It is still not a PC operating system. Absolutely nothing has changed.
This is a non issue.
True, to an extent, but when your school or small business wants to upgrade their existing computers to brand new ones, will Apple be an issue then?
Think about this for a second: A company can purchase a single line of computers to cover every profile of employee. Boot the computer into Windows or Linux for the developers and coders. Then switch it over to OS X for the GUI designers, modelers, skin development, and other aesthetic aspects of the proram or game.
Alternatively, a school or other educational institute can cut costs drastically. No longer will you need to spend money on a "Mac Lab" for the applied art & design areas, and a "PC Lab" for the computer science areas. You can have a single lab that'll boot into OS X for the aspiring web developers, desktop publishers, etc. and then switch over to Windows and Linux for the aspiring computer science people.
No, OS X will not be a factor for existing computers, but I believe Apple will become a factor as people start upgrading and changing out their older systems. Apple will give them an option they never really had before in the Windows-PC market: OS X.
You also have to ask yourself, "Can I get a QUALITY computer for sub $500, and not some computer that uses fans fashioned from blocks of wood by an 8-year-old in Thailand?"
Yes, I'm sure you can build a PC for $250.00, but will it last for more than a year? Can it integrate nicely in a car? Will the $250.00 PC have the horsepower to run Microsoft's latest operating system (Longhorn), or even last-year's games (UT2004, et al)?
The mini is nicely equipped for its price. It can run the latest rendition of OS X and applications with ease and with enough horsepower to spare for NwN and other semi-intensive games.
It also looks nice. With a sub-$500 PC (or PCs in general), you hide it under your desk in your room or office. With a Mini (or Macs in general), you have it in your livingroom for people to see.
I think there should be a Slashdot poll for how long it'll take before someone cracks MS-DRM they'll be using for Napster.
I'm curious how they're going to prevent persons from downloading 20,000 songs, stripping the DRM, then cancelling the account. Or stream the music and re-encode as standard MP3. Or something along those lines.
I normally make it a point to wait for the Rev B's of any Apple Product. If they do manage to get out a G5 PowerBook by Q2, I would strongly suggest waiting for a second revision of that PowerBook, especially if the afforementioned quote is accurate.
What nobody seems to realize is that Apple wants to take on the role of 'the [music/show/media] business' by providing next generation tools and services to link artists with consumers. They BELIEVE in DRM, but they believe they can mediate the degree and kind of DRM better than the music/film giants.
If you look at how the puzzle is taking shape, an artist will be able to create art using Apple tools (Garage Band to Logic), market them using Apple services (iTMS), and sell them to Apple customers (which is just about EVERYONE when it comes to music and iPods). This is all planned to be COMPLETELY independent from the music industry. What works for music now will work for video later. Apple is a product development company via VERTICAL INTEGRATION. They find basic components that aren't being fully exploited (like DSPs), and they cobble together whatever else is available to force that component to serve user experience in (hopefully) some life-altering way. That is what "Insanely Great" means to Apple in practical terms.
Additionally, what better way to get rid of the rest of your G4 processor stock and phase in all the new G5s for 2005? If the demand shows that people will buy a $sub-500 media center for their iPod, phone, etc., why not stick all the leftover G4s from the PowerBooks & eMacs and put them to better use (more bucks)?
I think it's a nifty idea, and at a tiny-size, it's something you can stick on top of your DVD player for a TiVo or MAME box, or in your trunk with some mapping/GPS software, etc. Has potential, and it has a nice price-ring to it.
If they also included a FireWire port on the HD case, it would help to conserve battery life when connected to a computer and being used as an external HD, as the HD could get it's power via the FireWire.
Additionally, the HD case could not only power the HD, but also recharge the battery via the firewire port when plugged into your PC - like the iPod. Of course, you might want to use a single, larger rechargable battery for this. Attempting to recharge a non-rechargable alkaline AA battery tends to have bad things happen.
