http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/demo center/9series/avquality/wmamp3/default.htm
This is an interesting test of music quality at different lower bitrates between mp3 and wma.
I think that these results are interesting, but I see MP3, WMA, and perhaps Real as the only power players in this field.
Most music downloads are still mp3, and real is losing their share in streaming all the time.
WMA is also starting to gain in the desktop market. Formerly anti-mp3 guys like myself have come around.
It ain't all bad. And it's from Microsoft, imagine that.;)
Clif
Currently I don't own one, but I've owned two and used them extensively. The detachable keyboard would be a plus, but I have so many spare keyboards, having a real keyboard at my disposal is quite easy.
Especially since we are talking about using this in a desktop enviroment. I don't know about anyone else, but whether at home or work I could find a real keyboard that'd be a lot nicer than a detachable, shallow notebook keyboard.
As far as docking stations, I've never found much use for them either.:)
If you have something that needs a parellel port, I think you probably have something worthy of replacing. Not always possible, I'm sure...but not quite the neccessity in my situations.
...fails to see the use of this?
Honestly, I can think of any real way this would help over a normal (priced) laptop.
I guess it is neat you can opt to have the screen at a different height and angle, but I don't know.. I can personally live without it for a long time.
Clif
LMAO
I must have been reeeeaaaaallly tired.
I has this foggy memory of posting to this conversation, looked up my post and saw "frivalent" starring right at me.
How embarrassing.
Yes, frivolous.
And I maintain it is. I'm sure having some ads for Register.com on his website really ruined his day.
I'm glad he decided to eek some cash out of it...poor dear.
I know Windows inside an out. My first computer had 2mb of RAM and a 200mb hard drive with Windows 3.0. I had to everything in DOS of course because Windows 3.0 would crash if you tried to add more than the minimum amount of Program Groups or do anything productive.
I've climbed the windows ladder and I consider myself a very advanced user. I understand how computers work and I've spent the last 2+ years repairing them as part of my job. Basically: I know windows inside and out.
This article really hits home with me. I have a friend who has been pushing me to switch to linux. He's an uber geek who's been using Linux since Red Hat 1 and now uses Slackware 9 and OpenBSD. With his influence, and my love of adventure and something new I explored several distributions of Linux. Starting with Red Hat, Mandrake, Lycoris (yuck), Debian, and finally Slackware.
All of the reasons I was told I'd love linux didn't ring true for me and really harmed my tolerance for it.
Here are some reasons that I was told I would love Linux.
1. Freedom from MS. Well that's all well and nice, but as a competent windows user, I personally am indifferent with MS. I don't like their bullying tatics and screwing of Java, but I like their OSs and Windows XP Pro hasn't done me wrong...in Beta, RC, or RTM. Freedom from MS sounds like "Freedom from the occult." and isn't going to win over very many competent windows users. The users that may be lured in by this are the people that don't know how to use their computers, and consequently blame MS for every computer related problem they have. What they really need is a nice etch-a-sketch.
2. Free as in free speech, not as in beer. For me, my experience with Linux was based on it being free...and free as in beer. Here again, the marketing seemed to target me similar to how TV evangelists do. Linux isn't a religion, but I'd be darned to tell the difference from the rantings of most Linux enthusiasts. I don't really care what kind of "free" it is. I'm willing to pay for quality, that isn't the issue with me.
3. Freedom of Choice I like freedom of choice, but the choice offered by Linux is freedom of doing whatever you want with whatever you want whenever you want. While that may make the true uber geek's heart race with excitement, for me it is an obstacle...especially as a new Linux user. What boot manager do I use...Lilo or Grub? What Window manager do I use? Besides the standard KDE and Gnome there are 13,000 other glorious choices for you! This doesn't make sense to your average windows user. For many windows fans, the standard interface is a feature. I can write software and know without a shadow of a doubt that Windows will run it. I don't have to support a variety of popular window managers all with non standard features. As I began my journey with Linux I was parlyzed by choice, not freed. Most users want consistency, not an Operating System that begs you to choose between 100s of possible configurations.
