I tend to agree. Forget MS altogether and innovate something new and amazing. Leave them behind in the desktop client era, move onto powerful web-based apps that allow real freedom to the end user. The @Mail software the parent mentions looks like it may be well on the way to providing a web-based Exchange/Outlook replacement. The online demo certainly grabbed my attention, seems to have a quite well featured mail client, address book and calendar which support group and personal entries. As it stands it looks to be a viable replacement for most Outlook users. I'll certainly look forward to see how this product matures in the future.
This is not intended as a
troll/flame, but how big is the market for a niche product from a niche
computer manufacturer?
some may have said the same of the ipod before the craze swept the world.
No, ASAIK it can be anything related to an OSS project ie artwork, docs etc. Also the quality of the work is monitored by a 'mentor' who is responsible for signing off on the work contributed by the volunteer and any "bludgers" can be booted from the scheme.
I live in a small rural town in Australia so my "work-on-the-side" is probably a little different to most others here on/. My main job is running my own one-man web dev biz (not so strange) but I also do the odd bit of farm work for a couple of friends which includes: drenching and vaccinating sheep/cattle, drafting sheep/cattle, fencing, and cruzing the paddocks in a $100,000 airconditioned CASE tractor with a plough or seed drill dragging along behind.
Get those people fed and industrialized, and they'll stop cutting down their own forests, start going to school, and add their share of brainpower to the world's thinktank.
Shouldn't that read: "Get those people fed and industrialized, and they'll continue cutting down their own forests, start using motor vehicles extensivley, build coal fired power stations and generally add shit loads more CO2 to the atmoshphere"?
Plus, the market is already crowded with cable, DSL, satellite, and wireless carriers (Sprint) providing WiFi ISP coverage.
I know I am in the minority, but living in a country area of NSW Australia that is only 2 1/2 hours from Sydney I have NO broadband available to me, besides satelite which still requires a modem and a phone line (unless you go 2-way and pay $$$).
Being such a large and sparcely populated country it will a long while (never?) before we see affordable broadband outside of major cities/towns (where it is still relatively expensive) unless existing infrastructure can be used to carry a broadband connection.
This sounds like a great posibilty for getting broadband to remote users, but I wont hold my breath.
Slashdot Mirror
I tend to agree. Forget MS altogether and innovate something new and amazing. Leave them behind in the desktop client era, move onto powerful web-based apps that allow real freedom to the end user. The @Mail software the parent mentions looks like it may be well on the way to providing a web-based Exchange/Outlook replacement. The online demo certainly grabbed my attention, seems to have a quite well featured mail client, address book and calendar which support group and personal entries. As it stands it looks to be a viable replacement for most Outlook users. I'll certainly look forward to see how this product matures in the future.
This is not intended as a troll/flame, but how big is the market for a niche product from a niche computer manufacturer? some may have said the same of the ipod before the craze swept the world.
No, ASAIK it can be anything related to an OSS project ie artwork, docs etc. Also the quality of the work is monitored by a 'mentor' who is responsible for signing off on the work contributed by the volunteer and any "bludgers" can be booted from the scheme.
I have a life damn you! I am here on /. aren't I?
SCO claims ownership of code
I live in a small rural town in Australia so my "work-on-the-side" is probably a little different to most others here on /. My main job is running my own one-man web dev biz (not so strange) but I also do the odd bit of farm work for a couple of friends which includes: drenching and vaccinating sheep/cattle, drafting sheep/cattle, fencing, and cruzing the paddocks in a $100,000 airconditioned CASE tractor with a plough or seed drill dragging along behind.
Outsource it! just send some poor soul from the third world to do the job, if the mission goes to hell...
Shouldn't that read: "Get those people fed and industrialized, and they'll continue cutting down their own forests, start using motor vehicles extensivley, build coal fired power stations and generally add shit loads more CO2 to the atmoshphere"?
Even the search term XFree86 MSN is fucked up doesn't return a pr0n warning but does also return a heap of slashdot links.
Plus, the market is already crowded with cable, DSL, satellite, and wireless carriers (Sprint) providing WiFi ISP coverage. I know I am in the minority, but living in a country area of NSW Australia that is only 2 1/2 hours from Sydney I have NO broadband available to me, besides satelite which still requires a modem and a phone line (unless you go 2-way and pay $$$). Being such a large and sparcely populated country it will a long while (never?) before we see affordable broadband outside of major cities/towns (where it is still relatively expensive) unless existing infrastructure can be used to carry a broadband connection. This sounds like a great posibilty for getting broadband to remote users, but I wont hold my breath.