If we choose a proprietary streaming solution now... well, just look how difficult it is migrating from.gif's to.png's.
With MS and Apple controlling the distribution via Windows and Mac hardware/software in a comfortable duopolistic symbiosis (let's forget the "knifing the baby" episode - it was a "pre-duopolistic error") even potentially platform-neutral Real doesn't stand a chance.
Unless Real implodes and an Open Source-friendly body takes over and does The Right Thing, our options are either to 1) launch a world-wide effort to develop best-of-breed codecs under GPL (or similar licence) or 2) to get (licenced) codecs from an OS-friendly organisation with enough resources.
If Real can't commit themselves to supporting Linux, do we really want Apple or MS "supporting" Linux (or anything outside their duopoly) in eternal alpha, always two versions behind? No we don't - no matter how desperate we are right now. Even if a big bucks geek site needs quick solutions to remain "competitive".
The codecs we need are not really different from all the other open protocols that made the internet - and Linux - possible. Would you trust MS or Apple to control HTML for the common benefit? Of course not.
Now, you are top-ranking staff of a leading geek "news publication". You should be "on the ball" on what's going to "matter" next. Well, you know that Linux is getting interest from the so-called internet appliance makers. You know that the killer app for the internet (and by extention to the masses) is quite simply communications. First email, then the web (publishing), then crappy streaming audio followed by jerky stamp-sized streaming video... okay, fast-forward to acceptably performing IP-based _video-telephony_ and mass-media broadcasting. Not only there is end-user demand for this, but broadcasters (and advertisers) would love to know who is receiving and what. Why do you think MS and Apple had such a catfight over some obscure codecs in the first place?
Back to appliances and Linux... how attractive do you think these - or Transmeta's Debian-based webpads - will be to consumers (and hardware manufacturers) without support for advanced streaming media when iBooks and winCE systems have it? Not very attractive, eh? Why are MS and Apple suddenly in love with bandwidth providers on one hand and makind deals with mainstream media companies on the other?
In essence, I want _you_ to tell me what will be available for Linux (without strings attached) instead of having you here drumming up support for a proprietary quick fix from a duopoly. You're the premium(-priced) Open Source news site, give us the scoop! Please.:-)
> While VanKampen's goal of protecting the name may seem > laudable, that role is not his to play. Linus owns the > trademark rights to "Linux" - as long as the linux.net > domain is going to be used in relation to the Linus > OS, VanKampen cannot use the domain name without > permission from Linus.
I believe the "cannot use... without permission from Linus" statement should rather read "can use the domain name for Linux-related purposes unless Linus decides otherwise".
All proper use of "Linux" in domain names seems to be okay without the need for explicit permissions. Try it by registering, say, "linuxhackerz.com" to see if the registrar demands proof of Linus' acceptance. He must take action against improper use, however, or he'll lose his trademark.
Actually, you only bought the right to occupy it against rent. Stop paying the rent and - POOPH! - they'll take the keys back.
Btw, how much for that cute domain name of yours...?;-)
Re:Before everyone starts (about money and greed)
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Who Bought Linux.Net?
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· Score: 2
Although I do agree with your description of the situation, I still believe that there should an intermediate "squatting category" for people like VanKampen: "Semi-selfish squatting".
Obviously the guy had some ethical principles or he'd had taken the highest offer for the domains he squatted. Nevertheless good old greed got the better of him. Or more likely, the millions of US$'s for the lesser offers were enough to satisfy his greed while allowing him to still look at his old geek friends in the eye, and himself in the mirror.
I'm very surprised that Linus let this thing go through in the first place because it's about first level domains with his trademark on the line as a trading article.
Let's face it - money corrupts ideals. I'm afraid we can already see it starting in the "Distro Wars" threads here and in other discussions everywhere. Whenever I see mindless drivel claiming that one distro or another is "crap" I begin wondering whether that guy is just a pitiful speculator/investor in "another camp". This explanation used to only apply to the Microsoft defenders in the past, but unfortunately this behaviour can only worsen as companies such as Caldera, SuSE and TurboLinux launch their IPO's. Unlike Red Hat, these companies are not going to "GPL everything" and I suspect that the ensuing competition based on proprietary components will leave its mark.
Folks, we need LSB and distro-neutrality not "distro-hate". We must also discourage companies from relying on prorietary and exclusionary features, esp. where basic operations and interoperability is concerned.
Oops, I admit straying off topic towards the end although it's still all about money, ethics and greed. Please moderate gently.:-)
If it was legal I'd put _here_ a link to J J Cale's "Money talks"...
Re:Anonymous Cowards are no longer safe.
on
Author Unknown
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· Score: 1
Ouch. I can't hide or run, therefore my hide isn't worth the Harley logo that's printed on it!
