At this point it's not designed for Joe sixpack (at least that's what the Microsoft Rep, the local SQL guy so it's not someone just trying to get me to sell it, I talked to said who runs it at home). He said it's more designed for the Gadget Guy who is willing to spend more for the extra features.
Nor is the MCPC designed to be used as the main PC of the house. Also Microsoft hopes that SP2 and the automatic updates, enabled firewall by default will work for them. NAT shouldn't be an issue since they say that all the customers should have a router anyways.
Because it's not really a replacement for that. Because on top of that coax you have to have another cable/sat box, plus a Tivo (another $30 a month for the two combined in monthly fees), and unless your Tivos is hacked you can't get the content on that Tivo that is on your other Tivos.
Xbox Media Center Extender allows you to access live TV, plus all your media center content just using one box, other Ethernet (most people already have that or wireless running to their Xbox anyways). Personally I am looking forward to this since I am about to build a MCE 2005 box (was going to build a Beyond TV box, but since MCE 2005 was announced soon after I bought the parts figured I might give MCE a try first).
The question of the day is how are they making money on it? Because the little known fact is that most of the price to the remote are licensing fees to the DVD forum for DVD playback.
Anyways the Media Center Extender is rather cool, it not only plays recorded TV, but will play live TV (with a delay of course since the MCE computer must encode it send it across Ethernet, and the Xbox must decode it). It's like one of those setup Tivo (you know the ones without a Cable/Sat box built in) boxes on crack. So anywhere you have power and high speed network access you can have a full selection of live TV.
Hardware failure will bring a Linux box down as quickly as it will a Windows box, the only difference is the screen indication, with Linux, you get a Kernel Panic (in most cases), while in Windows you get a BSOD.
I have found in corporate environment where the user is regulated from doing anything stupid, the most common failure is hardware. One of the sales computers blue screen this morning. Do I blame Microsoft for the BSOD, even though it would give me brownie points here, after reviewing the machine in the lab, I put the blame on the RAM maker, simply replaced the stick and the employee was back working.
Just because a windows box fails doesn't mean it's Microsoft's fault.
Now to answer the article's question, I wouldn't switch to OS X, but I would probably buy a copy and run it in the lab. If I find uses for it, I may deploy it, but in the end, an operating system is a tool to get a job done, you simply use what you deem to be the best tool for the job. Which for me, in most cases is Windows, though I use *nix variants for certain tasks, where Windows is just not cost effective.
Yup, they are there. It's ridiculous that they weren't cleaned up, after all the trouble (and money) was spent rehabilitating that awful Jabba scene.
Anybody else notice the whiney rodent-dude being handed a drink in the Cantina scene, and the fact that as he turns his head, you can see through the eyeholes? That's been there since the beginning.. I was SHOCKED that Lucas let that pass too.
George was too busy thinking up ways of screwing up the story line.
To me it seems like he edited a few scenes and decided he was done, but for some reason the most detracting effect in the original trilogy (you know before he started screwing it up) was the yellow squares around the tie fighters.
They also hid the fact that their men didn't land in their capsules until late in the program, they used ejection seats and parachuted down for landing.
He forgot the proxy server with anti-virus software installed. It should also have limited access control list.
Also do not allow executables through the mail server, and disallow all macros in office, disallow all compressed files. Sure it cramps some peoples stuff, but most companies make do, besides you shouldn't be sending that kind of stuff via e-mail. Also the proxy server should have the same rules, a normal user shouldn't need to run executables.
Also most virus e-mails are from Spam IPs (aka home cable IPs), and for my clients at least, if they aren't are caught by IP, they are caught by the Bayesian filter. To allow legitimate senders, temp white list if they reply to the spam filter failure notice.
Fourth, you finally got one right, keeping systems updated with patches is the best way to actually avoid most virus/worms. The problem with that is finding an affordable patch management system and actually having someone in upper management who understands why such a system is essential.
Is free a good price? SUS is free from Microsoft, all you need is a server, and a knowledgeable admin. SMS and Zenworks maybe better products, but they come at a price.
The patriot missile system had a similar problem. It's timing broke down after a period of time without a reboot (it was a much shorter cycle, either one day or one week).
