"Hangzhou, PRC (NYSE; MOT) -- 31 October, 2003: The newest mobile phone from Motorola to launch in the People's Republic of China is raising the stakes for mobiles."
"The A760 is available in China's major mobile phone stores in the month of October and will be launched in other Asian markets shortly afterwards. (ends)"
Apparently they expect to sell it to someone there, but probably not everyone. Just like not everyone in the US uses the merged PDA-phone-mp3 players here either.
As for future support of Linux on mobiles, it probably depends on how much, if any, money they make off of the A760. All about the Benjamins, baby.
I doubt we'll be seeing this in a Verizon store anytime soon (unfortunately), as Verizon is predominantly CDMA, and this phone (like most other really cool phones out there) is GSM. I'm still hoping for something really cool and useful phone-wise to show up at Verizon myself, as that might be the incentive I need to change from their pre-pay service to a real phone plan.
I think they think that Linux is more popular in Asia because of the economics behind it (far cheaper to get Linux than Microsoft apps).
I believe you are correct. MS may have the desktop (and mindshare) monopoly in the US and Europe, but from what I know their acceptance in Asia is less than stellar. (different mentality, different market conditions, means a better market for alternatives to the big evil US corporate engine that is Microsoft)
Possibly because Motorola just might know slightly more about it's intended customers than you have realized (or alluded to) in the above thread.
The A760 is targeted at the emerging China market, where there are a lot of people who don't have cell phones yet, and a lot of people (and a government) who don't really like to play Microsofts games. Hence the release of a Linux-based smartphone. As everyone and their dog knows, Linux is for the people, by the people, not secretive and closed and run by some huge corporation out for their own profits.
The MPx200 is intended mainly for Europe and US markets (it is GSM, so it's impact in the US is limited), and everyone who's used a computer in the US and Europe know the name Microsoft. And though they may or may not always appreciate MS's tactics, they know that MS = computer, and smartphone = computerphone, so an MS-based smartphone can't be that bad. Especially since Motorola took the time to design a smartphone that actually LOOKS LIKE A MOBILE PHONE, not just some PDA with an antenna (*cough*Treo*cough*). Granted, MS-based smartphones may not have been popular before, but from what I saw of them, they're ugly. And who wants an ugly fashion accessory that screams "Look at me! I'm the biggest geek in the building!" (yes, phones are fashion to the non-techie consumers out there).
As for comparing the looks of the A760 and the MPx200, the A760 looks much more similar to the traditional PDA format, because it can get away with it. People in the intended market who would be willing and able to buy an integrated gadget like that won't mind the money Motorola saved by not forcing the mobile to conform to the more stylish MPx200 format. Plus they get the larger screen.
I have my doubts we'll be seeing a lot of the likes of the A760 in the US, simply because we never seem to get any of the cool phones (and no, the N-Gage doesn't count. It's a hideous conglomeration of things that shouldn't be mixed, in my view). I'm still holding out for something nice for CDMA that is also very easy to use as a phone (I'm not gonna lie, I want a fancy combo-phone, but 90+% of the time I want it to act like a phone. I want to be able to dial with one hand and then talk while I'm driving. I don't want to have to look at a touchscreen or talk to it like a Tricorder--this isn't StarTrek.)
Sweet! That's much better than I get on my two year-old Dell.
I hear ya on that. I (and a couple of my coworkers) currently average about 3-5 seconds on battery power with my Dell. This is with a battery that has been fully charged (on someone else's laptop that doesn't have this problem), and it is completely drained when I'm done with it.
Fortunately my laptop's lease is expiring and I ought to be getting a replacement up and running this week. Hopefully it doesn't have the same issue (if I can get by that non-bootable harddrive problem it currenly has...)
Wow, you must be proud of yourself, being able to hide as a Coward and insult other people because their musical tastes differ from yours. I wish I was brave enough to call people a "shill" because they happen to like some of the music produced by a band that has been labeled as "sell-outs" by some random people on the internet who probably haven't listened to more than 3 songs by the group and only go by what they read on slashdot user comments about why piracy and theft of some things but not others is c00l.