3. Open Source I was told that Open Source was fantastic because if I found a bug I could actually fix the source and recompile. How great is that?! Well to most users, that is meaningless. Even though I have development experience, and have a few pet projects I do on the side....there is no attractiveness to the idea of fixing someone else's code. If Linux users were smart they'd portray Open Source not in a "you can fix the bugs" light, but in a "you are freed from stringent licenses and can truly use the software to YOUR benefit (be that modifying to your delight or whatever)" light. I love Open Source software, but it has little to do with being able to fix someone else's coding problems.
4. Lastly, Those Hidden Suprises My first linux outing was with Red Hat, Mandrake, and Lycoris. After using these 3 I was ready to dump Linux forever. All of the things I'd been told were so great about Linux had been meaningless to me and all I was left with was an Operating System generally harder and more confusing to use than
The reviewers didn't seem to be quite the experts in the field they were commenting on. The article was short and used very few factors. I'd like to see a Tom's Hardware review.
Even though ATI seems to have the edge right now with consumer video cards, I must say I'll probably stay with Nvidia. My past experiences with ATI's software and drivers has been bad.
Besides that I can't afford to have the latest and greatest so it doesn't matter what I buy.;-)
Wow, speculation based on speculation founded in speculation.
I haven't seen anyone actually quote anything Microsoft has said on the subject.
I haven't seen anyone actually verify what OS was used for the safety monitor system.
Usually when a speculation is made, a proper response resolves the speculation before making a direct counter.
Before we know Microsoft's stance on this, we can't reasonably attack their stance based on someones theory.
These safety systems are redundant and also have last measures....if the system fails, the plant powers down..no on is going to die.
Clif
How the heck do they think they are going to finish by 2030??
I see a few problems:
1. We've never been to mars. Maybe we should walk on the thing before we build a nuke plant. There are more than a few stumbling blocks to sending a human to mars...let's prove we can surmount those before we go build a freaking nuclear plant.
2. How big is this thing going to be? I doubt that we can get the parts there in two seperate flights. (umanned beagle type thing, and manned flight)
You know this thing won't finish on time. They'll forget a screw driver or something and *boom*....the project is behind 7 years.
I've used all version of Windows 2000...Pro, Server, Adv Server extensively.
I've also used Windows XP since beta 2...I bought and upgraded all my family computers to XP. They originally ran Windows 2000.
Why? Windows 2000 can be really flaky with older hardware. Also, it can be living hell with newbie users (read: mom and siblings). Windows 2000 is suprisingly easy to kill...and once it is dead, good luck reviving. No restore possiblities, just a crappy recovery console with a few dos commands...most of which don't work because of "security" features.
Windows 2000 works ok for knowledgeable users, but given the choice between it and XP...I'd choose XP.
It is more forgiving, sexier, and most of all....its interface is much more efficient. I love the start menu centered layout. Much better then prior times. Once you get used to the themes, they aren't bad either.
XP has liberated me from spending 100s of hours trouble shooting some random STOP BSOD with no descriptive info.
Telling your friends you have a "Sound Blaster Audigy 2 with Inspire 6.1" speakers is more impressive then preaching about the quality of an on board card.
MSI actually has a few boards with high quality 5.1 surround sound cards on board.
For 75% of users on board is going to be just fine...they won't even notice the difference.
I've built 10+ PCs for people around town, but I can't say that I have defaulted to onboard audio more then just a couple of times. I don't know why, just seemed like such a cheap way to go. My users wouldn't have ever known the difference though.
For the 25% of us who are music enthusiasts or at least wannabes, we can spend ridiculous amounts of money on better equipment...and there is always the added bonus of bragging rights.
You hear that you stupid on board audio users?! My sound card is freaking better then your crap.
