Indeed, I also use a TI calculator. It is a Texas Instruments' TI-83 Plus graphing calculator. However, there is a way to use RPN on TI Calculators. Please see my comment:
Texas Instruments' graphing calculators are capable of using home-made programs that give the calculator various abilities. My own TI-83 Plus is currently running RPN III, which increases my calculator usability by a hundred-fold. Unfortunately, the program is not as perfect as would be ideal, so if you're going to be using a calculator for some profession, do get a "real" HP RPN calc. However, my father is more than happy to have his old HP 41CV to himself now, while I go through 1st year introductory Calc and Math 12 on my TI.
I agree that keypresses saved are minimal, if not sometimes nonexistant in simple equations. In fact, for many simple single-operation equations, the process of learning RPN is far too complicated to justify using it at all.
RPN, however, can be likened to the Dvorak keyboard layout. It is entails a slightly involving process to learn. For many purposes, this is simply a pain. The true power only shines in complicated equations, such as those which make use of brackets.
The following equation shall be typed on an algebraic calculator, followed by an RPN calculator. [;] will be the button name for [Enter].
25 ( 46 ) + 254 - 2462 / ( 645 - 2453 )
Algebraic:
25*46+254-2462/(645-2453);
RPN:
25;46*254+2462;645;2453-/-
In the above example, you will realise that the number of keypresses is exactly the same. (In fact, if you cheat and leave out the second bracket on the algebraic calculator, that calculator edges out the RPN by one keystroke!) However, there are three immediate benefits to the RPN calculator:
Less keys to hunt down--only uses Enter and four operation keys
Feedback at every step--shows current X register as it changes
No need to override order of operations when necessary
Over time, the amount of keypresses will not really be changed too drastically. However, the true power is the convenience and the ease of use. Unfortunately, like the Dvorak keyboard, RPN will slowly fade in the non-specialised markets due to the fact that it takes too much time to learn.
Your idea is actually quite insightful, if not slightly premature. Unfortunately, you have already been beaten to the punch. Robert Cringely's column The Pulpit has carried a story similar to yours on January 16, 2002. Definately a marginal possibility to watch for.
I believe you are taking a point of view that is slightly too purist for general convention. A role-playing game is, after all, a game where you take actions within the confines of a role. You must deal with the many issues that such a role would throw at you.
For example, the player Red is a Pokemon trainer. He must deal with buying Poke Balls, dealing with trainers, and winning badges. He cannot be expected to achieve the presidency; that is not in his role.
Agreeably, this definition is slightly broad. Under this definition, Super Mario Bros. is a very, very weak RPG. However, Morrowind or Neverwinter Nights is also a very weak RPG, as you must create a character as you go along. There is no 'role', as you must define one for yourself. MMORPG's are not RPG's anymore.
Nintendo realises a loophole in this system. If you have a copy of Red and a copy of Gold, you can trade your starting Pokemon from Gold to Red. In Red, this Pokemon can be trained in Unknown Dungeon to, say, level 55. Upon returning to Red, however, the trainer would not need a badge to control this Pokemon, since the ID number states that this Pokemon did, in fact, belong to said trainer. Badges are only necessary to control Pokemon whose original trainer (OT) is different.
This system of incompatibility ensures that cheaper ways out of actually training Pokemon is relatively eliminated. Nevertheless, I do agree that Nintendo shot themselves in the foot with making Ruby/Sapphire incompatible.
Just wait till the come out with some nano-bots that run off this process and will scrub the plaque off your arterial walls. That would be the killer app.
Yes, and when they break down and start clogging your arteries with silicon and steel, it may truly become (at least in the beginning) a truly killer app.
Sarcasm aside, though, this idea certainly shows a great deal of promise. Heart disease as we know it may be drastically reduced. I'm all for it if it works properly.
The entire reason why I'd like to shy away from SUV's is that their height and narrowness can easily cause the center of balance to shift in such a way as to cause danger. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't quiiite think a narrow little car like this one taking a gentle highway/freeway curve at even 60mph/110km/h is saying much for safety. I did read TFM, and there was some sort of balancing method, but I didn't understand it completely. On top of that, I don't care how great the rollcage is--if it crashes and I don't die or get seriously wounded, I still won't be particularly happy. Because it just crashed. I still lose a car.
First of all, seeing all of these flamebaits means one thing, and one thing only.
I wasn't clear enough earlier. Sorry everyone!
