Listen - this reply is entirely disingenuous, in the context of this discussion.
My contention is that total cost v. total benefit should be the primary consideration. So, consider a situation where a MS product would win; it's then ridiculous to say that if all factors were considered, MS should be banned for just this reason. In fact, it shows that this policy isn't entirely mindful of the true situation.
As an example, what if I was hiring at my company and you interviewed. Afterwards I informed you that I had a blanket no people named "commodore" policy, but otherwise you were far and away the best candidate. You're welcome to have the position, as long as you don't mind changing your name.
I hope you'll agree that this situation is ridiculous: If I've decided you're the best candidate, why should a quality that DOESN'T detract from you being the best candidate disqualify you.
This situation mirros what's going on here exactly (now read this carefully, because I'm sure this analogy will be under attack). Once it's been decided on a playing field that considers ALL factors that an MS solution is best, it should be used. Holding one criteria against it, in the face of an overall superior product is ridiculous.
The point is, I'm not saying MA should only use MS. What they should do, is genuinely choose the best product for each application. Open Source and Open Standards should def. be considerations, but not THE consideration.
I think this response is getting a little tired. OSS easily might be the best solution, but no solution is completely free as in beer, especially when it comes to a rollout of this scope.
For instance, I use Windows, but I also use Thunderbird, Firebird, and OpenOffice. For each of those, I've tried to decide based on ease of use, ease of transition, interoperability, etc.
However, I fear that you might be overly optimistic. IIRC, the MA government has some reason for bitterness towards MS (involvement in anti-trust lawsuit), and it's entirely possible that this is an attempt to sanction them theirselves. If this is the case, to any degree, that constitutes an egregious violation of responsibility.
It is decidedly not the responsibility of Messr. Kriss to decide punishment for anti-trust violations.
Overall, how much more a vindication for OSS would it be for a large state government to choose an open solution based SOLELY on merits, or further, even in the FACE of opposition from MS, instead of winning on an uneven playing field.
How are security and reliability not cost related issues? If I'm hacked, what does that do to my expenses, uptimes, etc. Same if my server is down every 20 min.
I'm in no way saying that MS should have ANY unfair advantage - compare both on the same playing field.
I'm not saying I'm an MS-apologist, but shouldn't decisions based on taxpayer money usually be based on cost analysis? A Blanket policy against MS, without allowing for a competitive bidding process or even alternative analysis doesn't seem right.
I know you all want OSS to win, but not by cheating. Shouldn't all have to compete on a level field, especially when we're the ones paying for it?
I know your rant is a common one, but nonetheless, I'm going to try responding.
They should only have one master, and it should be Wall Street. In fact, they are in a relationship of fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders, and ONLY to their shareholders. The extent to which any consideration of customers enters the equation is, and remember that this is by law, only insofar as that consideration helps their bottom line.
Corporate executives act on the behalf of everyone in the country (world?) who owns shares of their stock. They are trusted with maximizing value for THIS constituency.
I guess you might not like the system in general, but capital investment is probably the cornerstone of an effective economic system. Trust me, you're better off in the long-run. Nonetheless, it's probably easier for you to complain about a meaningless activation.
IE is a free app, and it comes bundled with Windows computers. What if it only worked on Windows(tm) monitors? I'm sure if they made that change, no one would complain.
Sure, you might say "Well, there are a ton of other browsers out there, no problem." However, I think history suggests that a lot of manufacturers would just start including Windows(tm) monitors so they didn't get complaints "Hey, what happened to my IE? How can I get on teh interweb?"
What's going on here with iTunes seems to be the same thing. Make a nice piece of software, get it to be ubiquitious, lock it in to a proprietary hardware solution. It's okay though, because it's friendly Apple, not evil MS.
The funny this is, think of what a disaster it would be if Apple and MS's market position were flipflopped. A large OS power that only supports proprietary hardware. The wailing and gnashing of teeth would increase 10 fold.
The point is, the only reason Apple is palatable at all, is that they weren't good enough to capitalize on the market like MS. I don't know if that's a good reason to support a company. I'm really not trying to start a flame-war here, and I'm sure I'll be attacked for casting any aspersions on the good name of Apple. Just for the record, I downloaded iTMS when it came out, and I like it a bunch so far. I just think the attacks on MS and the love for Apple can be hypocritical at times.
