"Microsoft will block users running counterfeit copies of Windows..."
No, try this rewording instead:
"Microsoft will block users not running WGA certified copies of Windows..."
It can be non-counterfeit and yet not registered or certified by the Windows Genuine "Advantage" stuff. It can even be non-counterfeit and REJECTED by WGA.
Yeah, I don't know why people keep suggesting such expensive and complex stuff for his "project". It isn't a project- he is just photographing a few pages.
You could just fix them in Gimp.
Anyway, as others have suggested, there is Scan Tailor, which is FOSS and multiplatform (and GUI)
Mr/Ms Anonymous Coward (which is a good description), you really should watch your foul language and condescending wording. It just makes you sound foolish, childish, and repulsive. It is a shame, because a few things you have to say might otherwise have some validity and interest...
That kind of reform rarely can come from within. It usually takes external pressure and competition. 3rd parties can do just that... but only if there is a real chance they can compete- and that cannot happen without voting reform like instant runoff voting. http://instantrunoff.com/
Yes, of course it takes compromise to get things done. But assuming that a 3rd party, like Libertarians, are "no more than 15% different" than Republicans or Democrats is a ridiculous statement. For one thing, it is apparent (from my observations, anyway) that both Republicans AND Democrats are for more taxes, more laws, more power in the Federal Government, and less personal freedom (just in different ways). Libertarians are the exact opposite on all of those.
An extreme Libertarian would dismantle most of the government, would have no protections for the environment, would abolish all social programs, would remove all government regulation of business, would pull out of the United Nations, etc.
There are degrees in everything in life. I tend to side with Libertarianism with most issues. Being a moderate would mean I would not agree with everything, and would compromise on other things.
I honestly think it is impossible to have any real 3rd party power in the US as long as you can only cast a single vote. People perceive that any vote for a 3rd party is like a vote for another party that they really don't want. Perception is reality in this case.
Instant runoff voting would free people to vote for who/what they really want, without worrying their vote will count for nothing if their first choice has no chance. It is a system that can really work, based on the way humans really think and behave.
http://instantrunoff.com/
You are right. People are quick to mark anything as flamebait or troll if they just have a different opinion.
And my GP post was not meant to be flamebait, either, but someone tagged it that way. Really, with a story like this posted to Slashdot, one might think ANY reply would be flamebait or a troll.
> This situation is actually just plain old capitalism.
No it is not. In a free, capitalist market, the government does not "loan" nor "give" corporations money, nor does it "bail them out". Companies are supposed to seek private investments, sell stock, woo investment brokers, etc. THAT is capitalism. The role of the government should be only to set and enforce the ground rules (protect the environment, prevent monopolies, stop extortion, etc).
> Soo... there is this 8 billion dollars pile of money...
And therein is an even bigger problem. There *isn't* an 8 billion dollar pile of money. Instead, there is a 10 *trillion* dollar public debt and growing all the time. "More recently the debt increased from $5,629 billion to $9,926 billion during the George W. Bush presidency from 2000 to 2008. The debt is now projected to double under the Obama presidency to a level close to 97% of GDP".
Actually, I am a realistic and moderate Libertarian. I don't believe the state should tell people what to do with their bodies, I don't believe in so much government (and taxes). I believe in more personal freedom *AND* responsibility that goes with it (including the ability to fail and suffer). But I understand the need for regulation and fair markets plus inclusion in the world economy and affairs (...to a point).
Extreme Libertarianism doesn't work any more than extreme anything.
But one thing is for sure, without REAL competition in the party system, there can be no real change. Even if people are not "for" any of the so-called "third parties", they should still support the idea of it being POSSIBLE for "third parties" to really participate and put real pressure on the "two parties". Choice is good. It is good for people, it is good for business, it is good for government. The way the system is setup now, there is no real choice... your vote only really works for the Republicrats or the Democans.
People wanted "change", and Socialism is what they voted for and what they are getting. Is this coming as some surprise?
Don't blame me... I wasted my vote, as usual... Libertarian. Nothing will ever be fixed until we get rid of the only-two-party-system. That means instant-runoff voting and elimination of the electoral college.
