Given the similarity in thinking of most of these sorts, if you find the right trigger I bet they'd all switch about the same time.
Buddhist monks did have a trigger but it has since failed. The monks could withhold blessings for a better life when someone reincarnated. However while Burma is Buddhist, secularism has gained ground there.
Most consumers have been conditioned to be finnicky. They are used to being in control; they understand value; and they have no allegiance. Given this backdrop, and the generally crappy product Microsoft has supplied over the years pre-XP-SP2, I'd say "massive discontent" is accurate.
There are some/. Windows users who have no problem with it, just as there are simple users. My brother in law is one. Though he's not a computer user by training, he's a law school grad but is a Certified Financial Planner, CFP, he adeptly uses Windows.
... dhcp didn't work? if physically connecting your router and computer with an ethernet cable requires additional setup afterwards, you have some other issues...
I had no trouble with my Linux PC. All I did was unpack it plug everything in and bootup. It worked right out of the box and didn't require any archaic settings. I didn't setup my print though, it's usb and I didn't know how to. Maybe I could of just plugged it in and it would of been recognized. At the tyme though I was still able to use my Windows PC so I didn't bother. However all it wanted was user accounts to be setup and it walked through that holding your hand with a gui.
people are not generous enough to fund a healthy modern state
Sure some aren't but many others are. Sometimes it's government and regulations that cause the problems. I don't recall exactly when but sometime back in the late 1980 or early '90s Mother Teresa tried to open a shelter in New York City. She had all the financing set up but the city stopped it by regulation. And by taxing income, you're discouraging people from donating. Sure taxpayers get a tax writeoff but it's not a 1 to 1 writeoff. For someone in a 20% tax bracket, for every dollar donated they only get a 20 cent tax reduction. By reducing or eliminating income tax more people will be willing to donate. A common reason I hear people give for not donating is the government donates for them, with the point of a gun. Look at Bill and Melisa Gates and Warren Buffet, the Gates setup their foundation and Buffet gave billions of dollars to it. Wealthy philanthropists are in The business of giving.
Your disability payments would seem to be exactly the type of social service that forced pooling of money allows.
That's exactly what insurance does, it pools money then pays someone who contributed when they need it. In my specific case I wouldn't have needed insurance if those responsible for my disability had been held accountable. What happened was I was riding my bike when I left campus after class in college when someone who never should of been driving hit me with a moving van, apartment movers type. Witnesses to the accident said the driver was swerving all over the road. He was a diabetic and I was told he had a seizer while driving. However he had caused two accidents before mine from the same thing and and been hospitalized twice. He moved from one state to another because the first state issued a warrant for his arrest. If he had never been driving I wouldn't have been disabled from the accident, there wouldn't have been an accident. There was one though and if his employer had been fully held to account they or their insurance would of been made to pay full costs for my wellbeing 'til death. As it is, medical bills and lawyers fees ate up almost half of the final settlement.
Though I would guess if you're online much you have access to conveniences that many in the world would envy.
Some may envy it, but I don't. First, I don't like being idle. Prior to my accident my friends used to tell me I had to slow down, that I was doing too many things. I disagreed then and I disagree now. I also always believed I'd rather be dead than disabled. When I was in a coma the docs told my family it would be a miracle if I lived. If I could talk to those docs now I'd argue that point. After coming out of the coma my younger sister told me I kept screaming at anyone to let me die, even now more than 10 years later I still wish I had died. As far as I'm concerned my life has been a living hell.
Phone support is *hard* and undervalued in many industries. I don't work in phone support anymore. When I call any phone support line now, I patiently do what the support person asks because I know they are *trying* to help and may pick up on stuff I missed.
Thanks for describing the process for me, next tyme if I recall (bad memory) I'll just do what they ask.
Sorry, I meant "wouldn't take as much of your money".
Ok.
My question would be that if you think that the lower tax burden in such countries is an advantage, then why not live there?
Rather than move to a country more in line with how I think government should be, I prefer to return my nation, the USA, back to how it was. I want it to be like what Thomas Jefferson wanted, a country where liberty and small government matters. Somewhere where most everyone owned property and had a choice as to what they wanted to do. However the past few year I've been thinking more and more about moving somewhere like Brazil on a more permanent basis, I mentioned how I wanted to go there the study abroad for a year, doing so I could learn more about it and make a decision on moving there or not. For various reasons, not just because the US seems to be heading in a direction I don't like.
And if I assume that your reason is because you like America better (as I do), I would ask how sure are you the things you like here aren't to some degree a result of spending our money on social programs?
