And actually, the same thing goes for HAM handles.. I hate the fact that you can lookup the home address of anyone who talk to on the radio.. That also needs some kind of "opt-out" option for those who don't want their info public
I think this is country specific, because when I try to look up British callsigns, unless they provided information on qrz.com, I find no information.
I'm genuinely curious, what would switching your primary desktop to any of them fix for you?
I could go on about past issues with OS X which aren't a problem anymore, such as badly configured samba, apache being screwed up etc. But I'll stick to current issues. These are some from the top of my head and I'll try to skip out on application specific problems:
Finder (core utility) crashes on Samba fileshares that have filenames of same files, but different cases (reported many versions ago)
The built-in wireless card in the Macbook Pro I had at work would not work under the OS X 10.4.9 update (known issue, for some users, but Apple keeps this quiet), I had to stay on 10.4.5 for it to work
The GUI really, really doesn't feel natural for me (I would say I feel most natural with KDE at the moment).
I find majority GUI effects annoying because they slow down the computer when I'm doing intensive work and they're distracting. Disabling them all under Windows, KDE etc. very easy. On OS X, I need to download tweaking applications, shadow killer and even then, it won't disable all the annoying effects.
The BSD subsystem does not handle things correctly, it's even sad that Windows's POSIX subsystem can actually handle things like signaling correctly while OS X can't.
The OS generally feels less responsive on the hardware than running Kubuntu or Windows XP on the same hardware (hardware is not Vista ready), which I find very irritating.
I am generally told to expect OS X to 'just work' on so many levels. So it really doesn't impress me when the OS just kernel panics when I connect a standard bluetooth device that works under Windows and Linux out of the box.
Font rendering, I work with small fonts on my screens in general. I can barely read them under OS X, because it takes a large font and then scales it down.
I do not like how many applications in OS X just aren't backwards compatible, you're forced to continiously upgrade and if you can't upgrade because Apple messed up on some driver (such as the one mentioned), you're pretty much screwed.
Seriously, does ANYONE think the Dock is good? It's an unholy combination of the "Launcher" from the old days, and the Windows taskbar. It does neither job very well.
I don't and I use a combination of operating systems daily. OS X, Windows, Linux, OpenBSD etc.
I just don't find the dock that natural at all. It feels irritating that I have to customize it to make it useful and even then, I still don't like how it operates.
Aside from the fact that KDE (and Qt) in general looks worse (regardless of theme) than GTK2 and GNOME (at least, with a clearlooks skin)
Isn't the default theme Plastik (Which in my opinion is okay)?
and the fact that KDE doesn't know how to name its applications properly
There are tonnes of applications that begin with 'g' in Gnome, there are tonnes of applications that begin with 'i' in OS X.
At least, this way, we can say that our competing products already have total support for the latest MS formats
They won't, the specification does not give us the full information to implement the format. There are huge holes that will require reverse engineering todo the compatibility you speak of.
Ok. What problems did you have with Vista? BTW I do perfer Vista to XP.
From the top of my head...
The lack of directplay support so my games which use the directx 9 specification of direct play (Microsoft said Directx10 was fully backwards compatible with DirectX9, they lied) doesn't work.
The stupid permission set on user folders used for application data that prevent easy browsing of them.
The stupidity of the UAC dialogs. Yes, I want UAC dialogs, no I don't want to see a random GUID as the 'details' of the action. At least on Linux, OS X you can see what command is actually being executed.
Vista being slower than XP on the same hardware at copying files from a XP system over the network.
The fact that when you login with Vista on a Windows Domain, your logon profile is converted to Vista only and Win2k, WinXP systems are no longer capable of logging in under that user.
The classic color scheming being removed from Vista, making using classic view (without Aero) more ugly to use.
The Reduced quality implementations for playing HDDVD/bluray content.
Tighter anti-reverse engineering controls, preventing debuggers from identifying potential issues in core services.
I have others, but those are at the top of my mind right now.
XP is irrelevant, and so is Linux. Linux is irrelevant because seeing as how it's free, we can't attach the same expectations to it as we could if we paid hundreds of dollars for an operating system--although Linux certainly measures up in many, many areas. XP is irrelevant because it's not current. This is 2007, almost 2008.
I chose Kubuntu over OS X, Windows XP and Windows Vista for my main system. I have free copies of all of them.
I don't care too much for the OSS philosophy, I just find Kubuntu is superior to the other OSes for my needs.
This reminds of the Automatix debacle on Ubuntu - Have people forgotten that? Or does Ubuntu get a free pass because it is Linux?