>"If you want unlimited music, unlimited games and unlimited movies -- get unlimited off-peak broadband downloads from AAPT."
Sorry, with advertising like that, they should get at least a little legal attention. Nothing wrong with "unlimited" Internet, but they should be more careful with their ads...
Buy our gun- Unlimited killing and shooting in malls. Buy our car- Super fast for unlimited speeding and running over children. Buy our stereo- If you want unlimited power and volume for annoying your neighbors.
Just about anything "good" can be used for "bad". Now, if they had said:
"If you want unlimited bandwidth for video conferencing, system backups, online gaming, browsing, and streaming video & music" the whole flavor changes considerably.
Make sure to tell them that if they are a REAL school, they then should teach the *CONCEPTS* of using word processing, spreadsheet, etc. Teaching to a specific program only (MS-Office) is a cop-out. It is far more valuable to be flexible than to memorize a specific program.
> It seems nobody has created a new tablet like this in quite sometime
Because it seems nobody really wants tablet (slate) computers. They are really neat and cool, until you have to *use* them. Then you usually find out that the interface is awkward, viewing the screen is uncomfortable, holding them is strange, and typing on a real keyboard is 100 times faster than trying to "write" or touch virtual keys one at a time.
Sure, there are some specific applications where they work quite well... but there aren't that many such applications. So demand is low and prices are high. This is one reason manufacturers started flirting with so-called "convertible" tablets- really just a standard notebook but with a swivel, flip tablet-like screen. Of course, those have issues too- they tend to be more fragile, more expensive, and heavier than just a plain notebook.
I mean, how can they make it ANY easier? I plug in the Pre to a USB port, I copy over music files to any directory I want, I sync/unplug the Pre. Done! It doesn't require or need iTunes. Besides, iTunes doesn't run on Linux or BSD, but using usbstorage to copy over the files works on *EVERYTHING*. No cost, nothing to download, nothing to install, nothing to configure, no "end user license agreements", no Internet required, no registration, no spyware, no special accounts, no magic daemons running.
Guess what? You can do the same thing for pictures and videos, too. It is simple, fast, easy.
As a Pre user, I find the waste of time and energy on this iTunes compatibility thing frustrating when there are plenty of other, BETTER uses of Palm's development time and energy.
You do realize that your analogy is exactly BACKWARDS. It is the TEST STRIPS that cost a fortune, the meters are what is free. It works that way with most consumer products... the "supplies" are what is expensive. The razor is nearly free, the blades cost a fortune. The shower cleaner spray thing is cheap, the spray itself is expensive. Etc...
For the very longest time Sprint has had the fastest data network of all the carriers in the USA. They have very good coverage and the lowest prices per speed you can get. The biggest "problem" with Sprint has been CDMA.... but that didn't stop Verizon from becoming the largest customer base using CMDA, did it?
In the US, it is T-Mobile that has been most "lame"- worst coverage and slowest data. They are the ones that wanted to be "cool", and did so by offering the first Android phone.
There is an interesting pattern to this- Verizon, the largest in the US, also has the tightest control, and least open and flexible handsets offered. Seems the less popular the network, the more freedom comes with it (presumably to combat the lower popularity).
Sprint has done well with the Linux based Palm Pre and Android is just about to come out from Sprint also. Meanwhile, all AT&T has is the iphone, and Verizon has no Android, no Pre, no Nokia 900, no iphone. So which is more "lame"?
>If you buy phones from the manufacturer, then you are the customer and you get an unlocked phone.
That might SOUND great, and all, but
1) Many carriers will not let you use unlocked phones on their network 2) Many manufacturers will not sell unlocked phones directly to consumers 3) When purchased unlocked, they usually jack the price up WAY beyond what the networks are paying for them 4) Even unlocked, you are still trapped with only a few compatible network choices (with most handsets)
I hate the contract-based, anti-competition, anti-consumer, crappy system that is in the US, too; but to suggested I really wield much power over it isn't all that realistic:(
> I'd love to see an open platform, perhaps built on Linux or BSD and running truly open userland software, that offered the same type of services the major players in the market now seem to have a stranglehold on.