Some of the things I do like but there's much I don't. Such as the War on Drugs, like Prohibition was, I believe the war on drugs is wrong. With Bush in office I see things getting worse. What's up with this spying on citizens? What of Iraq, I'm still waiting to see all those WMDs Saddam had. Especially when Bush Sr and Reagan before him supported Saddam while he was using WMDs, not just against Iran but against Kurds, March Arabs, and others who opposed Saddam. Entire villages were massacred but did Reagan and Bush Sr stop supporting him? NO. He could do no wrong before he invaded Kuwait. Hell Cheney even patted Saddam on the back for doing such a good job.
if you go lower on taxes from where we're at, things don't generally get better.
I disagree. For instance the war in Iraq. Or the war on drugs. Both are costing the US a lot, I don't recall what the current figures are for Iraq but if it weren't that the national debt would be much lower. If not gone, with a surplus actually. One of the few things Clinton did right was reduce the national debt. It was almost gone when Bush entered office, but now it's the largest it's ever been. And what is it with half of the prison population being there for drug crimes? Before being arrested and sentenced many were working and paying taxes, now not only have we lost the income they produced but they've become a drag on the economy sucking away money to build and staff prisons. Oh but they're a boon to the prison industrial complex. Get rid of these costs along with others then personal income taxes could be cut if not dropped. With people being able to keep more if not all of the money they earn they would be able to both invest and spend more, both of which improve the economy.
MacOS needs almost no geekery but is more expensive for well specced machines
Similarly specified computers from Apple and Windows OEMs don't show much of a difference in prices. I've seem similarly specified Macs and Dells, one spec will have the Mac a little higher and another will have the Mac lower. Unfortunately Apple doesn't have low priced Macs that are highly configurable. Most any Windows PC will allow you to add hardware, another graphics card, firewire, and hdd, change the motherboard, what have you but in order to get a Mac with the same flexibility you have to get a Mac Pro which starts at around $2500. All the other Macs are designed as throwaways, you use it for a couple of years then you replace it. I thing Apple does a big disservice because of this.
Now despite this massive discontent, Microsoft continues to be used by all because it is easy.
While many may not be happy with MS I wouldn't say there's massive discontent among regular computer users,/.ers are another matter. Most users just want something that when they buy it, bring it home, and plug it in will run. OEMs offer them just that, a PC with Windows preinstalled. Sure they could buy or download Linux then install it but most people never install an OS, unless they call tech support and the tech walks them through it. I bet as more and more OEMs install Linux on new PCs, and advertise it, Linux will pickup market share.
The cheapest machins is not going to be linux simply becuase the cheapest machine is going to supported through ads, which is not Linux.
About a year ago I bought a new PC with Linux preinstalled. The cheapest PC I saw with comparable stats that had Windows as the OS was about twice as much.
For throw away machines, then, such as are used in the office, MS is going to be a good value as long as Dell and HP are in the MS pocket. The same holds true for single computer homes.
The PC I got is basically like this. Because I'm not employed, I'm on disability, when my Windows PC died I had to get something cheap. Now that I've been paid back for some expenses I was able to buy a new Macbook Pro. However I'll still use my Linux PC, I plan to set it up as a server. I'm hoping to break into photography, both as a photographer and in setting up websites for other photographers. So I'll need the hdd space the Linux PC has. While my MBP has a 200GB hdd my Linux PC has two hdds, one is 750GB and 200GB are already used on it.
not the OS that comes with it.
More faster everything in a smaller package on a bigger screen with the latest tech like WAN modems, all flavors of wifi, and a new crisp keyboard.
I'm typing this on my new Macbook Pro which I specifically got because it didn't have Windows crapware and spyware on it. Both, the hardware and software, are better.
You'll never have consumer support for Linux, because there will always be some multimedia content supporting some form of DRM, and Windows allows for that, and Linux doesn't. When consumers have to go through hoops to download a song or play a movie on an OS, they won't choose it.
Or maybe they'll demand DRM free media. Some music companies are now offering drm free songs because people have demanded it.
As hardware prices fall below OS cost, it will be possible for Microsoft to 'bundle' the hardware with the OS. Perhaps the next Windows family will be 'Windows Laptop', 'Windows Home Computer', 'Windows Server', each coming with the hardware pre-installed. The current situation only appears to be something of a conundrum because we are accustomed to thinking that the hardware should be the most expensive part.