The first thing I thought when I read this is "Why would Senator Hatch be the pirate?". I wasn't aware that any Senators designed their own websites. The fact is, they don't. It is kind of ironic that Mr. Hatche's own website has a pirated script...in light of his recent proposals on piracy prevention. BUT I think that he is not a pirate, he is actually a victim of piracy in this occassion.
He paid a company a lot of money to design his website, and like so many others...he got screwed. It is not uncommon for paid web designers to lift other people's designs, use pirated software, or even steal scripts entirely. It happens every day, the responsible party is the company that stole it, not the unknowing customer.
The headline and the possible irony may have drawn a lot of posts, but outside of a chance for unhappy Utahans (I just coined a phrase:p) to rail against their senator (who, by the way, is generally held as a moral and respectable senator..on both sides of party lines), I don't see much good, if any, this has done.
Sure, his philosophy on how to deal with computer piracy is extreme, and even scary. We can rest knowing that such legislation would never make it through the Senate, House, President...or hold up in Courts. It violates every constitutional right that protects individual property.
Speaking of property though, maybe if we'd stop defending Kazaa and filesharing...and admit that 99% of its users pirate software and music, we wouldn't need this legislation. It is users (myself included) that keep it a float.
This was my second post. I assumed line breaks would be inserted. I guess I have to select "plain old text".
I'm quite versed on paragraph formation...thank you very much.
As for handwriting being an art form. Maybe, but it is also an art form that can help you to score additional points.
Compulsory? I don't think it has to be that way at all. If we'd teach kids the right way, it wouldn't be that way at all.
I don't remember resenting the fact that I had to learn cursive. If it is introduced right, it becomes an exciting tool.
It is only "compulsory" when students do not enjoy it. I'd say there's a problem with the teaching or parental support--not with the whole concept.
There are some art forms worth teaching and requiring of students. Is it really that hard or our schools just failing when it comes to education?
I think the latter is the heart of the problem. The teachers don't care and the students care even less.
I can never be thankful enough for the education they afforded me. My parents took education seriously and taught me to take it just as seriously.
Maybe I'm over reacting. I probably am. However, I can't help noticing that children a few centuries ago were expected to learn Latin, Greek, and a number of other painfully hard subjects.
It shows how far our standards have slumped when one of the most basic communication skills is degraded to "art" and removed from the priority list.
Sorry, I was in a hurry.
Just because we have computers, doesn't replace the handwriting.
We've had faster ways of communication for decades, yet we've never found it neccessary to toss out handwriting.
Spell check was invented years ago, does that remove the neccessity to learn how to spell?
And yes...I'm still in highschool. I think it is apaulling how little students care, or are taught to care about handwriting.
Maybe if teacher's started refusing work that was illegible, we wouldn't have these problems.
Whether there is any direct correllation or not, handwriting...like spelling, grammar, and accent says a lot about an individual.
I think by saying that good handwriting is uneccessary, we are taking for granted how many centuries it served mankind.
Look at the our founding documents (USA). All penned with precision...you think they would gather the same respect if they were written in bubbly, illegible print?:) I think not.
It may not be a survival skill, but let's not throw it out. There's something to be said for having good handwriting.
And I think it should be emphasized more in our schools. (like a myriad of other topics)
Peace,
Clif
Slashdot Mirror
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/demo center/9series/avquality/wmamp3/default.htm
This is an interesting test of music quality at different lower bitrates between mp3 and wma.
I think that these results are interesting, but I see MP3, WMA, and perhaps Real as the only power players in this field.
Most music downloads are still mp3, and real is losing their share in streaming all the time.
WMA is also starting to gain in the desktop market. Formerly anti-mp3 guys like myself have come around.
It ain't all bad. And it's from Microsoft, imagine that. ;)
Clif
Currently I don't own one, but I've owned two and used them extensively. The detachable keyboard would be a plus, but I have so many spare keyboards, having a real keyboard at my disposal is quite easy.
:)
Especially since we are talking about using this in a desktop enviroment. I don't know about anyone else, but whether at home or work I could find a real keyboard that'd be a lot nicer than a detachable, shallow notebook keyboard.
