Could you imagine 1 device with integraged GPS, Cellphone, MP3 player, digital radio receiver, camera, etc.
I have no problem with that, as long as it has enough memory for the MP3s, doesn't drain batteries, and is as small as my Palm. Otherwise, no thank you.:)
Does anyone think that this looks just like another WinCE machine and the only difference is that it runs Linux? MP3 and MPEG playback from a total of 32MB of memory, voice recognition, web browsing at 320x200, a 200MHz processor, etc. This isn't what PDAs were meant to do. This is what a PDA should do:
Fits into my pocket. This is very important.
Boots up within a second or two.
Stores my information.
Doesn't need to be recharged every two hours.
So far, my Palm IIIxe with 8MB of memory and a 16MHz processor does just fine. I'm not saying I wouldn't like more RAM or a faster processor. And I'm not saying that I don't want Linux or a color screen. I'm saying that the thing should not require me to upgrade my pocket to use it.
My Palm is 119mm x 81mm x 17mm and weighs 170g. This thing is 128.8mm x 83.5mm x 19.9mm and weighs 225g. The difference is pretty significant, since my Palm is of the thicker and heavier variety, and I'd like my next PDA to be smaller, not bigger.
I've had this idea for quite a while... it is one of the major things that I think that both Linux GUI's and Windows are lacking (though on different ends).
How about a big switch, located in an obvious spot, that has two settings; "Expert" and "Novice".
Expert. The interface doesn't bug you with help unless you ask it to. It doesn't auto-customize itself. It doesn't ask you to confirm something 5 times. All of the features are enabled and shown to you.
Novice. The interface helps you with everything. It auto-configures itself according to your actions (sort of like MS Office 2000 - some good ideas are present here). If you're doing something even remotely dangerous, it asks you whether you're sure you want to do this (and explains what it is that you just asked the computer to do). Only the basic features are enabled by default.
The lack of this switch has bugged me in both Windows and Linux. In Windows, no matter what I do, it still considers me to be a half-moron, confirming everything, blocking all but the basics. Just about anything that can be done has to be done through a wizard. This is just fine and dandy for the first 3 months you use the computer, but after then, it tends to get annoying. In Linux, the install process is usually smooth, but after that, I'm left standing in the middle of an open field not knowing what to do. The menu has a few games and that's about it. There aren't any wizards or helpers.
What I'm trying to say, I guess, is that when designing an interface for the novice, one must not forget about the expert. And vice versa.
Well... the electrons will travel at the speed of light, correct? Let's say there is a meter of circuitry between the PC's switch and the first chip. I'll leave the calculations to you, but I'd say it's a lot less than a millisecond...:)
It all has to be Open Source (tm) or it's thrown out of the country.
Now now, let's not get carried away here. First of all, this is merely a proposed bill. Second, it applies only to software used by the French government - not all software used in France.
Are you really trying to tell me that you were content with your 100 MHz Pentium Classic right up until a month or so ago when that 1 GHz chips came out?
Well, I'm still content with my P2/233, and I run NT at home. If I were a Linux user, i'd probably be happy with a P100.
If I steal your car, you no longer have that car. A fair comparison would be me obtaining a replication machine, and you lending me your car so that I could create an identical copy of it.
I don't see why people see these things as Palm competition... They are exactly what they say they are - pocket PC's. Exactly what Palms are not.
A Palm is a small device which was designed to fit into your pocket and always be with you. It was designed so that you rarely have to worry about batteries or the OS crashing. OTOH, the WinCE devices were designed to play MP3's, MPEG's, and generally to be impress-the-chicks devices. They're bigger, they will not last for more than a day or two on the batteries, and (even CNet agrees) the OS will often crash.
(While there are reports of WinCE being stable, it seems to be the same as NT - depends on luck. At work, the NT box I use has a 5-week up time. At home, the NT box will always freeze after a week. (As you can see, I'm not a 100% *nix guy.)) The article linked in the Slashdot post will tell you the rest...:)
Both examples you used use the same meaning of the word. I think what your teacher was trying to say is that the word is pronounced for-tay when it used as a music term, which in this case means "loudly."
If you check Dictionary.com, you'll see that your teacher was partially right. The non-musical term allows both (three, actually) pronunciations, while the musical term allows only one.
On a side note, isn't this why the Internet was created in the second place (the first priority was the nuclear strike recovery)? So that one doesn't have to guess, but can look up any information in half a minute?
"With this device in her posession a woman may feel secure that if employed a man becoming intimate with her shall not recieve pleasure from the experience."
And another...
"The penis may enter the device without great resistance and will activate the blade only upon the attempt of the man to withdraw the penis from the device."
Now, am I the only one who thinks that this was designed by a sadist, with the attempt to separate a man from his penis, rather than prevent the penis from entering the woman? Remember now, the penis will not be cut into little pieces until it attempts to leave the... uhh... device.
The UL hack you mentioned will also make Opera recognize the rest of the page as part of the UL (it automatically opens a UL tag for you) and indent it.
Exactly... the admins will delete the file Microsoft recommends to delete, and will find the FP extensions not working. So, they will reinstall them... but why reinstall FP98 when FP2K is available?
If a project becomes popular, what prevents a third party from starting a company, selling the product, and getting the money? I guess my question is... now that you've figured out how to divide the money, where do you get it?
I'm not trying to troll -- I really want to know where they expect to get money? If it's investors, how do they expect to make money for the investors?