When I looked here, I found this: ``Tungsten entered production mode in Novermber 2003 and has a peak performance of 15.36 teraflops (15.36 trillion calculations per second).''
So, what you're saying is that a cluster that's not only using 300+ more processors than Big Mac, with an extra 900 Mhz per processor, squeezes out an extra 2 teraflops over the xServe?
Imagine that...
Err... isn't that part of the whole idea? Why would you merge or buy a company for something you are already good at?
Simple. You buy out the competition. One of the easiest ways for a company to save money AND eliminate competition is for company A to merge with company B, fire 3/4 of company B, and then assign their duties to company A employees and what little remains of company B employees. (i.e. Linksys & Cisco)
Here at my work, it took only one IT member to purchase a 17" powerbook to convert nearly the entire department. Now there are a slew of iBooks & PowerBooks running amok in IT.
I too just picked one up a couple months back. Purchased the 15" powerbook, and I must say, it's a beautiful machine. Unix never looked so sweet.
Doesn't the PPC architecture have the ability to use both big and little endian byte orders? So, why would it matter which order the programmer assumes the computer's processor will be using?
I'm not very hardware savvy, so that's why I'm asking.
Please, i'm not saying Windows doesn't have its share of problems. But refusing to follow basic security procedures or good sense when you're using it, and using the mess that results to claim another platform as superior is just damned stupid.
Perhaps because the inherent design of OS X doesn't easily permit the average user to avoid following basic security procedures (such as leaving a slew of important ports open for attack, etc.), it's superior?
You really have to go out of your way to open up a system running OS X to an attack. Under Windows, all you have to do is install it. You are obviously not the average user. The average user, on the other hand, is not very computer savvy, and is therefor not going to follow the "good sense" computer rules. I need not remind you that common or good sense is rather rare.
Interestingly enough, I've had the exact opposite problem with my PC. Been an absolute nightmare with my nVidia, and a dream with my Radeon9600. *shrug*
Additionally, the makers of OpenGL and other video standards don't subsidize gaming companies. Microsoft does. If you had your choice of creating your game in OpenGL and expanding to a couple tiny markets, or writing your game for DirectX for a much larger market in addition to getting lots of money from Microsoft, free publishing, pressing, etc., which would you pick?
Companies will also have to expend additional resources (i.e. money) for each OS/Platform you port it to in order to tackle bugs and other platform specific issues that may arrise.
What about 3rd party companies like Aspyre and MacSoft, you may ask? Sometimes it works, like with Dungeon Siege. A great port.
Unfortunately, you run into other poblems. For example, the creator of Half-Life and Half-Life 2 loathes Macs with a passion. He will never cut any deal what-so-ever. It's not that Aspyre and/or MacSoft don't want to bring Half-Life to the Mac, it's that some companies just don't want to deal with it, either for personal biased reasons, or because they used so much proprietary technology that porting it to another platform is simply too costly.
EverQuest is a prime example of this, which when ported to the Macintosh, was not compatable with the PC version (because of proprietary networking usage on the PC version) and quickly saw its demise on the Mac. The same with UltimaOnline, Command & Conquer, and several other popular games.
That would be my best guess as to why you don't/won't see a lot of games on Mac/Linux. I personally prefer and use OS X over Windows when it comes to work, but if you want to do games, you're just going to have to get a PC (or a console). I don't think that's going to change for quite some time.
Re:From the OQO Website
on
OQO For Sale
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· Score: 1
The OQO model 01 is also the most versatile computer to date. With the OQO docking cable, it can easily connect to projectors and Ethernet. Placed in the desktop stand it is a desktop computer, allowing you to connect easily to a variety of peripherals, including full-size keyboards, printers, scanners, and high-resolution monitors. It shifts easily from one mode to the other with no data synchronization required. With an OQO model 01 you can move throughout your day and enjoy constant access to all your information and Windows XP programs. You can use the same computer for high-powered applications at work, sending email at home, listening to music on a train, or watching a movie on an airplane. It is the only computer you need.
