Not trying to flame you or anything, but: if somebody uploads a video of themselves talking about "how tough hard life is", or "some 70 year old moron singing" - and 'these idiots' enjoy it - then why should it be killed off? Not everything on the Internet exists to please you. Why shouldn't people be able to upload and enjoy these things? Nobody says you have to go and watch them. Just forget YouTube even exists, or add an entry to hosts redirecting it to localhost, if it really annoys you that much.
That's not true. Fast User Switching is a good example: Microsoft implemented it in Windows XP. When Apple implemented it in 10.3, at the Keynote Steve explicitly said that Windows had it first - clearly a case of acknowledging the successes of others and using them to better themselves.
The upper-left corner of the menu bar is NOT an active location to click on the apple menu
Used to be the case, but this has been fixed in Tiger (Mac OS X 10.4). The upper-leftmost corner activates the Apple menu, and upper-rightmost activates Spotlight.
I was trying to make a statement based on said great-grandparent's phrasing of his original post; that by starting by talking about systems of measurement, and by stating a measurement and 'guilds' together in one clause, it gave the impression that they were both measurements. (It's probably incredibly petty a point of mine to make, I conceed, and probably could have been better-worded.)
"In Europe ages ago, they also used all sorts of funky units. But you know what? at some point people figured out there was something better than guilds and pounds"
If I'm reading it right, this prohibition only applies to devices which are made "with the intention that it should be used to make infringing copies of copyright works". Simply circumventing the copy protection, say for interoperability, should be fine. (Of course, IANAL, so take this with however much salt you please.)
I'm sorry, but what? A 'guild' isn't a system or unit of measurement. Quoth the Wikipedia: "A guild is an association of craftspeople in a given trade". Nothing to do with metric vs. Imperial measurements.
The diversity of packaging formats is definitely a nonissue, because EVERYONE has the source code... If I need some software that isn't already packaged for me, I grab the source code and compile it.
Most users don't know what compiling software is, let alone how to do it. While having the source available is absolutely a good thing, there needs to be an easier way for new Linux users to install software. With so many different formats, some specific to some distributions, some to others, and so on, it's almost impossible to keep track - if Linux is to gain more share on the desktop it needs to be more accommodating to new users, and the current situation frankly isn't.
Please read the friendly article. Jobs says that Apple have considered it before, but they're in an interesting position: if FairPlay is cracked, and remains unpatched for a number of weeks, then the record companies can simply pull their content from the iTS. Now, at present, Apple can simply patch FairPlay and push out a new version of iTunes and the iPod firmware. However, with multiple players and stores all using FairPlay, the problem magnifies: if any one of those links in the increasingly-complex chain remains weak, and FairPlay is still exposed, it leaves Apple vulnerable.
Back in 1997-or-so I remember playing Theme Hospital (great game, incidentally) and noticed the brand-named drinks machines you could buy to place in your hospital.
The only small small problem was that these "drinks machines" had Kit-Kat logos all over them..
Well this looks like a nice, balanced, totally unbiased article, doesn't it? If the author's going to insult anyone who dares criticise the Zune, I'm going to happily ignore him.
But if we add identifying features to the money, it's hardly putting your eyes out; it harms you not a jot. It can, however, enable the blind or partially sighted a chance to use these gifts you laud. You seem to be against changing the currency's design purely because you have no problems with it - but how does changing it hurt you?
Here in the UK, all our banknotes are different sizes and colours, and have a unique symbol on them as well (the £5 note has a blue square, the £10 a brown diamond, and so on). Frankly, as you're rifling through your wallet trying to find the right note, these distinguishing features are a godsend; when I was in the USA on holiday, it was much more time-consuming, although having said that the uniquely-blue $20 note helped a lot.
Having easily-discernable banknotes will save everyone time, and will help the partially-sighted or blind a great deal. Why should they need to buy a device when it can be done by the money printers to everyone's benefit?
There's quite a great deal of sense in both those examples you provided. One-button mice are considerably easier for new users; the number of times I've had to explain the difference between left- and right-clicking makes me really very pleased that they do.
As for the lack of an FM tuner: that would add bulk to the iPods, and probably wouldn't be used by many users anyway. The iPod plays prerecorded songs and videos; I'm a huge fan of BBC radio but have never missed it whilst listening to my own tracks. In any case, if you really want an FM tuner in your iPod, Apple will gladly sell you one.
that all depends on how they choose to define 'significant'. Gamers who regularly upgrade their box are going to be unhappy at any rate; if a video card is considered 'significant', I can see storm clouds blowing. Of course, Microsoft won't care - they've got their money, and with the example of Halo 2, they can count on those purchases of Vista as given for the hardcore.