Go ahead, mod me down for insulting a troll. I dare you. In the end, I still live in America, and enjoy my freedom of speech. Something YOU cannot take away, you napster-shills.
And, of course, the music in that album kicks ass...
It sucks ass.
Now we know for sure you're a shill.
Whether you think it kicks or sucks is all a matter of personal opinion. I personally have every major album Metallica has put out, and yes, St. Anger is currently at the bottom of my list of them as far as my preference for individual songs go (I love S&M -- the full orchestra brings out so much more to the songs than a mere 4-man band can do). But it is near the top for originality among the album as a whole. Lowered price point, studio session DVD with video for EVERY song on the album, access code to online clips (many of live performances of older works), a constant, obvious theme that all songs on the album work toward. It was an obvious treat for the true fans to see some innovation in the presentation of the work as a whole, some variety and extra goodies.
It's no S&M, but then my tastes have drifted closer to classical than thrash-metal over the years. And Metallica's tastes have drifted somewhat over the years. Lets face it, if they kept making everything out of there garage and it all sounded like the Kill 'em All album, they wouldn't have had near as many people influenced by their work, nearly as many people willing to pay to see what different twists they throw out next.
And to toss in my 2 cents on Napster, I figured out rather quickly after not being able to share anything OTHER than music files, it wouldn't have much of a defence as a legitimate file-sharing system once the copyright holders caught a whiff. This should have been an obvious red flag to anyone who's music collection came largely from RIAA CD's. But that's just my opinion.
It's an overused sales tactic, all too often used completely out of context, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who gets offended by such things. (reminds me of the Family Guy episode: "If you drink [insert proper beer name], hot women will have sex in your yard.")
And if you are a guy and you didn't like the performance whats wrong with you?
a. I don't idolize that type of music.
b. I don't idolize those performers of said music.
c. I am tired of the overuse of "shock and awe" advertising (and yes, I count ANYTHING that airs on MTV as advertising, as it truly is)
d. I like to think for myself.
To quote once again from Family Guy: "Typical male fantasy. Women drinking beer."
"Typical MTV fantasy. Men worship whores."
Fair use says you can make a backup copy of the song for your own use, so you should do that, but nowhere at all does the licence state that the manufacturer is required to provide you with another copy of the material in case if you lost it or it was somehow destroyed while in your possession.
If the original copy is destroyed or lost through no fault of your own, does this mean that the backup copies are now illegal? If so, then what is the point of being able to make backup copies in the first place? (aside from changing the media format cd->mp3, etc.)
The body (or what's left of it) would still be human, thus providing all the removed vitals are correctly compensated for, should allow for the development of a normal human brain and argueably thus a human mind.
If the removed vitals of the developing human are replaced with equivalent elements from a differing species, the transplanted organs would not likely be able to provide the proper environment (physically/chemically) for the full development of the brain/mind. Thereby creating a hybrid which has the odds of nature stacked against it surviving through the entire development process. If for some reason such a creature were able to survive to the point of being a viable individual, it would likey demonstrate obvious physical and/or mental differences from a normal human, if the brains themselves are dissected and investigated.
Keep in mind that this is all speculation, as IANAB (I am not a Biologist)
>>....and viola a relatively small XP install > >Why are violas so popular on usenet/blogs/slashdot? >Shouldn't we see more references to violins and cellos?
I'm partial to the viola myself, having chosen that as my first stringed instrument to learn (been playing about 6 months on it). They aren't quite as whiny-sounding as violins and are much easier to carry around than cellos. The only drawback is trying to find accessories, since everyone else seems to play violin or cello. I managed to get extremely lucky and found an electric on ebay. The pride and joy of my musical collection;).
I'm sorry, but any country/government/group that sponsors factories for the manufacture of suicide vests in ALL sizes from infant to pregnant woman does not have my sympathy.
I may be in the minority here, but even though I may not agree to all the excuses or methods involved, I do not terribly mind it when the world is rid of a bit more of the influences that would intentionally harm their fellow man for merely personal reasons.
". I was just saying that taking cameras apart and pulling chips from them is rather difficult and not anyone can do it."