Well, that is exactly what the Nokia N900 is supposed to be. I don't think anyone knows if it has a remote kill yet. I have a Nokia 770 & 810 and neither does, but they are not phones. Meanwhile...
1) The iPhone has a remote kill switch. 2) The Palm WebOS (Pre) is based on Linux. But it has a remote kill switch (sure, it can be hacked or turned off, but it is there). 3) Android is based on Linux. But it has a remote kill switch (not sure if it has ever been used). 4) While not a phone, the Amazon Kindle is based on Linux. But it has a remote kill switch.
People like us find it deplorable, but the carriers wield a LOT of power. They can make or break a phone or platform. Attempts have been made at a TRULY/EXTREMELY open based Linux phone before (OpenMoko sound familiar?) and they have never succeeded. So, being Linux based doesn't mean it will really be "open", nor killswitch-free.
Although I HATE the idea of someone having any type of forced control over any device I own, I understand why they are doing it.
Not any of the ones *I* saw at Walmart. And I tried them ALL. EVERY SINGLE SET flickered like a son of a *****. It was obvious they were not using any type of advanced power supply at all.
I just wrote to my congressman asking him to oppose all such legislation that violates citizens' privacy. Rather than complain to Slashdot, complain to your representatives. It takes only a few minutes and it is a lot more important!
This is outrageous! I have something that already tracks my mileage, it is called an ODOMETER. I am on the lowest tier of my car insurance and every few years they ask me for odometer reading and I give it to them. Wow, that was so hard. No tracking. No high-tech.
If they need to extend this concept for taxing, fine. Drop 100% of the gas tax and go to a mileage tax based only on the odometer reading. Make it part of an annual inspection (that most states have anyway). But I will NOT install some government sponsored tracking device in my vehicles. Period.
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Palm seems to have no problem with it. The Palm Pre is going to be the first phone to support Flash:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpI6gA9cuME
http://www.precentral.net/adobe-flash-player-101-demod-pre
But using it after receiving it would be
"Microsoft will block users running counterfeit copies of Windows..."
No, try this rewording instead:
"Microsoft will block users not running WGA certified copies of Windows..."
It can be non-counterfeit and yet not registered or certified by the Windows Genuine "Advantage" stuff. It can even be non-counterfeit and REJECTED by WGA.
Yeah, I don't know why people keep suggesting such expensive and complex stuff for his "project". It isn't a project- he is just photographing a few pages.
You could just fix them in Gimp.
Anyway, as others have suggested, there is Scan Tailor, which is FOSS and multiplatform (and GUI)
http://sourceforge.net/project/screenshots.php?group_id=227253&ssid=90796
Mr/Ms Anonymous Coward (which is a good description), you really should watch your foul language and condescending wording. It just makes you sound foolish, childish, and repulsive. It is a shame, because a few things you have to say might otherwise have some validity and interest...
That kind of reform rarely can come from within. It usually takes external pressure and competition. 3rd parties can do just that... but only if there is a real chance they can compete- and that cannot happen without voting reform like instant runoff voting. http://instantrunoff.com/
Yes, of course it takes compromise to get things done. But assuming that a 3rd party, like Libertarians, are "no more than 15% different" than Republicans or Democrats is a ridiculous statement. For one thing, it is apparent (from my observations, anyway) that both Republicans AND Democrats are for more taxes, more laws, more power in the Federal Government, and less personal freedom (just in different ways). Libertarians are the exact opposite on all of those.
An extreme Libertarian would dismantle most of the government, would have no protections for the environment, would abolish all social programs, would remove all government regulation of business, would pull out of the United Nations, etc.
There are degrees in everything in life. I tend to side with Libertarianism with most issues. Being a moderate would mean I would not agree with everything, and would compromise on other things.
I honestly think it is impossible to have any real 3rd party power in the US as long as you can only cast a single vote. People perceive that any vote for a 3rd party is like a vote for another party that they really don't want. Perception is reality in this case. Instant runoff voting would free people to vote for who/what they really want, without worrying their vote will count for nothing if their first choice has no chance. It is a system that can really work, based on the way humans really think and behave. http://instantrunoff.com/
You are right. People are quick to mark anything as flamebait or troll if they just have a different opinion.
