It was our only computer too - if someone was on the board (most of the time really, we were moderately popular considering we only had one line) when I needed to use the computer for homework (read: play test drive) and I knew them, I'd go to chat mode and tell them to leave. If I didn't know them I'd pick up the phone receiver and make crackling noises until the modem booted them.
Depending on the year, OS/2 2.x and above were your friend. It would handle multiple modems, and still allow you to do your own stuff.
Most of the electric cars would recharge overnight when the existing grid is under-utilized, so it wouldn't be such a massive impact.
Good point.
On a slightly different, but definitely related topic: ISTR that the utilities use the evenings to take some generators off line and do preventative maintenance and repair work. If so, they would not be able to do as much such needed work.
Bullshit - your car does not run XP embedded. It sould be obvious that there are situations where the right tool for the job is the right tool for the job - there is no OS anywhere that covers it all or could be expected to.
Well, ok. Kinda.
As a thought experiment, let's see what Linux can't do now:
deep/tiny embedded
hard real-time
DO-178B. With enough work, maybe "close enough" to DO-178B?
Of all the tasks in the world that use computers with an OS (since so many are just simple microcontrollers), ISTM that Linux can right now run 99.44% of them, including most non-airworthiness avionics.
I don't think his suggestion is crazy. Why couldn't Microsoft start from scratch with a totally new OS, and include a legacy compatibility environment?
Doing that worked out pretty well for Apple a few years back during the OS 9-OS X transition. In fact, it's working well for them again right now with a much more seamless compatibility environment that's bridging the gap while developers transition of all their Mac apps to Intel-native versions.
With 5% of the desktop marketshare, Apple does not have the inertia (100's of billions of $ worth of already purchased application software) that businesses don't want to repurchase.
PS - the other "maybe" distribution system is electricity. I say "maybe" because we do a power grid, but we don't have metered charging stations nor do we have the capacity to support wide-scale automobile recharging. Yet. Start putting some nukes online and we might get there pretty quick
It would definitely have to be nuke, or some form of efficient alternative source, because burning more coal is just a non-starter.
A big problem, though, is transmission. 5,000,000 electric cars would add a huge load to the existing wire transmission system, and I don't think that the US grid could handle that much extra load.
On the other hand, it gives the developers something to point to when the clients do the old "oh, that's not what we meant by..." routine when the project is over half-complete.
Now that is a damned good reason for DbC.
But then, in the gov't contractor world, we do this all the time with the relevant agencies, no matter what the implementation language.
These systems are very much comparable to typical desktop systems we had at the end of the 1990s. As I'm sure you are aware, we did have fairly capable systems then (it wasn't that long ago!). We had ICQ, web browsers, office suites, and even desktop Java applications! I am without doubt that enterprising individuals and groups within the open source community will port applications like Seamonkey and GAIM to this device, so we can surf the web, check our email, and chat online.
The "problem" is that gumstix don't have VGA ports and keyboards. You have to be at a "big" computer to ssh into the gumstix. So... why not to all your GUI stuff from the "big" computer in the first place?
No, gumstix are (only?) good at serving and controlling. But of course, that's a very large set of possibilities.
Considering that all F-14's were pure fighter, as in no strike capability, until after I got out of the military in '91, I sort of doubt that they dropped any other type of bomb on vietnam, either.
Especially since the F-14 was fleet air defence (shooting missiles at Sov bombers) and didn't enter service until late 1974.
If it were me, I'd say it's because Evo is a toad, complete with hard-coded URLs. Gag.
However, it's not me -- it's Sun. And for Sun, the deal-breaker is that Evolution is GPL-licensed. The Mozilla license is much more suited to their private-branding model.
Let's not forget that Tbird is cross-platform, whereas GNOME apps are iffy (if at all) at running on Windows.
For the old machines that don't have the oomph to run Linux on their own, load them up with Terminal servers software and have them do most of their work from the central servers. -- then hook yourself up with a 100Megabit network and let fly.
Depending on the existing infrastructure and how many computer labs there will be and where the servers will be located, they might to run down thousands of feet of cat 5 and install a few dozen RJ45 jacks. That costs money.
Also, sad to say, there's the physical security of the servers. (A fellow LUG member who is an inner city pubschool teacher install LTSP in his classroom, but had to lock up the server. The clients were also always getting damaged in small anoying ways.)
I wonder if text-mode and SVGAlib apps would be the way to go: slsc, vim 7, python. If they're already wired for 10Mbps with hubs (remember, this is old stuff here), links2 and mutt. If you can learn them, you can learn anything. Also, there's dosemu, if you can find Lotus 1-2-3 and WP 6.0. Those app *fly* on a P-100.
And then there's always old distros like Debian Potato with the fvwm95 WM.
The news covered it. The courts said 'You can't require people to buy IDs, that's a poll tax'. The news didn't cover it. How many people didn't bother to show up because they didn't have IDs?)
That's an interesting way to think about it. All my life I've been told, "you need an ID to register, you need an ID to vote". Kinda like breathing.
Even when for medical reasons I had to give up my DL, I took off a day from work to stand in line at the OMV (LA version of DMV) to get the ID.
Since so many places require a picture ID, it never occurred to me that this is some form of poll tax.
However, I've voted in Cobb Country, a predominately black urban area, and stood in line for three hours. And I've voted in Lumpkin Country, a predominately white rural area, and had no line at all.
Louisiana (where I live) is a mostly white state, and just like Georgia there's a Jim Crow history. However, it's state law that you have a polling station per X number of people. So there are many (well, were, before Katrina) polling stations all around predominately-black N.O.