Because hardware is that, hardware, it costs a lot to copy. Software, even OSes like Windows, are easily and cheaply reproduced. Whether 1000 or 1,000,000 copies of Windows are made, the cost is about the same. This does not apply to hardware though. Actually as more hardware is made it becomes more expensive. Look at what's happened in the market for silicon, because both chip fabs and pv makers use it the price of silicon has gone up, since 2004 the price of silicon has doubled.
This may be true for DVD and other standard-definition video formats. But high-definition formats such as HD DVD and especially Blu-ray Disc generally have tighter compliance and robustness [wikipedia.org] requirements. I don't see how a Free kernel on commodity hardware can conform to these.
While the kernel is open source drivers and software don't have to be. For instance Nero Linux, which supports both Blu-ray and HD DVDs, isn't. Other software capable:
Playing HD DVD On Linux. It seems everything's in place to play your HD DVD discs in Linux. The kernel supports the UDF filesystem, the recently released BackupHDDVD C++ for Linux can decrypt the content, and the latest VLC and Mplayer can play it.
... but for now a $400 computer with Windows sounds pretty good to most people, too. And the learning process (particularly if they choose XP over Vista, as they can for now) will be significantly less arduous for the average joe user with some previous Windows experience. Not that the friendlier Linux distros (Ubuntu and its ilk) are hard to use, but they're more intimidating than what people already know backwards and forwards.
While this is true for users of Windows many don't even have a computer. For some the difference in price between a $400 PC and a $200 means they can afford the $200 one. While many in the world can't afford $200 many more can afford it than can afford $400. As prices come down more and more people in the third world will be able to get a PC. I think you'll see the same thing happen with computers as what's happening with cellphones. Even in places with landlines, which many places don't have, more and more people area able to buy cellphones. Even some homeless people can afford one, and trying to get a job without a phone is difficult. And if low cost PCs are built locally, this will create employment there which improves the economy.
If my mother were to walk into best buy and buy a Pavilion dv9000 with Ubuntu preinstalled, she's going to have to go through what would have to be hell for her and back to get it running: boot options like "nokvm noapic noacpi", blacklisting bcm43xx, installing ndiswrapper over a wired connection, manually installing flash for their 64-bit system.. These are not things that your average non-geek is capable of doing. Until they don't need to do those things to go on facebook, download music and watch movies on youtube, Linux on the laptop is simply not going to happen.
I walked into a store and bought a PC with Linux preinstalled. When I got home I was able to plug it in and use it just as you describe. I didn't have to fiddle with and settings, boot options, or install additional software. Heck it was several months before I did install more software. Heck, I plugged an Ethernet cable in from my router into the net card on the PC and immediately was able to surf the net. On the other hand when I plugged the router into my Windows PC I had to go through and setup the settings for the PC to use the router.
There are a LOT of small companies that can fix a no-name computer, cheaper and with MORE garanties than if you buy from the big guys.
While I agree and like to support local shops, buying from a big OEM or even better a big box store offers some benefits for some. For instance if you move frequently or travel a lot, having someone you can go to locally can be very beneficial. The last PC I bought I got from Best Buy. Within a year's tyme I had problems with the PC and was able to hop in my car and drive to a Best Buy a few miles away. Once the hdd failed and had to be replaced, the second tyme the motherboard died and was replaced. Since I had their extended warranty they repaired it without any money from my pocket, other than gas and tyme. I'm typing this on a Macbook Pro and I hope to do some traveling with it. It's nice to know that as long as there's an Apple store with a Genius Bar near wherever I am I can go there when I have a problem and they'll take care of it. I wouldn't have the same assurance if I were to buy a computer from a small shop that builds their own PCs.
Obviously the benefit is only useful for those traveling or moving.
[2] When I explained what was wrong and what I had tried, the first, and several other posters completely ignored that and suggested things I had tried several times over.
I've had the same thing happen to me in getting tech support for a Windows PC. I'd have a problem with something and do what I could to diagnose the problem then when I couldn't I'm call the OEM's tech support. The tech would ask me to do X and I'd say I did and this is what happened, the message Windows gave me if it gave me one. I'd be told to do it over so I would and I'd get the same results. Ok, go to step 2, and the same result. This would go on.
I'm still recovering from doing that yesterday. The time from powering it on till I could get a start button.. 40 minutes.
I recently switched from Windows to OS X, several weeks ago I got a new Macbook Pro. From opening the box to having a user account desktop shown it took less than 15 minutes. And part of that tyme was setting up the user accounts, besides the admin account I setup 2 user accounts. Though I've used Windows almost exclusively the last 10 years, I get more out of the MBP than I ever did with a Windows PC, even with constantly mistakenly trying to use Windows shortcuts and hotkeys.