And my GP post was not meant to be flamebait, either, but someone tagged it that way. Really, with a story like this posted to Slashdot, one might think ANY reply would be flamebait or a troll.
Oh well.
> This situation is actually just plain old capitalism.
No it is not. In a free, capitalist market, the government does not "loan" nor "give" corporations money, nor does it "bail them out". Companies are supposed to seek private investments, sell stock, woo investment brokers, etc. THAT is capitalism. The role of the government should be only to set and enforce the ground rules (protect the environment, prevent monopolies, stop extortion, etc).
> Soo... there is this 8 billion dollars pile of money...
And therein is an even bigger problem. There *isn't* an 8 billion dollar pile of money. Instead, there is a 10 *trillion* dollar public debt and growing all the time. "More recently the debt increased from $5,629 billion to $9,926 billion during the George W. Bush presidency from 2000 to 2008. The debt is now projected to double under the Obama presidency to a level close to 97% of GDP".
Actually, I am a realistic and moderate Libertarian. I don't believe the state should tell people what to do with their bodies, I don't believe in so much government (and taxes). I believe in more personal freedom *AND* responsibility that goes with it (including the ability to fail and suffer). But I understand the need for regulation and fair markets plus inclusion in the world economy and affairs (...to a point).
Extreme Libertarianism doesn't work any more than extreme anything.
But one thing is for sure, without REAL competition in the party system, there can be no real change. Even if people are not "for" any of the so-called "third parties", they should still support the idea of it being POSSIBLE for "third parties" to really participate and put real pressure on the "two parties". Choice is good. It is good for people, it is good for business, it is good for government. The way the system is setup now, there is no real choice... your vote only really works for the Republicrats or the Democans.
People wanted "change", and Socialism is what they voted for and what they are getting. Is this coming as some surprise?
Don't blame me... I wasted my vote, as usual... Libertarian. Nothing will ever be fixed until we get rid of the only-two-party-system. That means instant-runoff voting and elimination of the electoral college.
>"If you want unlimited music, unlimited games and unlimited movies -- get unlimited off-peak broadband downloads from AAPT."
Sorry, with advertising like that, they should get at least a little legal attention. Nothing wrong with "unlimited" Internet, but they should be more careful with their ads...
Buy our gun- Unlimited killing and shooting in malls.
Buy our car- Super fast for unlimited speeding and running over children.
Buy our stereo- If you want unlimited power and volume for annoying your neighbors.
Just about anything "good" can be used for "bad". Now, if they had said:
"If you want unlimited bandwidth for video conferencing, system backups, online gaming, browsing, and streaming video & music" the whole flavor changes considerably.
Make sure to tell them that if they are a REAL school, they then should teach the *CONCEPTS* of using word processing, spreadsheet, etc. Teaching to a specific program only (MS-Office) is a cop-out. It is far more valuable to be flexible than to memorize a specific program.
> It seems nobody has created a new tablet like this in quite sometime
Because it seems nobody really wants tablet (slate) computers. They are really neat and cool, until you have to *use* them. Then you usually find out that the interface is awkward, viewing the screen is uncomfortable, holding them is strange, and typing on a real keyboard is 100 times faster than trying to "write" or touch virtual keys one at a time.
Sure, there are some specific applications where they work quite well... but there aren't that many such applications. So demand is low and prices are high. This is one reason manufacturers started flirting with so-called "convertible" tablets- really just a standard notebook but with a swivel, flip tablet-like screen. Of course, those have issues too- they tend to be more fragile, more expensive, and heavier than just a plain notebook.
I certainly don't.
I mean, how can they make it ANY easier? I plug in the Pre to a USB port, I copy over music files to any directory I want, I sync/unplug the Pre. Done! It doesn't require or need iTunes. Besides, iTunes doesn't run on Linux or BSD, but using usbstorage to copy over the files works on *EVERYTHING*. No cost, nothing to download, nothing to install, nothing to configure, no "end user license agreements", no Internet required, no registration, no spyware, no special accounts, no magic daemons running.
Guess what? You can do the same thing for pictures and videos, too. It is simple, fast, easy.
As a Pre user, I find the waste of time and energy on this iTunes compatibility thing frustrating when there are plenty of other, BETTER uses of Palm's development time and energy.
