We're not paying a thousand pounds or so for Ubuntu, unlike an iPhone contract. In fact, the bigger complaint for people I've recommended Ubuntu to has been the lack of mp3 support out of the box.
First thing I do is put stickers on them so I can tell whats what. Then get power strips with individual turn off/on capabilities (or as a whole) as the power strip gets shared with mains appliances.
and along similar lines its equally difficult to respond to people - why won't this ubuntu thing you recommended play mp3 files? Im going back to Windows.
Could have been true, but the 80s was a very different ball game to now. Remember we are looking at the reasons why hardware costs fell and put the cost of PCs into the range of the common person. The diversity of hardware may have made open source more likely in some ways (caveats below) but the standardisation of components would not have happened (or at least not as quickly) and hence the benefits of mass production would not have happened.
The only people really buying computers en masse were businesses and the standard hardware there was IBM, Lotus' spreadsheet software being the killer app. There were far fewer people who could program and no internet so there was limited scope for an open source community. Also the hardware was more expensive until the IBM-clones took to the market. And they only succeeded as they could run MS-DOS and hence the software taht people were used to. In fact they were often advertised as IBM-compatible.
It also strikes me diverse platforms would just have given software writers headaches (which platform do I write my application for?), users headaches in terms of expecting these programs to run on the very expensive box they'd just bought and swapping data between systems (10 years ago I had to download a special program if someone sent me something from a Mac so I could read the file on a PC - think this was due to different file encryption techniques - but just imagine the chaos and feeling of why doesnt this work from the end user).
Thinking back, in my neighbourhood when we were growing up there was a bunch of us kids who all had computers which we gamed on - each of us had different hardware - BBC Micro, ZX Spectrum, Atari, Oric and a Vic 20. None of us could share games with each other though going round each others houses was part of the social side of things. As we had the Spectrum ours was the most popular house, though I mistakenly like to think it was cos I was the most popular kid;-)
Linux also benefited greatly from the fact that MS became de facto on the cloned PC market. All the other major vendors an the time had an apple like hardware and OS that were sold together. As IBM never got an exclusivity deal on MS-DOS, clones could run it, and thanks to this 'standardisation' the price dropped on the hardware thanks to the benefits of competition on the same hardware. Without that low cost of hardware Linux would not have taken off, and its extremely unlikely that as many people would have computers, internet access and slashdot accounts with which to slag off Microsoft.
Maybe a Steam type system for Linux is whats needed. That has a nice balance between checking online for user authentication and ease of use. Though the fact you have to say you'll be offline before going offline is a minor annoyance.
Actually, here is the quote: Bernard Woolley (on the phone): "No, we can't have alphabetical seating in the Abbey: you would have Iraq and Iran next to each other. Plus Israel and Jordan, all sitting in the same pew. We would be in danger of starting World War III."
If you RTFA, you'll find that the reasoning behind the decision is one you're more likely to find from businesses than from FOSS projects. Israel was among the list of countries from which they were receiving overly many fraudulent donations.
Fradulant donations?! Man - it was just someone trying hard to overturn the Shylock stereotype of Jews!
The main issue from the study points to the increase being down to mobile devices, not desktops, being used more. These are inherently unlike desktop keyboards, though the fact they have a wrist rest present by default is one bonus.
Personally, I have an ergonomic keyboard for my desktop, but the laptop has what it comes with.
Only the crazies use chars not in the first 127 of ASCII
You ARE aware that you just pissed off everyone in France, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Spain... and let me not start about the eastern half of Europe which has some really funny specks and dots above, below and inside letters as well.
So, as the poster was saying, only the crazies use chars not in the first 127 of ASCII.
Slashdot Mirror
MP3 not being a GPL codec is the issue. Looks like the process has been simplified though from what it was.
I also miss the flash ads.
We're not paying a thousand pounds or so for Ubuntu, unlike an iPhone contract. In fact, the bigger complaint for people I've recommended Ubuntu to has been the lack of mp3 support out of the box.
First thing I do is put stickers on them so I can tell whats what. Then get power strips with individual turn off/on capabilities (or as a whole) as the power strip gets shared with mains appliances.