In most cases, publishers of proprietary video provide such video to the end user in a format subject to codec patents and digital restrictions management. How can any OEM finance the emigration of customers from countries where patents and/or circumvention laws prohibit the use of such video with free software?
Though many Linux,/.ers may not like it Linspire has already opened that gate. Linspire has licensed proprietary codecs for Linspire Linux. If not already installed these codecs can be installed in Linspire using Click N Run, CNR. For other Linux distros Linspire is porting CNR. These are the distros CNR will support:
Debian
Fedora
Freespire 1.0, 2.0
Linspire 5.0, 5.1, 6.0
OpenSUSE
Ubuntu 7.04
This is what CNR says about codecs and proprietary drivers:
"Will proprietary codecs and drivers be available at CNR.com?"
"Yes. Using CNR.com, you will now be able to safely and legally add support to your Linux desktop for things such as mp3, Windows Media, Quick Time, Java, Flash, ATI drivers, nVidia drivers, and so on."
Actually instead of working on a Linux distro perhaps Linspire should work on making codecs, drivers, and software available for Linux.
I highly doubt a government without a paramilitary police force could enforce drug laws so well!
Perhaps you're being ironic but I don't believe in this "War on Drugs". Like Prohibition it isn't working while granting politicians more power. On a per capita basis the US has more people in prison than most any other country, and half of them are there for nonviolent drug offenses. Because of mandatory sentencing guidelines a person convicted of a nonviolent drug offense can spend more tyme in prison that a violent murderer, rapist, or robber. And some of these laws are patently racist, like the one on crack cocaine. Sentencing for it is harsher than sentencing for other forms of cocaine, however because it's cheaper it disproportionately effects Blacks and Latinos.
Okay, now that I've finished reading the post I must say I believe you're being ironic and using rhetoric. Perhaps I need to compleatly read a post before I start replying.
You shouldn't pay, road building and maintenance should be paid for by a tax on fuel.
Better yet, I only want to pay for the roads _I_ actually use. Why should my fuel taxes be higher just because other people want to drive interstate?
Privatize roads and create more monopolies? Forget that. If government does it all government will do is pool all the money and road costs will come out of the same pool, which is no different than it is now.
That is true on a case by case basis. But that doesn't mean anything in the big picture. Show me a functioning nation that works entirely by civil society principles. I am unaware of any. I take this as a pretty strong indication of it being impractical as a whole solution.
It's impractical because of greed, however in big government politicians sale their soul to those willing and able to pay, and that usually means big corporations. Small government reduces this. Knowing they'd payoff politicians Thomas Jefferson warned of the Corporate Aristocracy.
sit around in royal comfort and complain about the fact that some percentage of our relatively enormous income goes to keep the societal machinery working.
Yea, I sit down a lot, but not exactly in royal comfort. As for income, I pay little if any income tax seeing as how I'm disabled and don't work. About the only income I get myself is my disability payments.
there are places where you can go that wouldn't take your money. Why don't you choose to live in those places?
I'm not sure what you mean by there being places that won't take your money. That I know of there is not one place on earth that doesn't have a tax on income except maybe the occupied territories of Palestine. But I bet even there there's taxes. Actually the Israeli government owes the PA money Israel collects in taxes, but they won't hand it over. Even Cuba has an income tax. About the only income that isn't taxed is earned in the Underground economy. As for where I live, I was born in the land that was supposedly the land of the free, the USA. And I want to keep it that way. My dad retired from the US Air Force, and both my older sister and I served in the US Army. However I am hoping to go to Brazil for a year, in a study abroad program. Then I want to do more traveling.
Like any subsidies. But that's a problem of greed and politics
That's why, as a Libertarian, I want small government. With a small and limited government greedy businesses and individuals can't buy politicians, well they still could but the politicians wouldn't have much power. Thomas Jefferson warned of a corporate aristocracy that would buy off politicians to make laws favorable to them.
With private corporations at least I have choice and competition.
Yea, right. Like businesses are fighting each other to offer broadband wireless everywhere. NOT!!! Try going to hicksville USA and get WiFi. If a city not being serviced wants to offer WiFi, I have no problem with it as long as taxpayer money isn't used to pay for it.
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Given the similarity in thinking of most of these sorts, if you find the right trigger I bet they'd all switch about the same time.