I wouldn't bet on that. Disposable film cameras have to be taken apart to pull the roll of film from them, which I doubt too many photolab employees have trouble with (at least those who've managed to hold their job for more than a week). I can't imagine pulling a dedicated flash chip would be any more difficult, and in fact might be easier.
I've had a 4 megapixel Kodak and a 4x6 photo printer for a bit over a year. I find that for the casual photographer (the one who would be in the market for a disposable camera in the first place) that the 2 megapix shots I take are acceptable quality at the 4x6 size, comparable to the various point-and-click film-based disposables I've gone through over the years. If the Ritz cameras do not do heavy automatic compression (my camera does EVERYTHING in.jpg format, so I cannot get an uncompressed image), the image quality should be decent enough. Throwing in the free film (digital) processing and photo-CD (to easily email those vacation photos to grandma) should make this comparable price-wise to a standard film disposable (for which processing costs extra after the initial purchase of the camera), which I think would be the ideal market for a product like this. The easier (and faster) processing and less waste from a digital disposable over a film disposable would likely be seen as a clear advantage for both the seller and the end user when you keep the expectations the same between the formats. If you're looking for digital to enhance your life in ways never before imagined, you're still going to have to shell out the big bucks for a high end camera, the same way a film camera buff would do so for a top of the line 35mm camera.
Why don't you just quit your job and go work at Wal-Mart so that you can PROVE to us that "it will do."
If it wasn't enough to survive on, then WalMart as a business would not be able to get away with such payment practices. I grew up in a family with both of my parents working at a supermarket (not Wallyworld, but a regional competitor with similar labor practices - union shop, tight pay scales, etc.) and even worked there myself on occasion during college. For those who are willing to do the work and persevere and dedicate the time and energy, working full time at places like WalMart can be enough.
Granted it's not the most luxurious of lifestyles (we didn't have cable TV, cell phones, or overpriced Nike crap), but my parents were always able to make ends meet while raising three children and even assisting us with college. It meant sacrifices such as working third shift for a number of years, but everything worked out and we never went hungry.
I don't need a book to tell me that it can be done.
'"in high school, my chem teacher had us notch a modern penny to expose the zinc and dropped them in a beaker of acid that dissolved the zinc but not the copper (I forget what acid exactly). You could see little bubbles of gas forming as the acid ionized the zinc."'
We did the same experiment in high school, I think it may have been Hydrochloric acid. We seemed to use good ol' HCl for just about everything in that lab.
'One word: Electroplating. Chemistry seems dumbed down more and more these days and you don't get to do the cool stuff anymore, but we had a very cool teacher who had us doing electroplating experiments. If I remember correctly, we had set up an aluminium plate as the anode and a loonie (canadian gold coloured $1 coin) as the cathode and then we coated the loonie with aluminium. It was cool to say the least. You get an authentic coin in a strange colour and you can make your friends wonder where it came from.'
We didn't get to do any electroplating, but we did another experiment with the pennies in which we coated them with a silvery compound (I think silver nitrate, though it was a decade ago so the process eludes me now). We did this to two pennies, then cooked one of them over a bunsen burner to turn it a nice gold color. Gave us a few nice souvenirs, and we almost learned something. How I miss high school chemistry.
Please inform us of how you intend to overthrow the U.S. government, which is under the protection of the most highly trained and well equipped army in the history of humanity.
Do it legally -- vote them out of office if you don't agree with them. Granted, educating enough of the public and motivating them to go to the polls on the proper day would require a LOT of effort, but it has to be easier than trying to physically fight such an army.
