One of the major advantages of the World Calendar is that dates will always be the same day of the week.
For example Dec 25 is on a Monday this year, next year and every year. Most institutions have to plan their calendars years in advanced and figure out which days are going to be holidays and each year it is different.
Holidays, vacations, schedules, annual events could be planned with more consistency.
I don't think my post is off-topic as it addresses the apathy that has grown in the Linux community. Why are Linux users moving to Mac OS X? Is the community too fragmented?
I don't think it is entirely a bad thing as I think there is a lot we can learn from Apple. I think we have already seen many people rethinking Linux on the Desktop in light of having experienced Mac OS X.
Seriously though what I have seen is an exodus away from Linux on the Desktop and to Mac OS X. Instead of spending time developing Linux, developers are spending more time on developing FOSS on their Macs and deploying on Linux servers.
When it comes down to being productive, Mac OS X just makes sense for a lot of folks.
What does this mean and how should the Linux community respond? The reality of the situation for Linux is there are too many competing distributions and not enough focus(56 flavors and they all taste like chicken). Perhaps we will see some consolidation? Who knows?
Maybe it's not Apple but the record companies setting the price. Maybe it has something to do with the UK not using the Euro like everyone else. Maybe it is because of the higher cost of running a different store for each country.
If you think the price is to high the don't use it. There are plenty of M$ alternatives. Take your pick.
I have owned dozens of Macs and Apple portables. Twice I had to send a portable to Apple for repair(once my PowerBook and the other time my wife's iBook).
Both times the box arrived the next morning and both times the unit was returned in 2 days. While Apple's way is not the PC industry's way, I'll take Apple quality and service any day over the PC industry's poor quality and convenient, poor service.
According to Think Secret, Illustrator CS2 is being re-compiled as a Mach-O application, which should result in some much needed performance advantages.
A friend of mine was visiting San Francisco and while driving across the Golden Gate Bridge saw a big expensive Mercedes Benz with the license plate PIXAR. Knowing I was a huge fan of Steve Jobs she called me to tell me. I told her to describe him. She said he had a beard and was wearing a dress shirt. I realized it couldn't be Jobs because he wasn't sporting a beard at the time and wouldn't be wearing a dress shirt. I realized it was probably Ed Catmull.
Then my friend starts going "Ewwwww Ewww Ewww!" I asked what happend. "He's picking his nose! I mean he is really digging!" Ed Catmull picks his nose!
If everyone had only 6-10 apps in their dock then yes, labels would be better than icons.
I currently have 37 icons in my dock and it's only 10AM. by noon I will probably have 40-50. I have a 23" Cinema Display and could theoretically load up my dock with 115 icons with little decline in actual usability. Text would all start to look the same very quickly.
There is also a difference between usability and learnability (i'm not sure if that is a real word, if not you heard it here first). It takes some time to learn how to use the OSX dock. But after using it for a while and getting familiar with the placement of icons. It BECOMES very usable. Think about when you are in the supermarket and you are looking down the isles. You don't have to read every package label. You can recognize your favorite cereal box from clear across the store because our brains are great at pattern recognition. The OSX dock plays on this strength.
"Everyone I suggested a mac mini too wants a COMPLETE system."
Utter B.S. Apple's market research showed that PC owners do NOT want complete systems. Most have spent big bucks on a 17-19" LCD and do NOT want to buy another one. Several PC users I know are craving a Mac mini but kicking themselves because they just bought a PC less than a year ago.
"Geeks are fed up with the status quo,... they are not going to go out and buy an Apple. I can only think of one Linux person among the techies I know who even considered it."
Welcome to Slashdot. You must be new here or have your head in the sand. Over the past couple years I've seen thousands of "I've switched from Linux to Mac" posts on these forums.
You can delete iTunes, iPhoto, Safari and Mail, and replace them with 3rd party solutions. They are not integrated into the OS in such a way that they can't be removed.
For example if you remove IE from your PC...no more Windows Update.
Why doesn't everybody buy YUGOs, GEOs and KIAs. They are much cheaper cars and can drive just like any other car right?