Wait, this doesn't apply to the masculine Anonymous Bullalrds, does it? Taco's already tracking my hoofsteps.
--
So, who doesn't like smart chicks and classic bikes. The problem was that although you could borrow or even buy a bike, there was no chance in hell you could get them chix anywhere near your bike, especially within *sniffing* distance.
But you *need* to leave your keyboard every few days or so and what would be more wonderful than being able to spend those few off-line sleeping hours dreaming of you and that smart chick riding around on your bike...
You've got your own smell alright - what you need now is simultaneous inhalation of both the chick-smell and some bike grease. Now to the multi-tasking part, and do not crash out until ready:
#1) First, do a thorough Kevin Kline-style masculine armpit-sniffing to establish your own existence the old low-tech way.
#2) Head over to some classic motorcycle site to smell the CO2 and leaked motor oil. If you've ever been riding in India you'll be also rewarded with the smell of sheer fear that comes with that territory.
#3) Now, for the hard-to-find smart chick smell (close your eyes and soon enough such rare bird will be sitting right behind you) open another screen from this link for that elusive pink elephant scent and you're on your way to a gonzo-geek heaven.
If, for some reason, you'll end up with the smell of a Dodo bird in an oil slick you've simply got to work harder on your mental associations.
> Or maybe they noticed that you've been > slacking off in your Mozilla work lately, > and they'd rather have you working on > that crucially important piece of code > instead of playing with CorelDraw all > night long.
Take that tongue-in-cheek, please. I forgot that/. eats "enclosed grins". Didn't mean to give you palpitations.:-)
Corel is a corporation, corporations don't read Slashdot. However I'm sure that a growing number of "Linux-workers" at Corel do read Slashdot, just like all the other geeks do. Patience, mon ami.
Anyway, isn't it possible that the form is such a PITA exactly because they only want the folks _really_ interested in test-driving the beta?
Or maybe they noticed that you've been slacking off in your Mozilla work lately, and they'd rather have you working on that crucially important piece of code instead of playing with CorelDraw all night long.
Different strokes for different blokes. I used to keep an eye on BeOS' progress in case it were to develop into a complete and viable "solution" for all my computing needs. It might actually be getting near to being practical for me but unfortunately other proprietary platforms have left so incredibly bad taste in my mouth that if an Open Source platform (the infrastructure on which to build free _and_ proprietary applications) is available (and Linux fits the bill - pun intended - for me just great) I'll steer clear from closed platforms and the planned h/w obsolescense, forced s/w upgrades etc. that used to be the norm and "practical necessity" until recently thanks to maturing Linux.
I have no ill, nor loving, feelings toward BeOS or Be Inc. I kinda hope that they survive and even flourish in whatever niche they find themselves in. But my heart, respect, money and whatever little support I can muster lies with Linux and related Open Source efforts.
"Screw me once, shame on you. Screw me twice, shame on me. Screw me thrice, see you on Linux..."
Perhaps Corel should consider relocating their headquarters - and operations - elsewhere for the same exact reasons you yourself are tempted. Namely, money.
IIRC, not long ago the Canadian government agreed to buy Microsoft's software exclusively, shutting COrel out from such deals for years to come. There's little in Canada in form of synergy between technology companies (which are practically all south of the border anyway) and this also reduces the workforce mobility; and I'm not referring to the arctic climate versus, say, the tropical one in California in terms of motor oil viscosity.
Back to finances. Have you noticed that every time a Canadian stock analyst mentions Corel or Linux, they attach the word "roadkill" in the sentence. When Corel lost to MS in the Windows Office "battle" (where one side happened to have all the weapons) those analysts took it to their cellular level memory never to forget what a loser Corel "is". And every time the press needs a comment on Corel, guess who they'll turn to if not these Canadian specialists...
The Canadian version of SEC in Ontario, the OSC, is hellbent on putting Cowpland behind bars (and not of Greyhound variety mind you) because the man sold some shares below $10 and a month later the stock price tumbled due to worse than expected earnings. The same stock is now valued at ~$20 after hitting 40's recently, and with potential to hit $100 or more in a year or two as the MS monopoly self-destructs. The shares Cowpland sold back then have made a lot of money to people not surnamed Cowpland, but OSC needs to prove that they can nail someone, anyone.
What comes to the "nearly twice the pay, and lower cost of living in some US cities" reasons tempting you to emigrate, wouldn't it also mean that were Corel to move out of Canada they, too, would be more competitive in attracting talent? After all, why do the companies in south afford to offer better pay packages in the first place?
My question to Mr. Cowpland would be: Have you ever considered leaving behind the provicial mindset of Canada, relocating Corel's headquarters to sunny California while also moving most of the operations there and elsewhere around the world, e.g. in India where talent is plentiful yet labor costs lower? Would Corel not become more competitive by having development crews working around the globe for the 24/7 effect?