As far as docking stations, I've never found much use for them either.
If you have something that needs a parellel port, I think you probably have something worthy of replacing. Not always possible, I'm sure...but not quite the neccessity in my situations.
...fails to see the use of this? Honestly, I can think of any real way this would help over a normal (priced) laptop. I guess it is neat you can opt to have the screen at a different height and angle, but I don't know.. I can personally live without it for a long time. Clif
56k is 56k.
They overclock the modem, to give it an extra boost to make sure it at least reaches the FCC established limits.
Clif
LMAO I must have been reeeeaaaaallly tired. I has this foggy memory of posting to this conversation, looked up my post and saw "frivalent" starring right at me. How embarrassing. Yes, frivolous. And I maintain it is. I'm sure having some ads for Register.com on his website really ruined his day. I'm glad he decided to eek some cash out of it...poor dear.
The Justice System working for us...no doubt.
If you're so stupid you can't identify a "Free Parking" page, or read the FAQs, that doesn't entitle you to a retarded lawsuit does it?
I mean really...
I know Windows inside an out. My first computer had 2mb of RAM and a 200mb hard drive with Windows 3.0. I had to everything in DOS of course because Windows 3.0 would crash if you tried to add more than the minimum amount of Program Groups or do anything productive.
I've climbed the windows ladder and I consider myself a very advanced user. I understand how computers work and I've spent the last 2+ years repairing them as part of my job. Basically: I know windows inside and out.
This article really hits home with me. I have a friend who has been pushing me to switch to linux. He's an uber geek who's been using Linux since Red Hat 1 and now uses Slackware 9 and OpenBSD. With his influence, and my love of adventure and something new I explored several distributions of Linux. Starting with Red Hat, Mandrake, Lycoris (yuck), Debian, and finally Slackware.
All of the reasons I was told I'd love linux didn't ring true for me and really harmed my tolerance for it.
Here are some reasons that I was told I would love Linux.
1. Freedom from MS.
Well that's all well and nice, but as a competent windows user, I personally am indifferent with MS. I don't like their bullying tatics and screwing of Java, but I like their OSs and Windows XP Pro hasn't done me wrong...in Beta, RC, or RTM. Freedom from MS sounds like "Freedom from the occult." and isn't going to win over very many competent windows users. The users that may be lured in by this are the people that don't know how to use their computers, and consequently blame MS for every computer related problem they have. What they really need is a nice etch-a-sketch.
2. Free as in free speech, not as in beer.
For me, my experience with Linux was based on it being free...and free as in beer. Here again, the marketing seemed to target me similar to how TV evangelists do. Linux isn't a religion, but I'd be darned to tell the difference from the rantings of most Linux enthusiasts. I don't really care what kind of "free" it is. I'm willing to pay for quality, that isn't the issue with me.
3. Freedom of Choice
I like freedom of choice, but the choice offered by Linux is freedom of doing whatever you want with whatever you want whenever you want. While that may make the true uber geek's heart race with excitement, for me it is an obstacle...especially as a new Linux user. What boot manager do I use...Lilo or Grub? What Window manager do I use? Besides the standard KDE and Gnome there are 13,000 other glorious choices for you! This doesn't make sense to your average windows user. For many windows fans, the standard interface is a feature. I can write software and know without a shadow of a doubt that Windows will run it. I don't have to support a variety of popular window managers all with non standard features. As I began my journey with Linux I was parlyzed by choice, not freed. Most users want consistency, not an Operating System that begs you to choose between 100s of possible configurations.
3. Open Source
I was told that Open Source was fantastic because if I found a bug I could actually fix the source and recompile. How great is that?! Well to most users, that is meaningless. Even though I have development experience, and have a few pet projects I do on the side....there is no attractiveness to the idea of fixing someone else's code. If Linux users were smart they'd portray Open Source not in a "you can fix the bugs" light, but in a "you are freed from stringent licenses and can truly use the software to YOUR benefit (be that modifying to your delight or whatever)" light. I love Open Source software, but it has little to do with being able to fix someone else's coding problems.