I have one of the REB1200 units from RCA, and when I first saw these, I wondered the same thing, except there wasn't really anything comparable on the market. However at about $700 for what looked to be an overgrown, underfunctioned Palm, it was out of my ideal price range. Then about a year and a half (or so) ago when the prices dropped, it looked much more attractive. So for $300 I had the choice of a tiny 2" screen Palm that I might not use much of and have trouble reading, or an 8" color screen reader, where I would miss having games to play during meetings but could read nearly a full page at a time quite comfortably. Though I admit, I did not use my eBook as much the first half year or so that I had it. Thinking the idea of lackluster proprietary content was hampering its capabilities, I began searching and found other people with similar beliefs who had found a way around some of the content-locking mechanisms (I think yahoo has groups for anything), and now even more so enjoy my eBook with the ability to read anything I want (that I can fit into either MS Word or HTML to convert to the proprietary format used). It will be sad to see Gemstar shutting off support for these devices without ever releasing their full potential, but I probably will not miss the service too much as 80-90% of what I read now does not come from Gemstar's stock of literature.
As for comparing such a thing to a standard handheld, I prefer my eBook. I have an older Jornada, which occasionally sees use for playing a few mp3s or the odd solitare game, but that's about it. In my opinion, it would take a slimmed down tabletPC or very much beefed up handheld to rival my ebook. The 10-15 hours battery life is nice, too. Much more than any laptop I've seen, and this is one of the more power-hungry models from RCA. I always thought it would make an excellent base to design a low-power tablet PC/organizer if some company would expand on the idea and beef up the power just a bit, just that the true potential was never realized for these.
Please excuse the rambling, too many meetings in a day makes it difficult to concentrate.
Unless there is a clause in the school's ToS in which they claim any computer that connects to, access files on or is accessed from the school's network or any computer on the school's network is now property of the school. The University I graduated from had this. By my brief estimation, they were responsible for half of the pr0n on the internet. (predominantly male population on the campus network sitting around in their dorm rooms with no better use for their time than to surf the web -- thereby assimilating each and every server which hosted the sites they visited into the school's network)
I'd never heard of the aforementioned clause being enforced, but it did create some interesting speculations on the part of the few of us who bothered to read the ToS.
What's the fun in mounting network drives when you can have TWO floppies installed?
Heck, I have a 5.25" floppy drive for the SOLE PURPOSE of using drive B: under windows.
Slashdot Mirror
According to this Motorola press release, it's targeted at China.
"Hangzhou, PRC (NYSE; MOT) -- 31 October, 2003: The newest mobile phone from Motorola to launch in the People's Republic of China is raising the stakes for mobiles."
"The A760 is available in China's major mobile phone stores in the month of October and will be launched in other Asian markets shortly afterwards. (ends)"
Apparently they expect to sell it to someone there, but probably not everyone. Just like not everyone in the US uses the merged PDA-phone-mp3 players here either.
As for future support of Linux on mobiles, it probably depends on how much, if any, money they make off of the A760. All about the Benjamins, baby.
I doubt we'll be seeing this in a Verizon store anytime soon (unfortunately), as Verizon is predominantly CDMA, and this phone (like most other really cool phones out there) is GSM.
I'm still hoping for something really cool and useful phone-wise to show up at Verizon myself, as that might be the incentive I need to change from their pre-pay service to a real phone plan.
I think they think that Linux is more popular in Asia because of the economics behind it (far cheaper to get Linux than Microsoft apps).
I believe you are correct. MS may have the desktop (and mindshare) monopoly in the US and Europe, but from what I know their acceptance in Asia is less than stellar. (different mentality, different market conditions, means a better market for alternatives to the big evil US corporate engine that is Microsoft)
Soooo.. You tell me. Why was the A760 released?
Possibly because Motorola just might know slightly more about it's intended customers than you have realized (or alluded to) in the above thread.
The A760 is targeted at the emerging China market, where there are a lot of people who don't have cell phones yet, and a lot of people (and a government) who don't really like to play Microsofts games. Hence the release of a Linux-based smartphone. As everyone and their dog knows, Linux is for the people, by the people, not secretive and closed and run by some huge corporation out for their own profits.
The MPx200 is intended mainly for Europe and US markets (it is GSM, so it's impact in the US is limited), and everyone who's used a computer in the US and Europe know the name Microsoft. And though they may or may not always appreciate MS's tactics, they know that MS = computer, and smartphone = computerphone, so an MS-based smartphone can't be that bad. Especially since Motorola took the time to design a smartphone that actually LOOKS LIKE A MOBILE PHONE, not just some PDA with an antenna (*cough*Treo*cough*). Granted, MS-based smartphones may not have been popular before, but from what I saw of them, they're ugly. And who wants an ugly fashion accessory that screams "Look at me! I'm the biggest geek in the building!" (yes, phones are fashion to the non-techie consumers out there).
