Exactly. At the university I work for each license of XP Pro is only $60, because of the select licensing program for schools.
Even our servers are starting to be migrated over to Windows from linux, as pressure is coming from "higher ups".
On another note, as far as the patches go, I am going to really dislike supporting the increase in unpatched machines brought into campus infecting the network. I remember back when blaster came out that only a few machines completely killed the network with traffic.
All of my email is filtered by my Exchange server so I don't think I'll be needed anti-virus on my laptop. I almost never get or open attachments.
I had mod points, but I decided to respond instead. I'll go ahead and assume that you've been using linux for so long that you haven't realized of what is out there. Viruses that spread via attachments are found in abundance. But you have to also consider the worms that just propogate themselves accross the network to every machine.
Remember blaster? *shudders* I remember that our network was so bad at work that when we would get a new computer and turn it on to cast an image with Symantec Ghost, that it would be infected within 30 seconds. Anti-virus software is definitely necessary.
As far as spyware is concerned, in addition to what you listed, I also like to change the default security settings for IE to prompt me for anything, especially ActiveX controls. There are plenty of Windows programs that use IE for updating or something else (McAfee for example)
Actually even with remote desktop, vnc can be much more beneficial in certain cases.
I work IT for a branch campus of a major university, and we use vnc all the time. Remote Desktop requires that the user be logged out, whereas vnc lets them see what you're doing. This is great for supporting people who call constantly and need to have their hand held to do anything.
We even setup a package that they can install that will put an icon on the desktop to run the server when they need help, and after which it opens a command window showing their IP info.
That way when someone calls, I just say, "Double click on so-and-so icon" and then just go merrily on my way. Too bad the vncviewer's I've used in linux can't seem to be configured to lookup samba host information, that way I wouldn't need to know the IP (maybe it can, correct me if I'm wrong).
Yeah, I've been using
this one and like it a lot. I would have liked a slightly smaller one, but I needed a larger backpack for my oversized, heavy laptop.
Having good straps is absolutely necessary when you know you'll be carrying a lot of weight. Personally I wish that REI would make laptop bags, since I've had such great luck with their bags in the past.
And they'll fix or replace them if anything breaks (with normal usage, of course).
I don't think anyone is saying that all employees at Microsoft are horrible programmers. You're right on that much of the problem is poor management. A project like Windows is a huge one with something like 1.6 (correct me if I'm wrong) million lines of code.
Now this doesn't make them that special. There are lots of companies with crappy management. However, the thing that sets them apart from the rest of the crowd is that they are a monopoly. In a non-monopolistic environment, you would expect to see the competition weed out the companies who bring in the piss poor management.
Actually it is a good point. The big benefit with writing Evolution in C#, is that(in theory) it could then be platform dependent. If Novell released Evolution for Windows, then they could create a strong competitor to Outlook. And then not have to worry about making the user run Gtk on Windows.
I can see one issue that it should require Mono, instead of Microsoft's.NET framework. Just imagine all the problems that could happen if it depended on.NET, and Microsoft decided to "patch" the framework.
With all this talk always going on about small handheld music players such as the ipod, etc, I wonder why companies haven't done the same thing to home/car stereo systems.
Sure, I know that people always say that compressed 128kbps mp3 sounds crappy in the car. But with compactness being less important for your car, you can afford to put more storage and higher quality audio equipment as well.
Okay, I'm sure somebody will point out that there are companies (like PhatBox) that do something like this already, but they are very few compared to the number of portables.
There's one thing to that, though. You have to be dependent on how secure your home mailbox is.
I've already learned the hard way to never trust important incoming mail to my mailbox, and it even requires a key. I used to receive bank statements, including written checks for the previous month, but one day it was stolen, and I had to go through a hassle of identity theft.
Luckily the person was caught, and it turned out had been doing the same thing throughout a large portion of the area. I now go to the bank to pick up any printed material, and do the same for other things as well. That way I have to at least identify myself with ID, and they even know me there.
What I would like to see is more use of things like smart cards in combination with PINS(maybe even RSA ones that change every minute), and then your number.
"Okay, next on the checklist:
LOTS of animated GIFS , or "jifs", or however you say it. I heard a couple of nerds arguing about it sometime. But you want as many of those as possible, especially the rotating kind, those are awesome, man. Nobody gets tired of those..."
