbooks and I think MS is starting to figure that out.
The trouble is, Microsoft is just starting to figure it out, others are way ahead of them.
There's about to be a watershed in the OS field, and a company which is collecting 85%+ profits won't be able to compete. With Qualcomm, Freescale, Longsoon, et al prepping supercheap machines, there simply won't be the margins for an expensive MS OS. Microsoft will have to reduce its prices and profitability just to stay in the netbook/smartbook market.
They've even managed to scare their long-time collaborator, Intel, into developing Moblin. If Intel didn't do something to keep a toehold in the low-power/cost end of the market, they could see themselves swamped with ARM, MIPS, Snapdragon etc Linux netboox/smartbooks that are cheaper, get better battery life and still run most of the Linux application stack.
Maybe Microsoft are responding to competition for once.
Maybe.
But the rest of the likely limitations are fairly ridiculous too.
Screen: Not to exceed 10.2"
Memory: 1 GB RAM
Storage: 250 GB HDD or 64 GB SDD
Single core processors that:
do not exceed 2 GHz frequency, and
have a CPU thermal design power that is less than or equal to 15 W, not including the graphics and chipset.
The most interesting result will be if manufacturers take the opportunity to release higher specced netbooks with Linux than Microsoft will allow for Windows. I find it hard to believe Microsoft would shoot themselves in the foot like that, given netbooks are the currently the fastest growing computer segment. I'm fairly sure the RAM limitation at least will be dropped before these things hit the market.
Perhaps Linux PCs should also come with preinstalled advertising to help reduce the price?
But what would you advertise?
If you look at the marketing fluff preloaded onto Windows boxes, it's mostly stuff somebody'll need to make their computer useful. Time-limited versions of anti-virus and internet security software, barely functional trial versions of CD/DVD writers, image/media viewers and other basic utilities, half-assed games, time-limited versions of Office, etc, etc.
Crapware on Windows is a great value proposition for advertisers because out of the box, a Windows computer isn't very useful. To turn it into a productive tool, you need to spend several hundred more dollars, and that's money Microsoft's partners (and Microsoft themselves) would be only too happy to take off your hands.
By comparison, an average Linux install is VERY useful as soon as it boots. You generally have a good selection of tools already at hand, and thousands more a couple of clicks away.
What sort of crapware could you put on Linux? A time-limited version of Open Office? A version of Clam AV with automatic updates turned off? A three-level version of Bubble Bobble?
The return rate on Dell's computers that have Linux preinstalled (not business computers, but consumer) is more than double that of windows models.
It's almost 10x higher on the Minis.
Microsoft is pushing this FUD about Linux on netbooks because their're shit-scared of the next wave of ARM-powered minis which won't run their software at all.
This is what Dell REALLY has to say about Linux on netbooks;
Dell attributes part of the Linux growth to competitive pricing on the Ubuntu SKUs. "When you look at the sweet spot for this category it is price sensitivity, and Linux enabled us to offer a lower price entry point," added Dell senior product manager John New.
According to Dell, the the return rate of Ubuntu running Mini 9s are comparable to the XP rate, which we are told is "very low." "Our focus has been making sure that before the order is taken is that the customer knows what he is getting," New added.
Windows 7 has to compete with Vista and XP and even 2000. That's tough competition.
It's only tough competition because Microsoft hasn't brought anything new to the table with their OSs in the past decade.
The trap Microsoft got themselves into was behaving if they were approaching the classic monopoly endgame. Capitalism requires constant improvement, otherwise customers will buy competitors' products, but once you own the market, there's no point continuing to improve your product. For software, improving your product is almost the ONLY significant cost, so when you want to maximise profit, you stop development.
Microsoft did that. They took their foot off the pedal and relaxed. Now that freeze on innovation is coming back to bite them.
Slashdot Mirror
1
2
Whoops.
http://www.foxnews.com/
Typical MS Marketing slight of hand.
Pretend an issue which has been long solved is still a problem. Ignore all advances in the past half a decade, misleading, deceptive and unethical.
They haven't just copied Google either.
The Bing Travel page is almost a pixel-perfect copy of the Kayak travel site.
It seems imitation is the strategy of the Bing team.
I wonder how long it will be before the FOSS community has to start writing patches for Mono to make it patent safe?
Maybe a Nokia N810 or N800 (with an external Bluetooth GPS).
I grabbed a Kogan GPS Watch for AU$129 and paired it with my Nokia N800, which works fine. You can use the default Wayfinder Navigator application for a fee, or try any of the free GPS/Nav packages available. Maemo Mapper is good if you don't want route planning, while Navit looks like a promising contender for an open-source car navigation system with routing engine.
The underlying OS is Maemo, a Debian port optimised for the N8xx/ARMs. Very easy to hack with, and nicely robust too.
We've used a similar technique in one of our workshops, but there's no need to brush and collect - you use an inert sponge and/or capillary tube to circulate the etchant. Likewise, you don't need to use acids which produce potentially corrosive fumes and aerosols. A solution of copper sulphate and sodium chloride will do the job nicely with less risk.
Nuke it from orbit.
It's the only way to be sure.
Hell yeah!
If California breaks away, the weight of Maine hanging so far east will drag the whole country into a barrel roll around the Houston/Williston axis. Before you know it, the USA will be face-down in the ocean with it's ass in the air.
Why do you think web browsers are free?