We spend a lot of time in our cars use them for important things and hence we want QUALITY. When people buy cars they want a car that is comfortable and reliable! What if your cars engine needed to be reinstalled every couple months?
When consumers first started buying computers they were mostly a novelty and not critical to daily life. This is not the case any more. People use computers to do their banking, investing, shopping, entertainment(music & games), preserving their memories(photos & movies), etc.
As a result people want computers that offer QUALITY at a good price! Most Windows based PCs will give you a good price but not the kind of user experience the average consumer expects.
Apple is delivering an unrivaled level of QUALITY at a good price with the Mac mini. Most consumers WANT the kind of utopian computing experience that Apple offers. Unfortunately, MOST don't know such a place even exists. As more people are getting fed up with the status quo they are looking for alternatives and Apple is slowly getting the word out.
Technically speaking older Macs can be booted from a USB thumb drive if you are using OS 9. I used to use a 128MB thumb drive with OS 9 for troubleshooting.
But now that all the Macs running OS 9 have been phased out I don't need that anymore. Now I can boot the machines using a remote disk image stored on an XServe. I love OS X!
>firewire 800 is still not in mainstream use, and the same goes for gigabit ethernet.
PowerBooks are not mainstream computers. They are "Power" Books. They are designed for professionals who need powerful computers. All PowerMacs and PowerBooks have GigE and FW800 except the 12" PB. I think these are both important to professionals.
Slashdot Mirror
One of the major advantages of the World Calendar is that dates will always be the same day of the week.
For example Dec 25 is on a Monday this year, next year and every year. Most institutions have to plan their calendars years in advanced and figure out which days are going to be holidays and each year it is different.
Holidays, vacations, schedules, annual events could be planned with more consistency.
Its time for calendar reform.t ml
http://personal.ecu.edu/mccartyr/world-calendar.h
Once for all!
And while we are at it how about going metric too!
I'm there.
I'm hoping it is the truly revolutionary pointing device i'm expecting and not just another mouse.
I don't think my post is off-topic as it addresses the apathy that has grown in the Linux community. Why are Linux users moving to Mac OS X? Is the community too fragmented?
I don't think it is entirely a bad thing as I think there is a lot we can learn from Apple. I think we have already seen many people rethinking Linux on the Desktop in light of having experienced Mac OS X.
Seriously though what I have seen is an exodus away from Linux on the Desktop and to Mac OS X. Instead of spending time developing Linux, developers are spending more time on developing FOSS on their Macs and deploying on Linux servers.
When it comes down to being productive, Mac OS X just makes sense for a lot of folks.
What does this mean and how should the Linux community respond? The reality of the situation for Linux is there are too many competing distributions and not enough focus(56 flavors and they all taste like chicken). Perhaps we will see some consolidation? Who knows?
Microsoft has a monopoly on evil.
This has been proven in a court of law of multiple continents.
Maybe it's not Apple but the record companies setting the price.
Maybe it has something to do with the UK not using the Euro like everyone else.
Maybe it is because of the higher cost of running a different store for each country.
If you think the price is to high the don't use it. There are plenty of M$ alternatives. Take your pick.
I have owned dozens of Macs and Apple portables.
Twice I had to send a portable to Apple for repair(once my PowerBook and the other time my wife's iBook).
Both times the box arrived the next morning and both times the unit was returned in 2 days. While Apple's way is not the PC industry's way, I'll take Apple quality and service any day over the PC industry's poor quality and convenient, poor service.
According to Think Secret, Illustrator CS2 is being re-compiled as a Mach-O application, which should result in some much needed performance advantages.
Sorry, I couldn't help myself.
The Reality Distortion Field made me do it!
Thanks for the idea.
My church has the same problem.
Perhaps it wasn't 70 million years?
A friend of mine was visiting San Francisco and while driving across the Golden Gate Bridge saw a big expensive Mercedes Benz with the license plate PIXAR. Knowing I was a huge fan of Steve Jobs she called me to tell me. I told her to describe him. She said he had a beard and was wearing a dress shirt. I realized it couldn't be Jobs because he wasn't sporting a beard at the time and wouldn't be wearing a dress shirt. I realized it was probably Ed Catmull.