"James, the internet is a place where absolutely nothing happens. You need to take advantage of that."
As a few other people have pointed out, Novell is still working hard on Novell(former Ximian) Evolution. If you've looked at the beta releases at all lately they've completely changed the interface to something that looks a lot like Outlook 2003 (whether that is a good thing or not is left for another discussion). Not to mention that a lot more features have been added such as support for groupwise, and the exchange connector (although you can get that already for stable releases).
However, some of the biggest news is that they are completely overhauling Evolution in order to make a windows port.
There have even been rumors (although I can't find where I read it) that Evolution 2.0 will be written entirely in C#, and hence, the current speedy development of Mono. With the fact that they could make it multi-platform, Evolution could become a real contender against MS Outlook.
It's true that in the US and other more "stable" countries there is still crime, terrorism, etc. However, I don't know how much you can compare it with living in other countries. I personally lived in the Philippines for about 2 years. While it's definitely still not the middle east, it can be a bit shocking to go to the mall or something and see guards standing at the door with rifles or other weapons. And yes, even McDonalds had guards at it, so it's not like you're getting away from that.:)
But really, it was quite a shock to adjust to it all. You end up realizing how good you've had it. Although as someone else mentioned earlier, most people are at least somewhat nice, but you do have to take some extra caution. For one thing, it always helps to always be with someone else, and becoming familiar with their culture and language helps, too.
I did run into a few nervous situations, but was lucky to not be in the part of the country with the Abu Sayyaf(supposed Al Qaeda ally group) there. I was there during 9/11, and at which point you didn't want to make to much of a scene.
Not too long ago I tried setting up Slack 9.2(or 1?) on my system and the install isn't all too horrible, however there were some little differences. One thing that really iritated me was that a lot of the config files were blank. Yes, that's right, completely blank. I went to go configure X (XFree then) and realized I was going to have to type in everything myself. No thank you! So then I just went to my Redhat box and copied the needed files over, and then made changes.
Now don't get me wrong, I do think Slackware is a well designed distro, and they do very well at holding onto the true "tao" of UNIX. However, at the same time I think it couldn't hurt to do as some other distros do and include at least sample configuration files.
Just as someone else mentioned earlier, they don't need some of the extra tools like Fedora, Mandrake, etc. I actually run Fedora and Mandrake currently and I've found that those distros try to set things up so much that you have to go back and fix the damage later. So I guess it's just all how you look at it. If you want to have complete control over your installation, then Slack is definitely for you. If you want an install to pretty much do everything for you, and hope that it was developed on hardware practically identical to yours, then go with something else.
BTW, at work, being in a server environment, we definitely have been using Debian and Slackware. You can build a good kiosk using Slack too(x server and browser only).
"You can make more money in sales, consulting or management."
That's assuming, of course, that you have the social skills necessary for that kind of job. Remember, this is slashdot.:)
I mean, think of the benefits. Sure, your job might likely be outsourced to some 3rd world country and your income could be only slightly better than if flipping burgers at McD's. But hey, at least you only have to interface with a screen!
I love my iriver
igp-100. It's only 1.5GB, but it plays ogg, and several other formats. iRiver even plans on adding AAC support.
They do have ones with larger drives, like the
H120, with a 20GB drive. Also with OGG Vorbis support. I like the blue backlights as well...makes it really easy to see when it's dark.
I've been running Mandrake Cooker(10.1?) now for a couple of months, and it's great. I think I just like the feeling of being so bleeding edge that my laptop gets a little soaked sometimes. I mean, Mandrake 10! Come on, that's so last month.
I thought the/. crowd only liked a distro if you have to recompile your test kernel to even get it to boot.
What are we coming to...before you know it we'll be saying that Linus didn't come up with Linux.
Okay Mods. Obviously you didn't realize that was a joke.;-) Everyone knows they run windows!
[ms router clippy]: "Ooh look! Someone's trying to connect to your router through port 80.
I think I'll open it now!! Ooops sorry, did I do that?
You know, you should think about getting the all new Microsoft Antivirus XP Extreme...."
I agree that distros need to have more friendly installers, but there is also a point of being too easy. I've gone through several installers like Redhat, Mandrake, Debian, Slackware, and noticed that sometimes more options, understandable and well ordered, can be much greater than just simplicity. Not everyone wants a default setup.