Okay, here's take 2:
Java and Flash require plugins (yes, Java VM, but you get my point)--on all browsers. Not fun.
VML: IE5.5+
But other browsers cannot use VML at all
If you don't use Windows, you cannot use IE 5.5+...therefore, all non-windows-users (including Macs!) will not be able to see the graphs
SVG: Mozilla ~1.5+
But other browsers can use SVG with a plugin, namely IE
Standalone IE production has stopped--many people will be looking for an alternative, and with Netscape gone, Mozilla is looking better than ever. Mozilla ~1.5+ -- no plugin for SVG needed!
And of course the obligatory comments about how SVG is easier to script for. (More compatible: DOM/ECMAScript, etc.)
The main point of my post was finding a method that would entail the least amount of updating and overall work over the long run. I admit that GNU/Linux is not a threat yet. It is already excellent, but it has not yet worked its way through the market, and it is not yet perfect. However, it is inevitable that Linux will, at the very least, keep its current user base size for some time to come, and this is a substantial enough amount to avoid alienating, if possible.
I would like to clarify this for you slightly. The moral of that post was to show how unfunny tongue cancer really is. Considering the wisecrack in the story, this bring-us-down-to-reality post shows a lot of insight on the part of the poster.
I hope you, as well as JThaddeus, take some time to give this a bit of reflection.
Internet Explorer 5 and above are very widely-used. However, they are still flawed browsers and, due to the announcement that these browsers will no longer be updated as standalone applications, many people may switch to another browser. Also, those using a Unix-based platform (read: GNU/Linux) no longer have any viable way of using Internet Explorer. If it is not easy to change back and forth, the already limited audience VML will reach even less as time goes on.
As an opinion only, if SVG is an option, it may be best in the long run. Assuming it is not easy to acrobatically jump from one option to the next (if that was possible, you could serve VML to IE 5.5+ and SVG to Mozilla, and some raster format for any other browsers), SVG holds the best promise. SVG is already supported as a plug-in (much like flash). It is about to be tested as a native part of the Mozilla browser. Over time, compatibility will actually improve--not something Java or VML can say easily. Also, as compatibility improves, simple scripting can make the charts interactive or real-time (or other neat fancy stuff).
I was not going to be quite so thorough, but I might as well explain this a little further, should someone read this 'literal' interpretation the wrong way.
Microsoft is sick with GNU/Linux. Linux is almost viral to Microsoft. It does its job better than its Microsoft counterpart, and thus, like a diseased limb, that piece of Microsoft software is no longer marketable. Microsoft can say "OS/2" as much as they want, but it's no big threat. However, they assure us that they are dealing well with the Linux threat. We can then realise that it is, in fact, Linux that is causing Microsoft the most ailment.
I would recommend modding the parent up, as it hit the nail on the head, but I disagree that I was a troll in the grandparent post.
What has really set the Vaio apart from ye olde everyday laptop was the interesting addition of the integrated still/video camera. Are there any other manufacturers out who do this? Also...is it really usable as an integrated camera?
Perhaps, though, the great deal of manufacturers is more of a blessing. Admittedly, this is a blessing that is not yet being harvested. A mindset change--as hard as it is--might allow these manufacturers to work together towards things users (if only the elite users who understand mainboards) want. This, instead of "Standards are good. Let's make one."
The article appears to focus on an inititive from Anandtech to unify the thoughts of 13 major mainboard manufacturing big bosses to point the industry where it wants to go.
Personally, however, I am not completely in favour of such an idea. I am not knowledgeable in hardware design/manufacture. I do know, however, that in the software world (or perhaps only in free/open-source/open-minded software), a large group of people slowly nudge a project where the users want it to go. Besides the obvious difference that hardware is very physical, what stops a group of people with common interests to draft up their own freely-distrubutable mainboard specs and see if they can start a bit of a new way of thinking? Perhaps the bar is raised too high already? Or am I missing something?
Absolutely stunning visual art is absolutely necessary. For the new version of Tetris coming out soon.
That was only a fictional scenario, but I'd like you to consider that for a while. I have played the new game Tetris Worlds. It was graphically very appealing. However, I am at a point where I find some graphics take away from a game. Tetris Worlds was not a bad game, but a lot of the graphics were overkill. The same could be said for any other game where graphics are embellishments rather than true improvements to the game experience. Who would want to play Tetris while the field rotates and blinks and flashes?