I don't mean to call anyone hypocritical, but a spade a spade, I suppose.
Obviously the problem is that it lock's users into one hardware alternative, instead of allowing them to choose the hardware solution that bests meets their needs.
At least we're consistent; I'm sure there would be zero complaints if everyone's favorite Redmond Giant made it so that Windows Media users could only use a Windows branded player.
No they're not. They're just ways of permuting a set of objects. When you compose them, you do one first then the other as one step.
There's plenty of hard stuff, and plenty of hard stuff in algebra, but group theory is not one of them.
Your "crusade" is more annoying than these posts. Especially using your karma bonus. Say these things do get modded down; your posts remains and is just as bad (maybe worse, as it is offtopic).
Why don't you use your mod points like you choose, and let others do so also. You'll notice I'm not using my Karma bonus to posts this, and I hope that you'll stop this "crusade".
Guess you were pretty pissed when y2k didn't go down. People jump all over tinfoil hat guys, but no reproach of this: "when the shit hits (it will hit soon) the fan".
To stop flaming and add something, wouldn't it be a better overall solution to invest in a generator and stockpile some fuel? I know it's more expensive, but maybe you could stop taking crazy pills for 1 or two months and afford it.
Intriguing question: if a Hz is a measure of speed, how fast are the radio waves from New York's Smooth Jazz, CD 101.9 FM travelling? Are they faster or slower than Hot 97, Blazin Hip Hop and R&B? And if faster, how can I tap into its power to make my Athlon run faster?
I'll bite. They are travelling at approximately c, the speed of light. They're not faster, but they are skinnier; maybe you could harness their power for a new weight loss system.
In all seriousness, this is just a silly semantic argument; the unit hertz is about frequency. The more Hz, the more time something happens in a second; that can be periods of an electromagnetic wave, or cycles of a cpu.
I already had my personal music player, AKA "laptop".
Yes, a laptop is a viable use for this, same with music. A more portable, specialized device probably also has a market, especially if content provider services are rolled out with it.
Wasn't there also speculation that they might roll out an upgrade to iTMS in conjuction with the Windows release? What if this was an iTVS (Video Store)? I would be VERY interested in the ability to buy quality video content in this format, ESPECIALLY TV shows.
Sorry, but reading below has informed me that ripping a dvd is in fact illegal. I admit I was unaware of this. Further, I think it's pretty ridiculous; I imagine in a DMCA, violating copy protection argument, but fair use is really getting bent over in this deal. In fact, such a player makes the argument about violation of fair use better than anything, imo.
If someone could post a good link to a discussion of this legality, I'd be very appreciative. Also, I still think this would be a great device if just for the TiVo application.
My solution, and one that I've read about elsewhere, is to figure out what number is calling (dialing #69 has worked a few times in my case) and send 'faxes' back at them. If you have a Data/Fax modem on your system or one you can use (I use ADSL for internet now), set up a few multiple-page solid black documents to send back at them. If you use Windows 2000 it is trivial to set up the 'fax services' like a regular printer.
This isn't good advice, don't do this. As you can read at many places in this article, sending unsolicited faxspam is against the law, and you have a liability of $500 per spam. Further, parent proposes sending spam specifically to cause harm to the receiver.
I'm sure it's just my own naivete, but committing a tort isn't a good idea, even when you have been the victim of one. Something about two wrongs....
Apple rolled out a service to complement the iPod with legal music. I think that answers this question rather nicely.
More interestingly, would be if Sony took the same approach. An online store where I could download quality video content, especially TV shows, for a reasonable price would be interesting indeed.
First, if you own a DVD, you should be able to "rip" it to one of these players as fair use. This would probably often be a useful feature.
Even cooler would be if the future of DVRs would be to download content to such players, just like a computer to an IPOD. Being able to "TiVo" shows and watch them whenever you want would be quite a nice feature.
Is there any "copyright" issues with using TV shows like this? How could it be any different from using a DVR in the first place.