/*begin rant */
The other day I tried out the newest Lindows^H^H^H^H^Hspire to dual boot with Fedora. And even after manually setting up lilo, and making sure that the Linspire tool to auto-configure lilo wouldn't run...it still would remove Fedora from the list. Then, not to mention that later on, it hosed my Fedora filesystem on another boot. Having a *easy* install is nice and all, but if there's no way to customize it to your needs, then obviously too much has been done for interface, than actual usability. /* end rant*/
Okay, I don't think anyone else has said it yet. One of the biggest reasons that the US won't work on the development on systems such as the Maglev, is the airline industry. That would be in direct competition with the airlines, which is an extremely lucrative industry. Just to show how much, here is a document showing the industry as a whole over the past 10 years or so. Having a high speed rail system would mean that airlines would have to lower their artificially high set prices to keep business.
Well, lets do the math. If we take the limit as n approaches infinity (darn! no infinity key) of n^2 (or 2x, both have been argued), then yes that would be forever. Unless, of course, you could be saying (GASP!) that the whole theory behind Moore's Law is flawed!
Depending on the setup you're using, it may also be a factor of the server. At the university I work at we have a lab with more than adequate computers to run the latest linux distros, but have a hard time doing it, because of a poor, poor dying server. NFS isn't the best thing to implement when the server is already getting such a high load. Most likely, your lab is running NFS.
Personally I think it is a good idea to have a diversity of programs/OS's that are available to students. As mentioned in another post, the main purpose is to teach them concepts, and not just specific tasks. I remember when I was in grade school, we had used mostly DOS, later added Macs, and somewhere along the way Windows 3.1 came along. There wasn't really ever just one setup available in the classrooms. The point of education is to teach about opposite sides to everything, and then hopefully kids will learn to make good, reasoned decisions from it. I know many grown adults who still haven't figured this out.
Slashdot Mirror
Exactly. At the university I work for each license of XP Pro is only $60, because of the select licensing program for schools.
Even our servers are starting to be migrated over to Windows from linux, as pressure is coming from "higher ups".
On another note, as far as the patches go, I am going to really dislike supporting the increase in unpatched machines brought into campus infecting the network. I remember back when blaster came out that only a few machines completely killed the network with traffic.
Sure it can. How does this sound:
z c4ZjI1MWQ3
OWMmNCZWMVpXYjFVd01VaFVhMUpYVjBoQ1UxWlVSbGRPVmxaMF lrWmFiRlpy
Y0RCVVZtUnZZV3hPUmsxVVJtRldiVkpJV1dwS1NtVlZPVWxXYk hCT1lXMTNk
MVV5ZUZOVE1VbDVVMnhvVTJKdFVuRlVWbEp6VGxaa2MyRkZPVT VXTUhCS1Zs
WmtORlJyTVVkalNFWmFaV3MxTWxsclZYZGtNVlp6VW0xb1dGSn JiRE5YV0hC
TFV6QXhXRlJ1VW1GU2VteE1WbXRXY21WR1VsaGlSRUpUVWxoQ1 ZsVXlkRTlX
YkVwV1ZtNU9WVll6VWt0YVZWVXhWbFpPV1dGRk9XeFdSVWt5Vm taV1UxVnRV
WGRqUmxaVVZrVndjVlJVUmt0aU1YQkdXa1phYVZKVVFqTldWM2 hIVld4VmVG
WnFWbFZpVkZaWVZHMHhSMWRXUmxobFJUVk9VbXRaTUZaSGVGTl RiVlpHVGxS
V1YxZEhlRkJaYkZwTFRteE9jMVZyT1ZOV01IQjNWbXhvYzFReV NsVldiVGxh
WWtkU1YxbHJWWGRrTVZaWVpVVTFhR0pJUW5sV01uaHZWRzFPYz JKRVZsZFhT
RUpVVlZSR1YwNVdVblJOVm1Sb1RVaENWbFpIZEZkV01VcEdVMn BTVjFZemFE
TlphMlJQVWpBNVNWcEdaRlJTVjNRelZtdGpNVkZyTUhoWGJrSl BWbXhhWVZs