Buddhist monks did have a trigger but it has since failed. The monks could withhold blessings for a better life when someone reincarnated. However while Burma is Buddhist, secularism has gained ground there.
FalconMost consumers have been conditioned to be finnicky. They are used to being in control; they understand value; and they have no allegiance. Given this backdrop, and the generally crappy product Microsoft has supplied over the years pre-XP-SP2, I'd say "massive discontent" is accurate.
There are some /. Windows users who have no problem with it, just as there are simple users. My brother in law is one. Though he's not a computer user by training, he's a law school grad but is a Certified Financial Planner, CFP, he adeptly uses Windows.
Falcon... dhcp didn't work? if physically connecting your router and computer with an ethernet cable requires additional setup afterwards, you have some other issues...
I had no trouble with my Linux PC. All I did was unpack it plug everything in and bootup. It worked right out of the box and didn't require any archaic settings. I didn't setup my print though, it's usb and I didn't know how to. Maybe I could of just plugged it in and it would of been recognized. At the tyme though I was still able to use my Windows PC so I didn't bother. However all it wanted was user accounts to be setup and it walked through that holding your hand with a gui.
Falconpeople are not generous enough to fund a healthy modern state
Sure some aren't but many others are. Sometimes it's government and regulations that cause the problems. I don't recall exactly when but sometime back in the late 1980 or early '90s Mother Teresa tried to open a shelter in New York City. She had all the financing set up but the city stopped it by regulation. And by taxing income, you're discouraging people from donating. Sure taxpayers get a tax writeoff but it's not a 1 to 1 writeoff. For someone in a 20% tax bracket, for every dollar donated they only get a 20 cent tax reduction. By reducing or eliminating income tax more people will be willing to donate. A common reason I hear people give for not donating is the government donates for them, with the point of a gun. Look at Bill and Melisa Gates and Warren Buffet, the Gates setup their foundation and Buffet gave billions of dollars to it. Wealthy philanthropists are in The business of giving.
Your disability payments would seem to be exactly the type of social service that forced pooling of money allows.
That's exactly what insurance does, it pools money then pays someone who contributed when they need it. In my specific case I wouldn't have needed insurance if those responsible for my disability had been held accountable. What happened was I was riding my bike when I left campus after class in college when someone who never should of been driving hit me with a moving van, apartment movers type. Witnesses to the accident said the driver was swerving all over the road. He was a diabetic and I was told he had a seizer while driving. However he had caused two accidents before mine from the same thing and and been hospitalized twice. He moved from one state to another because the first state issued a warrant for his arrest. If he had never been driving I wouldn't have been disabled from the accident, there wouldn't have been an accident. There was one though and if his employer had been fully held to account they or their insurance would of been made to pay full costs for my wellbeing 'til death. As it is, medical bills and lawyers fees ate up almost half of the final settlement.
Though I would guess if you're online much you have access to conveniences that many in the world would envy.
Some may envy it, but I don't. First, I don't like being idle. Prior to my accident my friends used to tell me I had to slow down, that I was doing too many things. I disagreed then and I disagree now. I also always believed I'd rather be dead than disabled. When I was in a coma the docs told my family it would be a miracle if I lived. If I could talk to those docs now I'd argue that point. After coming out of the coma my younger sister told me I kept screaming at anyone to let me die, even now more than 10 years later I still wish I had died. As far as I'm concerned my life has been a living hell.
FalconPhone support is *hard* and undervalued in many industries. I don't work in phone support anymore. When I call any phone support line now, I patiently do what the support person asks because I know they are *trying* to help and may pick up on stuff I missed.
Thanks for describing the process for me, next tyme if I recall (bad memory) I'll just do what they ask.
FalconSorry, I meant "wouldn't take as much of your money".
Ok.
My question would be that if you think that the lower tax burden in such countries is an advantage, then why not live there?
Rather than move to a country more in line with how I think government should be, I prefer to return my nation, the USA, back to how it was. I want it to be like what Thomas Jefferson wanted, a country where liberty and small government matters. Somewhere where most everyone owned property and had a choice as to what they wanted to do. However the past few year I've been thinking more and more about moving somewhere like Brazil on a more permanent basis, I mentioned how I wanted to go there the study abroad for a year, doing so I could learn more about it and make a decision on moving there or not. For various reasons, not just because the US seems to be heading in a direction I don't like.
And if I assume that your reason is because you like America better (as I do), I would ask how sure are you the things you like here aren't to some degree a result of spending our money on social programs?