(I can hear Tom Waits croaking "California, here I come..." already:-)
Let's see, here's a story where Apple - a closed source champ - bullies former OS/2-only current Windows95/98/Y2K/NT-only developer Stardock - known Open Source badmouthers - over Apple's eye candy.
The result: Apple gets bad publicity, Stardock gets the sympathy vote and publicity that they wanted, and the Slashdot crowd goes wild about... Microsoft?
Well, maybe this fell into the category of "news for nerds" because this surely isn't "stuff that matters".
Back to regular programming...
How about them moving pictures and sound w/o wires
on
MP3 Player in a Watch
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· Score: 1
While MS-only support isn't cool (bad Casio, bad) these watches do hold some promise (good, Casio, good).
The MP3 player could definitely benefit from longer playtime (tops at 66 mins at low Q?) and the recording option you mention would be simply macnifico. Think about the eavesdropping and campfire taping opportunities.
Now, what else should my wrist, and future, hold? How about the above _and_ the snapshot taking ability _and_ realtime video to & fro my lil' Casiocator with telephony to boot! With voice recognition, no less.
Just think about the delight when you whisper to your watch "call gf", the little gadget knows video is okay for this link and a few seconds later your gf can see your big nose and nose hair through the little fisheye lens on your watch, while you can witness your loving gf dressing up and milkman making inauspicious exit in the background... wonders of the future!
Don't try putting words into my mouth just because you have problems with reading comprehension. Great logic, if I don't blindly idolize the man I must think he sucks, huh.
Now, go back and re-read Woz' answers to questions #1 and #2.
#1 was about LinuxPPC vs Mac OS and also how/whether the hardware (control) makes difference. Woz starts evangelizing about Apple's benefits in their tighter control over the hardware vs Wintel world...
"nothing to do with Linux and everything to do with MacOS. The basic plumbing is superior to Intel hardware..."
So in Woz' view Apple's Mac OS apparently beats LinuxPPC (on Apple hardware) because of their proprietary control over their own hardware. On the Wintel side the "little guys" have little chance of tailoring their x86 hardware _and_ Windows Whatever because only select few Big Guys ever get to peek at Microsoft's 'doze sources let alone change anything.
But things get different with Linux. A few little companies are planning to release PowerPC systems based on IBM's open CHRP architecture; and those little guys incidentally also happen to have complete access to the Linux sources... Any little company with the right talent is now able to build Linux(PPC) systems on which both the hardware and software sides can be optimized with imagination being the only limit. I'd love to see Woz working on such Open Source/Open Hardware project.
In #2 (re Open Source as revolution?) Woz replied somewhat vaguely and appeared to consider Open Source market largely for things "rather good and even sellable, but small and of limited market potential" and continues that "The main attraction to open source software may not be it's advantages (price, functionality) but the fact that some people don't want to support the big successful proprietary companies".
Clearly he doesn't see Linux (or other Open Source projects) as capable of providing complete non-proprietary platform infrastructures. Perhaps because he sees Apple having such an advantage in integrating H/W and S/W (see #1 above)? Is he forgetting or ignoring or simply not noticing the Open Source revolution that is raging on the predominant (and relatively open) x86/PC platform? What may be true for Apple's closed platform may not apply to the computer market in general and the question he answered was about Open Source in general.
Finally, in #5 Woz explains how he'd design his ticket to fame, the Apple II, today. Well, nothing's stopping him from doing it, and teaching others how it's done while he's at it. He doesn't need to ask for Jobs' permission to "open source" the design, for chrissakes. Heck, he's probably rich enough not to need any external funding at all. Or he could just join forces with a new company like Silicon Fruit. Yeah, unlike in the 70's there's now some competition...
Hold your horses, AC buddy. I haven't posted anything for quite some time, apart from the "For the love of Apple" post above (as AC incidentally, a browser/cookie issue). Go attack some other "AC" if you please, or preferably, address the issues I was making.
I think Woz is a great guy (from ethics, geekiness POV), but IMHO his views on Apple should be extected to be a little biased, if not for the fact that he was the co-founder of the company and still represents them on occasion. I'd like to see more Woz' influence at today's Apple if anything.
I see Mac OS X shaping up to be a great upgrade for those who have _Apple-branded_ Powermacs (G3 or later only?). That only leaves Linux and other Open Source projects some six billion pairs of eyeballs to cater for. No strings attached.
Like (nearly) any one of you, I could come up with way more creative and distinctive names for identity-free corporations and their pathetically codenamed creations than these titles-by-machine-AND-committee id/DeSIGN companies. I can actually picture the management-appointed nameGurus squatting in the corner of their Pythonesque (a la Brazil) cubicles chewing their toenails and with faces more contorted than the silly words they come up with.