clZuZE5NV1IwVGxaT2JHSkhVa2RhUlZwaFlXc3hkRlJxUmxWV2 JFcDFXbFZh
VjJNd09VVlRiRkpVVWxSVk1sWnNZM2hoTWtaWFZHdFdWbGRGY0 U1WmJURTBW
a1phV0U1WVpGWlNNRm93VlcxNGMxUnNTbGRUYms1aFVtMVNTRl l3V2xwa01r
NUhWV3M1VjFKdVFrUldha0pyVkRKT2MxWnNWbFpYUjFKWFZtNX dSMDB4Vmxk
V1dHaHJZa2hDU1ZaWGRGZFdSazVIVTI1R1dtRXhXbFJaVldSR1 pERktXVlpz
Y0ZkaGVsWlpWa1ZqTVdSdFRuTlRibEpZWWtWd1ZGcFhkRXRYUm xKVlVWUldW
Rll4V2xaV2JYTXhZVVV4VldKRVRtRlNSWEJVVm10YVlWWXhXbk prUjJ4VFZt
MDVObFpGV2s1a01rcEdUVmhHV0dGc2NIQlVWM0J6VFVac1YxbD ZRbWxTVkVJ
elZsZHdWMWxXWkVaTldFNVZWak5DYUZWVVJrdGpiVkpJWlVkNF ZrMVdXVEpX
VjNSUFZtMVdWazVZVWs1V01taG9XbFphVjA1c1ZuSlZhM0JxWV ROQ1ZsVXhV
a3RoYlVwWFYycGFXbFp0YUROWmExWjNWbFpTY2xadGNHeFdiRm t4Vmtjd2VG
UXlSa2hWYTFKWFYwaENWRlV3V2t0T1ZtUlhZVVp3YVZKVVJuaF dNbkJEWVcx
S1YySklUbFZXUlVwVFdsVldkMVpXVGxsalIyeFhUVVp2ZWxZeF VrcE9WMUpZ
Vld0b1YySnNXbkpWVmxGM1QxRTlQUT09
:)
http://hugeurl.com/?MzdmNDEwYzBhZWVlZDhmMjhlY2I4M
As they always say, bigger is better.
Oh, there's the problem. He prought the documents instead of bringing them.
I always have the worst of luck when I pring documents places.
Sorry, couldn't resist.
All of my email is filtered by my Exchange server so I don't think I'll be needed anti-virus on my laptop. I almost never get or open attachments.
I had mod points, but I decided to respond instead. I'll go ahead and assume that you've been using linux for so long that you haven't realized of what is out there. Viruses that spread via attachments are found in abundance. But you have to also consider the worms that just propogate themselves accross the network to every machine.
Remember blaster? *shudders* I remember that our network was so bad at work that when we would get a new computer and turn it on to cast an image with Symantec Ghost, that it would be infected within 30 seconds. Anti-virus software is definitely necessary.
As far as spyware is concerned, in addition to what you listed, I also like to change the default security settings for IE to prompt me for anything, especially ActiveX controls. There are plenty of Windows programs that use IE for updating or something else (McAfee for example)
Yeah, that is why I only choose to do business with companies that store their credit card numbers on little sticky notes...much more secure.
They even told me that they like to keep the said sticky notes in a "lock box".
So, I feel really safe now.
Actually even with remote desktop, vnc can be much more beneficial in certain cases.
I work IT for a branch campus of a major university, and we use vnc all the time. Remote Desktop requires that the user be logged out, whereas vnc lets them see what you're doing. This is great for supporting people who call constantly and need to have their hand held to do anything.
We even setup a package that they can install that will put an icon on the desktop to run the server when they need help, and after which it opens a command window showing their IP info.
That way when someone calls, I just say, "Double click on so-and-so icon" and then just go merrily on my way.
Too bad the vncviewer's I've used in linux can't seem to be configured to lookup samba host information, that way I wouldn't need to know the IP (maybe it can, correct me if I'm wrong).
Yeah, I've been using this one and like it a lot. I would have liked a slightly smaller one, but I needed a larger backpack for my oversized, heavy laptop.
Having good straps is absolutely necessary when you know you'll be carrying a lot of weight. Personally I wish that REI would make laptop bags, since I've had such great luck with their bags in the past.
