Isn't it sad that such an insane license has to be attached not to some joe-blow media player by some stupid company, but instead the best media player available by a well known company?
What get's me is that Microsoft does not have to do these shady things, like bundling and such. They already have the best browser, media player, office suite, etc. They would probably be successful if they LET consumers pick them.
I'm sitting here using KDE on a P3-933 with 128Mb and it's a dog.
Seriously. AMD900 with 640Mb here, and simple stuff like starting up ark (KDE's poor attempt at a winzip clone) still takes ~7 seconds. That's a lot.
What's to blame? The reloc's/ld stuff that was reported a while back? Well, a) I'm using objprelink already; some but not too much help, and b) windows has dynamic library bindings too, how come it's not as slow? What did they do that KDE/Qt/Linux cannot?
Is it a language problem? Much bigger C-based GTK apps, like pan start up much faster than the smallest KDE C++-based app. But, again, pretty much all Windows apps are MFC based, so what did they do to improve speed?
Well, from what I understand (and feel free to prove me wrong), whenever you target multiple platforms, you sacrifice the performance you'd get if you focused and optimized for one platform. Add that to the fact the only platform that people seem to buy games for is Windows, and you see why game developors gravitate towards DX.
So, it might be too late for such an initiative already.
Unbelievable how they have the audacity to bundle anything and everything, which is the same shinanigans that got them into hot water before. Scary thing is though, that everyone wants to give the ailing economy a little boost, and since XP might do just that (at least for computers) no one will complain.
Should a company's connection to the economy make it legally untouchable?
Should the Law's position change completely because a new administration is in place?
If Big Money lobbyists make the decisions, the answer is "yes" to both.
I always thought that the keyboard would lead to wrist/arm pain, but strangely enough, it hasnt. (I got one of those curvy Microsoft deals, and it's sweet.) The mouse arm is now starting to hurt! I leave it perched up on the desk for long periods of time, with very little movement (reading something long, or watching porn) and now I got all kinds of pain. Shooting pains, elbow pains, wrist pains... I think I need to try something before it gets serious.
I hate Microsoft with a passion -- my first thought upon hearing about the WTC attack was, "Those poor people! I sure hope Bill Gates was in there."
Umm... ya, you got psychological problems. Wishing physical harm on someone just because he's ruthless and successful in his business practice? I think you should follow this link.
If you ask me, Sun and Phillips are going about this the wrong way. A media standard will not be chosen by the strength of servers. It won't be chosen by you, the developer, either. It will be chosen on the desktop. And as we've seen in the past with web browsers, the company that controls the desktop chooses for the consumer what he/she will use, simply because consumers will use what's already built in rather than seek an alternative.
surveillance of all aspects of life: of our phone calls, of our email, and of our physical movements.
The head of the CIA has already said that their ability to retrieve information has far surpassed their ability to analyse it. And that's just from "regular" information channels, spies, probes on suspected crazies, etc.
Do you really think if they tapped "all aspects of life" that they have the manpower to analyse it? Does anyone realise how much information that is?
Thanks to the venality of politics in America, Microsoft is riding high right now, but it is headed for the boneyard after all.
Ummm... no. While linux companies crumble and fall apart, dying to figure out a way to make a buck off of something free, Microsoft continues to do well. (Have they ever even had a "round of layoffs" in their history?)
I agree with the author's points about why the gubment is doing what it's doing, and why all the companies that wanted a piece of microsoft are now backing it. But I think he's deluded if he thinks anything is going to change for the better, in terms of software choice for the consumer.
PS: If anyone has any MP3's (or any other un-hindered audio format) on their disk in ~10 years, I'll change my name.
There's a posting right under the announcment on linuxgames.com, and I quote:
" WINE. Woo - sourceo - Sep 15 20:25:14 2001
Woo. Under the latest version of WINE, I could run the install & test fairly comfortably, and since almost everything is in OpenGL, there weren't really any problems. Accelerated too."
I'm gonna try it, but my hopes are not too high...
