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User: falconwolf

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  1. Re:Has to encompass both software and hardware on Is Open Source the Answer To Giving? · · Score: 1

    Imagine if Intel or AMD were to open source some of their older generation of CPUs, motherboards, etc and allow companies in Africa or Eastern Europe to begin developing their own local hardware platforms.

    It sounds good open sourcing older electronics components but it wouldn't really help much as a Fab, Semiconductor fabrication plant, can cost hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars. On the other hand opening factories where the end product is assembled, as is happening in China, can give the local economy a boost.

    Falcon
  2. Re:A modest proposal on Is Open Source the Answer To Giving? · · Score: 1

    Since most killing in the world is done by small arms,

    Source please.

    Natural resources lie at the heart of most if not all conflicts and wars. "The twin roles of natural resources[pdf] in fueling and motivating violent conflicts is being increasingly recognized in strategies for conflict prevention, resolution and peacebuilding."

    Falcon
  3. Re:Bullshit on Is Open Source the Answer To Giving? · · Score: 1

    and yes, who gives a flying circus ass about giving money to free software projects, when there's people all over the planet starving and living with less than a dollar a day?

    Every dollar you save on software is one more dollar you can donate to "Feed the World". Money which can then be pooled with money from other donors to improve the lives of those in the Third World.

    Falcon
  4. Third World on Is Open Source the Answer To Giving? · · Score: 1

    We're still working on the food

    The only reason the Third World is short of food is because of the West or Developed Nations. The Third World has to capability to grow enough of their own food, with plenty left for export. However 2 beliefs and policies of the west has harmed this. First is the belief that most people should live in cities. This belief led to policies to encourage rural people to move to cities while large farms grow food. However people who grew up on small farms and knew how to farm were able to grow more food than the large farms could. The second policy is that of giving large western agribusinesses massive subsidies. Because of the billions of US taxpayer dollars businesses like Archer Daniels Midland, ADM, and Cargill get they are able to buy, ship, and sale corn to Mexico, where corn originated, for less than it costs Mexican farmers to grow corn.

    And speaking of ADM, it is the queen of Corporate Welfare, and Cargill is the US's second largest privately held corporation.

    Falcon
  5. Re:You Can't Ever Win on Is Open Source the Answer To Giving? · · Score: 1

    "It is the ultimate in disruptive technology, and while to it is only 6% of estimated trillion dollars IT budgeted annually, it represents a real loss of $60 billion in annual revenues to software companies,"

    The MP/RIAA says the same but just as many movies and songs are being created, probably even more because of technology. Just like disruptive technologies do Open Source only reduces how much the incumbents, in this case software businesses, may make. Many others can profit while they and others gain benefits. IBM is making profits not off of selling products, other than Big Iron, but by offering services. Redhat's doing the same. And when businesses save money using open source software they can use that money to expand product lines, on research, and or to pay higher dividends.

    The only ones who stand to lose from open source are those who depend on selling closed source stuff. However if they create or innovate they can still makes profits buying selling something people want to buy.

    Falcon
  6. Re:Apple prices on IBM's Pilot Program For Internal Use of Macs · · Score: 1

    Two things. First of all, the current discount is a reflection of lower margins overall on Macs.

    Margins are tight now but they weren't bad in the '90s and that's when Apple lowered the educational discount.

    Also, I seem to remember that Apple was trying to cut third-party vendors out of the pie to sell direct to education exclusively, and that helped erode their educational presence.

    Almost everyone I knew bought their computer, whether a Mac or a PC, through the campus bookstore and the college dealt directly with the OEMs including Apple.

    It also didn't help that Apple's attempts to make "low-end" Macs, with the aptly mis-named "Performa" series (the 4400 being the worst of the lot), gave them a bad reputation in those markets where they ended up.

    Despite what people think and say, especially his reality distortion field on /., about Steve Jobs he's pretty good with business and the market. So Apple really messed up when they got rid of him and replaced him with Scully. Scully virtually ran the company into the ground. Then when Jobs was brought back he was able to turn it around.

    Falcon
  7. Re:Apple prices on IBM's Pilot Program For Internal Use of Macs · · Score: 1

    Your price must have been after the ADC discount,

    No, they were both retail prices.

    t comes with an Nvidia Quadro NVS 320M (based on the 8700M GT) instead of the 8600 GT in the MBP, a BluRay burner

    I didn't see configurations with BluRays. Either I missed it or it wasn't available.

    when I undocked I automatically had a much lower resolution making Eclipse look all cramped. Both of us disagree that "the only need for a high resolution is graphics and photography" and I'm pretty sure a number of developers would take issue with that as well.

    It's not really the high resolution so much as it's what seems like more real estate. However not everyone will be able to see smaller objects and text but that's what the higher resolution does. My MBP LCD is 1680 x 1050. Though I missed it Apple also offer an LCD with 1900 x 1200 or whatever. I'm glad I didn't see it because if I had I would have gotten the higher resolution yet some of what I look at on it I can't make out very well without squinting at the screen. If I had gotten the higher res it'd be worse. Also what I've been reading on /. from others recently virtual desktops can help somewhat.