Why aren't more of these naming jobs open to the public anyway? I could find use to a few hundred kilobucks.
Or the 3½" penguin-in-the-box is inflatable or simply not wearing a proper loincloth...
Anyway, methinks this "adults only" clause is a brilliant marketing idea because as we type hundreds of millions of minors are rushing to Corel's ftp-site to grab a piece of this forbidden fruit.
I did search through their DB as suggested by the "auto-mail" but nothing there applied to the v6.1 problem I was facing - at least at that time. Went even as far as crawling through the german-language entries!:-)
Good to see that most replies are positive. According to an AC claiming to belong to SuSE tech support the company apparently boosted their support capabilities some time after I had given up.
Anyway, I wasn't bashing SuSE here but simply trying to point out that support is very important and it'll only become more so as new users begin entering the platform. Perhaps I was afraid that none of the Intel investment was going to address that issue.;-)
I'm curious, where is it mentioned what is or isn't covered by SuSE's 60-day installation support?
They tout SuSE Linux' networking capabilities right on the box and I would find it strange if they didn't support basic outta-box ppp connectivity (which "installed" alright but was broken).
Apart from my experience that "SuSE Technical Service" didn't get back to me despite their automated reply said so I don't think that support which doesn't cover getting online by ordinary ppp is adequate for new users.
I'm glad to hear that SuSE is able to offer satisfying support via email and I truly hope my case was just a ghost in the machine. The most important aspect of tech support is IMO that they'll simply _try_ solving their customers' problems.
In your case RedHat obviously screwed up with their support to you, but apparently they at least tried offering support and your cry for help was answered although the problem wasn't solved (yet). I assume you at least got a "non-automated" reply from RedHat.
One last point I'd like to make is that when using a distro put together by a "fringe" Linux company the user relies more on the tech support simply because there's less information and discussion available about it in the public forums. That's the "Network Effect" at work even within the sprouting Linux market.
Once upon a time I picked a retail copy of SuSE Linux 6.1, largely because it happened to carry a large number of "latest versions" to be had on CD(s).
After installation I was confronted by a bug in their kppp implementation and after a quick look at newsgroups didn't offer any solutions at the time I decided to take advantage of their free 60-day tech support and dropped them an email. After several days I received an automated reply saying they'd be getting back to me soon. That 60 days is distant history and the only thing I've received from SuSE since my support enquiry has been a promotional leaflet that arrived by snail-mail.
I could have made an effort trying to figure out the solution to my problem by myself and then helping others struggling with the same bug but I was counting on SuSE to follow through with their promised support feedback. Meanwhile I kept booting to another fully functional Linux distro, got another upgrade to that and eventually realized SuSE 6.1 wasn't worth the space it was occupying any more.
I'm sure many people received the tech support from SuSE that they paid for so I'd appreciate hearing some success stories from satisfied SuSE users. Does their email support work or did you have to fax or phone them to get an answer?
Personally I would have been satisfied with any kind of non-automated reply but getting totally ignored left a little sour taste in my mouth. As Linux moves closer to attracting Windows users and even absolute newbies the question of tech support will become an issue of vital importance. While I know how to navigate the Linux documentation sites and newsgroups I want to be able to recommend a well-supported distribution to anyone interested in trying out Linux. Every company selling Linux packages with support should keep their end of the bargain or we'll see lots of disgruntled newbies turning their backs to our platform for good. I'm afraid we might even see the MS-friendly press making a big issue of shortcomings in Linux' tech support and to many readers any Linux is Linux is Linux.
... when doing domain availability lookups. Listen to what Pope says (ahem, we'll discuss the issue of contraception another time;-). As much as we love to hate the NSI their WHOIS databases are supposedly top-notch so _use_ them - and only them - for lookups. Some commercial domain trading companies apparently scan their lookup logs for potentially profitable domain names.
And I mean _get_it_now_. Don't wait until other pieces have fallen into place - by then your domain's probably long gone.
Also, when you've settled with a fabulous, unreserved name, don't mention it anywhere until it's yours. I made that mistake once and the name was taken by a speculator in a matter of days... grrr...
I'm also going to keep my distro options open, probably having two "different ones" installed at any given time. However I'm not only curious about the Corel distro (the first _marketed_ for desktop use) but if they manage to keep it up-to-date I'll probably end up recommending or even installing it (never underestimate the stupidity of absolute newbies) for friends and relatives alike. Whatever makes Linux easier for the non-initiated...
