The Internet can potentially allow a person to move from simply having a desire, to acting upon that desire.
However, it can also allow someone to satisfy that desire through sheer fantasy (written stories, role-playing, artwork, etc.), removing the need to act upon the desire in real life.
I think this applies to every aspect of human behavior, from the benign (sports, hobbies, etc.) to the harmful (murder, child abuse, etc.). The question becomes: is the 'net any worse than allowing the average person access to a public library, the phone system, and so forth? Any of these can either encourage behavior or provide a controlled (and harmless) outlet... it's all a matter of what the individual chooses to do.
And I think that's what many people miss in discussions like this. It all comes down to self-control and individual responsibility. One argument is that the 'net, through its anonymity, encourages people to deny responsibility and lose their self-control. The other argument is that anyone who does so was simply looking for an excuse to avoid responsibility anyway.
It's like people who claim that an AC/DC song 'encouraged' them to kill their girlfriend, or that comic books 'made' them think they can fly. The 'net cannot influence a person unless they choose to act upon their desires anyway.
True, the files are big. However, with a DVD-R drive, you can always offload them to discs. Heck, since this is Apple, I'd bet iDVD can turn them into standard DVDs for you, or you can back up the HD video to a DVD disc as a file.
A few years ago, I was a salesman at a small computer shop. We had a guy come in who wanted to buy a digital camera and a hard drive for offloading the photos to. However, they both had to be powered off standard alkaline batteries. Why?
Because he was going gold-mining in Siberia for three months during the summer. That means zero ability to recharge the camera, and he'd fill up a CF card pretty quick. Can't take a laptop... no way to recharge it. So, he needed a HD he could just take a box full of batteries to run it from.
We were able to help with the Camera (Canon rocks), but didn't have any options for a battery powered HD to put the photos on. This would have been perfect for his needs.
So, let me get this straight... it's a PvP area, and some lvl20 is harassing a lvl30. Generally being an idiot, interrupting his attempts to play or chat. Finally, lvl30 whaps the guy, or the guy runs into the area-affect of his fireball... and lvl30 gets a demotion for it.
Can you imagine how many idiots would create a lvl1 character solely for the purpose of harassing high-level characters to "punish" them for what they did to his real character?
I really detest this social convention. It basically permanently hinders your ability to get better as a player. If you can't stop an early rush, your never going to get good
What about those of us who just want to play a game and have fun, but can't get better?
Seriously. I've been playing *craft games since WC2, and I'm simply not good at building. I can't get it. By the time I have a small group of soldiers, I'm getting rushed by an entire friggin' army. Game over, fun over.
This is why I intend to include all my major login/password information in my will. It will be a document given to my next of kin as a stipulation in the will, so that they can:
1) Keep or remove my email & websites if they wish 2) Access the files on my (password protected) computer for keeping whatever they want. 3) Cancel any subscription-based services I'm signed up for, so that they don't keep getting bills monthly or annually. 4) Contact my friends whom I only know online, so that they are aware what's happened to me (and can pass that on to any mutual communities we're in).
I don't want to simply drop off the face of the 'net with no word.
Considering my mother has used less than a gigabyte of her 20 Gb HD, I don't think a 40 is small for the target audience.
No DVD
Uh, yes DVD. Not a burner, but it does have a DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive. And how often does my mother need to burn DVDs?
slow CPU
Let me guess, you're going by the Mhz, right? A 1.25 Ghz G4 is no slouch. Hell, my Powerbook is only an 867 Mhz G4 and (aside from high-end games) it does everything I need in a snappy manner. Mom's still doing just fine with a 600 Mhz G3.
small amount of ram
Okay, I'll give you this one. 256 is really the minimum 'comfort zone' for a Mac nowadays, and 512 is better. All things considered, though... the RAM is the only valid complaint you have in the lot.
That's the first time I've been accused of being a technofetishist. You should see my physical library of hardbacks. I detest paperbacks.:)
I find the readability on Palms to be acceptable. As good as a paperback, and far more convenient. You disagree.
It's preaching because you seem to think I'm absolutely wrong, when I'm just pointing out that other people do find PDAs and ebooks to be just fine and dandy right now. There's no chip on my shoulder.
You seem utterly convinced that non-DRM ebooks will never survive. I doubt that. Feel free to believe it if you wish, but from what I've seen, there's several copies of Dracula in both DRM and non-DRM versions around. The non-DRM ones aren't being prosecuted to oblivion yet, and I doubt ever will. Public domain and all.
And arguing on the environmental factors is dubious. Dedicated readers are probably going to waste dumps, yes. PDAs are being used... well, as PDAs, even when sold on eBay. Plus, the books you lose in the tub are paper that's been wasted. How much went into making your paperbacks? Disposable books aren't exactly helping the environment either.
Enjoy reading in the bathtub, and I'll enjoy having a library in my pocket. To each his own.
And, as you keep ignoring, you can have backups of the eBooks. A cheap PalmOS PDA off eBay + all your ebook files on the PC (DRM or not) means all you're out is a cheap PDA (about the price of a hardback).