Microsoft isn't the only one to have issues like that. But it has been patched and there should have been more than enough time for the FAA to test and deploy the patch on the few legacy machines running Windows 95.
I simply blame the FAA for wasting money away every year, billions are sunk into the system, but rarely does anything come out of it, Lockheed can deploy a complete new system to every airport for the amount of money that is being dumped into the old TRACONs and towers for MX.
It's best to have the door pop open on them too at the same time, then you are truly evil.
Took a friend up for a ride in a Super D, explaining away the chute as normal equipment. I ended up having to clean the plane out, it was worth it getting that girlly I am going to die scream out of my friend.
Have you been to a Florida home? They don't have basements for a reason, our water table is so high that they would leak, it would be even worse at KSC because they are on a island between the Atlantic and ICW.
Also the biggest source of damage is not from the wind, but from the flooding that comes from all the rain, and the storm surge.
Perhaps they have been over dramatized but it seems there was real concern that given a cat 4 storm there wouldn't be much left.
It's not over dramatization, a CAT 4 will destroy most structures not specifically designed to take the wind, it's next to impossible to make the VAB safe and still be affordable to build, the shuttle hanger on the other hand can be.
The average house built before the hurricane standards OTH is another matter.
Though the Space Center hasn't had a direct hit in years (like the Tampa area), they have been grazed several times. The Shuttle Hanger itself is designed to take a direct hit from a 105 MPH storm.
One false alarm can take $2 million out of NASA already tight budget. Actually having the orbiters taken out may have been a good thing in the long run since it would force congress to cough up some dough instead of just patching the shuttles up constantly.
It's not just the time it takes to strap the thing on the back of the 747, there is flight planning. Because of the drag the mission profiles has the ferry aircraft well below the flight levels, and the aircraft must stop of fuel (all things that need to be planned out).
The route must be relatively clear weather because the orbiter 747 combination produces flutter to the air frame from what I understand. And since it can't fly above the bad weather either.
Also actual preparations of the orbiter for ferry flight preparations take about 3 days, during that time it must be airborne in the mate-demate device, not exactly the best position to be in if the hurricane speeds up.
Once at Edwards the process is reversed.
In that time the track of a storm can change drastically. It was predicted that Tampa would get Charley up until a few hours before it hit, and Francis was so large that it didn't matter where it came on shore all of Florida was hit.
Finally there is the cost considerations, each flight costs about $1 million for each flight. NASA figures that it's safer to hunker down, than attempt a hasty departure (remember conservative attitudes prevail at both JSC, and KSC).
If they are on their wheels in a strong building it's unlikely that they would be damaged, their Vs is probably at least 150 knots, so short of a CAT 5 it's unlikely that they would get airborne, and a well made hanger can weather most storms.
Exactly it's about money, but more than that time. It takes about a week to plan and implement a cross country shuttle flight, and since they only have two operational 747 ferry aircraft, it would take about 2 weeks to fly all the orbiters out of Florida to Edwards AFB.
Unfortunately you can't plan out that far for hurricane hits at this time, so instead of flying them out for every false alarm they take a chance with the orbiters in Florida.
Besides it's safer to have the orbiters buttoned down well in Florida, than have them caught off guard by a fast storm like Andrew with one of the orbiters still in process to be mated with the aircraft.
Unbelievable! I mean, what Sys Admin should be denied the ability to listen to Paula Abdul in the server room, surrounded by cooling fans moving about 500 CFM? Microsoft just doesn't get it. tsk tsk tsk.
Well add the AC air handler you have the best music listening environment since carnage Hall.
I use my Pod and Bose ANR headset when working extended periods of time in the data center.
So basically, you don't want to install it on any computer running a Microsoft operating system that has been using a Microsoft browser or a Microsoft e-mail client.
Only If you are an idiot.
I run Windows 2003 Ent on my Dell Laptop, for the past year and a half browsing the Internet with IE set at Medium-low, NO firewall; Often with a public IP. In that time I have not had a single virus, spyware, or worm installed on my machine.
Security is all in the user and administrator. I have met Linux freaks that don't know the first thing about real world security and how to make a network both usable by even the most moronic PHB's and at the same time secure.