And they'll fix or replace them if anything breaks (with normal usage, of course).
I don't think anyone is saying that all employees at Microsoft are horrible programmers. You're right on that much of the problem is poor management. A project like Windows is a huge one with something like 1.6 (correct me if I'm wrong) million lines of code.
Now this doesn't make them that special. There are lots of companies with crappy management. However, the thing that sets them apart from the rest of the crowd is that they are a monopoly. In a non-monopolistic environment, you would expect to see the competition weed out the companies who bring in the piss poor management.
Actually it is a good point. The big benefit with writing Evolution in C#, is that(in theory) it could then be platform dependent. If Novell released Evolution for Windows, then they could create a strong competitor to Outlook. And then not have to worry about making the user run Gtk on Windows.
.NET framework. Just imagine all the problems that could happen if it depended on .NET, and Microsoft decided to "patch" the framework.
I can see one issue that it should require Mono, instead of Microsoft's
With all this talk always going on about small handheld music players such as the ipod, etc, I wonder why companies haven't done the same thing to home/car stereo systems.
Sure, I know that people always say that compressed 128kbps mp3 sounds crappy in the car. But with compactness being less important for your car, you can afford to put more storage and higher quality audio equipment as well.
Okay, I'm sure somebody will point out that there are companies (like PhatBox) that do something like this already, but they are very few compared to the number of portables.
There's one thing to that, though. You have to be dependent on how secure your home mailbox is.
I've already learned the hard way to never trust important incoming mail to my mailbox, and it even requires a key. I used to receive bank statements, including written checks for the previous month, but one day it was stolen, and I had to go through a hassle of identity theft.
Luckily the person was caught, and it turned out had been doing the same thing throughout a large portion of the area. I now go to the bank to pick up any printed material, and do the same for other things as well. That way I have to at least identify myself with ID, and they even know me there.
What I would like to see is more use of things like smart cards in combination with PINS(maybe even RSA ones that change every minute), and then your number.
"Okay, next on the checklist:
LOTS of animated GIFS , or "jifs", or however you say it. I heard a couple of nerds arguing about it sometime. But you want as many of those as possible, especially the rotating kind, those are awesome, man. Nobody gets tired of those..."
"James, the internet is a place where absolutely nothing happens. You need to take advantage of that."
As a few other people have pointed out, Novell is still working hard on Novell(former Ximian) Evolution. If you've looked at the beta releases at all lately they've completely changed the interface to something that looks a lot like Outlook 2003 (whether that is a good thing or not is left for another discussion). Not to mention that a lot more features have been added such as support for groupwise, and the exchange connector (although you can get that already for stable releases).
However, some of the biggest news is that they are completely overhauling Evolution in order to make a windows port.
There have even been rumors (although I can't find where I read it) that Evolution 2.0 will be written entirely in C#, and hence, the current speedy development of Mono. With the fact that they could make it multi-platform, Evolution could become a real contender against MS Outlook.
It's true that in the US and other more "stable" countries there is still crime, terrorism, etc. However, I don't know how much you can compare it with living in other countries. I personally lived in the Philippines for about 2 years. While it's definitely still not the middle east, it can be a bit shocking to go to the mall or something and see guards standing at the door with rifles or other weapons. And yes, even McDonalds had guards at it, so it's not like you're getting away from that. :)
But really, it was quite a shock to adjust to it all. You end up realizing how good you've had it. Although as someone else mentioned earlier, most people are at least somewhat nice, but you do have to take some extra caution. For one thing, it always helps to always be with someone else, and becoming familiar with their culture and language helps, too.
I did run into a few nervous situations, but was lucky to not be in the part of the country with the Abu Sayyaf(supposed Al Qaeda ally group) there. I was there during 9/11, and at which point you didn't want to make to much of a scene.
Not too long ago I tried setting up Slack 9.2(or 1?) on my system and the install isn't all too horrible, however there were some little differences. One thing that really iritated me was that a lot of the config files were blank. Yes, that's right, completely blank. I went to go configure X (XFree then) and realized I was going to have to type in everything myself. No thank you! So then I just went to my Redhat box and copied the needed files over, and then made changes.