Anyhow, like you I'm really waiting to lay my paws on their productivity wares: the full Office suite and the graphics apps. What I'd also like to see available (from Corel or anyone - hint hint) is a website development and management app a la Cyberstudio or Dreamweawer. Then I could start considering growing old and lazy...:-)
Slashdot Mirror
If we choose a proprietary streaming solution now... well, just look how difficult it is migrating from .gif's to .png's.
:-)
With MS and Apple controlling the distribution via Windows and Mac hardware/software in a comfortable duopolistic symbiosis (let's forget the "knifing the baby" episode - it was a "pre-duopolistic error") even potentially platform-neutral Real doesn't stand a chance.
Unless Real implodes and an Open Source-friendly body takes over and does The Right Thing, our options are either to 1) launch a world-wide effort to develop best-of-breed codecs under GPL (or similar licence) or 2) to get (licenced) codecs from an OS-friendly organisation with enough resources.
If Real can't commit themselves to supporting Linux, do we really want Apple or MS "supporting" Linux (or anything outside their duopoly) in eternal alpha, always two versions behind? No we don't - no matter how desperate we are right now. Even if a big bucks geek site needs quick solutions to remain "competitive".
The codecs we need are not really different from all the other open protocols that made the internet - and Linux - possible. Would you trust MS or Apple to control HTML for the common benefit? Of course not.
Now, you are top-ranking staff of a leading geek "news publication". You should be "on the ball" on what's going to "matter" next. Well, you know that Linux is getting interest from the so-called internet appliance makers. You know that the killer app for the internet (and by extention to the masses) is quite simply communications. First email, then the web (publishing), then crappy streaming audio followed by jerky stamp-sized streaming video... okay, fast-forward to acceptably performing IP-based _video-telephony_ and mass-media broadcasting. Not only there is end-user demand for this, but broadcasters (and advertisers) would love to know who is receiving and what. Why do you think MS and Apple had such a catfight over some obscure codecs in the first place?
Back to appliances and Linux... how attractive do you think these - or Transmeta's Debian-based webpads - will be to consumers (and hardware manufacturers) without support for advanced streaming media when iBooks and winCE systems have it? Not very attractive, eh? Why are MS and Apple suddenly in love with bandwidth providers on one hand and makind deals with mainstream media companies on the other?
In essence, I want _you_ to tell me what will be available for Linux (without strings attached) instead of having you here drumming up support for a proprietary quick fix from a duopoly. You're the premium(-priced) Open Source news site, give us the scoop! Please.
> While VanKampen's goal of protecting the name may seem
> laudable, that role is not his to play. Linus owns the
> trademark rights to "Linux" - as long as the linux.net
> domain is going to be used in relation to the Linus
> OS, VanKampen cannot use the domain name without
> permission from Linus.
I believe the "cannot use... without permission from Linus" statement should rather read "can use the domain name for Linux-related purposes unless Linus decides otherwise".
All proper use of "Linux" in domain names seems to be okay without the need for explicit permissions. Try it by registering, say, "linuxhackerz.com" to see if the registrar demands proof of Linus' acceptance. He must take action against improper use, however, or he'll lose his trademark.
Actually, you only bought the right to occupy it against rent. Stop paying the rent and - POOPH! - they'll take the keys back.
;-)
Btw, how much for that cute domain name of yours...?
Although I do agree with your description of the situation, I still believe that there should an intermediate "squatting category" for people like VanKampen: "Semi-selfish squatting".
:-)
Obviously the guy had some ethical principles or he'd had taken the highest offer for the domains he squatted. Nevertheless good old greed got the better of him. Or more likely, the millions of US$'s for the lesser offers were enough to satisfy his greed while allowing him to still look at his old geek friends in the eye, and himself in the mirror.
I'm very surprised that Linus let this thing go through in the first place because it's about first level domains with his trademark on the line as a trading article.
Let's face it - money corrupts ideals. I'm afraid we can already see it starting in the "Distro Wars" threads here and in other discussions everywhere. Whenever I see mindless drivel claiming that one distro or another is "crap" I begin wondering whether that guy is just a pitiful speculator/investor in "another camp". This explanation used to only apply to the Microsoft defenders in the past, but unfortunately this behaviour can only worsen as companies such as Caldera, SuSE and TurboLinux launch their IPO's. Unlike Red Hat, these companies are not going to "GPL everything" and I suspect that the ensuing competition based on proprietary components will leave its mark.
Folks, we need LSB and distro-neutrality not "distro-hate". We must also discourage companies from relying on prorietary and exclusionary features, esp. where basic operations and interoperability is concerned.
Oops, I admit straying off topic towards the end although it's still all about money, ethics and greed. Please moderate gently.
If it was legal I'd put _here_ a link to J J Cale's "Money talks"...