Ever since the "old" Slashdot, you've had the ability to configure what you see on the front page. Don't want games reviews? Turn them off, walk away, pretend they don't exist.
Then again, ever since the 'old' Slashdot, there's been coverage of proprietary software, too.
This pleases me mightily, since I've been a fan of vinyl for several years now. (I'm 19, so when I started buying music CD sales were well and truly eclipsing the good old 45s) There's something special about vinyl that you don't get with digital media, or even CDs - something about gently lowering the stylus, hearing the opening crackles before settling down to listen. Even the size of the medium's part of the pleasure - you actually feel you own something, especially with an LP or a 12" single. Plus, the cover art's nicer too.
One other little thing that pleases me is the price; a 7" single costs 99p in my local HMV. The cheapest CD singles are £1.99.
Say I've just ripped a new CD I've bought and want to put it on my mp3 player. I need to plug the player in, open an Explorer/Finder/etc. window for the player, another for wherever my music is, find the new CD, drop it across, unmount the player, and remove it. Not impossible, not a huge hassle, but when you've a lot of music, this begins to get tiresome.
LAN play may well be a possibility. Mario Kart: Double Dash was one of the few GameCube games that supported the Broadband adaptor, but not for net play - just for LANs. Since it's already been implemented by Nintendo before, it could well end up as an option in the Wii.
Well, I've never had a problem like this, and I'm in Europe. If the site's down, the site's down. If you're finding you can't get to certain websites that you know are up, maybe it's a problem closer to home - your ISP, your computer, your connection, for instance.
At my university (the University of the West of England, UWE), we have labs running Windows 2000, Windows XP, Debian, Solaris, and Mac OS X. All have Firefox installed alongside another browser (IE on the Windows boxes, Konquerer on Linux, Safari on OS X and -ick- Netscape 4 on Solaris).
So long as there are players willing to devote the time and materials to a pen-and-paper RPG, then they will survive. Perhaps the big name companies will fall - WotC and White Wolf would be fatally hurt if a mass exodus did occur, not to mention the many other smaller companies - but there will always be some players who will want to continue with pen-and-paper, and new companies will be created to cater to that niche (or the old companies will adapt, or diversify).
There are hundreds of computerised wargames, but people still happily paint miniatures and send them out to do battle on the tabletop. The market may be shrinking for traditional RPGs, but let's not mourn them just yet.
Slashdot Mirror
Not trying to flame you or anything, but: if somebody uploads a video of themselves talking about "how tough hard life is", or "some 70 year old moron singing" - and 'these idiots' enjoy it - then why should it be killed off? Not everything on the Internet exists to please you. Why shouldn't people be able to upload and enjoy these things? Nobody says you have to go and watch them. Just forget YouTube even exists, or add an entry to hosts redirecting it to localhost, if it really annoys you that much.
That's not true. Fast User Switching is a good example: Microsoft implemented it in Windows XP. When Apple implemented it in 10.3, at the Keynote Steve explicitly said that Windows had it first - clearly a case of acknowledging the successes of others and using them to better themselves.
Used to be the case, but this has been fixed in Tiger (Mac OS X 10.4). The upper-leftmost corner activates the Apple menu, and upper-rightmost activates Spotlight.
I was trying to make a statement based on said great-grandparent's phrasing of his original post; that by starting by talking about systems of measurement, and by stating a measurement and 'guilds' together in one clause, it gave the impression that they were both measurements. (It's probably incredibly petty a point of mine to make, I conceed, and probably could have been better-worded.)
If I'm reading it right, this prohibition only applies to devices which are made "with the intention that it should be used to make infringing copies of copyright works". Simply circumventing the copy protection, say for interoperability, should be fine. (Of course, IANAL, so take this with however much salt you please.)
I'm sorry, but what? A 'guild' isn't a system or unit of measurement. Quoth the Wikipedia: "A guild is an association of craftspeople in a given trade". Nothing to do with metric vs. Imperial measurements.
Most users don't know what compiling software is, let alone how to do it. While having the source available is absolutely a good thing, there needs to be an easier way for new Linux users to install software. With so many different formats, some specific to some distributions, some to others, and so on, it's almost impossible to keep track - if Linux is to gain more share on the desktop it needs to be more accommodating to new users, and the current situation frankly isn't.
Please read the friendly article. Jobs says that Apple have considered it before, but they're in an interesting position: if FairPlay is cracked, and remains unpatched for a number of weeks, then the record companies can simply pull their content from the iTS. Now, at present, Apple can simply patch FairPlay and push out a new version of iTunes and the iPod firmware. However, with multiple players and stores all using FairPlay, the problem magnifies: if any one of those links in the increasingly-complex chain remains weak, and FairPlay is still exposed, it leaves Apple vulnerable.
