From what I hear, the XBox would provide a platform that has more asethetic value that a large beige box sitting in your entertainment center. The XBox would make a much more pleasing cabinet to go with the VCR, component stereo, etc.
Paul Saffo, a director at the Institute for the Future in Menlo Park, California, describes a ride on a Segway as a "gas" but adds that the machine "costs three times what a consumer device should cost, and it's about 40 pounds too heavy."
Agreed--I'd love to buy one, but not for much above $1000.
What if they were available some other way besides Amazon (the only place I've seen them available)? Start small (too late for that) and open a few Segway dealerships in places likely to draw business. Perhaps have a Rent-a-Segway in spring break places like Daytona Beach or Lake Havasu, where college kids with money to burn in a week would go Segway-cruising up and down the strip.
OK, I will admit that the gripe about meal preference was a bit of a knee-jerk reaction, but my point stands on what the current administration is making this "war on terrorism" look like. Such reactions are not entirely without merit--I wouldn't put it past Ashcroft and Co. to want meal preferences with the passenger list.
I stand firm on the credit card issue. The government simply has no business asking for my CC number; they don't need it, and I won't disclose it. What if I didn't have one?
and that is IT. The government doesn't need my credit card nuber, and my meal preference is none of their damned business!
Besides, one doesn't have to request "no pork" to eat "no pork." I can just as easily get the meal with pork and not eat it, just the salad or crackers or whatever else I bring on board.
And yes, I agree that we are shooting ourselves in teh foot with all these knee-jerk reactions. At first I always said that this wasn't about being against Muslims/Islam, but our beloved executive branch is making that argument harder and harder every day.
I had to really think about switching from TurboTax to TaxCut this year, having used TurboTax for close to 10 years. This all makes my decision to use TaxCut that much better.
I read somewhere that while there has been some backlash against Intuit for their inclusion of product activation, the overall effect says it all: revenues are up over last year.
Cry and moan and wail about how bad this is, but the bottom line makes another statement. Remember, the class of users who will read, object, and switch because of DRM is a rather small minority of users. John and Joan Q. Public will never realize that they are affected by DRM/closed source software, because they view the software simply as a product. They don't get the design drawings for their car or house (unless they build it new) and certainly have no idea what source code IS, much less want to have access to it.
Point being: my streak of TurboTax-aided returns is over. TaxCut was just as easy to use as TurboTax was, plus with all the different rebates that came with it, I got about $100 worth of software and e-filing services for $40.
As far as user trust goes, I agree that the trust works both ways and Intuit has broken that trust. I am allowing Intuit to process and pass on my financial data--data that identity thieves would LOVE to get their paws on--yet they don't trust me with their software?
Agreed...in my home voting precinct the old optical ballot scanners are used. Use a computerized kiosk, but print the completed ballot for record-keeping/auditing purposes with no personal information on the ballot...perhaps printed with magnetic ink in a machine-readable form for quick, error-free scanning and comparison to the machine tally. One could even print a receipt for the voter should they so desire one.
With all the millions of checks processed every day in a similar fashion, why can't magnetically-enhanced ballots be tabulated the same way?
[Keep in mind] that the present occupants of those political offices are the product of the present system. Don't expect wild enthusiasm for anything that has the potential to
cause a personnel change.
Keep in mind that there are more potential candidates than incumbents.
If the ISPs are smart, they won't discourage things like the routers, WAPs, etc. Those are SELLING POINTS for broadband, and the ISPs should welcome them.
Think about it: who in their right mind is going to pay for multiple cable modems for multiple PCs, when a single broadband connection would serve the whole house just nicely? Mom and Dad aren't going to pop for extra cable modems so that Johnny and Sally can each have broadband in their rooms and broadband on the computer in the den.
Multiple PC households are starting to become as common as multiple TV households. Heck, my brother's not a much of a computer-type and his family has THREE of them. A single broadband connection has plenty of bandwidth to serve them all at once.
No, it was burn an image (text or otherwise) in the unused area on the data side of the disc. I seriously doubt that Yamaha could/would put in a second laser powerful enough to burn through the paint/ink on the top of the CD.
I thought seriously about that once...all I would need is a single spam filter. If There wasn't a PGP tagline in the message, it would get permanently deleted from my inbox. Since spammers don't use PGP, BAM! Instant spam-free zone.
Unfortunately, those I communicate with don't even know what encryption is, much less use it. Thus, I would also lose mail from friends and family.
Hmmm...perhaps a PGP Awareness Campaign is in order?
...by the local sheriff with a search warrant. Otherwise, the rep will be introduced rather quickly to a slamming door in the face.
The BSA as a whole is a scam, and I agree that it should be brought up on racketeering charges. Al Capone was a gangster, but at least he ran soup kitchen's for poor families. We'll forget for now that it was off ill-gotten gains.:)
I agree that floppies are quite limited, but when you create a relatively small word processing document and want to print it on another machine, a floppy is the equivalent of a simple scratch pad.
I can put a file or two (zipped if necessary) on a floppy and drop that floppy right in a pocket or my bookbag without too much worry. Would you put one or two small files on a CD then drop it in your pocket? Yes, I'm aware of the cheapness of CD jewel cases...but try putting a CD in a calendar book or shirt pocket.
My new laptop doesn't have an internal floppy drive, which doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would. Plus, HP had a coupon for a free USB floppy drive (after rebate) so I can use floppies when I need to, without carrying the drive around for the 99%+ of the time I don't need it.
VNC? The VNC client fits on a floppy. How cool is that?
It may be old technology, but it still does the job.
"They are not threatening you, taking your money and/or valuables..."