--
A. Bullard
But you *need* to leave your keyboard every few days or so and what would be more wonderful than being able to spend those few off-line sleeping hours dreaming of you and that smart chick riding around on your bike...
You've got your own smell alright - what you need now is simultaneous inhalation of both the chick-smell and some bike grease. Now to the multi-tasking part, and do not crash out until ready:
#1) First, do a thorough Kevin Kline-style masculine armpit-sniffing to establish your own existence the old low-tech way.
#2) Head over to some classic motorcycle site to smell the CO2 and leaked motor oil. If you've ever been riding in India you'll be also rewarded with the smell of sheer fear that comes with that territory.
#3) Now, for the hard-to-find smart chick smell (close your eyes and soon enough such rare bird will be sitting right behind you) open another screen from this link for that elusive pink elephant scent and you're on your way to a gonzo-geek heaven.
If, for some reason, you'll end up with the smell of a Dodo bird in an oil slick you've simply got to work harder on your mental associations.
> Or maybe they noticed that you've been
/. eats "enclosed grins". Didn't mean to give you palpitations. :-)
> slacking off in your Mozilla work lately, > and they'd rather have you working on
> that crucially important piece of code
> instead of playing with CorelDraw all
> night long.
Take that tongue-in-cheek, please. I forgot that
Love,
Corel is a corporation, corporations don't read Slashdot. However I'm sure that a growing number of "Linux-workers" at Corel do read Slashdot, just like all the other geeks do. Patience, mon ami.
Anyway, isn't it possible that the form is such a PITA exactly because they only want the folks _really_ interested in test-driving the beta?
Or maybe they noticed that you've been slacking off in your Mozilla work lately, and they'd rather have you working on that crucially important piece of code instead of playing with CorelDraw all night long.
Love,
Different strokes for different blokes. I used to keep an eye on BeOS' progress in case it were to develop into a complete and viable "solution" for all my computing needs. It might actually be getting near to being practical for me but unfortunately other proprietary platforms have left so incredibly bad taste in my mouth that if an Open Source platform (the infrastructure on which to build free _and_ proprietary applications) is available (and Linux fits the bill - pun intended - for me just great) I'll steer clear from closed platforms and the planned h/w obsolescense, forced s/w upgrades etc. that used to be the norm and "practical necessity" until recently thanks to maturing Linux.
I have no ill, nor loving, feelings toward BeOS or Be Inc. I kinda hope that they survive and even flourish in whatever niche they find themselves in. But my heart, respect, money and whatever little support I can muster lies with Linux and related Open Source efforts.
"Screw me once, shame on you. Screw me twice, shame on me. Screw me thrice, see you on Linux..."
Why stay Canadian is the question.
:-)
Perhaps Corel should consider relocating their headquarters - and operations - elsewhere for the same exact reasons you yourself are tempted. Namely, money.
IIRC, not long ago the Canadian government agreed to buy Microsoft's software exclusively, shutting COrel out from such deals for years to come. There's little in Canada in form of synergy between technology companies (which are practically all south of the border anyway) and this also reduces the workforce mobility; and I'm not referring to the arctic climate versus, say, the tropical one in California in terms of motor oil viscosity.
Back to finances. Have you noticed that every time a Canadian stock analyst mentions Corel or Linux, they attach the word "roadkill" in the sentence. When Corel lost to MS in the Windows Office "battle" (where one side happened to have all the weapons) those analysts took it to their cellular level memory never to forget what a loser Corel "is". And every time the press needs a comment on Corel, guess who they'll turn to if not these Canadian specialists...
The Canadian version of SEC in Ontario, the OSC, is hellbent on putting Cowpland behind bars (and not of Greyhound variety mind you) because the man sold some shares below $10 and a month later the stock price tumbled due to worse than expected earnings. The same stock is now valued at ~$20 after hitting 40's recently, and with potential to hit $100 or more in a year or two as the MS monopoly self-destructs. The shares Cowpland sold back then have made a lot of money to people not surnamed Cowpland, but OSC needs to prove that they can nail someone, anyone.
What comes to the "nearly twice the pay, and lower cost of living in some US cities" reasons tempting you to emigrate, wouldn't it also mean that were Corel to move out of Canada they, too, would be more competitive in attracting talent? After all, why do the companies in south afford to offer better pay packages in the first place?
My question to Mr. Cowpland would be: Have you ever considered leaving behind the provicial mindset of Canada, relocating Corel's headquarters to sunny California while also moving most of the operations there and elsewhere around the world, e.g. in India where talent is plentiful yet labor costs lower? Would Corel not become more competitive by having development crews working around the globe for the 24/7 effect?
(I can hear Tom Waits croaking "California, here I come..." already
Let's see, here's a story where Apple - a closed source champ - bullies former OS/2-only current Windows95/98/Y2K/NT-only developer Stardock - known Open Source badmouthers - over Apple's eye candy.