As for comparing the looks of the A760 and the MPx200, the A760 looks much more similar to the traditional PDA format, because it can get away with it. People in the intended market who would be willing and able to buy an integrated gadget like that won't mind the money Motorola saved by not forcing the mobile to conform to the more stylish MPx200 format. Plus they get the larger screen.
I have my doubts we'll be seeing a lot of the likes of the A760 in the US, simply because we never seem to get any of the cool phones (and no, the N-Gage doesn't count. It's a hideous conglomeration of things that shouldn't be mixed, in my view). I'm still holding out for something nice for CDMA that is also very easy to use as a phone (I'm not gonna lie, I want a fancy combo-phone, but 90+% of the time I want it to act like a phone. I want to be able to dial with one hand and then talk while I'm driving. I don't want to have to look at a touchscreen or talk to it like a Tricorder--this isn't StarTrek.)
Sweet! That's much better than I get on my two year-old Dell.
I hear ya on that. I (and a couple of my coworkers) currently average about 3-5 seconds on battery power with my Dell. This is with a battery that has been fully charged (on someone else's laptop that doesn't have this problem), and it is completely drained when I'm done with it.
Fortunately my laptop's lease is expiring and I ought to be getting a replacement up and running this week. Hopefully it doesn't have the same issue (if I can get by that non-bootable harddrive problem it currenly has...)
Wow, you must be proud of yourself, being able to hide as a Coward and insult other people because their musical tastes differ from yours.
I wish I was brave enough to call people a "shill" because they happen to like some of the music produced by a band that has been labeled as "sell-outs" by some random people on the internet who probably haven't listened to more than 3 songs by the group and only go by what they read on slashdot user comments about why piracy and theft of some things but not others is c00l.
Go ahead, mod me down for insulting a troll. I dare you.
In the end, I still live in America, and enjoy my freedom of speech. Something YOU cannot take away, you napster-shills.
And, of course, the music in that album kicks ass ...
It sucks ass.
Now we know for sure you're a shill.
Whether you think it kicks or sucks is all a matter of personal opinion. I personally have every major album Metallica has put out, and yes, St. Anger is currently at the bottom of my list of them as far as my preference for individual songs go (I love S&M -- the full orchestra brings out so much more to the songs than a mere 4-man band can do). But it is near the top for originality among the album as a whole. Lowered price point, studio session DVD with video for EVERY song on the album, access code to online clips (many of live performances of older works), a constant, obvious theme that all songs on the album work toward. It was an obvious treat for the true fans to see some innovation in the presentation of the work as a whole, some variety and extra goodies.
It's no S&M, but then my tastes have drifted closer to classical than thrash-metal over the years. And Metallica's tastes have drifted somewhat over the years. Lets face it, if they kept making everything out of there garage and it all sounded like the Kill 'em All album, they wouldn't have had near as many people influenced by their work, nearly as many people willing to pay to see what different twists they throw out next.
And to toss in my 2 cents on Napster, I figured out rather quickly after not being able to share anything OTHER than music files, it wouldn't have much of a defence as a legitimate file-sharing system once the copyright holders caught a whiff. This should have been an obvious red flag to anyone who's music collection came largely from RIAA CD's.
But that's just my opinion.
Sex sells. Whats wrong with that?
It's an overused sales tactic, all too often used completely out of context, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who gets offended by such things. (reminds me of the Family Guy episode: "If you drink [insert proper beer name], hot women will have sex in your yard.")
And if you are a guy and you didn't like the performance whats wrong with you?
a. I don't idolize that type of music.
b. I don't idolize those performers of said music.
c. I am tired of the overuse of "shock and awe" advertising (and yes, I count ANYTHING that airs on MTV as advertising, as it truly is)
d. I like to think for myself.
To quote once again from Family Guy: "Typical male fantasy. Women drinking beer."
