It appears just fine as as USB mass storage device, with no special software, on my computer. Of course I'm using Linux (Ubuntu). Not sure what it does on Windows.
Do all FF/TB extensions work with SeaMonkey? I'd be interested in trying it out, but would be loathe to give up my favorite extensions.
Re:SeaMonkey vs Firefox / Thunderbird
on
Seamonkey 1.1 Released
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
Actually Thunderbird has built in NewsReader as well. Firefox has a couple of excellent newsreader extensions, and an HTML extension as well.
I also don't see the advantage of SeaMonkey over Firefox+Thunderbird, though perhaps I'm missing something. I wonder why developers continue to invest work in SeaMonkey rather than just create a meta-package that combines Firefox + Thunderbird + necessary extensions.
I don't really see many additional privacy concerns here
additional is the keyword there. The privacy concerns already exist, since as you mention this has already been done. The problem is that the more it's done, the more "accepted" it becomes, which is a slippery slope towards loss of personal freedom. Of course, any private information about you would only be available to "responsible government agencies" (cough cough), so no worries, mate. Just go back to sleep and everything will be okay.
Qui Custodes Custodiat?
Excellent summary. I completely agree. Except that you missed one point that makes Linux adoption more difficult: Hardware compatibility. I'm not talking about standard hardware compatibility--Linux detects and works with that just fine, and even better than Windows in some cases. But if newbie buys some MP3 player or bluetooth keyboard online, regardless of the brand, they can be sure that it works with Windows, because the manufacturer made sure to create Windows drivers that work (most of the time at least)--as they know they can't sell the product without it. On Linux, it might or might not work. Depends on whether the manufacturer created a Linux driver (unlikely), or it uses standard protocols that doesn't require special drivers (the well-designed products do), or someone Linux user liked the product and created an open-source driver or hack to make it work (easy to find/implement for an experienced Linux user, but not the newbie). Unfortunately, there is no easy solution to this, because small-time hardware manufacturers often can't afford to, or aren't interested in, create Linux drivers for their hardware.
I have an eight-year-old daughter and I recently started teaching her HTML and CSS (yes, I know, those are not programming languages). She created her own little website (hand-coded, none of this FrontPage/DreamWeaver stuff), and she was interested because she could see the immediate results and it was something useful (at least to her).
Now she's getting interested in programming, so I'm starting her on Ruby. Why? Because Ruby is clean and elegant, easy to understand and write, and I like it. Also, because there's a good website called Learn to Program (http://pine.fm/LearnToProgram/) which is simple enough for her to understand. So we're going through that together. It's fun and all, but I'm starting to wonder, now what is she going to create that's going to keep her interest? When I was a teenager it was fun to create your own stuff because there was so much that hadn't been done. But now everything's been done and out there, so it's tougher. Why should she program her own computer calculator when she already has one?
So I'm thinking that in order to keep her interested, I need to tie it in to her website somehow, so she can see visible results. That's leading me to think about introducing JavaScript to her. (I haven't come across any JavaScript tutorials/manuals that would be simple enough for her to understand, though I haven't done much of a search yet.) Either that, or set something up so that she can run little Ruby scripts on her website. (She's not ready for something like Rails yet, but I could just use eRB.)
I'm not really sure though and I see myself coming up to a crossroads. Do I continue with Ruby, or switch to JavaScript or try to introduce both at once?
I don't think she'll grow up to be a hacker -- she's much more artistic than mathematic. But I believe that a good understanding of computers, and some programming skills, expands her mind and will prove useful. (She's also using Linux, though she can dual-boot into Windows but never does. That's one reason why I wouldn't consider KPL because it's Windows-only, not to mention that it's not OSS.)
Unfortunately, not only does it only run on Windows, but also requires the.Net libraries so won't work on an older version of Windows. (KPL is the same.)
I'm starting to teach my 8 year old daughter web design and programming. We started with HTML and CSS, and she designed her own static website. Now we're moving on to simple programming and I'm considering JavaScript but am settling on Ruby, because of it's simplicity. Using your above example, Ruby is just as simple as BASIC:
puts "Hello World"
I don't see why I need BASIC for her.
I am however considering moving soon to JavaScript simply because it will allow her to create simple additions to her website and work from there. Children need to see rather immediate results in order to retain their interest in something (unless it's really their passion), and I think the web is it.
But for a basic introduction to programming, I suggest Ruby.
I don't mean to start a "this is better" thread, but does anyone know of a review showing the strengths and weaknesses of Xara vs. Inkscape (besides the latter supporting SVG). In other words, if I'm looking for a vector graphics tool on Linux (used to use Illustrator on Windows before moving to Linux) which should I use?
How could Microsoft come out with an "iPod killer", when the iPod has already been killed by all the other "iPod killers" that have come out in the past few years (Dell Jukebox, anyone?) ?