The result: Apple gets bad publicity, Stardock gets the sympathy vote and publicity that they wanted, and the Slashdot crowd goes wild about... Microsoft?
Well, maybe this fell into the category of "news for nerds" because this surely isn't "stuff that matters".
Back to regular programming...
While MS-only support isn't cool (bad Casio, bad) these watches do hold some promise (good, Casio, good).
The MP3 player could definitely benefit from longer playtime (tops at 66 mins at low Q?) and the recording option you mention would be simply macnifico. Think about the eavesdropping and campfire taping opportunities.
Now, what else should my wrist, and future, hold? How about the above _and_ the snapshot taking ability _and_ realtime video to & fro my lil' Casiocator with telephony to boot! With voice recognition, no less.
Just think about the delight when you whisper to your watch "call gf", the little gadget knows video is okay for this link and a few seconds later your gf can see your big nose and nose hair through the little fisheye lens on your watch, while you can witness your loving gf dressing up and milkman making inauspicious exit in the background... wonders of the future!
Don't try putting words into my mouth just because you have problems with reading comprehension. Great logic, if I don't blindly idolize the man I must think he sucks, huh.
Now, go back and re-read Woz' answers to questions #1 and #2.
#1 was about LinuxPPC vs Mac OS and also how/whether the hardware (control) makes difference. Woz starts evangelizing about Apple's benefits in their tighter control over the hardware vs Wintel world...
"nothing to do with Linux and everything to do with MacOS. The basic plumbing is superior to Intel hardware..."
So in Woz' view Apple's Mac OS apparently beats LinuxPPC (on Apple hardware) because of their proprietary control over their own hardware. On the Wintel side the "little guys" have little chance of tailoring their x86 hardware _and_ Windows Whatever because only select few Big Guys ever get to peek at Microsoft's 'doze sources let alone change anything.
But things get different with Linux. A few little companies are planning to release PowerPC systems based on IBM's open CHRP architecture; and those little guys incidentally also happen to have complete access to the Linux sources... Any little company with the right talent is now able to build Linux(PPC) systems on which both the hardware and software sides can be optimized with imagination being the only limit. I'd love to see Woz working on such Open Source/Open Hardware project.
In #2 (re Open Source as revolution?) Woz replied somewhat vaguely and appeared to consider Open Source market largely for things "rather good and even sellable, but small and of limited market potential" and continues that "The main attraction to open source software may not be it's advantages (price, functionality) but the fact that some people don't want to support the big successful proprietary companies".
Clearly he doesn't see Linux (or other Open Source projects) as capable of providing complete non-proprietary platform infrastructures. Perhaps because he sees Apple having such an advantage in integrating H/W and S/W (see #1 above)? Is he forgetting or ignoring or simply not noticing the Open Source revolution that is raging on the predominant (and relatively open) x86/PC platform? What may be true for Apple's closed platform may not apply to the computer market in general and the question he answered was about Open Source in general.
Finally, in #5 Woz explains how he'd design his ticket to fame, the Apple II, today. Well, nothing's stopping him from doing it, and teaching others how it's done while he's at it. He doesn't need to ask for Jobs' permission to "open source" the design, for chrissakes. Heck, he's probably rich enough not to need any external funding at all. Or he could just join forces with a new company like Silicon Fruit. Yeah, unlike in the 70's there's now some competition...
Hold your horses, AC buddy. I haven't posted anything for quite some time, apart from the "For the love of Apple" post above (as AC incidentally, a browser/cookie issue). Go attack some other "AC" if you please, or preferably, address the issues I was making.
I think Woz is a great guy (from ethics, geekiness POV), but IMHO his views on Apple should be extected to be a little biased, if not for the fact that he was the co-founder of the company and still represents them on occasion. I'd like to see more Woz' influence at today's Apple if anything.
I see Mac OS X shaping up to be a great upgrade for those who have _Apple-branded_ Powermacs (G3 or later only?). That only leaves Linux and other Open Source projects some six billion pairs of eyeballs to cater for. No strings attached.
Have a nice day.
Like (nearly) any one of you, I could come up with way more creative and distinctive names for identity-free corporations and their pathetically codenamed creations than these titles-by-machine-AND-committee id/DeSIGN companies. I can actually picture the management-appointed nameGurus squatting in the corner of their Pythonesque (a la Brazil) cubicles chewing their toenails and with faces more contorted than the silly words they come up with.
Why aren't more of these naming jobs open to the public anyway? I could find use to a few hundred kilobucks.
Or the 3½" penguin-in-the-box is inflatable or simply not wearing a proper loincloth...