Well, I'm not whining first of all. I'm providing a service to people who want it (which is obviously not you). You might argue that my comments to the effect of "registration is a hassle" were whining; in some sense they were, but honestly I was trying to preempt the kind of whining that you offer.
Whenever someone posts one of these, which many people find helpful, people seem to complain about them. You are one of these people. If you don't like them, don't use them. I don't care either way; it's not like I'm getting a clickthrough.
Slashdot Mirror
Insightful?
Gah.
Listen - this reply is entirely disingenuous, in the context of this discussion.
My contention is that total cost v. total benefit should be the primary consideration. So, consider a situation where a MS product would win; it's then ridiculous to say that if all factors were considered, MS should be banned for just this reason. In fact, it shows that this policy isn't entirely mindful of the true situation.
As an example, what if I was hiring at my company and you interviewed. Afterwards I informed you that I had a blanket no people named "commodore" policy, but otherwise you were far and away the best candidate. You're welcome to have the position, as long as you don't mind changing your name.
I hope you'll agree that this situation is ridiculous: If I've decided you're the best candidate, why should a quality that DOESN'T detract from you being the best candidate disqualify you.
This situation mirros what's going on here exactly (now read this carefully, because I'm sure this analogy will be under attack). Once it's been decided on a playing field that considers ALL factors that an MS solution is best, it should be used. Holding one criteria against it, in the face of an overall superior product is ridiculous.
The point is, I'm not saying MA should only use MS. What they should do, is genuinely choose the best product for each application. Open Source and Open Standards should def. be considerations, but not THE consideration.
I think this response is getting a little tired. OSS easily might be the best solution, but no solution is completely free as in beer, especially when it comes to a rollout of this scope.
Well, I hope this is the case.
For instance, I use Windows, but I also use Thunderbird, Firebird, and OpenOffice. For each of those, I've tried to decide based on ease of use, ease of transition, interoperability, etc.
However, I fear that you might be overly optimistic. IIRC, the MA government has some reason for bitterness towards MS (involvement in anti-trust lawsuit), and it's entirely possible that this is an attempt to sanction them theirselves. If this is the case, to any degree, that constitutes an egregious violation of responsibility.
It is decidedly not the responsibility of Messr. Kriss to decide punishment for anti-trust violations.
Overall, how much more a vindication for OSS would it be for a large state government to choose an open solution based SOLELY on merits, or further, even in the FACE of opposition from MS, instead of winning on an uneven playing field.
Read your own post:
"often cheaper and more secure"
Often=!always
The point is, why give OSS any unfair advantage? Is the concept of a level playing field really that nuts?
How are security and reliability not cost related issues? If I'm hacked, what does that do to my expenses, uptimes, etc. Same if my server is down every 20 min. I'm in no way saying that MS should have ANY unfair advantage - compare both on the same playing field.
I'm not saying I'm an MS-apologist, but shouldn't decisions based on taxpayer money usually be based on cost analysis? A Blanket policy against MS, without allowing for a competitive bidding process or even alternative analysis doesn't seem right.
I know you all want OSS to win, but not by cheating. Shouldn't all have to compete on a level field, especially when we're the ones paying for it?
Sorry about that. DON'T MOD PARENT UP! I could've sworn it didn't load right for me the first time....
They never saw it coming. Here's a google cache.
I know your rant is a common one, but nonetheless, I'm going to try responding.
They should only have one master, and it should be Wall Street. In fact, they are in a relationship of fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders, and ONLY to their shareholders. The extent to which any consideration of customers enters the equation is, and remember that this is by law, only insofar as that consideration helps their bottom line.
Corporate executives act on the behalf of everyone in the country (world?) who owns shares of their stock. They are trusted with maximizing value for THIS constituency.
I guess you might not like the system in general, but capital investment is probably the cornerstone of an effective economic system. Trust me, you're better off in the long-run. Nonetheless, it's probably easier for you to complain about a meaningless activation.
IE is a free app, and it comes bundled with Windows computers. What if it only worked on Windows(tm) monitors? I'm sure if they made that change, no one would complain.
Sure, you might say "Well, there are a ton of other browsers out there, no problem." However, I think history suggests that a lot of manufacturers would just start including Windows(tm) monitors so they didn't get complaints "Hey, what happened to my IE? How can I get on teh interweb?"