Bullshit.
That freedom and diversity is why Microsoft can't simply attack and destroy a single competing vendor the way they have so many others.
Apple states its profit margins as around 25%, though that's pretty meaningless in the context, since it includes hardware and iPhone/iPod businesses.
As far as the other major OS vendors go, Sun offers Solaris for free, Redhat, Novell and Canonical, likewise with their Linux distros. Symbian OS available for as little as $2.50 per device, though admittedly it is less complex. IBM's operating systems (ie, z/OS) cost money, but it's hard to work out their margins, given the state of the mainframe market.
With the limited number of samples available (due in no small part to Microsoft's own predatory practices), you'd have to say the amortized cost of an operating system should be very low or zero, if support is paid for..
Savvy enough to recognise monopoly rents when I see them.
Microsoft's latest financial returns show that their operating systems division returned net earnings of US$2.1 billion on sales of US $3.1 billion worldwide. Their Office division returned net earnings of US $1.7 billion on sales of US$4.5 billion.
Nobody gets those sort of margins in a competitive market.
That's bullshit anyway.
Most netbooks exceed the capabilities of full business laptops from just four years ago:
Toshiba Tecra A2 P-M 1.5GHz
Australian RRP (inc GST) - $2,365.00
Intel Pentium M Processor 1.5GHz, 400MHz FSB.
40GB hard disk
Compared to:
Toshiba NB100
Australian RRP (inc GST) - $$599
Intel Atom N270 Processor 1.6GHz, 400MHz FSB.
120GB hard disk
The RRP is the deciding factor here. Microsoft just doesn't like the idea of cheap computers where they will struggle to compete with their expensive OS.
The trouble is, Microsoft is just starting to figure it out, others are way ahead of them.
There's about to be a watershed in the OS field, and a company which is collecting 85%+ profits won't be able to compete. With Qualcomm, Freescale, Longsoon, et al prepping supercheap machines, there simply won't be the margins for an expensive MS OS. Microsoft will have to reduce its prices and profitability just to stay in the netbook/smartbook market.
They've even managed to scare their long-time collaborator, Intel, into developing Moblin. If Intel didn't do something to keep a toehold in the low-power/cost end of the market, they could see themselves swamped with ARM, MIPS, Snapdragon etc Linux netboox/smartbooks that are cheaper, get better battery life and still run most of the Linux application stack.
Maybe.
But the rest of the likely limitations are fairly ridiculous too.
The most interesting result will be if manufacturers take the opportunity to release higher specced netbooks with Linux than Microsoft will allow for Windows. I find it hard to believe Microsoft would shoot themselves in the foot like that, given netbooks are the currently the fastest growing computer segment. I'm fairly sure the RAM limitation at least will be dropped before these things hit the market.
The world's a bit bigger than just the USA. Plenty of us have phones that can do VOIP already.
Linux might be a bit heavy, but Arduino would probably be a perfect fit.
Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software.
Because there are sound commercial reasons to do so.
How could they possibly claim that?
They already have the BSD licensed odf-converter plugin that they themselves helped finance!
Couldn't you just turn a hose on them?
Duh.
They're the same OS. 7 is just a minor update to Vista, of course it'll work.
But what would you advertise?
If you look at the marketing fluff preloaded onto Windows boxes, it's mostly stuff somebody'll need to make their computer useful. Time-limited versions of anti-virus and internet security software, barely functional trial versions of CD/DVD writers, image/media viewers and other basic utilities, half-assed games, time-limited versions of Office, etc, etc.
Crapware on Windows is a great value proposition for advertisers because out of the box, a Windows computer isn't very useful. To turn it into a productive tool, you need to spend several hundred more dollars, and that's money Microsoft's partners (and Microsoft themselves) would be only too happy to take off your hands.
By comparison, an average Linux install is VERY useful as soon as it boots. You generally have a good selection of tools already at hand, and thousands more a couple of clicks away.
What sort of crapware could you put on Linux? A time-limited version of Open Office? A version of Clam AV with automatic updates turned off? A three-level version of Bubble Bobble?
Why would you bother?
It's almost 10x higher on the Minis.
Microsoft is pushing this FUD about Linux on netbooks because their're shit-scared of the next wave of ARM-powered minis which won't run their software at all.
This is what Dell REALLY has to say about Linux on netbooks;
Dell attributes part of the Linux growth to competitive pricing on the Ubuntu SKUs. "When you look at the sweet spot for this category it is price sensitivity, and Linux enabled us to offer a lower price entry point," added Dell senior product manager John New.
According to Dell, the the return rate of Ubuntu running Mini 9s are comparable to the XP rate, which we are told is "very low." "Our focus has been making sure that before the order is taken is that the customer knows what he is getting," New added.
http://blog.laptopmag.com/one-third-of-dell-inspiron-mini-9s-sold-run-linux
It's only tough competition because Microsoft hasn't brought anything new to the table with their OSs in the past decade.
The trap Microsoft got themselves into was behaving if they were approaching the classic monopoly endgame. Capitalism requires constant improvement, otherwise customers will buy competitors' products, but once you own the market, there's no point continuing to improve your product. For software, improving your product is almost the ONLY significant cost, so when you want to maximise profit, you stop development.
Microsoft did that. They took their foot off the pedal and relaxed. Now that freeze on innovation is coming back to bite them.