Anyway, methinks this "adults only" clause is a brilliant marketing idea because as we type hundreds of millions of minors are rushing to Corel's ftp-site to grab a piece of this forbidden fruit.
Go, little devils, go!
I did search through their DB as suggested by the "auto-mail" but nothing there applied to the v6.1 problem I was facing - at least at that time. Went even as far as crawling through the german-language entries! :-)
;-)
Good to see that most replies are positive. According to an AC claiming to belong to SuSE tech support the company apparently boosted their support capabilities some time after I had given up.
Anyway, I wasn't bashing SuSE here but simply trying to point out that support is very important and it'll only become more so as new users begin entering the platform. Perhaps I was afraid that none of the Intel investment was going to address that issue.
I'm curious, where is it mentioned what is or isn't covered by SuSE's 60-day installation support?
They tout SuSE Linux' networking capabilities right on the box and I would find it strange if they didn't support basic outta-box ppp connectivity (which "installed" alright but was broken).
Apart from my experience that "SuSE Technical Service" didn't get back to me despite their automated reply said so I don't think that support which doesn't cover getting online by ordinary ppp is adequate for new users.
I'm glad to hear that SuSE is able to offer satisfying support via email and I truly hope my case was just a ghost in the machine. The most important aspect of tech support is IMO that they'll simply _try_ solving their customers' problems.
In your case RedHat obviously screwed up with their support to you, but apparently they at least tried offering support and your cry for help was answered although the problem wasn't solved (yet). I assume you at least got a "non-automated" reply from RedHat.
One last point I'd like to make is that when using a distro put together by a "fringe" Linux company the user relies more on the tech support simply because there's less information and discussion available about it in the public forums. That's the "Network Effect" at work even within the sprouting Linux market.
Once upon a time I picked a retail copy of SuSE Linux 6.1, largely because it happened to carry a large number of "latest versions" to be had on CD(s).
After installation I was confronted by a bug in their kppp implementation and after a quick look at newsgroups didn't offer any solutions at the time I decided to take advantage of their free 60-day tech support and dropped them an email. After several days I received an automated reply saying they'd be getting back to me soon. That 60 days is distant history and the only thing I've received from SuSE since my support enquiry has been a promotional leaflet that arrived by snail-mail.
I could have made an effort trying to figure out the solution to my problem by myself and then helping others struggling with the same bug but I was counting on SuSE to follow through with their promised support feedback. Meanwhile I kept booting to another fully functional Linux distro, got another upgrade to that and eventually realized SuSE 6.1 wasn't worth the space it was occupying any more.
I'm sure many people received the tech support from SuSE that they paid for so I'd appreciate hearing some success stories from satisfied SuSE users. Does their email support work or did you have to fax or phone them to get an answer?
Personally I would have been satisfied with any kind of non-automated reply but getting totally ignored left a little sour taste in my mouth. As Linux moves closer to attracting Windows users and even absolute newbies the question of tech support will become an issue of vital importance. While I know how to navigate the Linux documentation sites and newsgroups I want to be able to recommend a well-supported distribution to anyone interested in trying out Linux. Every company selling Linux packages with support should keep their end of the bargain or we'll see lots of disgruntled newbies turning their backs to our platform for good. I'm afraid we might even see the MS-friendly press making a big issue of shortcomings in Linux' tech support and to many readers any Linux is Linux is Linux.
Replace "make war" with "make love".
Just don't forget to include some contraceptive code, though, or else...
... when doing domain availability lookups. Listen to what Pope says (ahem, we'll discuss the issue of contraception another time ;-). As much as we love to hate the NSI their WHOIS databases are supposedly top-notch so _use_ them - and only them - for lookups. Some commercial domain trading companies apparently scan their lookup logs for potentially profitable domain names.
And I mean _get_it_now_. Don't wait until other pieces have fallen into place - by then your domain's probably long gone.
Also, when you've settled with a fabulous, unreserved name, don't mention it anywhere until it's yours. I made that mistake once and the name was taken by a speculator in a matter of days... grrr...
... by hand. Such a human touch of perfection can mean only one thing... BEOWULF!!
I'm also going to keep my distro options open, probably having two "different ones" installed at any given time. However I'm not only curious about the Corel distro (the first _marketed_ for desktop use) but if they manage to keep it up-to-date I'll probably end up recommending or even installing it (never underestimate the stupidity of absolute newbies) for friends and relatives alike. Whatever makes Linux easier for the non-initiated...
:-)
Anyhow, like you I'm really waiting to lay my paws on their productivity wares: the full Office suite and the graphics apps. What I'd also like to see available (from Corel or anyone - hint hint) is a website development and management app a la Cyberstudio or Dreamweawer. Then I could start considering growing old and lazy...