Some of the things I do like but there's much I don't. Such as the War on Drugs, like Prohibition was, I believe the war on drugs is wrong. With Bush in office I see things getting worse. What's up with this spying on citizens? What of Iraq, I'm still waiting to see all those WMDs Saddam had. Especially when Bush Sr and Reagan before him supported Saddam while he was using WMDs, not just against Iran but against Kurds, March Arabs, and others who opposed Saddam. Entire villages were massacred but did Reagan and Bush Sr stop supporting him? NO. He could do no wrong before he invaded Kuwait. Hell Cheney even patted Saddam on the back for doing such a good job.
if you go lower on taxes from where we're at, things don't generally get better.
I disagree. For instance the war in Iraq. Or the war on drugs. Both are costing the US a lot, I don't recall what the current figures are for Iraq but if it weren't that the national debt would be much lower. If not gone, with a surplus actually. One of the few things Clinton did right was reduce the national debt. It was almost gone when Bush entered office, but now it's the largest it's ever been. And what is it with half of the prison population being there for drug crimes? Before being arrested and sentenced many were working and paying taxes, now not only have we lost the income they produced but they've become a drag on the economy sucking away money to build and staff prisons. Oh but they're a boon to the prison industrial complex. Get rid of these costs along with others then personal income taxes could be cut if not dropped. With people being able to keep more if not all of the money they earn they would be able to both invest and spend more, both of which improve the economy.
FalconMacOS needs almost no geekery but is more expensive for well specced machines
Similarly specified computers from Apple and Windows OEMs don't show much of a difference in prices. I've seem similarly specified Macs and Dells, one spec will have the Mac a little higher and another will have the Mac lower. Unfortunately Apple doesn't have low priced Macs that are highly configurable. Most any Windows PC will allow you to add hardware, another graphics card, firewire, and hdd, change the motherboard, what have you but in order to get a Mac with the same flexibility you have to get a Mac Pro which starts at around $2500. All the other Macs are designed as throwaways, you use it for a couple of years then you replace it. I thing Apple does a big disservice because of this.
FalconNow despite this massive discontent, Microsoft continues to be used by all because it is easy.
While many may not be happy with MS I wouldn't say there's massive discontent among regular computer users, /.ers are another matter. Most users just want something that when they buy it, bring it home, and plug it in will run. OEMs offer them just that, a PC with Windows preinstalled. Sure they could buy or download Linux then install it but most people never install an OS, unless they call tech support and the tech walks them through it. I bet as more and more OEMs install Linux on new PCs, and advertise it, Linux will pickup market share.
The cheapest machins is not going to be linux simply becuase the cheapest machine is going to supported through ads, which is not Linux.
About a year ago I bought a new PC with Linux preinstalled. The cheapest PC I saw with comparable stats that had Windows as the OS was about twice as much.
For throw away machines, then, such as are used in the office, MS is going to be a good value as long as Dell and HP are in the MS pocket. The same holds true for single computer homes.
The PC I got is basically like this. Because I'm not employed, I'm on disability, when my Windows PC died I had to get something cheap. Now that I've been paid back for some expenses I was able to buy a new Macbook Pro. However I'll still use my Linux PC, I plan to set it up as a server. I'm hoping to break into photography, both as a photographer and in setting up websites for other photographers. So I'll need the hdd space the Linux PC has. While my MBP has a 200GB hdd my Linux PC has two hdds, one is 750GB and 200GB are already used on it.
Falconnot the OS that comes with it.
More faster everything in a smaller package on a bigger screen with the latest tech like WAN modems, all flavors of wifi, and a new crisp keyboard.
I'm typing this on my new Macbook Pro which I specifically got because it didn't have Windows crapware and spyware on it. Both, the hardware and software, are better.
FalconYou'll never have consumer support for Linux, because there will always be some multimedia content supporting some form of DRM, and Windows allows for that, and Linux doesn't. When consumers have to go through hoops to download a song or play a movie on an OS, they won't choose it.
Or maybe they'll demand DRM free media. Some music companies are now offering drm free songs because people have demanded it.
FalconAs hardware prices fall below OS cost, it will be possible for Microsoft to 'bundle' the hardware with the OS. Perhaps the next Windows family will be 'Windows Laptop', 'Windows Home Computer', 'Windows Server', each coming with the hardware pre-installed. The current situation only appears to be something of a conundrum because we are accustomed to thinking that the hardware should be the most expensive part.