You earlier said that Atlanta is at war with the Republican administration. How can it be an old war if a Republican have been in office for only 3 years?
Voter ID is one of those ideas that seems perfectly reasonable, and could be perfectly reasonable, but it is repeatedly being suggested in such a manner as to disenfranchise the poor. It's not a coincidence.
Hmmm, yes, I can definitely see that as a dirty tricks tactic.
Too many dead people have voted, though, and too many people have voted 2 and 3 times. If you've got a better idea on how to prevent such fraud, I'd love to hear it. Honestly.
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But Belgium doesn't count. Hasn't anyone ever told you that?
Depending on the year, OS/2 2.x and above were your friend. It would handle multiple modems, and still allow you to do your own stuff.
Seriously though, there's always more stuff to be hauled around.
Good point.
On a slightly different, but definitely related topic: ISTR that the utilities use the evenings to take some generators off line and do preventative maintenance and repair work. If so, they would not be able to do as much such needed work.
In the US, grid service is a monopoly.
Well, ok. Kinda.
As a thought experiment, let's see what Linux can't do now:
Of all the tasks in the world that use computers with an OS (since so many are just simple microcontrollers), ISTM that Linux can right now run 99.44% of them, including most non-airworthiness avionics.
Fantasy, eh?
Michael Dell, Steve Balmer & Bill Gates wish to differ with you, as do approximately 10000 Microsoft Millionaires.
Doing that worked out pretty well for Apple a few years back during the OS 9-OS X transition. In fact, it's working well for them again right now with a much more seamless compatibility environment that's bridging the gap while developers transition of all their Mac apps to Intel-native versions.
With 5% of the desktop marketshare, Apple does not have the inertia (100's of billions of $ worth of already purchased application software) that businesses don't want to repurchase.
Power companies are very reluctant to restring thousands of miles of wire. They'd rather live with the status quo.
How do you oxidize an inert gas?
It would definitely have to be nuke, or some form of efficient alternative source, because burning more coal is just a non-starter.
A big problem, though, is transmission. 5,000,000 electric cars would add a huge load to the existing wire transmission system, and I don't think that the US grid could handle that much extra load.
No. Barely even sparsely populated with aborigines. Who didn't use the wheel, much less copper.
Now that is a damned good reason for DbC.
But then, in the gov't contractor world, we do this all the time with the relevant agencies, no matter what the implementation language.
(including one from a woman about how women don't know how to use computers and aren't capable of learning, and linux is too hard)
Do you still have her email address?
North America?
The "problem" is that gumstix don't have VGA ports and keyboards. You have to be at a "big" computer to ssh into the gumstix. So... why not to all your GUI stuff from the "big" computer in the first place?
No, gumstix are (only?) good at serving and controlling. But of course, that's a very large set of possibilities.
Especially since the F-14 was fleet air defence (shooting missiles at Sov bombers) and didn't enter service until late 1974.
Well, incorporating Tbird is much better than them writing their own MUA from scratch...
However, it's not me -- it's Sun. And for Sun, the deal-breaker is that Evolution is GPL-licensed. The Mozilla license is much more suited to their private-branding model.
Let's not forget that Tbird is cross-platform, whereas GNOME apps are iffy (if at all) at running on Windows.
Depending on the existing infrastructure and how many computer labs there will be and where the servers will be located, they might to run down thousands of feet of cat 5 and install a few dozen RJ45 jacks. That costs money.
Also, sad to say, there's the physical security of the servers. (A fellow LUG member who is an inner city pubschool teacher install LTSP in his classroom, but had to lock up the server. The clients were also always getting damaged in small anoying ways.)
I wonder if text-mode and SVGAlib apps would be the way to go: slsc, vim 7, python. If they're already wired for 10Mbps with hubs (remember, this is old stuff here), links2 and mutt. If you can learn them, you can learn anything. Also, there's dosemu, if you can find Lotus 1-2-3 and WP 6.0. Those app *fly* on a P-100.
And then there's always old distros like Debian Potato with the fvwm95 WM.
That's an interesting way to think about it. All my life I've been told, "you need an ID to register, you need an ID to vote". Kinda like breathing.
Even when for medical reasons I had to give up my DL, I took off a day from work to stand in line at the OMV (LA version of DMV) to get the ID.
Since so many places require a picture ID, it never occurred to me that this is some form of poll tax.
However, I've voted in Cobb Country, a predominately black urban area, and stood in line for three hours. And I've voted in Lumpkin Country, a predominately white rural area, and had no line at all.
Louisiana (where I live) is a mostly white state, and just like Georgia there's a Jim Crow history. However, it's state law that you have a polling station per X number of people. So there are many (well, were, before Katrina) polling stations all around predominately-black N.O.
Maybe LA is just more advanced that GA... 8-)
You earlier said that Atlanta is at war with the Republican administration. How can it be an old war if a Republican have been in office for only 3 years?
Voter ID is one of those ideas that seems perfectly reasonable, and could be perfectly reasonable, but it is repeatedly being suggested in such a manner as to disenfranchise the poor. It's not a coincidence.
Hmmm, yes, I can definitely see that as a dirty tricks tactic.
Too many dead people have voted, though, and too many people have voted 2 and 3 times. If you've got a better idea on how to prevent such fraud, I'd love to hear it. Honestly.
There's only been a Republican governor for 3 years. Republicans have had a legislative majority for, what, 15 years max?
Did they close other Atlanta DMV offices because of "budget cuts"? Or has there always only been 1 DMV office in Atlanta?
Specifics would be helpful.
If the state capitol can't get more than 1 DMV office, that's pathetic.