4. Lastly, Those Hidden Suprises
My first linux outing was with Red Hat, Mandrake, and Lycoris. After using these 3 I was ready to dump Linux forever. All of the things I'd been told were so great about Linux had been meaningless to me and all I was left with was an Operating System generally harder and more confusing to use than
I didn't want a mod up, but I didn't see any reason to get classified as flaming.
I have the v60...never noticed this.
:p
In fact, when I touch it usually feels around 10 degrees cooler then the room.
My phone is better then your phone.
Geez. I made a comment. I said I'd never heard of a such a thing and maybe...just maybe...they needed to switch phones to avoid it.
I didn't even realize cellphone batteries did get hot.
My motorola flip phone has never got warm from usse or changing batteries or anything else.
Get a different phone.
The reviewers didn't seem to be quite the experts in the field they were commenting on. The article was short and used very few factors. I'd like to see a Tom's Hardware review. Even though ATI seems to have the edge right now with consumer video cards, I must say I'll probably stay with Nvidia. My past experiences with ATI's software and drivers has been bad. Besides that I can't afford to have the latest and greatest so it doesn't matter what I buy. ;-)
Wow, speculation based on speculation founded in speculation. I haven't seen anyone actually quote anything Microsoft has said on the subject. I haven't seen anyone actually verify what OS was used for the safety monitor system. Usually when a speculation is made, a proper response resolves the speculation before making a direct counter. Before we know Microsoft's stance on this, we can't reasonably attack their stance based on someones theory. These safety systems are redundant and also have last measures....if the system fails, the plant powers down..no on is going to die. Clif
I didn't see any of those movies CAUSE THEY ALL SUCKED!
...you just have to turn it on.
This thing would never have caught my eye when I was searching for a PDA.
It looks atrocious (at this point) and doesn't have near the specs dell offers for the same price.
The fact that it's "linux based" doesn't send me into "I want one!" orgasms.
How the heck do they think they are going to finish by 2030??
I see a few problems:
1. We've never been to mars. Maybe we should walk on the thing before we build a nuke plant. There are more than a few stumbling blocks to sending a human to mars...let's prove we can surmount those before we go build a freaking nuclear plant.
2. How big is this thing going to be? I doubt that we can get the parts there in two seperate flights. (umanned beagle type thing, and manned flight)
You know this thing won't finish on time. They'll forget a screw driver or something and *boom*....the project is behind 7 years.
I've used all version of Windows 2000...Pro, Server, Adv Server extensively. I've also used Windows XP since beta 2...I bought and upgraded all my family computers to XP. They originally ran Windows 2000. Why? Windows 2000 can be really flaky with older hardware. Also, it can be living hell with newbie users (read: mom and siblings). Windows 2000 is suprisingly easy to kill...and once it is dead, good luck reviving. No restore possiblities, just a crappy recovery console with a few dos commands...most of which don't work because of "security" features. Windows 2000 works ok for knowledgeable users, but given the choice between it and XP...I'd choose XP. It is more forgiving, sexier, and most of all....its interface is much more efficient. I love the start menu centered layout. Much better then prior times. Once you get used to the themes, they aren't bad either. XP has liberated me from spending 100s of hours trouble shooting some random STOP BSOD with no descriptive info.
Telling your friends you have a "Sound Blaster Audigy 2 with Inspire 6.1" speakers is more impressive then preaching about the quality of an on board card.
MSI actually has a few boards with high quality 5.1 surround sound cards on board.
For 75% of users on board is going to be just fine...they won't even notice the difference.
I've built 10+ PCs for people around town, but I can't say that I have defaulted to onboard audio more then just a couple of times. I don't know why, just seemed like such a cheap way to go. My users wouldn't have ever known the difference though.
For the 25% of us who are music enthusiasts or at least wannabes, we can spend ridiculous amounts of money on better equipment...and there is always the added bonus of bragging rights.