The fact is that graphics are very important to a smooth-looking and appealing game. However, they should be used in moderation, to prevent taking away from the game. Unfortunately, with the expectations that gamers of today have come to expect, it will be more and more difficult to make a good, simple game with good, simple graphics. Time to find a job at EnixSquare...
There is a very real chance that you will die from Ebola. Considering you are a healthy person, that chance is very low. Mentioning Ebola by name will not increase your risk.
Now imagine that you are talking to your friends. If you are truly sick with cancer (knock on wood), it is unlikely that you will tell your friends, "I have a low chance of dying from Ebola." Instead, you might say, "My cancer treatment is currently doing well. I'm fine--but thanks for your concern though."
At this point, your odds of dying of cancer are much higher than your odds of dying of Ebola. You mention cancer because you are actively seeking to reduce its effects, and perhaps even eliminate it.
Imagine you are Microsoft. Take this example, and for each instance of Ebola, insert the name "OS/2 Warp" instead. Now replace cancer with "GNU/Linux". You may quickly realise Microsoft's predicament at this point.
The thing that you must realise is that GNU/Linux is not trying to cut market share out from under Apple. Apple, if anything, has been friendly towards Free Software in general (or at least not showing a passionate hatred as Microsoft does). Linux will bloom, but so will Apple, for their respective reasons. Linux is powerful and robust. Apple is simple and elegant. Microsoft is, to be impartial, moving towards all of these goals, and they're not doing badly if users want a few advantages from each world. Unfortunately, for most people, this is slowly becoming insufficient, and it is from Microsoft's inflated market share that both the competing technologies will draw their user base.
Despite this, I believe that GNU/Linux will slowly surpass Apple. Linux simply has too much momentum behind it, and its development is moving swiftly and strongly. Apple will continue to grow, however, so don't write its obituary quiiiite yet.
I agree with you quite wholeheartedly. What is the downfall of your argument is the assumption that people will patch because it is good for the software and for the general health of the computer. A great deal of people, though, donâ(TM)t patch their computers. Even with automatic update, it is still a hassle to reboot the computer every time the damned icon appears, so many people just ignore it. Moreso, Office does not have automatic update.
If you truly want to be worm-free, the same advice goes for all E-mail clients: Be well-informed, and update often. Use anti-virus software, but, no matter what you do, donâ(TM)t become lazy or ignorant.
Slashdot Mirror
Indeed, I also use a TI calculator. It is a Texas Instruments' TI-83 Plus graphing calculator. However, there is a way to use RPN on TI Calculators. Please see my comment:
TI RPM
Texas Instruments' graphing calculators are capable of using home-made programs that give the calculator various abilities. My own TI-83 Plus is currently running RPN III, which increases my calculator usability by a hundred-fold. Unfortunately, the program is not as perfect as would be ideal, so if you're going to be using a calculator for some profession, do get a "real" HP RPN calc. However, my father is more than happy to have his old HP 41CV to himself now, while I go through 1st year introductory Calc and Math 12 on my TI.
I agree that keypresses saved are minimal, if not sometimes nonexistant in simple equations. In fact, for many simple single-operation equations, the process of learning RPN is far too complicated to justify using it at all.
RPN, however, can be likened to the Dvorak keyboard layout. It is entails a slightly involving process to learn. For many purposes, this is simply a pain. The true power only shines in complicated equations, such as those which make use of brackets.
The following equation shall be typed on an algebraic calculator, followed by an RPN calculator. [;] will be the button name for [Enter].
25 ( 46 ) + 254 - 2462 / ( 645 - 2453 )
Algebraic:
25*46+254-2462/(645-2453);
RPN:
25;46*254+2462;645;2453-/-
In the above example, you will realise that the number of keypresses is exactly the same. (In fact, if you cheat and leave out the second bracket on the algebraic calculator, that calculator edges out the RPN by one keystroke!) However, there are three immediate benefits to the RPN calculator:
Over time, the amount of keypresses will not really be changed too drastically. However, the true power is the convenience and the ease of use. Unfortunately, like the Dvorak keyboard, RPN will slowly fade in the non-specialised markets due to the fact that it takes too much time to learn.
Your idea is actually quite insightful, if not slightly premature. Unfortunately, you have already been beaten to the punch. Robert Cringely's column The Pulpit has carried a story similar to yours on January 16, 2002. Definately a marginal possibility to watch for.