Because hardware is that, hardware, it costs a lot to copy. Software, even OSes like Windows, are easily and cheaply reproduced. Whether 1000 or 1,000,000 copies of Windows are made, the cost is about the same. This does not apply to hardware though. Actually as more hardware is made it becomes more expensive. Look at what's happened in the market for silicon, because both chip fabs and pv makers use it the price of silicon has gone up, since 2004 the price of silicon has doubled.
FalconIBM's OS/2 was dead when IBM failed to make profit from it
Isn't the reason OS/2 died was because both IBM and Microsoft were developing it then MS pulled out after Windows 3.x?
FalconThis may be true for DVD and other standard-definition video formats. But high-definition formats such as HD DVD and especially Blu-ray Disc generally have tighter compliance and robustness [wikipedia.org] requirements. I don't see how a Free kernel on commodity hardware can conform to these.
While the kernel is open source drivers and software don't have to be. For instance Nero Linux, which supports both Blu-ray and HD DVDs, isn't. Other software capable:
- High-def DVD SoC supports HD-DVD, BlueRay, Linux
- Playing HD DVD On Linux. It seems everything's in place to play your HD DVD discs in Linux. The kernel supports the UDF filesystem, the recently released BackupHDDVD C++ for Linux can decrypt the content, and the latest VLC and Mplayer can play it.
Falcon... but for now a $400 computer with Windows sounds pretty good to most people, too. And the learning process (particularly if they choose XP over Vista, as they can for now) will be significantly less arduous for the average joe user with some previous Windows experience. Not that the friendlier Linux distros (Ubuntu and its ilk) are hard to use, but they're more intimidating than what people already know backwards and forwards.
While this is true for users of Windows many don't even have a computer. For some the difference in price between a $400 PC and a $200 means they can afford the $200 one. While many in the world can't afford $200 many more can afford it than can afford $400. As prices come down more and more people in the third world will be able to get a PC. I think you'll see the same thing happen with computers as what's happening with cellphones. Even in places with landlines, which many places don't have, more and more people area able to buy cellphones. Even some homeless people can afford one, and trying to get a job without a phone is difficult. And if low cost PCs are built locally, this will create employment there which improves the economy.
FalconIf my mother were to walk into best buy and buy a Pavilion dv9000 with Ubuntu preinstalled, she's going to have to go through what would have to be hell for her and back to get it running: boot options like "nokvm noapic noacpi", blacklisting bcm43xx, installing ndiswrapper over a wired connection, manually installing flash for their 64-bit system.. These are not things that your average non-geek is capable of doing. Until they don't need to do those things to go on facebook, download music and watch movies on youtube, Linux on the laptop is simply not going to happen.
I walked into a store and bought a PC with Linux preinstalled. When I got home I was able to plug it in and use it just as you describe. I didn't have to fiddle with and settings, boot options, or install additional software. Heck it was several months before I did install more software. Heck, I plugged an Ethernet cable in from my router into the net card on the PC and immediately was able to surf the net. On the other hand when I plugged the router into my Windows PC I had to go through and setup the settings for the PC to use the router.
FalconThere are a LOT of small companies that can fix a no-name computer, cheaper and with MORE garanties than if you buy from the big guys.
While I agree and like to support local shops, buying from a big OEM or even better a big box store offers some benefits for some. For instance if you move frequently or travel a lot, having someone you can go to locally can be very beneficial. The last PC I bought I got from Best Buy. Within a year's tyme I had problems with the PC and was able to hop in my car and drive to a Best Buy a few miles away. Once the hdd failed and had to be replaced, the second tyme the motherboard died and was replaced. Since I had their extended warranty they repaired it without any money from my pocket, other than gas and tyme. I'm typing this on a Macbook Pro and I hope to do some traveling with it. It's nice to know that as long as there's an Apple store with a Genius Bar near wherever I am I can go there when I have a problem and they'll take care of it. I wouldn't have the same assurance if I were to buy a computer from a small shop that builds their own PCs.
Obviously the benefit is only useful for those traveling or moving.
Falcon[2] When I explained what was wrong and what I had tried, the first, and several other posters completely ignored that and suggested things I had tried several times over.
I've had the same thing happen to me in getting tech support for a Windows PC. I'd have a problem with something and do what I could to diagnose the problem then when I couldn't I'm call the OEM's tech support. The tech would ask me to do X and I'd say I did and this is what happened, the message Windows gave me if it gave me one. I'd be told to do it over so I would and I'd get the same results. Ok, go to step 2, and the same result. This would go on.
FalconI'm still recovering from doing that yesterday. The time from powering it on till I could get a start button.. 40 minutes.