You hear that you stupid on board audio users?! My sound card is freaking better then your crap.
Ahh..that felt good.
Clif
I think this post was deceptively titled.
:p) to rail against their senator (who, by the way, is generally held as a moral and respectable senator..on both sides of party lines), I don't see much good, if any, this has done.
The first thing I thought when I read this is "Why would Senator Hatch be the pirate?". I wasn't aware that any Senators designed their own websites. The fact is, they don't. It is kind of ironic that Mr. Hatche's own website has a pirated script...in light of his recent proposals on piracy prevention. BUT I think that he is not a pirate, he is actually a victim of piracy in this occassion.
He paid a company a lot of money to design his website, and like so many others...he got screwed. It is not uncommon for paid web designers to lift other people's designs, use pirated software, or even steal scripts entirely. It happens every day, the responsible party is the company that stole it, not the unknowing customer.
The headline and the possible irony may have drawn a lot of posts, but outside of a chance for unhappy Utahans (I just coined a phrase
Sure, his philosophy on how to deal with computer piracy is extreme, and even scary. We can rest knowing that such legislation would never make it through the Senate, House, President...or hold up in Courts. It violates every constitutional right that protects individual property.
Speaking of property though, maybe if we'd stop defending Kazaa and filesharing...and admit that 99% of its users pirate software and music, we wouldn't need this legislation. It is users (myself included) that keep it a float.
Clif
This was my second post. I assumed line breaks would be inserted. I guess I have to select "plain old text".
I'm quite versed on paragraph formation...thank you very much.
As for handwriting being an art form. Maybe, but it is also an art form that can help you to score additional points.
Compulsory? I don't think it has to be that way at all. If we'd teach kids the right way, it wouldn't be that way at all.
I don't remember resenting the fact that I had to learn cursive. If it is introduced right, it becomes an exciting tool.
It is only "compulsory" when students do not enjoy it. I'd say there's a problem with the teaching or parental support--not with the whole concept.
There are some art forms worth teaching and requiring of students. Is it really that hard or our schools just failing when it comes to education?
I think the latter is the heart of the problem. The teachers don't care and the students care even less.
I can never be thankful enough for the education they afforded me. My parents took education seriously and taught me to take it just as seriously.
Maybe I'm over reacting. I probably am. However, I can't help noticing that children a few centuries ago were expected to learn Latin, Greek, and a number of other painfully hard subjects.
It shows how far our standards have slumped when one of the most basic communication skills is degraded to "art" and removed from the priority list.
Peace, love, and good handwriting,
Clif
Sorry, I was in a hurry. Just because we have computers, doesn't replace the handwriting. We've had faster ways of communication for decades, yet we've never found it neccessary to toss out handwriting. Spell check was invented years ago, does that remove the neccessity to learn how to spell? And yes...I'm still in highschool. I think it is apaulling how little students care, or are taught to care about handwriting. Maybe if teacher's started refusing work that was illegible, we wouldn't have these problems. Whether there is any direct correllation or not, handwriting...like spelling, grammar, and accent says a lot about an individual. I think by saying that good handwriting is uneccessary, we are taking for granted how many centuries it served mankind. Look at the our founding documents (USA). All penned with precision...you think they would gather the same respect if they were written in bubbly, illegible print? :) I think not.
It may not be a survival skill, but let's not throw it out. There's something to be said for having good handwriting.
And I think it should be emphasized more in our schools. (like a myriad of other topics)
Peace,
Clif
Untrue.
Being able to write well is an important skill...just because typing happens to be easier doesn't rule out its use.
Being able to write and write well is important.
We know so little about black holes...because we've actually never seen one.
We've observed behavior in which a black hole phenomenon would adequately explain.
Doesn't mean there isn't another explanation.
As far as the end of the world...I'm having troubles fathoming a black hole such as this having that immense and limitless effect.
The Hawking effect makes sense.
But then again, we're assuming we know anything.