I believe you are taking a point of view that is slightly too purist for general convention. A role-playing game is, after all, a game where you take actions within the confines of a role. You must deal with the many issues that such a role would throw at you.
For example, the player Red is a Pokemon trainer. He must deal with buying Poke Balls, dealing with trainers, and winning badges. He cannot be expected to achieve the presidency; that is not in his role.
Agreeably, this definition is slightly broad. Under this definition, Super Mario Bros. is a very, very weak RPG. However, Morrowind or Neverwinter Nights is also a very weak RPG, as you must create a character as you go along. There is no 'role', as you must define one for yourself. MMORPG's are not RPG's anymore.
I agree. Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal made several provisions for backward-compatibility:
Perhaps Mister Mattern has not said Pokemon games; if so, then, he cannot be blamed for his blatently incorrect statements.
However...
Nintendo realises a loophole in this system. If you have a copy of Red and a copy of Gold, you can trade your starting Pokemon from Gold to Red. In Red, this Pokemon can be trained in Unknown Dungeon to, say, level 55. Upon returning to Red, however, the trainer would not need a badge to control this Pokemon, since the ID number states that this Pokemon did, in fact, belong to said trainer. Badges are only necessary to control Pokemon whose original trainer (OT) is different.
This system of incompatibility ensures that cheaper ways out of actually training Pokemon is relatively eliminated. Nevertheless, I do agree that Nintendo shot themselves in the foot with making Ruby/Sapphire incompatible.
Yes, and when they break down and start clogging your arteries with silicon and steel, it may truly become (at least in the beginning) a truly killer app.
Sarcasm aside, though, this idea certainly shows a great deal of promise. Heart disease as we know it may be drastically reduced. I'm all for it if it works properly.
Thanks for the video
Sorry about that comment earlier then
Excuse my pessimism
The entire reason why I'd like to shy away from SUV's is that their height and narrowness can easily cause the center of balance to shift in such a way as to cause danger. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't quiiite think a narrow little car like this one taking a gentle highway/freeway curve at even 60mph/110km/h is saying much for safety. I did read TFM, and there was some sort of balancing method, but I didn't understand it completely. On top of that, I don't care how great the rollcage is--if it crashes and I don't die or get seriously wounded, I still won't be particularly happy. Because it just crashed. I still lose a car.
First of all, seeing all of these flamebaits means one thing, and one thing only.
I wasn't clear enough earlier. Sorry everyone!
Okay, here's take 2:
And of course the obligatory comments about how SVG is easier to script for. (More compatible: DOM/ECMAScript, etc.)
The main point of my post was finding a method that would entail the least amount of updating and overall work over the long run. I admit that GNU/Linux is not a threat yet. It is already excellent, but it has not yet worked its way through the market, and it is not yet perfect. However, it is inevitable that Linux will, at the very least, keep its current user base size for some time to come, and this is a substantial enough amount to avoid alienating, if possible.
I would like to clarify this for you slightly. The moral of that post was to show how unfunny tongue cancer really is. Considering the wisecrack in the story, this bring-us-down-to-reality post shows a lot of insight on the part of the poster.
I hope you, as well as JThaddeus, take some time to give this a bit of reflection.
Internet Explorer 5 and above are very widely-used. However, they are still flawed browsers and, due to the announcement that these browsers will no longer be updated as standalone applications, many people may switch to another browser. Also, those using a Unix-based platform (read: GNU/Linux) no longer have any viable way of using Internet Explorer. If it is not easy to change back and forth, the already limited audience VML will reach even less as time goes on.
As an opinion only, if SVG is an option, it may be best in the long run. Assuming it is not easy to acrobatically jump from one option to the next (if that was possible, you could serve VML to IE 5.5+ and SVG to Mozilla, and some raster format for any other browsers), SVG holds the best promise. SVG is already supported as a plug-in (much like flash). It is about to be tested as a native part of the Mozilla browser. Over time, compatibility will actually improve--not something Java or VML can say easily. Also, as compatibility improves, simple scripting can make the charts interactive or real-time (or other neat fancy stuff).
I was not going to be quite so thorough, but I might as well explain this a little further, should someone read this 'literal' interpretation the wrong way.
Microsoft is sick with GNU/Linux. Linux is almost viral to Microsoft. It does its job better than its Microsoft counterpart, and thus, like a diseased limb, that piece of Microsoft software is no longer marketable. Microsoft can say "OS/2" as much as they want, but it's no big threat. However, they assure us that they are dealing well with the Linux threat. We can then realise that it is, in fact, Linux that is causing Microsoft the most ailment.