The most versatile portable ever. Yes, I can see how every feature listed here that's available to every other laptop and sub-notebook makes this one the most versatile.:P
It's a bit unfair to compare the new Java 1.5 release with c# 2.0 since c# 2.0 is not due to be released until sometime Q2 or Q3 next year. But I do agree that before the 1.5 release Java had a lot of catching up to do to c#, but now c# is a bit behind (Mainly because of it's lack of support for generic classes which Java now supports).
Interestingly enough, I'm sure the author would also have you believe Longhorn is superior to any and every OS out there, and it's not even due 'til 2006.
Re:I code C# for a living
on
Java 1.5 vs C#
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· Score: 1
...whereas Java's knockoff versions are just syntactic sugar for the writing out the equivalent source code yourself...
Just to be fair, isn't the entire C# language just one big knockoff of JAVA?
Salesman Continued: After MCE Television crushes TiVo into oblivion, you'll want to purchase the Janus-driven iPod Killer! It will be faster! Stronger! It will have features which every jogger, car-driver, and bicyclist needs... A MOVIE PLAYER! It will also make coffee, brown your toast, and prevent unwanted pregnancies!
They should cover their bases and start including an EULA with their malware:
"By downloading this software, you agree that we are not responsible for any damages that may incure through use of this product, either directly or indirectly."
Slashdot Mirror
On your desktop PC.
It is still not a PC operating system. Absolutely nothing has changed.
This is a non issue.
True, to an extent, but when your school or small business wants to upgrade their existing computers to brand new ones, will Apple be an issue then?
Think about this for a second: A company can purchase a single line of computers to cover every profile of employee. Boot the computer into Windows or Linux for the developers and coders. Then switch it over to OS X for the GUI designers, modelers, skin development, and other aesthetic aspects of the proram or game.
Alternatively, a school or other educational institute can cut costs drastically. No longer will you need to spend money on a "Mac Lab" for the applied art & design areas, and a "PC Lab" for the computer science areas. You can have a single lab that'll boot into OS X for the aspiring web developers, desktop publishers, etc. and then switch over to Windows and Linux for the aspiring computer science people.
No, OS X will not be a factor for existing computers, but I believe Apple will become a factor as people start upgrading and changing out their older systems. Apple will give them an option they never really had before in the Windows-PC market: OS X.
I paid $40.00 for my copy:
$199.89 after tax and 10% discount (purchased during Tiger Rollout) for Tiger family pack, which is 5 copies of Tiger.
About $40.00 a seat for Tiger. You can't get a better (and legal) deal than that.
You also have to ask yourself, "Can I get a QUALITY computer for sub $500, and not some computer that uses fans fashioned from blocks of wood by an 8-year-old in Thailand?"
Yes, I'm sure you can build a PC for $250.00, but will it last for more than a year? Can it integrate nicely in a car? Will the $250.00 PC have the horsepower to run Microsoft's latest operating system (Longhorn), or even last-year's games (UT2004, et al)?
The mini is nicely equipped for its price. It can run the latest rendition of OS X and applications with ease and with enough horsepower to spare for NwN and other semi-intensive games.
It also looks nice. With a sub-$500 PC (or PCs in general), you hide it under your desk in your room or office. With a Mini (or Macs in general), you have it in your livingroom for people to see.
I think there should be a Slashdot poll for how long it'll take before someone cracks MS-DRM they'll be using for Napster.
I'm curious how they're going to prevent persons from downloading 20,000 songs, stripping the DRM, then cancelling the account. Or stream the music and re-encode as standard MP3. Or something along those lines.
OMG. No Amiga? So hax...
Advanced Users == Computer Gamers
Buggers. I want the $10.00 back that I donated.
I normally make it a point to wait for the Rev B's of any Apple Product. If they do manage to get out a G5 PowerBook by Q2, I would strongly suggest waiting for a second revision of that PowerBook, especially if the afforementioned quote is accurate.