I recently switched from Windows to OS X, several weeks ago I got a new Macbook Pro. From opening the box to having a user account desktop shown it took less than 15 minutes. And part of that tyme was setting up the user accounts, besides the admin account I setup 2 user accounts. Though I've used Windows almost exclusively the last 10 years, I get more out of the MBP than I ever did with a Windows PC, even with constantly mistakenly trying to use Windows shortcuts and hotkeys.
FalconIn most cases, publishers of proprietary video provide such video to the end user in a format subject to codec patents and digital restrictions management. How can any OEM finance the emigration of customers from countries where patents and/or circumvention laws prohibit the use of such video with free software?
Though many Linux, /.ers may not like it Linspire has already opened that gate. Linspire has licensed proprietary codecs for Linspire Linux. If not already installed these codecs can be installed in Linspire using Click N Run, CNR. For other Linux distros Linspire is porting CNR. These are the distros CNR will support:
This is what CNR says about codecs and proprietary drivers:
"Will proprietary codecs and drivers be available at CNR.com?"
"Yes. Using CNR.com, you will now be able to safely and legally add support to your Linux desktop for things such as mp3, Windows Media, Quick Time, Java, Flash, ATI drivers, nVidia drivers, and so on."
Actually instead of working on a Linux distro perhaps Linspire should work on making codecs, drivers, and software available for Linux.
FalconI highly doubt a government without a paramilitary police force could enforce drug laws so well!
Perhaps you're being ironic but I don't believe in this "War on Drugs". Like Prohibition it isn't working while granting politicians more power. On a per capita basis the US has more people in prison than most any other country, and half of them are there for nonviolent drug offenses. Because of mandatory sentencing guidelines a person convicted of a nonviolent drug offense can spend more tyme in prison that a violent murderer, rapist, or robber. And some of these laws are patently racist, like the one on crack cocaine. Sentencing for it is harsher than sentencing for other forms of cocaine, however because it's cheaper it disproportionately effects Blacks and Latinos.
Okay, now that I've finished reading the post I must say I believe you're being ironic and using rhetoric. Perhaps I need to compleatly read a post before I start replying.
FalconYou shouldn't pay, road building and maintenance should be paid for by a tax on fuel.
Better yet, I only want to pay for the roads _I_ actually use. Why should my fuel taxes be higher just because other people want to drive interstate?
Privatize roads and create more monopolies? Forget that. If government does it all government will do is pool all the money and road costs will come out of the same pool, which is no different than it is now.
That is true on a case by case basis. But that doesn't mean anything in the big picture. Show me a functioning nation that works entirely by civil society principles. I am unaware of any. I take this as a pretty strong indication of it being impractical as a whole solution.
It's impractical because of greed, however in big government politicians sale their soul to those willing and able to pay, and that usually means big corporations. Small government reduces this. Knowing they'd payoff politicians Thomas Jefferson warned of the Corporate Aristocracy.
sit around in royal comfort and complain about the fact that some percentage of our relatively enormous income goes to keep the societal machinery working.
Yea, I sit down a lot, but not exactly in royal comfort. As for income, I pay little if any income tax seeing as how I'm disabled and don't work. About the only income I get myself is my disability payments.
Falconthere are places where you can go that wouldn't take your money. Why don't you choose to live in those places?
I'm not sure what you mean by there being places that won't take your money. That I know of there is not one place on earth that doesn't have a tax on income except maybe the occupied territories of Palestine. But I bet even there there's taxes. Actually the Israeli government owes the PA money Israel collects in taxes, but they won't hand it over. Even Cuba has an income tax. About the only income that isn't taxed is earned in the Underground economy. As for where I live, I was born in the land that was supposedly the land of the free, the USA. And I want to keep it that way. My dad retired from the US Air Force, and both my older sister and I served in the US Army. However I am hoping to go to Brazil for a year, in a study abroad program. Then I want to do more traveling.
FalconLike any subsidies. But that's a problem of greed and politics
That's why, as a Libertarian, I want small government. With a small and limited government greedy businesses and individuals can't buy politicians, well they still could but the politicians wouldn't have much power. Thomas Jefferson warned of a corporate aristocracy that would buy off politicians to make laws favorable to them.
FalconWith private corporations at least I have choice and competition.
Yea, right. Like businesses are fighting each other to offer broadband wireless everywhere. NOT!!! Try going to hicksville USA and get WiFi. If a city not being serviced wants to offer WiFi, I have no problem with it as long as taxpayer money isn't used to pay for it.
Falcon