"Typical MTV fantasy. Men worship whores."
Fair use says you can make a backup copy of the song for your own use, so you should do that, but nowhere at all does the licence state that the manufacturer is required to provide you with another copy of the material in case if you lost it or it was somehow destroyed while in your possession.
If the original copy is destroyed or lost through no fault of your own, does this mean that the backup copies are now illegal? If so, then what is the point of being able to make backup copies in the first place? (aside from changing the media format cd->mp3, etc.)
The body (or what's left of it) would still be human, thus providing all the removed vitals are correctly compensated for, should allow for the development of a normal human brain and argueably thus a human mind.
If the removed vitals of the developing human are replaced with equivalent elements from a differing species, the transplanted organs would not likely be able to provide the proper environment (physically/chemically) for the full development of the brain/mind. Thereby creating a hybrid which has the odds of nature stacked against it surviving through the entire development process.
If for some reason such a creature were able to survive to the point of being a viable individual, it would likey demonstrate obvious physical and/or mental differences from a normal human, if the brains themselves are dissected and investigated.
Keep in mind that this is all speculation, as IANAB (I am not a Biologist)
>> ....and viola a relatively small XP install
;).
>
>Why are violas so popular on usenet/blogs/slashdot?
>Shouldn't we see more references to violins and cellos?
I'm partial to the viola myself, having chosen that as my first stringed instrument to learn (been playing about 6 months on it).
They aren't quite as whiny-sounding as violins and are much easier to carry around than cellos.
The only drawback is trying to find accessories, since everyone else seems to play violin or cello. I managed to get extremely lucky and found an electric on ebay. The pride and joy of my musical collection
I'm sorry, but any country/government/group that sponsors factories for the manufacture of suicide vests in ALL sizes from infant to pregnant woman does not have my sympathy.
I may be in the minority here, but even though I may not agree to all the excuses or methods involved, I do not terribly mind it when the world is rid of a bit more of the influences that would intentionally harm their fellow man for merely personal reasons.
". I was just saying that taking cameras apart and pulling chips from them is rather difficult and not anyone can do it."
I wouldn't bet on that. Disposable film cameras have to be taken apart to pull the roll of film from them, which I doubt too many photolab employees have trouble with (at least those who've managed to hold their job for more than a week). I can't imagine pulling a dedicated flash chip would be any more difficult, and in fact might be easier.
I've had a 4 megapixel Kodak and a 4x6 photo printer for a bit over a year. I find that for the casual photographer (the one who would be in the market for a disposable camera in the first place) that the 2 megapix shots I take are acceptable quality at the 4x6 size, comparable to the various point-and-click film-based disposables I've gone through over the years. .jpg format, so I cannot get an uncompressed image), the image quality should be decent enough.
If the Ritz cameras do not do heavy automatic compression (my camera does EVERYTHING in
Throwing in the free film (digital) processing and photo-CD (to easily email those vacation photos to grandma) should make this comparable price-wise to a standard film disposable (for which processing costs extra after the initial purchase of the camera), which I think would be the ideal market for a product like this. The easier (and faster) processing and less waste from a digital disposable over a film disposable would likely be seen as a clear advantage for both the seller and the end user when you keep the expectations the same between the formats.
If you're looking for digital to enhance your life in ways never before imagined, you're still going to have to shell out the big bucks for a high end camera, the same way a film camera buff would do so for a top of the line 35mm camera.
Why don't you just quit your job and go work at Wal-Mart so that you can PROVE to us that "it will do."
If it wasn't enough to survive on, then WalMart as a business would not be able to get away with such payment practices. I grew up in a family with both of my parents working at a supermarket (not Wallyworld, but a regional competitor with similar labor practices - union shop, tight pay scales, etc.) and even worked there myself on occasion during college. For those who are willing to do the work and persevere and dedicate the time and energy, working full time at places like WalMart can be enough. Granted it's not the most luxurious of lifestyles (we didn't have cable TV, cell phones, or overpriced Nike crap), but my parents were always able to make ends meet while raising three children and even assisting us with college. It meant sacrifices such as working third shift for a number of years, but everything worked out and we never went hungry.