    Falcon
  8. Re:And then what? on What Are the Best Laptop Theft Recovery Measures? · · Score: 1

    The IP address won't work for most laptops, since they're probably connecting through a wireless router, and the router is issuing them a local ip address that has nothing to do with the external address.

    The router can be located though.

    Falcon
  9. Re:Explosives... on What Are the Best Laptop Theft Recovery Measures? · · Score: 1

    And cables don't do crap. If you've never broken out the tabs that hold them... let's just say the slots aren't particularly secure. And the cables themselves can be cut even more easily, locks picked, etc.

    The past couple of days I've been looking for a locking cable for my laptop for use in public places. I hadn't thought about the tabs though. However there's a way around that, one lock I saw has an alarm which goes off if the laptop or the pack it's in is moved. I don't know if it's still available though.

    and buy a Pit Bull/Doberman/Rottweiler/German Shepherd....

    Though not a Rottweiler I have had the other 3 breed of dogs. And they were friendly, even to the cats I also had. Actually the Doberman was a female who had some litters of puppies and she'd let the cat near them. While the cat would play with the puppies the dog would growl at anyone outside the family who got too close. I've also known several other pit bulls, all used when hunting, and the only one that wasn't friendly was one that the owners beat. They said they beat it to make it mean and tough.

    Falcon
  10. Re:It was actually at around 11AM EDT on Central U.S. Earthquake Info · · Score: 1

    The one SW of Vincennes, IN was actually in Illinois. Vincennes is near the state border.

    You'll have to take that up with the USGS, it came from their data.

    Falcon
  11. buttons on IBM's Pilot Program For Internal Use of Macs · · Score: 1

    Or you could simply just buy a 3-button mouse with scrollwheel, Logitech still makes them.

    Nah, I've got a 2 button Logitech trackball with scrollwheel though I don't use it right now. When I start graphics work I'll need it but for now the pad works fine.

    Falcon
  12. Apple prices on IBM's Pilot Program For Internal Use of Macs · · Score: 1

    it seems like Apple's notebooks are almost always at least US$200 more expensive than similarly specced business notebooks from Dell, HP and Lenovo.

    Before ordering my MacBook Pro I compared it's price to laptops from Dell, HP, and a couple of other OEMs. A Dell configured as close to the MBP as I could get cost $200 more and the HP was about the same price. There weren't many who had 17". However about a month before I ordered it I saw a 21" laptop running Windows in a Best Buy. What I would of given for a 21" MBP.

    The cheapest 15" MacBook Pro for example comes in at $1,999 and only offers a WXGA+ (1440x900) LCD and a single year warranty on parts, compared to the HP 8510p, Dell Latitude D830 and Lenovo T61 which all offer 3-year warranties on parts and WSXGA+ (1680x1050) screens.

    My 17" MBP is 1680 X 1050, and some text looks small, however 1920 X 1200 is available. The only need for high resolution is graphics and photography but if you're doing that then you really should have an external monitor at least 21", I'm looking for one at least 24". I'll then use the big display for the main window, the photos I'm working on, while the built in LCD will have the tools palettes I need.

    Falcon
  13. Apple prices on IBM's Pilot Program For Internal Use of Macs · · Score: 1

    Apple was happy to make bigger margins on smaller quantities.

    Way back when, up until Windows 3.x came out, Apple had half of the market where I lived. More stores had Macs than any other system. Even the bookstores on the college campuses in the area sold more Macs than PCs and other systems.

    Apple basically owned the educational market. Which is why I didn't understand why they'd cut the educational discount, when students used Macs for school they'd expect Macs at work too. I've to say though Apple did better than Commodore with the Amiga. Which was a real shame. The Amiga was the real multimedia workhorse but it could also run the Mac OS and Mac software as well as DOS and Windows 3.x.

    Even then, there were still times when they had trouble making enough of certain models (usually new ones) of Macs to meet demand. Their current production levels are amazing in comparison.

    Production now is in China. A Chinese company actually assembles them, outside of Shanghai if I recall right.

    Falcon
  14. Re:Not a big deal on Central U.S. Earthquake Info · · Score: 1

    Ground rumbled a bit, a few things fell over. This is nothing major so I don't know what the big deal is other than it's a slow news day.

    It wasn't a big deal for an earthquake from California on up to Alaska, but it's a big deal for the Midwest where it happened.

    Falcon
  15. And don't let's even bring up Yellowstone... on Central U.S. Earthquake Info · · Score: 1

    Now that should be a big concern for people who worry about Global Warming. For those who don't know Yellowstone is a Supervolcano which when it erupts will emit more greenhouse gases than man can think of.

    Falcon
  16. how to tell a native from a transplant on Central U.S. Earthquake Info · · Score: 1

    If a Midwesterner wants to get back at a Californian for being pussies about earthquakes, all they have to do is mention tornados. Or even just thunderstorms.

