Not only to you get great fireworks over water and music by a live orchestra, there is also the big army battery firing off howitzers during the Chorus of 1812 Overture.
I think the true test is that all the technologies you list from AT&T are cool, but nobody wanted them. The video phone was shown at the 1964 World's Fair, so the technology has been available for a while. Nobody is screaming for it in their home, or it would be there. (The linked article was for video cell phone. Again, the greater point is, will anyone really want it?)
Can we apply the same reasoning to this? Does JAVA platform independance not exist because there really is no great clamor for it? There are things that people don't want or can do without. All the things you list are quite possible and exist, but there isn't a market to support them.
Would you really want some guy 2,000 miles away doing your surgery?
PS: OK, so I'm a shameless karma whore. I was also amazed that I got modded up. Who knew you would RTFA?
File JAVA and its promise of platform independance away with all those AT&T commercials from the mid 90's that promised you would soon be able to check out and read entire books via the internet, make video phone calls, and perform remote heart surgery with their new technology.
I was recently at a day camp where my daughter was staying and they had a lot of geese there. The main play field was damn near unusable because the geese produce several times their body weight in crap every day.
There will likely be price breaks for people who do take bundled plans. We get a discount (of something like 10% off total) for having cable and a cable modem, and could get phone service through the same company. We are free to buy DSL or whatever else we want, just not cost effective to do so.
This is similar to all those 'frequent customer' cards at stores today. If you don't have the card, you can still buy a 2 liter bottle of soda, but it will cost you $1.78 instead of $0.99. In return, they get valuable marketing/demographic information.
Making you give up choice or information in return for a discount is not an incentive to buy, only a disincentive to buy from somebody else.
As someone who has lost his share of equipment to lightning hits over the years (telephones, one PC, even a CB radio) I love being able to unplug my wireless laptop and feel safe to keep surfing. God bless 802.11b.
They have yet to build a wall that is air tight, anyone who has ever worked in construction will tell you that there are probably 50 different places air flows into your walls. "
I'm guessing testing the prototype involved a pringles tube and a hammer.
The companies that go under may be the one's currently providing the 'last mile': services for millions of americans. You cannot abandon the current ability to provide reliable communication service at a reasonable price to many rural and even suburban areas. Many of these people cannot afford cell phones (if available) or obtain any other alternative to land-line. I'm sure it is not cost-effective to solely serve them, while allowing major custoemrs to go elsewhere.
This is where the government bailout would help, by allowing access to areas that would be under-served, and allow time for solutions to that problem.
Jeez, pretty hefty rant this early on a Tuesday. Must be fear of sniper-related traffic in DC.
Part of the problem with digital books wasn't just the price, but the format on-screen. Most people (i.e. the general public) won't sit and read from a computer screen for the length of time to read a book. Now, surfing for pron or killin' aliens is a different matter...
Slashdot Mirror
More bang for the buck (sorry, couldn't resist)
I suppose coming home with an injury, smelling like black powder isn't very family friendly.
Although air powered projectiles may not be as safe as you think
Can we apply the same reasoning to this? Does JAVA platform independance not exist because there really is no great clamor for it? There are things that people don't want or can do without. All the things you list are quite possible and exist, but there isn't a market to support them.
Would you really want some guy 2,000 miles away doing your surgery?
PS: OK, so I'm a shameless karma whore. I was also amazed that I got modded up. Who knew you would RTFA?
check out and read entire books via the internet
make video phone calls
perform remote heart surgery
Uh, done
Just as bad as the picture in your head...
If P2P software makers are in danger, can copiers and scanners be far behind?!?! No stupider than their arguments.
Next thing you know people will sue cigarette manufacturers when they die from lung cancer that has been warned about for years...
The survey does break it out by region. for instance, the average in the bay area was $150,00, however Memphis was around $43,000 IIRC.
I trust it is easier to live near Memphis for that money, than in the valley for almost 4 times as much.
or do you just hate the paper clip?
Actually saw two girls change their major from Computer Science after the first test in calculus. They switched to a major that had no math: Drama.
I'll bet mom and dad were proud.
P.S. If you don't want your $3.18 savings, can I have it?
A great concept to inspire a broad range of entries.
This is similar to all those 'frequent customer' cards at stores today. If you don't have the card, you can still buy a 2 liter bottle of soda, but it will cost you $1.78 instead of $0.99. In return, they get valuable marketing/demographic information.
Making you give up choice or information in return for a discount is not an incentive to buy, only a disincentive to buy from somebody else.
Does that mean that the quantum computer will crash if you look at it the wrong way?
Heck, I have one of those, today!
Now my head hurts and I still don't understand it, or any practical applications.
Please someone start an amusing rant about how [insert OS here] would do this much better. Need entertainment to make head stop hurting. Or beer.
This is a great feature, If you can get to it...
Oh yeah, community collej must have been great fun.
Did you do cold fusion experiments, too?
As someone who has lost his share of equipment to lightning hits over the years (telephones, one PC, even a CB radio) I love being able to unplug my wireless laptop and feel safe to keep surfing. God bless 802.11b.
"Won't fill up with hot air?
They have yet to build a wall that is air tight, anyone who has ever worked in construction will tell you that there are probably 50 different places air flows into your walls. "
I'm guessing testing the prototype involved a pringles tube and a hammer.
the Priceline.com server? Judging from all those lights and monitors it must be wicked powerful!
And NASA releases a picture of the Intel Inside logo on the surface...
If you are walking around a big hall and interacting with students, etc. during your presentation, you could easily get out of range.
This is where the government bailout would help, by allowing access to areas that would be under-served, and allow time for solutions to that problem.
Jeez, pretty hefty rant this early on a Tuesday. Must be fear of sniper-related traffic in DC.
What would slashdot be like without the opportunity to be a smartass once or twice an hour?
(Score:-4 wayyy off topic)
It's like, right at the beginning.
Part of the problem with digital books wasn't just the price, but the format on-screen. Most people (i.e. the general public) won't sit and read from a computer screen for the length of time to read a book. Now, surfing for pron or killin' aliens is a different matter...