I disagree. My data, my IDENTITY are all rather important to me, and I prefer to keep them, TYVM.
Slashdot Mirror
...How about closed mind?
From what I hear, the XBox would provide a platform that has more asethetic value that a large beige box sitting in your entertainment center. The XBox would make a much more pleasing cabinet to go with the VCR, component stereo, etc.
:)
The Cool Factor doesn't hurt either
Agreed--I'd love to buy one, but not for much above $1000.
What if they were available some other way besides Amazon (the only place I've seen them available)? Start small (too late for that) and open a few Segway dealerships in places likely to draw business. Perhaps have a Rent-a-Segway in spring break places like Daytona Beach or Lake Havasu, where college kids with money to burn in a week would go Segway-cruising up and down the strip.
My thoughts...
OK, I will admit that the gripe about meal preference was a bit of a knee-jerk reaction, but my point stands on what the current administration is making this "war on terrorism" look like. Such reactions are not entirely without merit--I wouldn't put it past Ashcroft and Co. to want meal preferences with the passenger list.
I stand firm on the credit card issue. The government simply has no business asking for my CC number; they don't need it, and I won't disclose it. What if I didn't have one?
OK, I can understand the following:
Name
Airport of departure
Airport of destination
and that is IT. The government doesn't need my credit card nuber, and my meal preference is none of their damned business!
Besides, one doesn't have to request "no pork" to eat "no pork." I can just as easily get the meal with pork and not eat it, just the salad or crackers or whatever else I bring on board.
And yes, I agree that we are shooting ourselves in teh foot with all these knee-jerk reactions. At first I always said that this wasn't about being against Muslims/Islam, but our beloved executive branch is making that argument harder and harder every day.
I had to really think about switching from TurboTax to TaxCut this year, having used TurboTax for close to 10 years. This all makes my decision to use TaxCut that much better.
I read somewhere that while there has been some backlash against Intuit for their inclusion of product activation, the overall effect says it all: revenues are up over last year.
Cry and moan and wail about how bad this is, but the bottom line makes another statement. Remember, the class of users who will read, object, and switch because of DRM is a rather small minority of users. John and Joan Q. Public will never realize that they are affected by DRM/closed source software, because they view the software simply as a product. They don't get the design drawings for their car or house (unless they build it new) and certainly have no idea what source code IS, much less want to have access to it.
Point being: my streak of TurboTax-aided returns is over. TaxCut was just as easy to use as TurboTax was, plus with all the different rebates that came with it, I got about $100 worth of software and e-filing services for $40.
As far as user trust goes, I agree that the trust works both ways and Intuit has broken that trust. I am allowing Intuit to process and pass on my financial data--data that identity thieves would LOVE to get their paws on--yet they don't trust me with their software?
SO long, Intuit, my money is going elsewhere.
Agreed...in my home voting precinct the old optical ballot scanners are used. Use a computerized kiosk, but print the completed ballot for record-keeping/auditing purposes with no personal information on the ballot...perhaps printed with magnetic ink in a machine-readable form for quick, error-free scanning and comparison to the machine tally. One could even print a receipt for the voter should they so desire one.
With all the millions of checks processed every day in a similar fashion, why can't magnetically-enhanced ballots be tabulated the same way?
Keep in mind that there are more potential candidates than incumbents.
If the ISPs are smart, they won't discourage things like the routers, WAPs, etc. Those are SELLING POINTS for broadband, and the ISPs should welcome them.
Think about it: who in their right mind is going to pay for multiple cable modems for multiple PCs, when a single broadband connection would serve the whole house just nicely? Mom and Dad aren't going to pop for extra cable modems so that Johnny and Sally can each have broadband in their rooms and broadband on the computer in the den.
Multiple PC households are starting to become as common as multiple TV households. Heck, my brother's not a much of a computer-type and his family has THREE of them. A single broadband connection has plenty of bandwidth to serve them all at once.
No, it was burn an image (text or otherwise) in the unused area on the data side of the disc. I seriously doubt that Yamaha could/would put in a second laser powerful enough to burn through the paint/ink on the top of the CD.
HA! I wish.
I thought seriously about that once...all I would need is a single spam filter. If There wasn't a PGP tagline in the message, it would get permanently deleted from my inbox. Since spammers don't use PGP, BAM! Instant spam-free zone.
Unfortunately, those I communicate with don't even know what encryption is, much less use it. Thus, I would also lose mail from friends and family.
Hmmm...perhaps a PGP Awareness Campaign is in order?
Record the concert on the fly, and start making CDs with some sort of mass burner. Sounds like a good idea to me.
...by the local sheriff with a search warrant. Otherwise, the rep will be introduced rather quickly to a slamming door in the face.
:)
The BSA as a whole is a scam, and I agree that it should be brought up on racketeering charges. Al Capone was a gangster, but at least he ran soup kitchen's for poor families. We'll forget for now that it was off ill-gotten gains.
I can put a file or two (zipped if necessary) on a floppy and drop that floppy right in a pocket or my bookbag without too much worry. Would you put one or two small files on a CD then drop it in your pocket? Yes, I'm aware of the cheapness of CD jewel cases...but try putting a CD in a calendar book or shirt pocket.
My new laptop doesn't have an internal floppy drive, which doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would. Plus, HP had a coupon for a free USB floppy drive (after rebate) so I can use floppies when I need to, without carrying the drive around for the 99%+ of the time I don't need it.
VNC? The VNC client fits on a floppy. How cool is that?
It may be old technology, but it still does the job.
"They are not threatening you, taking your money and/or valuables..." I disagree. My data, my IDENTITY are all rather important to me, and I prefer to keep them, TYVM.