Ps: Please forgive any spelling mistakes a may nave made in this post I have not installed my spell checker on my new Tablet.
Mice routinely last 2-3 days (I'm a forgetful idiot), you can either pop it on the cradle and go do something else (or if your like me use the laptop touch pad), or pop in some energizers I have in the desk drawer and use those until the end of the day and charge the NiMH.
Without even a scroll wheel, and the Mac zealots love it.
*shrugs* The MX 700 has the right amount of buttons for me.
You know overall most Microsoft hardware is quite good, this may be one of the ones that fail. But hey when you have billions of dollars you can venture out on the limb more than other companies.
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Nor is the MCPC designed to be used as the main PC of the house. Also Microsoft hopes that SP2 and the automatic updates, enabled firewall by default will work for them. NAT shouldn't be an issue since they say that all the customers should have a router anyways.
Xbox Media Center Extender allows you to access live TV, plus all your media center content just using one box, other Ethernet (most people already have that or wireless running to their Xbox anyways). Personally I am looking forward to this since I am about to build a MCE 2005 box (was going to build a Beyond TV box, but since MCE 2005 was announced soon after I bought the parts figured I might give MCE a try first).
Anyways the Media Center Extender is rather cool, it not only plays recorded TV, but will play live TV (with a delay of course since the MCE computer must encode it send it across Ethernet, and the Xbox must decode it). It's like one of those setup Tivo (you know the ones without a Cable/Sat box built in) boxes on crack. So anywhere you have power and high speed network access you can have a full selection of live TV.
I have found in corporate environment where the user is regulated from doing anything stupid, the most common failure is hardware. One of the sales computers blue screen this morning. Do I blame Microsoft for the BSOD, even though it would give me brownie points here, after reviewing the machine in the lab, I put the blame on the RAM maker, simply replaced the stick and the employee was back working.
Just because a windows box fails doesn't mean it's Microsoft's fault.
Now to answer the article's question, I wouldn't switch to OS X, but I would probably buy a copy and run it in the lab. If I find uses for it, I may deploy it, but in the end, an operating system is a tool to get a job done, you simply use what you deem to be the best tool for the job. Which for me, in most cases is Windows, though I use *nix variants for certain tasks, where Windows is just not cost effective.
Anybody else notice the whiney rodent-dude being handed a drink in the Cantina scene, and the fact that as he turns his head, you can see through the eyeholes? That's been there since the beginning .. I was SHOCKED that Lucas let that pass too.
George was too busy thinking up ways of screwing up the story line.
To me it seems like he edited a few scenes and decided he was done, but for some reason the most detracting effect in the original trilogy (you know before he started screwing it up) was the yellow squares around the tie fighters.
They also hid the fact that their men didn't land in their capsules until late in the program, they used ejection seats and parachuted down for landing.
Also do not allow executables through the mail server, and disallow all macros in office, disallow all compressed files. Sure it cramps some peoples stuff, but most companies make do, besides you shouldn't be sending that kind of stuff via e-mail. Also the proxy server should have the same rules, a normal user shouldn't need to run executables.
Also most virus e-mails are from Spam IPs (aka home cable IPs), and for my clients at least, if they aren't are caught by IP, they are caught by the Bayesian filter. To allow legitimate senders, temp white list if they reply to the spam filter failure notice.
Fourth, you finally got one right, keeping systems updated with patches is the best way to actually avoid most virus/worms. The problem with that is finding an affordable patch management system and actually having someone in upper management who understands why such a system is essential.
Is free a good price? SUS is free from Microsoft, all you need is a server, and a knowledgeable admin. SMS and Zenworks maybe better products, but they come at a price.
Well first I am not a LM employee. Second the Mars Orbiter didn't kill 28 people.
Microsoft isn't the only one to have issues like that. But it has been patched and there should have been more than enough time for the FAA to test and deploy the patch on the few legacy machines running Windows 95.
I simply blame the FAA for wasting money away every year, billions are sunk into the system, but rarely does anything come out of it, Lockheed can deploy a complete new system to every airport for the amount of money that is being dumped into the old TRACONs and towers for MX.
Personally I don't really care much, I browse through a bunch of articles, MOD down zealots, and MOD up the truly good comments.