What's going on here with iTunes seems to be the same thing. Make a nice piece of software, get it to be ubiquitious, lock it in to a proprietary hardware solution. It's okay though, because it's friendly Apple, not evil MS.
The point is, the only reason Apple is palatable at all, is that they weren't good enough to capitalize on the market like MS. I don't know if that's a good reason to support a company. I'm really not trying to start a flame-war here, and I'm sure I'll be attacked for casting any aspersions on the good name of Apple. Just for the record, I downloaded iTMS when it came out, and I like it a bunch so far. I just think the attacks on MS and the love for Apple can be hypocritical at times.
I don't mean to call anyone hypocritical, but a spade a spade, I suppose.
Obviously the problem is that it lock's users into one hardware alternative, instead of allowing them to choose the hardware solution that bests meets their needs.
At least we're consistent; I'm sure there would be zero complaints if everyone's favorite Redmond Giant made it so that Windows Media users could only use a Windows branded player.
No they're not. They're just ways of permuting a set of objects. When you compose them, you do one first then the other as one step. There's plenty of hard stuff, and plenty of hard stuff in algebra, but group theory is not one of them.
Police Quest series was very fun, especially at first. I guess console kiddies might not know that. Check them out.
Hmmm....
Maybe this is a reason that this "information should be free" anti-IP stance breaks down.
Why on Earth would wildly profitable companies like Microsoft want to not trust people to "do the right". Oh because it doesn't work.
If you don't believe me, ask anyone who's tried to start a Utopia. (If you find a succesful one let me know; I'd love to rip off those suckers)
Your "crusade" is more annoying than these posts. Especially using your karma bonus. Say these things do get modded down; your posts remains and is just as bad (maybe worse, as it is offtopic). Why don't you use your mod points like you choose, and let others do so also. You'll notice I'm not using my Karma bonus to posts this, and I hope that you'll stop this "crusade".
that this is completely crazy.
Guess you were pretty pissed when y2k didn't go down. People jump all over tinfoil hat guys, but no reproach of this: "when the shit hits (it will hit soon) the fan".
To stop flaming and add something, wouldn't it be a better overall solution to invest in a generator and stockpile some fuel? I know it's more expensive, but maybe you could stop taking crazy pills for 1 or two months and afford it.
I'll bite. They are travelling at approximately c, the speed of light. They're not faster, but they are skinnier; maybe you could harness their power for a new weight loss system.
In all seriousness, this is just a silly semantic argument; the unit hertz is about frequency. The more Hz, the more time something happens in a second; that can be periods of an electromagnetic wave, or cycles of a cpu.
Yes, a laptop is a viable use for this, same with music. A more portable, specialized device probably also has a market, especially if content provider services are rolled out with it.
Wasn't there also speculation that they might roll out an upgrade to iTMS in conjuction with the Windows release? What if this was an iTVS (Video Store)? I would be VERY interested in the ability to buy quality video content in this format, ESPECIALLY TV shows.
If someone could post a good link to a discussion of this legality, I'd be very appreciative. Also, I still think this would be a great device if just for the TiVo application.
This isn't good advice, don't do this. As you can read at many places in this article, sending unsolicited faxspam is against the law, and you have a liability of $500 per spam. Further, parent proposes sending spam specifically to cause harm to the receiver.
I'm sure it's just my own naivete, but committing a tort isn't a good idea, even when you have been the victim of one. Something about two wrongs....
More interestingly, would be if Sony took the same approach. An online store where I could download quality video content, especially TV shows, for a reasonable price would be interesting indeed.
I don't see as how this should be a problem.
First, if you own a DVD, you should be able to "rip" it to one of these players as fair use. This would probably often be a useful feature.
Even cooler would be if the future of DVRs would be to download content to such players, just like a computer to an IPOD. Being able to "TiVo" shows and watch them whenever you want would be quite a nice feature.
Is there any "copyright" issues with using TV shows like this? How could it be any different from using a DVR in the first place.
Whenever someone posts one of these, which many people find helpful, people seem to complain about them. You are one of these people. If you don't like them, don't use them. I don't care either way; it's not like I'm getting a clickthrough.