Then my friend starts going "Ewwwww Ewww Ewww!" I asked what happend. "He's picking his nose! I mean he is really digging!" Ed Catmull picks his nose!
If everyone had only 6-10 apps in their dock then yes, labels would be better than icons.
I currently have 37 icons in my dock and it's only 10AM. by noon I will probably have 40-50. I have a 23" Cinema Display and could theoretically load up my dock with 115 icons with little decline in actual usability. Text would all start to look the same very quickly.
There is also a difference between usability and learnability (i'm not sure if that is a real word, if not you heard it here first).
It takes some time to learn how to use the OSX dock. But after using it for a while and getting familiar with the placement of icons. It BECOMES very usable. Think about when you are in the supermarket and you are looking down the isles. You don't have to read every package label. You can recognize your favorite cereal box from clear across the store because our brains are great at pattern recognition. The OSX dock plays on this strength.
Steve doesn't drink coffee.
I read your full post and completely disagree.
... they are not going to go out and buy an Apple. I can only think of one Linux person among the techies I know who even considered it."
"Everyone I suggested a mac mini too wants a COMPLETE system."
Utter B.S. Apple's market research showed that PC owners do NOT want complete systems. Most have spent big bucks on a 17-19" LCD and do NOT want to buy another one. Several PC users I know are craving a Mac mini but kicking themselves because they just bought a PC less than a year ago.
"Geeks are fed up with the status quo,
Welcome to Slashdot. You must be new here or have your head in the sand. Over the past couple years I've seen thousands of "I've switched from Linux to Mac" posts on these forums.
You can delete iTunes, iPhoto, Safari and Mail, and replace them with 3rd party solutions. They are not integrated into the OS in such a way that they can't be removed.
For example if you remove IE from your PC...no more Windows Update.
Its QUALITY at a good price!
Why doesn't everybody buy YUGOs, GEOs and KIAs. They are much cheaper cars and can drive just like any other car right?
We spend a lot of time in our cars use them for important things and hence we want QUALITY. When people buy cars they want a car that is comfortable and reliable! What if your cars engine needed to be reinstalled every couple months?
When consumers first started buying computers they were mostly a novelty and not critical to daily life. This is not the case any more. People use computers to do their banking, investing, shopping, entertainment(music & games), preserving their memories(photos & movies), etc.
As a result people want computers that offer QUALITY at a good price! Most Windows based PCs will give you a good price but not the kind of user experience the average consumer expects.
Apple is delivering an unrivaled level of QUALITY at a good price with the Mac mini. Most consumers WANT the kind of utopian computing experience that Apple offers. Unfortunately, MOST don't know such a place even exists. As more people are getting fed up with the status quo they are looking for alternatives and Apple is slowly getting the word out.
You can't believe a word he says.
A couple months ago he said "Apple isn't interested in competing in the sub $800 computer market." A few months later Apple released the Mac mini.
If you were willing to spend $399 for a 40GB,
why don't you spend $50 more and get the 60GB iPod Photo?
Sounds like a good deal to me.
I'm glad I waited.
supported white-lists? Isn't that reverse-racisim?
Technically speaking older Macs can be booted from a USB thumb drive if you are using OS 9. I used to use a 128MB thumb drive with OS 9 for troubleshooting.
But now that all the Macs running OS 9 have been phased out I don't need that anymore. Now I can boot the machines using a remote disk image stored on an XServe. I love OS X!
>firewire 800 is still not in mainstream use, and the same goes for gigabit ethernet.
PowerBooks are not mainstream computers. They are "Power" Books. They are designed for professionals who need powerful computers. All PowerMacs and PowerBooks have GigE and FW800 except the 12" PB. I think these are both important to professionals.
Point well taken. I stand corrected.
My apologies.
I've heard rumors the PowerBook G5(code name Inferno) has a self-healing case. I think its done using nanobots that mend the carbon-fiber shell. ;^)