Microsoft has done an outstanding job of image projection. When "Joe Sixpack" thinks of, say, automobiles, he knows he has a choice: Honda, Chevrolet, Ford, Nissan, etc. When he thinks of computers, does he know anything except "Windows"? (Maybe "Apple", but that's all.)
Secondly, if there was only one car maker, people would, as you say, get tired of mediocrity and look for alternatives, because they'd have a definite gauge: the tires keep blowing out, the brakes always squeek, etc. But people don't have the same gauges with PC's. Locked up? I did something wrong. Too slow? Time to buy a new PC. I doubt anyone ever blames the OS at all (if they even know what an OS is.) No gauge=no demand for change. Scary...
Require MS to publish details of all windows APIs, network protocols, and file formats.
That would make good sense to do, except that you probably won't find any lawyers who even know what API stands for, let alone see the affectiveness of opening it up. The solutions the DoJ seek are less technical.
Secondly, as we've seen from recent legislation, the gubment has markedly sided with non-openness. It would be a bit two-faced of them to ask for openning up of microsoft's "intellectual property" while in the same breath, pursuing the punishment of Skylarov, etc.
Slashdot Mirror
That's one great reason to use Linux, or another Open Source OS.
Sure, you can do that. You'll be leaving behind a lot of media and content, though. Or do you know of a better media player (on ANY OS)?
Isn't it sad that such an insane license has to be attached not to some joe-blow media player by some stupid company, but instead the best media player available by a well known company?
What get's me is that Microsoft does not have to do these shady things, like bundling and such. They already have the best browser, media player, office suite, etc. They would probably be successful if they LET consumers pick them.
I'm sitting here using KDE on a P3-933 with 128Mb and it's a dog.
Seriously. AMD900 with 640Mb here, and simple stuff like starting up ark (KDE's poor attempt at a winzip clone) still takes ~7 seconds. That's a lot.
What's to blame? The reloc's/ld stuff that was reported a while back? Well, a) I'm using objprelink already; some but not too much help, and b) windows has dynamic library bindings too, how come it's not as slow? What did they do that KDE/Qt/Linux cannot?
Is it a language problem? Much bigger C-based GTK apps, like pan start up much faster than the smallest KDE C++-based app. But, again, pretty much all Windows apps are MFC based, so what did they do to improve speed?
Well, from what I understand (and feel free to prove me wrong), whenever you target multiple platforms, you sacrifice the performance you'd get if you focused and optimized for one platform. Add that to the fact the only platform that people seem to buy games for is Windows, and you see why game developors gravitate towards DX.
So, it might be too late for such an initiative already.
Unbelievable how they have the audacity to bundle anything and everything, which is the same shinanigans that got them into hot water before. Scary thing is though, that everyone wants to give the ailing economy a little boost, and since XP might do just that (at least for computers) no one will complain.
Should a company's connection to the economy make it legally untouchable?
Should the Law's position change completely because a new administration is in place?
If Big Money lobbyists make the decisions, the answer is "yes" to both.
I always thought that the keyboard would lead to wrist/arm pain, but strangely enough, it hasnt. (I got one of those curvy Microsoft deals, and it's sweet.) The mouse arm is now starting to hurt! I leave it perched up on the desk for long periods of time, with very little movement (reading something long, or watching porn) and now I got all kinds of pain. Shooting pains, elbow pains, wrist pains... I think I need to try something before it gets serious.
I hate Microsoft with a passion -- my first thought upon hearing about the WTC attack was, "Those poor people! I sure hope Bill Gates was in there."
Umm... ya, you got psychological problems. Wishing physical harm on someone just because he's ruthless and successful in his business practice? I think you should follow this link.
While the usefulness can be debated, it's breakthroughs like this that help restore faith in human beings, after witnessing the harm they can cause.
Don't forget the objprelink. I've used it to build Qt and KDE 2.2 and it has made a difference. (Although windows is still faster, UI-wise.)