Seriously, besides the fact that the iPod is superbly well designed and functional, it also has been extremely well marketed by a company known for being "cool"--something Microsoft is most definitely not. The buzz that surrounds the iPod is extreme.
The difference between Palm and Apple is that Apple has continually managed to innovate and keep a step ahead (despite its mistakes). Palm on the other hand, rested on its laurels, poorly managed the company (including splitting off the software from the hardwark), and let MS get ahead without hardly a fight (at least in the PDA market; in the smartphone market, on the other hand, the Treo continues to be a success.)
I use MYOB with Wine on Ubuntu and it works fine. MYOB is an excellent double-entry accounting package for small businesses, equivalent to Quickbooks with the added benefit of using multiple currencies. It doesn't have as pretty an interface as QB, though. It works with Wine, with a few annoyances (nothing critical though).
I do think that it would benefit either Quicken or MYOB to invest in a Linux version which would make them the defacto "standard" for small-business accounting under Linux. Businesses running Linux would be happy to pay for the app, and even if it was OSS and available as a free download for the geeks and personal usage, businesses would still pay for a license in order to get support. Whoever is first would face no competition and would be able to be the first mover. While Linux only represents a fraction of the desktop market, it is growing and will continue to do so especially with city governments and federal ministries worldwide making the switch to Linux. That has a ripple effect on small businesses too.
In my opinion, for Linux to prosper on the desktop, the key is to get businesses to adopt it. Once people use Linux at their place of work, they'll be willing to install it on their desktop at home. That's how many people got started with Windows and are unwilling to switch to anything else.
And business can still make money off of Linux apps, because businesses are willing to pay for support (as long as the cost are competitive), upgrades, and the assurance that their software will continue to work. At the same time, releasing it as OSS means cost savings in bug fixing and community contributions, which benefits the business funding the software development, and benefits the individuals who want to download and run it without support. You won't make Microsoft millions that way, but you can do well while doing good.
There's a nice download extension for FireFox 0.8 which shows the downloads in a status bar at the bottom of the browser. It shows Download progress and then you can either open the download folder or launch the downloaded item when done.
Not to mention the fact that why would people want to watch video on such a small screen? How many people do you see walking down the street with a portable DVD player (which is what this upcoming "innovative" device would compete with), compared with the number of people you see toting an iPod? If I'm flitting around town I don't want to tote a huge device just to watch videos. If I'm at home I want to watch videos on a larger screen. So when would I use such a device? Airplane rides, long train rides or long car drives if I'm the passenger. But chances are anyone who wants to shell out $800 for something like that already has a laptop that they tote along on such trips and can play videos on.
The archos may seem like a good buy at first glance, but they have known problems with wearing out quickly. I have several friends who have purchased them and they have all broken over time. They've all since switched to iPods and find them much sturdier and more reliable. iPods are expensive, but they're well built, intuitive and easy to use (my 5 year old daughter uses mine all the time and I never had to show her how to use it--forget trying to get around the Archos interface--just changing the volume is a pain). It's worth the extra money. But if you really can't afford an iPod, then the Nomad is a better buy than the Archos (if you don't mind the crappy client software).
I disagree. The quality of the music may be just as good on the synth, but live music has a certain emotive characteristic that computerized music does not, especially in a live performance. When listening on stereo headphones it may not make much difference, but in a live performance it does. I have attended plays and ballet performances with both live music played by an orchestra, and others with recorded music piped over the speakers--and there's a certain unique and emotive quality that is lost when the music is not live.
I don't think it's very realistic to assume that most retailers will set up databases to collect and process that MASSIVE amount of data. Because if they were, they why don't they collect and process it already, with targeted discounts for consumers? It's not like they need RFIDs to do so. Anyone who pays with a credit or debit card - which is most people these days - theoretically has a record in the store's database of everything they've ever bought. So why doesn't the store have that information fed into the teller-machine so that based on your previous purchases, at check-out time the teller can offer you a discount on certain items which you've previous purchased in order to entice you to purchase them again? Or, with places like Costco or Sam's Club, everyone has a membership card, even if they pay in cash, so they could do the same thing.
Heck, they could very easily set up a little kiosk at the entrance of the store where you scan your card and it offers you targeted information, discounts, offers, etc., based on your previous shopping experience, which they have a complete record of because you've had to use your card every time you shopped there. If they haven't done it so far - and the technology is already there to do so - then who's to say they're going to do it just because they can now wirelessly scan the items? RFID's have their uses, but I don't think that will be one of them.
What could be desturbing is if they decide to embed a little RFID into your driver's license or ID card, and then eventually could keep track of you wherever you are, or at least keep track of everyone entering sensitive buildings or areas. I could easily see that happening in the name of "security" in order to "prevent terrorism".