Honestly, I see more people defending OS X here than what Ubuntu had.
Not only did Ubuntu have people going insane over that, but they also had the "is not ready for the desktop" memes all over the place and stupid crap about issues that haven't existed for a decade in Linux.
In other words, it changes the executable code in memory of a running application. Gee, what are the odds that changing the underlying application would cause such a module to *not* wreak havoc on a system?
Sounds like Windows anti-virus software.
Which, mind you, is often the cause of a failed upgrade under Windows.
You are not allowed to restrict products to sale in a given region. This is the whole purpose of WTO treaties. It is what allows the US to sell it's food internationally and to import international goods.
Sale was not restricted, activation was.
If you activate the game in Thai or Russia (where you bought it), you can then play it anywhere.
Some regions of Europe have laws that means all products sold must be in the native language
Really? Which 'regions'?
Even if they do, I doubt they put these restrictions on products you bought from other nations and imported or products bought online from sites in other nations.
I usually order from Play.com
Never heard of it, but looking at it briefly, it's a UK site.
I really don't care where they get them from as long as it is in my language and a good price.
What is your language?
DVD region market restrictions failed, doing this with software will also fail.DVD region market restrictions failed, doing this with software will also fail.
I don't buy region locked DVDs and I don't buy region locked games (all my games including the orange box aren't locked to a region).
I live in a country that is not my native language, I wish to purchase products in MY NATIVE LANGUAGE. I have to import a lot of stuff for this reason.
I currently live in the UK, I bought the orange box off Steam (in American dollars), so I assume I got the American version. I noticed that I get language options in the preferences of the game.
If your native language is one of these, I don't think there will be a problem.
I may have no other choice than to no longer purchase their product if they block this.
More power to you.
Good luck doing this in Europe also where free trade is REQUIRED.
European Union actually, which doesn't cover the countries "Russia" and "Thai", they are the only countries currently which have region restricted games with Steam.
No tolerance anticheat system? You haven't played it recently, have you?
I have, haven't seen anyone using cheats on VAC servers (the only servers I play on) on team fortress 2 or half life 2: death match (I don't own other source multi-player games).
By the way, they said that they have a way to unlock the games so even if Valve goes out of business you can still play the games you own.
I don't trust what Valve says. They have said many things in the past that they didn't do (most recent was the black box).
Speaking of sticking around, it seems we're also forgetting about what happened to "customers" of Google Video. When Valve goes away (either by business failure or, more likely, by merger/acquisition), will we be able to install (or even continue playing) "their" games?
*Glances at torrent sites with all the Valve games*
some of the responses you've made to my points have conveniently avoided some of the pitfalls compared to windows. Eg, on windows, sure there's different sound standards. In practice, it all "just works". Linux? Oh, if you have sound daemon X running it fucks up the sound for apps that run using API Y...
You said earlier:
Which sound library, OSS or ALSA?
On modern Linux systems, OSS and ALSA are both provided by ALSA, hence there is no issue. Sure, I suppose if you're running sound daemons that are being deprecated (ARTs in KDE, esound etc.) there is going to be issues since they aren't even being used anymore. I haven't had issues using ALSA, OSS, gstreamer simualtaniously on Kubuntu mind you (no configurations or anything)
As I said, it is stabilising, but if you'd been around long enough to remember the a.out and c library changes, you'd know what i'm talking about when I'm referring to compatibility issues. Back in the days of redhat 5.0 for example, the switch to glibc caused huge numbers of apps to break both in terms of binary compatibility and *source* compatibility.
Why should I care about what was a issue in the past? This isn't a issue anymore.
Yes, there's various packages that may or may not be present on a windows box, however, any app can rely on win32 to be present, along with directX 7 or later.
Linux Standard Base works well in my experience.
As vista is pushed out, at least some version of.net is present as well. However, the package specifics aren't relevant - what is relevant is that there's a usable base desktop OS present on any windows box, with a known set of components.
LSB has been a solution for this for quite a long time.
I mean for a start, if i'm building a desktop app right now for Linux, I pretty much have a choice of either KDE or gnome, and whichever I choose probably half (or more) of the linux systems out there will not have the required components installed (some with have KDE some will have gnome, some will have neither).
So just stick the requirements on a webpage, it's not hard to just say "requires KDElibs", it's not like I haven't got "Requires Java", "Requires flash 9", "Requires.net 2.0" and requiring me to install those to get the application in question running.
It's something as simple as a fucking toolkit - and there's no "known quantity" that every linux system will have.