I don't need a book to tell me that it can be done.
'"in high school, my chem teacher had us notch a modern penny to expose the zinc and dropped them in a beaker of acid that dissolved the zinc but not the copper (I forget what acid exactly). You could see little bubbles of gas forming as the acid ionized the zinc."'
We did the same experiment in high school, I think it may have been Hydrochloric acid. We seemed to use good ol' HCl for just about everything in that lab.
'One word: Electroplating. Chemistry seems dumbed down more and more these days and you don't get to do the cool stuff anymore, but we had a very cool teacher who had us doing electroplating experiments. If I remember correctly, we had set up an aluminium plate as the anode and a loonie (canadian gold coloured $1 coin) as the cathode and then we coated the loonie with aluminium. It was cool to say the least. You get an authentic coin in a strange colour and you can make your friends wonder where it came from.'
We didn't get to do any electroplating, but we did another experiment with the pennies in which we coated them with a silvery compound (I think silver nitrate, though it was a decade ago so the process eludes me now). We did this to two pennies, then cooked one of them over a bunsen burner to turn it a nice gold color. Gave us a few nice souvenirs, and we almost learned something. How I miss high school chemistry.
Please inform us of how you intend to overthrow the U.S. government, which is under the protection of the most highly trained and well equipped army in the history of humanity.
Do it legally -- vote them out of office if you don't agree with them. Granted, educating enough of the public and motivating them to go to the polls on the proper day would require a LOT of effort, but it has to be easier than trying to physically fight such an army.
"English side ruined. Must use French instructions. Le grille? what the hell is that?"
I have one of the REB1200 units from RCA, and when I first saw these, I wondered the same thing, except there wasn't really anything comparable on the market. However at about $700 for what looked to be an overgrown, underfunctioned Palm, it was out of my ideal price range. Then about a year and a half (or so) ago when the prices dropped, it looked much more attractive. So for $300 I had the choice of a tiny 2" screen Palm that I might not use much of and have trouble reading, or an 8" color screen reader, where I would miss having games to play during meetings but could read nearly a full page at a time quite comfortably.
Though I admit, I did not use my eBook as much the first half year or so that I had it. Thinking the idea of lackluster proprietary content was hampering its capabilities, I began searching and found other people with similar beliefs who had found a way around some of the content-locking mechanisms (I think yahoo has groups for anything), and now even more so enjoy my eBook with the ability to read anything I want (that I can fit into either MS Word or HTML to convert to the proprietary format used).
It will be sad to see Gemstar shutting off support for these devices without ever releasing their full potential, but I probably will not miss the service too much as 80-90% of what I read now does not come from Gemstar's stock of literature.
As for comparing such a thing to a standard handheld, I prefer my eBook. I have an older Jornada, which occasionally sees use for playing a few mp3s or the odd solitare game, but that's about it.
In my opinion, it would take a slimmed down tabletPC or very much beefed up handheld to rival my ebook.
The 10-15 hours battery life is nice, too. Much more than any laptop I've seen, and this is one of the more power-hungry models from RCA.
I always thought it would make an excellent base to design a low-power tablet PC/organizer if some company would expand on the idea and beef up the power just a bit, just that the true potential was never realized for these.
Please excuse the rambling, too many meetings in a day makes it difficult to concentrate.
sorry charlie, looks like someone beat ya to it.
Unless there is a clause in the school's ToS in which they claim any computer that connects to, access files on or is accessed from the school's network or any computer on the school's network is now property of the school. The University I graduated from had this. By my brief estimation, they were responsible for half of the pr0n on the internet. (predominantly male population on the campus network sitting around in their dorm rooms with no better use for their time than to surf the web -- thereby assimilating each and every server which hosted the sites they visited into the school's network)
I'd never heard of the aforementioned clause being enforced, but it did create some interesting speculations on the part of the few of us who bothered to read the ToS.
What's the fun in mounting network drives when you can have TWO floppies installed? Heck, I have a 5.25" floppy drive for the SOLE PURPOSE of using drive B: under windows.