Hey it's better than working.
Happens at every airline, not everyone lands perfectly everytime, well except me. ;)
Took a friend up for a ride in a Super D, explaining away the chute as normal equipment. I ended up having to clean the plane out, it was worth it getting that girlly I am going to die scream out of my friend.
Have you been to a Florida home? They don't have basements for a reason, our water table is so high that they would leak, it would be even worse at KSC because they are on a island between the Atlantic and ICW.
Also the biggest source of damage is not from the wind, but from the flooding that comes from all the rain, and the storm surge.
It's not over dramatization, a CAT 4 will destroy most structures not specifically designed to take the wind, it's next to impossible to make the VAB safe and still be affordable to build, the shuttle hanger on the other hand can be.
The average house built before the hurricane standards OTH is another matter.
Though the Space Center hasn't had a direct hit in years (like the Tampa area), they have been grazed several times. The Shuttle Hanger itself is designed to take a direct hit from a 105 MPH storm.
One false alarm can take $2 million out of NASA already tight budget. Actually having the orbiters taken out may have been a good thing in the long run since it would force congress to cough up some dough instead of just patching the shuttles up constantly.
As a pilot who spent part of his weekend tying down aircraft at the local airport, I find this incredibly funny, mostly because it's true.
The route must be relatively clear weather because the orbiter 747 combination produces flutter to the air frame from what I understand. And since it can't fly above the bad weather either.
Also actual preparations of the orbiter for ferry flight preparations take about 3 days, during that time it must be airborne in the mate-demate device, not exactly the best position to be in if the hurricane speeds up.
Once at Edwards the process is reversed.
In that time the track of a storm can change drastically. It was predicted that Tampa would get Charley up until a few hours before it hit, and Francis was so large that it didn't matter where it came on shore all of Florida was hit.
Finally there is the cost considerations, each flight costs about $1 million for each flight. NASA figures that it's safer to hunker down, than attempt a hasty departure (remember conservative attitudes prevail at both JSC, and KSC).
If they are on their wheels in a strong building it's unlikely that they would be damaged, their Vs is probably at least 150 knots, so short of a CAT 5 it's unlikely that they would get airborne, and a well made hanger can weather most storms.
Unfortunately you can't plan out that far for hurricane hits at this time, so instead of flying them out for every false alarm they take a chance with the orbiters in Florida.
Besides it's safer to have the orbiters buttoned down well in Florida, than have them caught off guard by a fast storm like Andrew with one of the orbiters still in process to be mated with the aircraft.
That flying rock, I highly doubt that even a CAT 5 hurricane would produce enough wind over the wings to get the aircraft above Vs.
Never been called by the Whitehouse have you? Their number doesn't return a caller ID codes at least on My Verizon cell phone.
I am moving over to a tablet PC,though it's dual boot I think I will stay in XP modes since the pen based input system is much better under SP2.
Well add the AC air handler you have the best music listening environment since carnage Hall.
I use my Pod and Bose ANR headset when working extended periods of time in the data center.
Only If you are an idiot.
I run Windows 2003 Ent on my Dell Laptop, for the past year and a half browsing the Internet with IE set at Medium-low, NO firewall; Often with a public IP. In that time I have not had a single virus, spyware, or worm installed on my machine.
Security is all in the user and administrator. I have met Linux freaks that don't know the first thing about real world security and how to make a network both usable by even the most moronic PHB's and at the same time secure.
Ps: Please forgive any spelling mistakes a may nave made in this post I have not installed my spell checker on my new Tablet.
Mice routinely last 2-3 days (I'm a forgetful idiot), you can either pop it on the cradle and go do something else (or if your like me use the laptop touch pad), or pop in some energizers I have in the desk drawer and use those until the end of the day and charge the NiMH.
I it both on my Max Payne mouse pad, and 3M mouse pad, noticed no major difference from my ball Mouseman Pro to the MX 700.
Also don't notice much difference between corded optical and MX 700 either.
*shrugs* The MX 700 has the right amount of buttons for me.
You know overall most Microsoft hardware is quite good, this may be one of the ones that fail. But hey when you have billions of dollars you can venture out on the limb more than other companies.