So, your paperback or hardback book is ruined, get another. You still have the rest of your library in the other room.
Your PDA is ruined, get another. You still have your library (including the book you were reading) on the PC in the other room, so restore them to the new PDA.
Get your nose out of the air and try to look at situations from both sides. Preaching doesn't help anyone. Some folks find the risks acceptable (or don't read in the tub!).
Actually, the only difference in costs should be the physical printing and shipping of the books. Which are supplanted by paying someone to format the book for the various formats & then server space + bandwidth for the downloads.
Not entirely equivalent, but they're still eating the costs of the author, editors, advertising, layout & formatting, promotion, etc.
He did answer your question. You just didn't like the response. There is a difference.
It doesn't look as good on a PalmOS handheld because the resolution on those screens is still too low. However, another PC I use has a swivel-screen LCD, which can be turned to 'tall and skinny'. Because it has a higher resolution and larger physical size, it's actually better for web browsing than a traditional monitor when in this 'portrait' orientation.
Given a higher resolution (and possibly bit larger) screen, a PDA would be as useful for web browsing in a portable format.
Web pages are really made for tall & skinny screens, rather than 4x3 ratio ones. Less scrolling, all the same information, and still displayed properly.
Furthermore, as someone who has to read lots of PDFs that are far to large for him to sensibly print, THEY SUCK FOR READING ON A MONITOR.
In your opinion. I've read plenty of books in PDF format on my laptop. No problems whatsoever. So, your all-caps, no-other-answer response isn't universally true.
I'll echo some of the other posts: get yourself a cheap PalmOS PDA (preferably with an SD slot). I'd then download both eReader and iSilo, so you can read PalmOS-formatted books in the former and HTML formatted books in the latter.
Go and buy yourself a post card. Attach the sticker to the post card.
Sell the post card, with mention that there's an OEM sticker on it. That makes the sticker incidental to the sale, like getting a free carrying case with the purchase of a camera.
Shady? Yes. Legal? Pretty sure. Gonna get pulled by eBay? Possible.;) You're probably better off just giving it to a friend who needs it. Or, hanging on to it so you can included it with the sale when you do sell the Dell (or its remaining parts).
... or, he's using "people" in the general sense. Yes, a few people have and will bother to learn a new language just for this purpose. There are always exceptions to any statement.
However, that number will be very, very small, especially compared to the number who would likely be interested if it used a more common language.
Slashdot Mirror
The Internet can potentially allow a person to move from simply having a desire, to acting upon that desire.
However, it can also allow someone to satisfy that desire through sheer fantasy (written stories, role-playing, artwork, etc.), removing the need to act upon the desire in real life.
I think this applies to every aspect of human behavior, from the benign (sports, hobbies, etc.) to the harmful (murder, child abuse, etc.). The question becomes: is the 'net any worse than allowing the average person access to a public library, the phone system, and so forth? Any of these can either encourage behavior or provide a controlled (and harmless) outlet... it's all a matter of what the individual chooses to do.
And I think that's what many people miss in discussions like this. It all comes down to self-control and individual responsibility. One argument is that the 'net, through its anonymity, encourages people to deny responsibility and lose their self-control. The other argument is that anyone who does so was simply looking for an excuse to avoid responsibility anyway.
It's like people who claim that an AC/DC song 'encouraged' them to kill their girlfriend, or that comic books 'made' them think they can fly. The 'net cannot influence a person unless they choose to act upon their desires anyway.
True, the files are big. However, with a DVD-R drive, you can always offload them to discs. Heck, since this is Apple, I'd bet iDVD can turn them into standard DVDs for you, or you can back up the HD video to a DVD disc as a file.
If you have a Bluetooth-equipped phone or Palm PDA, you can use Salling Clicker to get the same results as an RF remote, with even more features.
... and this is why I dropped out of a CS major after the first year. Dear god, just the first paragraph of that makes my head hurt...
I'd love to write some applications, but C/C++ is like building a home out of Legos. Including the plumbing, electrical and appliances.
A few years ago, I was a salesman at a small computer shop. We had a guy come in who wanted to buy a digital camera and a hard drive for offloading the photos to. However, they both had to be powered off standard alkaline batteries. Why?
Because he was going gold-mining in Siberia for three months during the summer. That means zero ability to recharge the camera, and he'd fill up a CF card pretty quick. Can't take a laptop... no way to recharge it. So, he needed a HD he could just take a box full of batteries to run it from.
We were able to help with the Camera (Canon rocks), but didn't have any options for a battery powered HD to put the photos on. This would have been perfect for his needs.
If my computer gets any more personal, I'm getting a restraining order. My penis is just fine, dammit!
Wow. How is it that this gets rated flamebait, and the parent gets to be an ass?
Can you imagine how many idiots would create a lvl1 character solely for the purpose of harassing high-level characters to "punish" them for what they did to his real character?
What about those of us who just want to play a game and have fun, but can't get better?