Drinking milk is fine. Montoring toilet paper usage is another matter completely.
and along similar lines its equally difficult to respond to people - why won't this ubuntu thing you recommended play mp3 files? Im going back to Windows.
But I live in the basement you insensitive clod!
Could have been true, but the 80s was a very different ball game to now. Remember we are looking at the reasons why hardware costs fell and put the cost of PCs into the range of the common person. The diversity of hardware may have made open source more likely in some ways (caveats below) but the standardisation of components would not have happened (or at least not as quickly) and hence the benefits of mass production would not have happened.
The only people really buying computers en masse were businesses and the standard hardware there was IBM, Lotus' spreadsheet software being the killer app. There were far fewer people who could program and no internet so there was limited scope for an open source community. Also the hardware was more expensive until the IBM-clones took to the market. And they only succeeded as they could run MS-DOS and hence the software taht people were used to. In fact they were often advertised as IBM-compatible.
It also strikes me diverse platforms would just have given software writers headaches (which platform do I write my application for?), users headaches in terms of expecting these programs to run on the very expensive box they'd just bought and swapping data between systems (10 years ago I had to download a special program if someone sent me something from a Mac so I could read the file on a PC - think this was due to different file encryption techniques - but just imagine the chaos and feeling of why doesnt this work from the end user).
Thinking back, in my neighbourhood when we were growing up there was a bunch of us kids who all had computers which we gamed on - each of us had different hardware - BBC Micro, ZX Spectrum, Atari, Oric and a Vic 20. None of us could share games with each other though going round each others houses was part of the social side of things. As we had the Spectrum ours was the most popular house, though I mistakenly like to think it was cos I was the most popular kid ;-)
A Belgian anarchist style party....complete with custard pies!
Linux also benefited greatly from the fact that MS became de facto on the cloned PC market. All the other major vendors an the time had an apple like hardware and OS that were sold together. As IBM never got an exclusivity deal on MS-DOS, clones could run it, and thanks to this 'standardisation' the price dropped on the hardware thanks to the benefits of competition on the same hardware. Without that low cost of hardware Linux would not have taken off, and its extremely unlikely that as many people would have computers, internet access and slashdot accounts with which to slag off Microsoft.
..French fonts!
Maybe a Steam type system for Linux is whats needed. That has a nice balance between checking online for user authentication and ease of use. Though the fact you have to say you'll be offline before going offline is a minor annoyance.
"Multitasking may be detrimental to work and learning" says 18th Century man. "Verily, this is why women should not be permitted work or learn!"
Actually, here is the quote: Bernard Woolley (on the phone): "No, we can't have alphabetical seating in the Abbey: you would have Iraq and Iran next to each other. Plus Israel and Jordan, all sitting in the same pew. We would be in danger of starting World War III."
Fradulant donations?! Man - it was just someone trying hard to overturn the Shylock stereotype of Jews!
The first of the quote listed at this page from British comedy 'Yes Minister' always made me laugh (from the 80s).
My coffee machine was designed in the 1950s, and makes brilliant coffee if you put enough love in.
If I ever have your coffee, please note I take mine black. No cream. I really mean it.
There'll be some soldering in computers - so you can have a Beowulf Cluster of these tin whisker things!
The main issue from the study points to the increase being down to mobile devices, not desktops, being used more. These are inherently unlike desktop keyboards, though the fact they have a wrist rest present by default is one bonus. Personally, I have an ergonomic keyboard for my desktop, but the laptop has what it comes with.
Not very long ago we would have fallen off our chairs in disbelief at the choice in Linux powered laptops coming on to the market.
That would actually be Steve Ballmer pulling them out from under us, before battering our poor helpless bodies.
I'm sure they were indecent whilst you were doing them.
Only the crazies use chars not in the first 127 of ASCII
You ARE aware that you just pissed off everyone in France, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Spain... and let me not start about the eastern half of Europe which has some really funny specks and dots above, below and inside letters as well.
So, as the poster was saying, only the crazies use chars not in the first 127 of ASCII.
1. I think this bug would be classified "archeological".
Only if the bug was found encased in amber.
And if the films of Lord of the Rings are a Tolkien Ring, anything by Uwe Boll is goatse.
C/C++ will always be there. Semi-Colon. There fixed that for you.