You do realize that your analogy is exactly BACKWARDS. It is the TEST STRIPS that cost a fortune, the meters are what is free. It works that way with most consumer products... the "supplies" are what is expensive. The razor is nearly free, the blades cost a fortune. The shower cleaner spray thing is cheap, the spray itself is expensive. Etc...
>This design may work well for a small system with limited hardware
Like Apple...
Lame?? Please define.
For the very longest time Sprint has had the fastest data network of all the carriers in the USA. They have very good coverage and the lowest prices per speed you can get. The biggest "problem" with Sprint has been CDMA.... but that didn't stop Verizon from becoming the largest customer base using CMDA, did it?
In the US, it is T-Mobile that has been most "lame"- worst coverage and slowest data. They are the ones that wanted to be "cool", and did so by offering the first Android phone.
There is an interesting pattern to this- Verizon, the largest in the US, also has the tightest control, and least open and flexible handsets offered. Seems the less popular the network, the more freedom comes with it (presumably to combat the lower popularity).
Sprint has done well with the Linux based Palm Pre and Android is just about to come out from Sprint also. Meanwhile, all AT&T has is the iphone, and Verizon has no Android, no Pre, no Nokia 900, no iphone. So which is more "lame"?
>If you buy phones from the manufacturer, then you are the customer and you get an unlocked phone.
That might SOUND great, and all, but
1) Many carriers will not let you use unlocked phones on their network
2) Many manufacturers will not sell unlocked phones directly to consumers
3) When purchased unlocked, they usually jack the price up WAY beyond what the networks are paying for them
4) Even unlocked, you are still trapped with only a few compatible network choices (with most handsets)
I hate the contract-based, anti-competition, anti-consumer, crappy system that is in the US, too; but to suggested I really wield much power over it isn't all that realistic :(
Meanwhile, the Palm Pre has had Google Voice, first unofficially (as homebrew) and now as official (through the app catalog); and both free:
http://www.precentral.net/app-catalog-gets-google-voice-app-and-much-more
http://www.precentral.net/homebrew-apps/gdial-pro-google-voice-app
So... why is Sprint OK with Google Voice when AT&T is not?
> I'd love to see an open platform, perhaps built on Linux or BSD and running truly open userland software, that offered the same type of services the major players in the market now seem to have a stranglehold on.
Well, that is exactly what the Nokia N900 is supposed to be. I don't think anyone knows if it has a remote kill yet. I have a Nokia 770 & 810 and neither does, but they are not phones. Meanwhile...
1) The iPhone has a remote kill switch.
2) The Palm WebOS (Pre) is based on Linux. But it has a remote kill switch (sure, it can be hacked or turned off, but it is there).
3) Android is based on Linux. But it has a remote kill switch (not sure if it has ever been used).
4) While not a phone, the Amazon Kindle is based on Linux. But it has a remote kill switch.
People like us find it deplorable, but the carriers wield a LOT of power. They can make or break a phone or platform. Attempts have been made at a TRULY/EXTREMELY open based Linux phone before (OpenMoko sound familiar?) and they have never succeeded. So, being Linux based doesn't mean it will really be "open", nor killswitch-free.
Although I HATE the idea of someone having any type of forced control over any device I own, I understand why they are doing it.
Not any of the ones *I* saw at Walmart. And I tried them ALL. EVERY SINGLE SET flickered like a son of a *****. It was obvious they were not using any type of advanced power supply at all.
Reply to self:
I just wrote to my congressman asking him to oppose all such legislation that violates citizens' privacy. Rather than complain to Slashdot, complain to your representatives. It takes only a few minutes and it is a lot more important!
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
This is outrageous! I have something that already tracks my mileage, it is called an ODOMETER. I am on the lowest tier of my car insurance and every few years they ask me for odometer reading and I give it to them. Wow, that was so hard. No tracking. No high-tech.
If they need to extend this concept for taxing, fine. Drop 100% of the gas tax and go to a mileage tax based only on the odometer reading. Make it part of an annual inspection (that most states have anyway). But I will NOT install some government sponsored tracking device in my vehicles. Period.