Back in 1997-or-so I remember playing Theme Hospital (great game, incidentally) and noticed the brand-named drinks machines you could buy to place in your hospital.
The only small small problem was that these "drinks machines" had Kit-Kat logos all over them..
My problem with this summary was the insulting tone; biased or not, the article you pointed out didn't leap out and call anyone a fanboy.
But if we add identifying features to the money, it's hardly putting your eyes out; it harms you not a jot. It can, however, enable the blind or partially sighted a chance to use these gifts you laud. You seem to be against changing the currency's design purely because you have no problems with it - but how does changing it hurt you?
Here in the UK, all our banknotes are different sizes and colours, and have a unique symbol on them as well (the £5 note has a blue square, the £10 a brown diamond, and so on). Frankly, as you're rifling through your wallet trying to find the right note, these distinguishing features are a godsend; when I was in the USA on holiday, it was much more time-consuming, although having said that the uniquely-blue $20 note helped a lot.
Having easily-discernable banknotes will save everyone time, and will help the partially-sighted or blind a great deal. Why should they need to buy a device when it can be done by the money printers to everyone's benefit?
Nothing to stop you from attaching a two-button (or more) mouse if you'd like. Apple even sells one, and ships it with iMacs and Mac Pros.
There's quite a great deal of sense in both those examples you provided. One-button mice are considerably easier for new users; the number of times I've had to explain the difference between left- and right-clicking makes me really very pleased that they do.
As for the lack of an FM tuner: that would add bulk to the iPods, and probably wouldn't be used by many users anyway. The iPod plays prerecorded songs and videos; I'm a huge fan of BBC radio but have never missed it whilst listening to my own tracks. In any case, if you really want an FM tuner in your iPod, Apple will gladly sell you one.
that all depends on how they choose to define 'significant'. Gamers who regularly upgrade their box are going to be unhappy at any rate; if a video card is considered 'significant', I can see storm clouds blowing. Of course, Microsoft won't care - they've got their money, and with the example of Halo 2, they can count on those purchases of Vista as given for the hardcore.
Ever since the "old" Slashdot, you've had the ability to configure what you see on the front page. Don't want games reviews? Turn them off, walk away, pretend they don't exist.
Then again, ever since the 'old' Slashdot, there's been coverage of proprietary software, too.
This pleases me mightily, since I've been a fan of vinyl for several years now. (I'm 19, so when I started buying music CD sales were well and truly eclipsing the good old 45s) There's something special about vinyl that you don't get with digital media, or even CDs - something about gently lowering the stylus, hearing the opening crackles before settling down to listen. Even the size of the medium's part of the pleasure - you actually feel you own something, especially with an LP or a 12" single. Plus, the cover art's nicer too.
One other little thing that pleases me is the price; a 7" single costs 99p in my local HMV. The cheapest CD singles are £1.99.
Say I've just ripped a new CD I've bought and want to put it on my mp3 player. I need to plug the player in, open an Explorer/Finder/etc. window for the player, another for wherever my music is, find the new CD, drop it across, unmount the player, and remove it. Not impossible, not a huge hassle, but when you've a lot of music, this begins to get tiresome.
Conversely, with iTunes, I just plug it in.
LAN play may well be a possibility. Mario Kart: Double Dash was one of the few GameCube games that supported the Broadband adaptor, but not for net play - just for LANs. Since it's already been implemented by Nintendo before, it could well end up as an option in the Wii.
Well, I've never had a problem like this, and I'm in Europe. If the site's down, the site's down. If you're finding you can't get to certain websites that you know are up, maybe it's a problem closer to home - your ISP, your computer, your connection, for instance.
How much do you have to pay to get advertising like this?
At my university (the University of the West of England, UWE), we have labs running Windows 2000, Windows XP, Debian, Solaris, and Mac OS X. All have Firefox installed alongside another browser (IE on the Windows boxes, Konquerer on Linux, Safari on OS X and -ick- Netscape 4 on Solaris).
So long as there are players willing to devote the time and materials to a pen-and-paper RPG, then they will survive. Perhaps the big name companies will fall - WotC and White Wolf would be fatally hurt if a mass exodus did occur, not to mention the many other smaller companies - but there will always be some players who will want to continue with pen-and-paper, and new companies will be created to cater to that niche (or the old companies will adapt, or diversify). There are hundreds of computerised wargames, but people still happily paint miniatures and send them out to do battle on the tabletop. The market may be shrinking for traditional RPGs, but let's not mourn them just yet.