    Yea, growing up in Florida friends of mine and I had this saying, "You can tell a true Floridian from a transplant when a hurricane comes along. While the transplants throw their arms up in the air and scream 'let's get out of here' the Floridian says it's tyme to batten down the hatches.

    On a business trip to Milwaukee two clients from CA literally crying and trying to hide under the hotel bed after a nearby lightning strike.

    I was helping one of my friends build a new house and after working for the day we were driving back when it started to storm. We were in the back of a pickup truck when a lighten strike hit a tree just as we drove by not 20 feet away. The next day we topped to look at the tree and it had a burn mark circling the trunk.

    Falcon
  17. It was actually at around 11AM EDT on Central U.S. Earthquake Info · · Score: 1

    The USGS shows 3 earthquakes on the 18th. One in Indiana at 04:36:58 CDT. The two others in Illinois at 05:36:33 CDT and 10:14:17 CDT.

    Falcon
  18. Re:Only one moderate quake and an aftershock on Central U.S. Earthquake Info · · Score: 1

    In the midwest, a 4.6 is a pretty big quake. There aren't any fault lines in the area, so we don't often get much above a 3. 5.2 is record-books stuff, no fooling.

    There's at least one fault line in the midwest, the New Madrid Seismic Zone.

    Falcon
  19. Re:Jobs can run but he can't hide on $399 Mac Clone Most Likely a Hoax · · Score: -1, Redundant

    It's obvious who's behind it. The most insightful comment on the earlier story went something like this: If Apple is so hell bent on protecting its IP and enforcing its license terms, then why are they selling off-the-shelf copies to anyone who plunks down the cash?

    Apple sells disks of Leopard for the same reason Microsoft sells Windows disk, so people can upgrade the OS.

    Psystar. PsyOps. Nothing but Jobs looking to drum up more support for sales and mindshare. Mindshare is probably more important for Apple lest they lose their niche cult status and drop out of sight completely.

    Buzz, 2008 calling. Macs are gaining in market share, and have been for more than a year. In early 2007 it was 5% now it's 8% (TFA linked to is dated 3 January 2008). In June 2007 laptops or notebooks market share was 17.6 (TFA is dated 21 August 2007).

    Psystar. PsyOps. Nothing but Jobs looking to drum up more support for sales and mindshare. Mindshare is probably more important for Apple lest they lose their niche cult status and drop out of sight completely.

    There's no need for Apple to drum up sales as they are growing quite well without this.

    Falcon
  20. Re:think people on $399 Mac Clone Most Likely a Hoax · · Score: 1

    They (or you even) can't legally install OSX either can they? Not an Apple guy so dont know terms but i would assume not.

    No. OS X can't, legally, be installed on a non Apple computer.

    Falcon
  21. Re:Who would have ordered one so quickly? on $399 Mac Clone Most Likely a Hoax · · Score: 1

    I mean at least wait a couple months for Tom's Hardware to review one or something.

    How many non geeks, non nerds, non /.ers know to let Tom check it out?

    Falcon
  22. credit cards on $399 Mac Clone Most Likely a Hoax · · Score: 1

    As far as paying by credit card goes, you're likely protected by your card company against fraud so you shouldn't be too concerned there.

    Legally someone using their credit card is liable for $50, but the credit card issuer may cut some slack and swallow all of charge.

    Falcon
  23. Re:Will it exist in 30 days on $399 Mac Clone Most Likely a Hoax · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Back in the early days of home computing a number of companies started up by selling vaporware, collecting the money, and using it to fund the development. (I don't recall if Apple was one of the companies that started up that way. But Woz and Jobs were pretty hard up for cash back at the start.)

    The Woz already had a working Apple before offering one for sale. He was showing it to meetings of the Homebrew Computer Club, of which the Two Steves were members of. At the tyme the Woz was working for HP as an engineer and asked them if the company wanted to make the Apple, management turned him down. Jobs was able to find a store that would place a large order but in order to fulfill it the Woz had to quit working at HP. In order to fund the company the Woz sold an HP 65 calculator he owned for $500.

    Falcon
  24. Re:I thought it's a joke on IBM's Pilot Program For Internal Use of Macs · · Score: 1

    Until you factor in the time and cost associated with training the marketing department, various accounting departments and other departments filled with non-technical persons who have probably never even looked at a *nix-based machine on how to use the new stuff.

    Maybe they aren't as much but you still have those costs when getting the new version of Windows. After using various versions of Windows for 10 years last year I switched of OS X and the hardest part was not having a 2 button mouse. Even that though only took about a week to become adjusted, now I have 3 buttons. Hold the Apple key while clicking and 1 context menu pops up while holding the ctrl key when clicking presents a different menu.

    Falcon
  25. Re:I thought it's a joke on IBM's Pilot Program For Internal Use of Macs · · Score: 1

    Really, you could run Windows in an emulator before, and though performance wasn't fantastic, it was often adequate.

    I knew someone who ran Windows in Virtual PC on her Mac, before MS bought it from Connectix.

    Falcon