Now don't get me wrong, I do think Slackware is a well designed distro, and they do very well at holding onto the true "tao" of UNIX. However, at the same time I think it couldn't hurt to do as some other distros do and include at least sample configuration files.
Just as someone else mentioned earlier, they don't need some of the extra tools like Fedora, Mandrake, etc. I actually run Fedora and Mandrake currently and I've found that those distros try to set things up so much that you have to go back and fix the damage later. So I guess it's just all how you look at it. If you want to have complete control over your installation, then Slack is definitely for you. If you want an install to pretty much do everything for you, and hope that it was developed on hardware practically identical to yours, then go with something else.
BTW, at work, being in a server environment, we definitely have been using Debian and Slackware. You can build a good kiosk using Slack too(x server and browser only).
"You can make more money in sales, consulting or management."
:)
That's assuming, of course, that you have the social skills necessary for that kind of job. Remember, this is slashdot.
I mean, think of the benefits. Sure, your job might likely be outsourced to some 3rd world country and your income could be only slightly better than if flipping burgers at McD's. But hey, at least you only have to interface with a screen!
I love my iriver igp-100. It's only 1.5GB, but it plays ogg, and several other formats. iRiver even plans on adding AAC support.
They do have ones with larger drives, like the H120, with a 20GB drive. Also with OGG Vorbis support. I like the blue backlights as well...makes it really easy to see when it's dark.
I've been running Mandrake Cooker(10.1?) now for a couple of months, and it's great. I think I just like the feeling of being so bleeding edge that my laptop gets a little soaked sometimes. I mean, Mandrake 10! Come on, that's so last month. /. crowd only liked a distro if you have to recompile your test kernel to even get it to boot.
I thought the
What are we coming to...before you know it we'll be saying that Linus didn't come up with Linux.
Oh, wait...
Okay Mods. Obviously you didn't realize that was a joke. ;-) Everyone knows they run windows!
[ms router clippy]: "Ooh look! Someone's trying to connect to your router through port 80.
I think I'll open it now!! Ooops sorry, did I do that?
You know, you should think about getting the all new Microsoft Antivirus XP Extreme...."
I agree that distros need to have more friendly installers, but there is also a point of being too easy. I've gone through several installers like Redhat, Mandrake, Debian, Slackware, and noticed that sometimes more options, understandable and well ordered, can be much greater than just simplicity. Not everyone wants a default setup.
/*begin rant */
/* end rant*/
The other day I tried out the newest Lindows^H^H^H^H^Hspire to dual boot with Fedora. And even after manually setting up lilo, and making sure that the Linspire tool to auto-configure lilo wouldn't run...it still would remove Fedora from the list. Then, not to mention that later on, it hosed my Fedora filesystem on another boot. Having a *easy* install is nice and all, but if there's no way to customize it to your needs, then obviously too much has been done for interface, than actual usability.
Oh, I know: 1. Go to main page. 2. Type su - 3. ??? 4. You are now a superuser, ENJOY!!
Okay, I don't think anyone else has said it yet. One of the biggest reasons that the US won't work on the development on systems such as the Maglev, is the airline industry. That would be in direct competition with the airlines, which is an extremely lucrative industry. Just to show how much, here is a document showing the industry as a whole over the past 10 years or so. Having a high speed rail system would mean that airlines would have to lower their artificially high set prices to keep business.
Well, lets do the math. If we take the limit as n approaches infinity (darn! no infinity key) of n^2 (or 2x, both have been argued), then yes that would be forever. Unless, of course, you could be saying (GASP!) that the whole theory behind Moore's Law is flawed!
Depending on the setup you're using, it may also be a factor of the server. At the university I work at we have a lab with more than adequate computers to run the latest linux distros, but have a hard time doing it, because of a poor, poor dying server. NFS isn't the best thing to implement when the server is already getting such a high load. Most likely, your lab is running NFS.
Personally I think it is a good idea to have a diversity of programs/OS's that are available to students. As mentioned in another post, the main purpose is to teach them concepts, and not just specific tasks. I remember when I was in grade school, we had used mostly DOS, later added Macs, and somewhere along the way Windows 3.1 came along. There wasn't really ever just one setup available in the classrooms. The point of education is to teach about opposite sides to everything, and then hopefully kids will learn to make good, reasoned decisions from it. I know many grown adults who still haven't figured this out.