I recently got the Optiplex SX270 from Dell, which costs about $500, and was impressed with how virtually silent it is (not to mention the small footprint).
And of course you could always pick up a second hand Cube:-)
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It appears just fine as as USB mass storage device, with no special software, on my computer. Of course I'm using Linux (Ubuntu). Not sure what it does on Windows.
Do all FF/TB extensions work with SeaMonkey? I'd be interested in trying it out, but would be loathe to give up my favorite extensions.
Actually Thunderbird has built in NewsReader as well. Firefox has a couple of excellent newsreader extensions, and an HTML extension as well.
I also don't see the advantage of SeaMonkey over Firefox+Thunderbird, though perhaps I'm missing something. I wonder why developers continue to invest work in SeaMonkey rather than just create a meta-package that combines Firefox + Thunderbird + necessary extensions.
Excellent summary. I completely agree. Except that you missed one point that makes Linux adoption more difficult: Hardware compatibility. I'm not talking about standard hardware compatibility--Linux detects and works with that just fine, and even better than Windows in some cases. But if newbie buys some MP3 player or bluetooth keyboard online, regardless of the brand, they can be sure that it works with Windows, because the manufacturer made sure to create Windows drivers that work (most of the time at least)--as they know they can't sell the product without it. On Linux, it might or might not work. Depends on whether the manufacturer created a Linux driver (unlikely), or it uses standard protocols that doesn't require special drivers (the well-designed products do), or someone Linux user liked the product and created an open-source driver or hack to make it work (easy to find/implement for an experienced Linux user, but not the newbie). Unfortunately, there is no easy solution to this, because small-time hardware manufacturers often can't afford to, or aren't interested in, create Linux drivers for their hardware.
Worked just fine for me on Dapper (Flash 9 beta installed)
./ readers buy diapers???
Hadn't heard of Squeak before but took a look at the site and it seems very interesting and potential for teaching my daughter. Thanks.
I have an eight-year-old daughter and I recently started teaching her HTML and CSS (yes, I know, those are not programming languages). She created her own little website (hand-coded, none of this FrontPage/DreamWeaver stuff), and she was interested because she could see the immediate results and it was something useful (at least to her). Now she's getting interested in programming, so I'm starting her on Ruby. Why? Because Ruby is clean and elegant, easy to understand and write, and I like it. Also, because there's a good website called Learn to Program (http://pine.fm/LearnToProgram/) which is simple enough for her to understand. So we're going through that together. It's fun and all, but I'm starting to wonder, now what is she going to create that's going to keep her interest? When I was a teenager it was fun to create your own stuff because there was so much that hadn't been done. But now everything's been done and out there, so it's tougher. Why should she program her own computer calculator when she already has one? So I'm thinking that in order to keep her interested, I need to tie it in to her website somehow, so she can see visible results. That's leading me to think about introducing JavaScript to her. (I haven't come across any JavaScript tutorials/manuals that would be simple enough for her to understand, though I haven't done much of a search yet.) Either that, or set something up so that she can run little Ruby scripts on her website. (She's not ready for something like Rails yet, but I could just use eRB.) I'm not really sure though and I see myself coming up to a crossroads. Do I continue with Ruby, or switch to JavaScript or try to introduce both at once? I don't think she'll grow up to be a hacker -- she's much more artistic than mathematic. But I believe that a good understanding of computers, and some programming skills, expands her mind and will prove useful. (She's also using Linux, though she can dual-boot into Windows but never does. That's one reason why I wouldn't consider KPL because it's Windows-only, not to mention that it's not OSS.)
Unfortunately, not only does it only run on Windows, but also requires the .Net libraries so won't work on an older version of Windows. (KPL is the same.)
I'm starting to teach my 8 year old daughter web design and programming. We started with HTML and CSS, and she designed her own static website. Now we're moving on to simple programming and I'm considering JavaScript but am settling on Ruby, because of it's simplicity. Using your above example, Ruby is just as simple as BASIC: puts "Hello World" I don't see why I need BASIC for her. I am however considering moving soon to JavaScript simply because it will allow her to create simple additions to her website and work from there. Children need to see rather immediate results in order to retain their interest in something (unless it's really their passion), and I think the web is it. But for a basic introduction to programming, I suggest Ruby.
I don't mean to start a "this is better" thread, but does anyone know of a review showing the strengths and weaknesses of Xara vs. Inkscape (besides the latter supporting SVG). In other words, if I'm looking for a vector graphics tool on Linux (used to use Illustrator on Windows before moving to Linux) which should I use?
How could Microsoft come out with an "iPod killer", when the iPod has already been killed by all the other "iPod killers" that have come out in the past few years (Dell Jukebox, anyone?) ? Seriously, besides the fact that the iPod is superbly well designed and functional, it also has been extremely well marketed by a company known for being "cool"--something Microsoft is most definitely not. The buzz that surrounds the iPod is extreme.