Seriously. I've been playing *craft games since WC2, and I'm simply not good at building. I can't get it. By the time I have a small group of soldiers, I'm getting rushed by an entire friggin' army. Game over, fun over.
The list, yes. However, a will involves a lawyer, which involves money, which I can't afford right now. :(
This is why I intend to include all my major login/password information in my will. It will be a document given to my next of kin as a stipulation in the will, so that they can:
1) Keep or remove my email & websites if they wish
2) Access the files on my (password protected) computer for keeping whatever they want.
3) Cancel any subscription-based services I'm signed up for, so that they don't keep getting bills monthly or annually.
4) Contact my friends whom I only know online, so that they are aware what's happened to me (and can pass that on to any mutual communities we're in).
I don't want to simply drop off the face of the 'net with no word.
Considering my mother has used less than a gigabyte of her 20 Gb HD, I don't think a 40 is small for the target audience.
No DVD
Uh, yes DVD. Not a burner, but it does have a DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive. And how often does my mother need to burn DVDs?
slow CPU
Let me guess, you're going by the Mhz, right? A 1.25 Ghz G4 is no slouch. Hell, my Powerbook is only an 867 Mhz G4 and (aside from high-end games) it does everything I need in a snappy manner. Mom's still doing just fine with a 600 Mhz G3.
small amount of ram
Okay, I'll give you this one. 256 is really the minimum 'comfort zone' for a Mac nowadays, and 512 is better. All things considered, though... the RAM is the only valid complaint you have in the lot.
You do realize the irony of discussing an easier to use file dialogue system for the blind... in a graphics app... right? ;)
Look further up. Apparently it does improve battery life. I'll refresh my battery later and test it for myself...
The BeOS team apparently did some tweaks, gave advice on UI, and... that's it. x.x
I find the readability on Palms to be acceptable. As good as a paperback, and far more convenient. You disagree.
It's preaching because you seem to think I'm absolutely wrong, when I'm just pointing out that other people do find PDAs and ebooks to be just fine and dandy right now. There's no chip on my shoulder.
You seem utterly convinced that non-DRM ebooks will never survive. I doubt that. Feel free to believe it if you wish, but from what I've seen, there's several copies of Dracula in both DRM and non-DRM versions around. The non-DRM ones aren't being prosecuted to oblivion yet, and I doubt ever will. Public domain and all.
And arguing on the environmental factors is dubious. Dedicated readers are probably going to waste dumps, yes. PDAs are being used... well, as PDAs, even when sold on eBay. Plus, the books you lose in the tub are paper that's been wasted. How much went into making your paperbacks? Disposable books aren't exactly helping the environment either.
Enjoy reading in the bathtub, and I'll enjoy having a library in my pocket. To each his own.
And, as you keep ignoring, you can have backups of the eBooks. A cheap PalmOS PDA off eBay + all your ebook files on the PC (DRM or not) means all you're out is a cheap PDA (about the price of a hardback).
So, your paperback or hardback book is ruined, get another. You still have the rest of your library in the other room.
Your PDA is ruined, get another. You still have your library (including the book you were reading) on the PC in the other room, so restore them to the new PDA.
Get your nose out of the air and try to look at situations from both sides. Preaching doesn't help anyone. Some folks find the risks acceptable (or don't read in the tub!).
Actually, the only difference in costs should be the physical printing and shipping of the books. Which are supplanted by paying someone to format the book for the various formats & then server space + bandwidth for the downloads.
Not entirely equivalent, but they're still eating the costs of the author, editors, advertising, layout & formatting, promotion, etc.
It doesn't look as good on a PalmOS handheld because the resolution on those screens is still too low. However, another PC I use has a swivel-screen LCD, which can be turned to 'tall and skinny'. Because it has a higher resolution and larger physical size, it's actually better for web browsing than a traditional monitor when in this 'portrait' orientation.
Given a higher resolution (and possibly bit larger) screen, a PDA would be as useful for web browsing in a portable format.
Web pages are really made for tall & skinny screens, rather than 4x3 ratio ones. Less scrolling, all the same information, and still displayed properly.
In your opinion. I've read plenty of books in PDF format on my laptop. No problems whatsoever. So, your all-caps, no-other-answer response isn't universally true.
I'll echo some of the other posts: get yourself a cheap PalmOS PDA (preferably with an SD slot). I'd then download both eReader and iSilo, so you can read PalmOS-formatted books in the former and HTML formatted books in the latter.
Sell the post card, with mention that there's an OEM sticker on it. That makes the sticker incidental to the sale, like getting a free carrying case with the purchase of a camera.
Shady? Yes. Legal? Pretty sure. Gonna get pulled by eBay? Possible. ;) You're probably better off just giving it to a friend who needs it. Or, hanging on to it so you can included it with the sale when you do sell the Dell (or its remaining parts).
However, that number will be very, very small, especially compared to the number who would likely be interested if it used a more common language.
Fucking Dell.
What, the sticker or the Dell? ;)
If it's free, I'd pay shipping for the Dell. If not, try eBay.
Maybe if you roll the marijuana in comic-book pages...