If you ask me, Sun and Phillips are going about this the wrong way. A media standard will not be chosen by the strength of servers. It won't be chosen by you, the developer, either. It will be chosen on the desktop. And as we've seen in the past with web browsers, the company that controls the desktop chooses for the consumer what he/she will use, simply because consumers will use what's already built in rather than seek an alternative.
"Steep Hill" indeed.
cote n. : a shed or coop for small domestic animals and especially pigeons.
surveillance of all aspects of life: of our phone calls, of our email, and of our physical movements.
The head of the CIA has already said that their ability to retrieve information has far surpassed their ability to analyse it. And that's just from "regular" information channels, spies, probes on suspected crazies, etc.
Do you really think if they tapped "all aspects of life" that they have the manpower to analyse it? Does anyone realise how much information that is?
People think that things are successful because of some other force than people like something.
When I'm done parsing this, I'll read the rest of your post...
:P
Thanks to the venality of politics in America, Microsoft is riding high right now, but it is headed for the boneyard after all.
Ummm... no. While linux companies crumble and fall apart, dying to figure out a way to make a buck off of something free, Microsoft continues to do well. (Have they ever even had a "round of layoffs" in their history?)
I agree with the author's points about why the gubment is doing what it's doing, and why all the companies that wanted a piece of microsoft are now backing it. But I think he's deluded if he thinks anything is going to change for the better, in terms of software choice for the consumer.
PS: If anyone has any MP3's (or any other un-hindered audio format) on their disk in ~10 years, I'll change my name.
The other guys who replied seem to have got it all, feel free to try again (I'm not payin' for the pipe! :)
http://www.linux.ucla.edu/~dimator/WolfMPTEST0915. exe
I'll do my part...
Was this supposed to be funny? I find it in extremely bad taste.
There's a posting right under the announcment on linuxgames.com, and I quote:
" WINE. Woo - sourceo - Sep 15 20:25:14 2001
Woo. Under the latest version of WINE, I could run the install & test fairly comfortably, and since almost everything is in OpenGL, there weren't really any problems. Accelerated too."
I'm gonna try it, but my hopes are not too high...
I would wager that the controller itself is more complex than the NES! I know, I'm stating the obvious, but it's still sort of funny to think about...
I think GWB is going to surprise a lot of people during this crisis, and during his term.
The mother fucker mispronounced "appropriate" not 1 hour ago!
(Luckily, the best minds in the world are at his side.)
Microsoft has done an outstanding job of image projection. When "Joe Sixpack" thinks of, say, automobiles, he knows he has a choice: Honda, Chevrolet, Ford, Nissan, etc. When he thinks of computers, does he know anything except "Windows"? (Maybe "Apple", but that's all.)
Secondly, if there was only one car maker, people would, as you say, get tired of mediocrity and look for alternatives, because they'd have a definite gauge: the tires keep blowing out, the brakes always squeek, etc. But people don't have the same gauges with PC's. Locked up? I did something wrong. Too slow? Time to buy a new PC. I doubt anyone ever blames the OS at all (if they even know what an OS is.) No gauge=no demand for change. Scary...
Require MS to publish details of all windows APIs, network protocols, and file formats.
That would make good sense to do, except that you probably won't find any lawyers who even know what API stands for, let alone see the affectiveness of opening it up. The solutions the DoJ seek are less technical.
Secondly, as we've seen from recent legislation, the gubment has markedly sided with non-openness. It would be a bit two-faced of them to ask for openning up of microsoft's "intellectual property" while in the same breath, pursuing the punishment of Skylarov, etc.
I hereby pledge my allegiance to Lord Bitman, our God.
[bows head]
funny, not informative. moderators should at least follow links...
What is going on with /.? This is the first time I've been able to log in for the last 24 hours.
/. home page. I could not log in either.
Tell me about it... for a long while, no matter what page I clicked on, I got the default
And what the hell is up with hiding status reports in unrelated article threads?
Eh, it'll all get ironed out sooner or later...