I definitely don't consider this censorship. And I definitely think that the press should not report the names of people who are accused of crimes until they are actually convicted of comitting those crimes.
Why? Because of simple human nature. The average person relies heavily on memorable impressions, and not the facts, when making decisions. Let us consider this simple scenario...
My employer accuses me of theft. Local newspaper publishes huge article on front page, "Dig Dug accused of theft at work." Two days later, I am cleared of all charges. Does the newspaper publish a huge article on the front page, saying "Dig Dug cleared of all charges"? Of course not! Only the "interesting" news gets published there.
So, basically, the public opinion is still that I am a thief. Even if my employer's accusations were totally baseless.
Now, replace "thief" with "murderer" or "child molestor." Think you could get a good job after having been publically accused of one of those crimes?
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I have no problem with that, as long as it has enough memory for the MP3s, doesn't drain batteries, and is as small as my Palm. Otherwise, no thank you. :)
Maybe in a few years...
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- Fits into my pocket. This is very important.
- Boots up within a second or two.
- Stores my information.
- Doesn't need to be recharged every two hours.
So far, my Palm IIIxe with 8MB of memory and a 16MHz processor does just fine. I'm not saying I wouldn't like more RAM or a faster processor. And I'm not saying that I don't want Linux or a color screen. I'm saying that the thing should not require me to upgrade my pocket to use it.My Palm is 119mm x 81mm x 17mm and weighs 170g. This thing is 128.8mm x 83.5mm x 19.9mm and weighs 225g. The difference is pretty significant, since my Palm is of the thicker and heavier variety, and I'd like my next PDA to be smaller, not bigger.
Just my $2*10^-2. <g>
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How about a big switch, located in an obvious spot, that has two settings; "Expert" and "Novice".
- Expert. The interface doesn't bug you with help unless you ask it to. It doesn't auto-customize itself. It doesn't ask you to confirm something 5 times. All of the features are enabled and shown to you.
- Novice. The interface helps you with everything. It auto-configures itself according to your actions (sort of like MS Office 2000 - some good ideas are present here). If you're doing something even remotely dangerous, it asks you whether you're sure you want to do this (and explains what it is that you just asked the computer to do). Only the basic features are enabled by default.
The lack of this switch has bugged me in both Windows and Linux. In Windows, no matter what I do, it still considers me to be a half-moron, confirming everything, blocking all but the basics. Just about anything that can be done has to be done through a wizard. This is just fine and dandy for the first 3 months you use the computer, but after then, it tends to get annoying. In Linux, the install process is usually smooth, but after that, I'm left standing in the middle of an open field not knowing what to do. The menu has a few games and that's about it. There aren't any wizards or helpers.What I'm trying to say, I guess, is that when designing an interface for the novice, one must not forget about the expert. And vice versa.
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Now now, let's not get carried away here. First of all, this is merely a proposed bill. Second, it applies only to software used by the French government - not all software used in France.
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Well, I'm still content with my P2/233, and I run NT at home. If I were a Linux user, i'd probably be happy with a P100.
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I still have some of his tapes...
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If I steal your car, you no longer have that car. A fair comparison would be me obtaining a replication machine, and you lending me your car so that I could create an identical copy of it.
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A Palm is a small device which was designed to fit into your pocket and always be with you. It was designed so that you rarely have to worry about batteries or the OS crashing. OTOH, the WinCE devices were designed to play MP3's, MPEG's, and generally to be impress-the-chicks devices. They're bigger, they will not last for more than a day or two on the batteries, and (even CNet agrees) the OS will often crash.
(While there are reports of WinCE being stable, it seems to be the same as NT - depends on luck. At work, the NT box I use has a 5-week up time. At home, the NT box will always freeze after a week. (As you can see, I'm not a 100% *nix guy.)) The article linked in the Slashdot post will tell you the rest... :)
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If you check Dictionary.com, you'll see that your teacher was partially right. The non-musical term allows both (three, actually) pronunciations, while the musical term allows only one.
On a side note, isn't this why the Internet was created in the second place (the first priority was the nuclear strike recovery)? So that one doesn't have to guess, but can look up any information in half a minute?
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And another...
"The penis may enter the device without great resistance and will activate the blade only upon the attempt of the man to withdraw the penis from the device."
Now, am I the only one who thinks that this was designed by a sadist, with the attempt to separate a man from his penis, rather than prevent the penis from entering the woman? Remember now, the penis will not be cut into little pieces until it attempts to leave the... uhh... device.
*Shivers* Now I'm gonna have nightmares...
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And what incentive does a Linux user to use another OS to run these products when it is already available on the OS (s)he is familiar with? :)
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I'm not trying to troll -- I really want to know where they expect to get money? If it's investors, how do they expect to make money for the investors?
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Why? Because of simple human nature. The average person relies heavily on memorable impressions, and not the facts, when making decisions. Let us consider this simple scenario...
My employer accuses me of theft. Local newspaper publishes huge article on front page, "Dig Dug accused of theft at work." Two days later, I am cleared of all charges. Does the newspaper publish a huge article on the front page, saying "Dig Dug cleared of all charges"? Of course not! Only the "interesting" news gets published there.
So, basically, the public opinion is still that I am a thief. Even if my employer's accusations were totally baseless.
Now, replace "thief" with "murderer" or "child molestor." Think you could get a good job after having been publically accused of one of those crimes?
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