The "fucking" LSB requires GTK+ and Qt among other toolkits. It requires OpenGL and many other things that are generally used. Since the majority of major distributions even comply (except for Gentoo for obvious reasons) with the LSB to make things work across cross distributions.
Server space is another matter, i've been running Linux boxes in the enterprise since 1996
Admittedly I haven't been using Linux since 1996, but in my current daily life. I use every day OS X (I loathe it), Windows (2k3, xp, vista), OpenBSD, FreeBSD, Kubuntu Linux, SuSE Linux... I have a very good idea what is going on with the OSes I use daily.
If you look at the FreeBSD ports (which is where most of your "applications" come from, you'll probably find that they're as up to date or more than any linux distribution.
Okay, I'm just going to take a application that's open on my desktop and check the versions.
Slashdot Mirror
You can circumvent Windows Media DRM by using FairUse4WM easily etc. But the DRM on the original is still there.
I just don't find the dock that natural at all. It feels irritating that I have to customize it to make it useful and even then, I still don't like how it operates.
- The lack of directplay support so my games which use the directx 9 specification of direct play (Microsoft said Directx10 was fully backwards compatible with DirectX9, they lied) doesn't work.
- The stupid permission set on user folders used for application data that prevent easy browsing of them.
- The stupidity of the UAC dialogs. Yes, I want UAC dialogs, no I don't want to see a random GUID as the 'details' of the action. At least on Linux, OS X you can see what command is actually being executed.
- Vista being slower than XP on the same hardware at copying files from a XP system over the network.
- The fact that when you login with Vista on a Windows Domain, your logon profile is converted to Vista only and Win2k, WinXP systems are no longer capable of logging in under that user.
- The classic color scheming being removed from Vista, making using classic view (without Aero) more ugly to use.
- The Reduced quality implementations for playing HDDVD/bluray content.
- Tighter anti-reverse engineering controls, preventing debuggers from identifying potential issues in core services.
I have others, but those are at the top of my mind right now.I don't care too much for the OSS philosophy, I just find Kubuntu is superior to the other OSes for my needs.
Apple needs to have a better presence in the world before it can be a solid competitor in the home market.
Not only did Ubuntu have people going insane over that, but they also had the "is not ready for the desktop" memes all over the place and stupid crap about issues that haven't existed for a decade in Linux.
Which, mind you, is often the cause of a failed upgrade under Windows.
If you activate the game in Thai or Russia (where you bought it), you can then play it anywhere.
Even if they do, I doubt they put these restrictions on products you bought from other nations and imported or products bought online from sites in other nations.Never heard of it, but looking at it briefly, it's a UK site.What is your language?I don't buy region locked DVDs and I don't buy region locked games (all my games including the orange box aren't locked to a region).
If your native language is one of these, I don't think there will be a problem.More power to you.European Union actually, which doesn't cover the countries "Russia" and "Thai", they are the only countries currently which have region restricted games with Steam.
I believe so.
You said earlier:
On modern Linux systems, OSS and ALSA are both provided by ALSA, hence there is no issue. Sure, I suppose if you're running sound daemons that are being deprecated (ARTs in KDE, esound etc.) there is going to be issues since they aren't even being used anymore. I haven't had issues using ALSA, OSS, gstreamer simualtaniously on Kubuntu mind you (no configurations or anything)
Why should I care about what was a issue in the past? This isn't a issue anymore.
Linux Standard Base works well in my experience.
LSB has been a solution for this for quite a long time.
So just stick the requirements on a webpage, it's not hard to just say "requires KDElibs", it's not like I haven't got "Requires Java", "Requires flash 9", "Requires .net 2.0" and requiring me to install those to get the application in question running.
The "fucking" LSB requires GTK+ and Qt among other toolkits. It requires OpenGL and many other things that are generally used. Since the majority of major distributions even comply (except for Gentoo for obvious reasons) with the LSB to make things work across cross distributions.
Admittedly I haven't been using Linux since 1996, but in my current daily life. I use every day OS X (I loathe it), Windows (2k3, xp, vista), OpenBSD, FreeBSD, Kubuntu Linux, SuSE Linux... I have a very good idea what is going on with the OSes I use daily.
Okay, I'm just going to take a application that's open on my desktop and check the versions.
I have Dolphin 0.9.2 on Kubuntu Gutsy.
On FreeBSD, the latest is 0.8.2 (Information taken from the KDE ports page).
Most Linux distributions aren't going to ask you "Do you want GRUB or LiLO?" unless you check the advanced install feature. They're just g