Additionally, what better way to get rid of the rest of your G4 processor stock and phase in all the new G5s for 2005? If the demand shows that people will buy a $sub-500 media center for their iPod, phone, etc., why not stick all the leftover G4s from the PowerBooks & eMacs and put them to better use (more bucks)?
I think it's a nifty idea, and at a tiny-size, it's something you can stick on top of your DVD player for a TiVo or MAME box, or in your trunk with some mapping/GPS software, etc. Has potential, and it has a nice price-ring to it.
If they also included a FireWire port on the HD case, it would help to conserve battery life when connected to a computer and being used as an external HD, as the HD could get it's power via the FireWire.
Additionally, the HD case could not only power the HD, but also recharge the battery via the firewire port when plugged into your PC - like the iPod. Of course, you might want to use a single, larger rechargable battery for this. Attempting to recharge a non-rechargable alkaline AA battery tends to have bad things happen.
Here at my work, it took only one IT member to purchase a 17" powerbook to convert nearly the entire department. Now there are a slew of iBooks & PowerBooks running amok in IT.
I too just picked one up a couple months back. Purchased the 15" powerbook, and I must say, it's a beautiful machine. Unix never looked so sweet.
I'm not very hardware savvy, so that's why I'm asking.
Perhaps because the inherent design of OS X doesn't easily permit the average user to avoid following basic security procedures (such as leaving a slew of important ports open for attack, etc.), it's superior?
You really have to go out of your way to open up a system running OS X to an attack. Under Windows, all you have to do is install it. You are obviously not the average user. The average user, on the other hand, is not very computer savvy, and is therefor not going to follow the "good sense" computer rules. I need not remind you that common or good sense is rather rare.
Interestingly enough, I've had the exact opposite problem with my PC. Been an absolute nightmare with my nVidia, and a dream with my Radeon9600. *shrug*
Additionally, the makers of OpenGL and other video standards don't subsidize gaming companies. Microsoft does. If you had your choice of creating your game in OpenGL and expanding to a couple tiny markets, or writing your game for DirectX for a much larger market in addition to getting lots of money from Microsoft, free publishing, pressing, etc., which would you pick?
Companies will also have to expend additional resources (i.e. money) for each OS/Platform you port it to in order to tackle bugs and other platform specific issues that may arrise.
What about 3rd party companies like Aspyre and MacSoft, you may ask? Sometimes it works, like with Dungeon Siege. A great port.
Unfortunately, you run into other poblems. For example, the creator of Half-Life and Half-Life 2 loathes Macs with a passion. He will never cut any deal what-so-ever. It's not that Aspyre and/or MacSoft don't want to bring Half-Life to the Mac, it's that some companies just don't want to deal with it, either for personal biased reasons, or because they used so much proprietary technology that porting it to another platform is simply too costly.
EverQuest is a prime example of this, which when ported to the Macintosh, was not compatable with the PC version (because of proprietary networking usage on the PC version) and quickly saw its demise on the Mac. The same with UltimaOnline, Command & Conquer, and several other popular games.
That would be my best guess as to why you don't/won't see a lot of games on Mac/Linux. I personally prefer and use OS X over Windows when it comes to work, but if you want to do games, you're just going to have to get a PC (or a console). I don't think that's going to change for quite some time.
5) http://store.apple.com
The most versatile portable ever. Yes, I can see how every feature listed here that's available to every other laptop and sub-notebook makes this one the most versatile. :P
Just to be fair, isn't the entire C# language just one big knockoff of JAVA?
Salesman Continued: After MCE Television crushes TiVo into oblivion, you'll want to purchase the Janus-driven iPod Killer! It will be faster! Stronger! It will have features which every jogger, car-driver, and bicyclist needs... A MOVIE PLAYER! It will also make coffee, brown your toast, and prevent unwanted pregnancies!
(C) 1973 Gary Gygax & Dave Arneson.
They should cover their bases and start including an EULA with their malware: "By downloading this software, you agree that we are not responsible for any damages that may incure through use of this product, either directly or indirectly."