The difference between Palm and Apple is that Apple has continually managed to innovate and keep a step ahead (despite its mistakes). Palm on the other hand, rested on its laurels, poorly managed the company (including splitting off the software from the hardwark), and let MS get ahead without hardly a fight (at least in the PDA market; in the smartphone market, on the other hand, the Treo continues to be a success.)
I use MYOB with Wine on Ubuntu and it works fine. MYOB is an excellent double-entry accounting package for small businesses, equivalent to Quickbooks with the added benefit of using multiple currencies. It doesn't have as pretty an interface as QB, though. It works with Wine, with a few annoyances (nothing critical though). I do think that it would benefit either Quicken or MYOB to invest in a Linux version which would make them the defacto "standard" for small-business accounting under Linux. Businesses running Linux would be happy to pay for the app, and even if it was OSS and available as a free download for the geeks and personal usage, businesses would still pay for a license in order to get support. Whoever is first would face no competition and would be able to be the first mover. While Linux only represents a fraction of the desktop market, it is growing and will continue to do so especially with city governments and federal ministries worldwide making the switch to Linux. That has a ripple effect on small businesses too. In my opinion, for Linux to prosper on the desktop, the key is to get businesses to adopt it. Once people use Linux at their place of work, they'll be willing to install it on their desktop at home. That's how many people got started with Windows and are unwilling to switch to anything else. And business can still make money off of Linux apps, because businesses are willing to pay for support (as long as the cost are competitive), upgrades, and the assurance that their software will continue to work. At the same time, releasing it as OSS means cost savings in bug fixing and community contributions, which benefits the business funding the software development, and benefits the individuals who want to download and run it without support. You won't make Microsoft millions that way, but you can do well while doing good.
There's a nice download extension for FireFox 0.8 which shows the downloads in a status bar at the bottom of the browser. It shows Download progress and then you can either open the download folder or launch the downloaded item when done.
Not to mention the fact that why would people want to watch video on such a small screen? How many people do you see walking down the street with a portable DVD player (which is what this upcoming "innovative" device would compete with), compared with the number of people you see toting an iPod? If I'm flitting around town I don't want to tote a huge device just to watch videos. If I'm at home I want to watch videos on a larger screen. So when would I use such a device? Airplane rides, long train rides or long car drives if I'm the passenger. But chances are anyone who wants to shell out $800 for something like that already has a laptop that they tote along on such trips and can play videos on.
The archos may seem like a good buy at first glance, but they have known problems with wearing out quickly. I have several friends who have purchased them and they have all broken over time. They've all since switched to iPods and find them much sturdier and more reliable. iPods are expensive, but they're well built, intuitive and easy to use (my 5 year old daughter uses mine all the time and I never had to show her how to use it--forget trying to get around the Archos interface--just changing the volume is a pain). It's worth the extra money. But if you really can't afford an iPod, then the Nomad is a better buy than the Archos (if you don't mind the crappy client software).
I disagree. The quality of the music may be just as good on the synth, but live music has a certain emotive characteristic that computerized music does not, especially in a live performance. When listening on stereo headphones it may not make much difference, but in a live performance it does. I have attended plays and ballet performances with both live music played by an orchestra, and others with recorded music piped over the speakers--and there's a certain unique and emotive quality that is lost when the music is not live.
I don't think it's very realistic to assume that most retailers will set up databases to collect and process that MASSIVE amount of data. Because if they were, they why don't they collect and process it already, with targeted discounts for consumers? It's not like they need RFIDs to do so. Anyone who pays with a credit or debit card - which is most people these days - theoretically has a record in the store's database of everything they've ever bought. So why doesn't the store have that information fed into the teller-machine so that based on your previous purchases, at check-out time the teller can offer you a discount on certain items which you've previous purchased in order to entice you to purchase them again? Or, with places like Costco or Sam's Club, everyone has a membership card, even if they pay in cash, so they could do the same thing. Heck, they could very easily set up a little kiosk at the entrance of the store where you scan your card and it offers you targeted information, discounts, offers, etc., based on your previous shopping experience, which they have a complete record of because you've had to use your card every time you shopped there. If they haven't done it so far - and the technology is already there to do so - then who's to say they're going to do it just because they can now wirelessly scan the items? RFID's have their uses, but I don't think that will be one of them. What could be desturbing is if they decide to embed a little RFID into your driver's license or ID card, and then eventually could keep track of you wherever you are, or at least keep track of everyone entering sensitive buildings or areas. I could easily see that happening in the name of "security" in order to "prevent terrorism".
I recently got the Optiplex SX270 from Dell, which costs about $500, and was impressed with how virtually silent it is (not to mention the small footprint). And of course you could always pick up a second hand Cube :-)