I would recommend modding the parent up, as it hit the nail on the head, but I disagree that I was a troll in the grandparent post.
Seems Slashdotted--Here are some pics from Sony.com
Not so much a comment as a question...
What has really set the Vaio apart from ye olde everyday laptop was the interesting addition of the integrated still/video camera. Are there any other manufacturers out who do this? Also...is it really usable as an integrated camera?
Perhaps, though, the great deal of manufacturers is more of a blessing. Admittedly, this is a blessing that is not yet being harvested. A mindset change--as hard as it is--might allow these manufacturers to work together towards things users (if only the elite users who understand mainboards) want. This, instead of "Standards are good. Let's make one."
One-sentence summary:
The article appears to focus on an inititive from Anandtech to unify the thoughts of 13 major mainboard manufacturing big bosses to point the industry where it wants to go.
Personally, however, I am not completely in favour of such an idea. I am not knowledgeable in hardware design/manufacture. I do know, however, that in the software world (or perhaps only in free/open-source/open-minded software), a large group of people slowly nudge a project where the users want it to go. Besides the obvious difference that hardware is very physical, what stops a group of people with common interests to draft up their own freely-distrubutable mainboard specs and see if they can start a bit of a new way of thinking? Perhaps the bar is raised too high already? Or am I missing something?
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/07/17/10580 35125683.html
The Google link does not appear to work.
Absolutely stunning visual art is absolutely necessary. For the new version of Tetris coming out soon.
That was only a fictional scenario, but I'd like you to consider that for a while. I have played the new game Tetris Worlds. It was graphically very appealing. However, I am at a point where I find some graphics take away from a game. Tetris Worlds was not a bad game, but a lot of the graphics were overkill. The same could be said for any other game where graphics are embellishments rather than true improvements to the game experience. Who would want to play Tetris while the field rotates and blinks and flashes?
The fact is that graphics are very important to a smooth-looking and appealing game. However, they should be used in moderation, to prevent taking away from the game. Unfortunately, with the expectations that gamers of today have come to expect, it will be more and more difficult to make a good, simple game with good, simple graphics. Time to find a job at EnixSquare...
There is a very real chance that you will die from Ebola. Considering you are a healthy person, that chance is very low. Mentioning Ebola by name will not increase your risk.
Now imagine that you are talking to your friends. If you are truly sick with cancer (knock on wood), it is unlikely that you will tell your friends, "I have a low chance of dying from Ebola." Instead, you might say, "My cancer treatment is currently doing well. I'm fine--but thanks for your concern though."
At this point, your odds of dying of cancer are much higher than your odds of dying of Ebola. You mention cancer because you are actively seeking to reduce its effects, and perhaps even eliminate it.
Imagine you are Microsoft. Take this example, and for each instance of Ebola, insert the name "OS/2 Warp" instead. Now replace cancer with "GNU/Linux". You may quickly realise Microsoft's predicament at this point.
The thing that you must realise is that GNU/Linux is not trying to cut market share out from under Apple. Apple, if anything, has been friendly towards Free Software in general (or at least not showing a passionate hatred as Microsoft does). Linux will bloom, but so will Apple, for their respective reasons. Linux is powerful and robust. Apple is simple and elegant. Microsoft is, to be impartial, moving towards all of these goals, and they're not doing badly if users want a few advantages from each world. Unfortunately, for most people, this is slowly becoming insufficient, and it is from Microsoft's inflated market share that both the competing technologies will draw their user base.
Despite this, I believe that GNU/Linux will slowly surpass Apple. Linux simply has too much momentum behind it, and its development is moving swiftly and strongly. Apple will continue to grow, however, so don't write its obituary quiiiite yet.
I agree with you quite wholeheartedly. What is the downfall of your argument is the assumption that people will patch because it is good for the software and for the general health of the computer. A great deal of people, though, donâ(TM)t patch their computers. Even with automatic update, it is still a hassle to reboot the computer every time the damned icon appears, so many people just ignore it. Moreso, Office does not have automatic update.
If you truly want to be worm-free, the same advice goes for all E-mail clients: Be well-informed, and update often. Use anti-virus software, but, no matter what you do, donâ(TM)t become lazy or ignorant.
Good luck, everyone
Déjà vu?
When
I
Need
Downtime,
Operate
Windows
Server