Fearing the backlash of criticism from Slashdotters, I begin...
I have a Windows PocketPC-based PDA, the Dell Axim to be precise. I've been using Microsoft Reader and Adobe Reader for some time now to catch up on some reading. Besides the usual bitching about Microsoft, it's not a bad solution.
Resolution: It's good resolution. Antialiasing is ok. Screen is quite clear. Viewing in outdoor light is not so great. All in all, better than the Palm III I had before.
Storage: unbeatable - I have CF and SD ports, so I can store tons of books.
Portability: Great. Battery is rechargable and lasts quite a while.
Usability: Microsoft Reader is ok. I've had some problems opening larger books (takes quite a while) but I haven't been able to compare on a newer Dell Axim to see if it's my PDA or MS Reader. One interesting feature is with MS Reader you can license your books for up to 6 machines. So, I have reader installed on my laptop and desktop too.
Extensibility: I haven't researched other reader formats (e.g. Gutenberg, etc.) so I don't know if there's software out there for PocketPC that uses these formats. I have looked into the PocketPC developer's kit (free from MS) so it could be done.
All in all, I can read books, do other generic PDA functions, plus listen to MP3s, watch videos etc. And, you can get refurb Axims from Dell for a considerably lower price than new.
I sense an anti-carjacking device coming from some on-the-edge/.'er. Something on the order applying 500 volts to a door frame at the push of a button...
The SnapServer is a pretty cool concept - we use several here at the office for NAS-only, and they work quite well and are a, well, snap to set up.
For the home user? You might think so... or not. You can get an open-source server on a nice PC platform running Linux for under $200. Don't believe me? Check out Rob's column in Computer Power User (CPU). No intentional karma whoring going on here.
I'm getting underway in doing my own little X-Box/NAS/Media Server project as soon as the parts come in...
Let's disregard the whole argument "if you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about" routine. Consider for a moment that you haven't done anything wrong, but your ISP's records are requested by the FBI via an NSL. So, there goes your privacy. Maybe you cruised a pr0n site or two, maybe you shared some freely-distributable music. Does the fact that the FBI can investigate you without cause scare you? It should.
From the other side of things, it's nice that the government can just barge right in to grab the information that's needed... but... I wonder; if the FBI can demand such information without reasonable suspicion, and without court order, what's the point? To make it faster? More secret? What is it about obtaining a warrant that takes so long that it warrants (pardon the pun) circumventing judicial approval? From what I understand (and please feel free to enlighten me), as long as there's reasonable suspicion, there should be no roadblocks to obtaining a warrant. So what's the point of this portion of PATRIOT? Looks like more government power to me.
And, if you read the rest of the claim, you'll find out they are claiming a push & release of a button under a timed threshold, push & release of a button over a timed threshold, and multiple push & released over/under a timed threshold. Associated with these 6 cases are application-specific functions, e.g. opening a file, creating a new file, etc.
On top of that, the patent is specific to LRCDs which they name as Palm-top PCs running a "Windows" like OS (duh, WindowsCE).
I can't say I blame them; Palm certainly attempted to do the same with the Pilot, Apple's Newton before that, Zaurus, etc.
There is a spectacular article entitled "Hack the Vote" in April's Vanity Fair.
Unfortunately, VF doesn't have online content, but the article is well-worth the $4.50 cover price. Michael Shnayerson writes
"this is a story of good intentions gone awry, of Congress bamboozled into thinking the machines were ready when they weren't, of county and state election officials softened over lavish dinners into endorsing one kind of machine over another, with some later induced to take jobs at voting machine companies. And like most American stories its about money -- big money, $3.9 billion, showered on the states to buy the machines, and buy them fast."
I've been quite successful installing Redhat 7.2, 8.0 and 9.0 on an IBM Thinkpad T22. My only complaints are that my serial Palm cradle doesn't seem to connect. Otherwise - display, video adapter (ATI Rage) and all other ports are working fine. Ok, well, the built-in winmodem doesn't work, but I expected that. I've even gotten a wireless NIC from Micro$oft installed and working.
One meaningless complaint is the lack of connectors from Ximian for Exchange 5.5 (POP isn't sufficient for me)...
Slashdot Mirror
Fearing the backlash of criticism from Slashdotters, I begin...
I have a Windows PocketPC-based PDA, the Dell Axim to be precise. I've been using Microsoft Reader and Adobe Reader for some time now to catch up on some reading. Besides the usual bitching about Microsoft, it's not a bad solution.
Resolution: It's good resolution. Antialiasing is ok. Screen is quite clear. Viewing in outdoor light is not so great. All in all, better than the Palm III I had before.
Storage: unbeatable - I have CF and SD ports, so I can store tons of books.
Portability: Great. Battery is rechargable and lasts quite a while.
Usability: Microsoft Reader is ok. I've had some problems opening larger books (takes quite a while) but I haven't been able to compare on a newer Dell Axim to see if it's my PDA or MS Reader. One interesting feature is with MS Reader you can license your books for up to 6 machines. So, I have reader installed on my laptop and desktop too.
Extensibility: I haven't researched other reader formats (e.g. Gutenberg, etc.) so I don't know if there's software out there for PocketPC that uses these formats. I have looked into the PocketPC developer's kit (free from MS) so it could be done.
All in all, I can read books, do other generic PDA functions, plus listen to MP3s, watch videos etc. And, you can get refurb Axims from Dell for a considerably lower price than new.
I sense an anti-carjacking device coming from some on-the-edge /.'er. Something on the order applying 500 volts to a door frame at the push of a button...
The SnapServer is a pretty cool concept - we use several here at the office for NAS-only, and they work quite well and are a, well, snap to set up. For the home user? You might think so... or not. You can get an open-source server on a nice PC platform running Linux for under $200. Don't believe me? Check out Rob's column in Computer Power User (CPU). No intentional karma whoring going on here. I'm getting underway in doing my own little X-Box/NAS/Media Server project as soon as the parts come in...
The folks paying for this sort of study are probably the same folks that paid for studying cow flatulence and the atmosphere: the EPA.
Let's disregard the whole argument "if you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about" routine. Consider for a moment that you haven't done anything wrong, but your ISP's records are requested by the FBI via an NSL. So, there goes your privacy. Maybe you cruised a pr0n site or two, maybe you shared some freely-distributable music. Does the fact that the FBI can investigate you without cause scare you? It should.
From the other side of things, it's nice that the government can just barge right in to grab the information that's needed... but... I wonder; if the FBI can demand such information without reasonable suspicion, and without court order, what's the point? To make it faster? More secret? What is it about obtaining a warrant that takes so long that it warrants (pardon the pun) circumventing judicial approval? From what I understand (and please feel free to enlighten me), as long as there's reasonable suspicion, there should be no roadblocks to obtaining a warrant. So what's the point of this portion of PATRIOT? Looks like more government power to me.
And, if you read the rest of the claim, you'll find out they are claiming a push & release of a button under a timed threshold, push & release of a button over a timed threshold, and multiple push & released over/under a timed threshold. Associated with these 6 cases are application-specific functions, e.g. opening a file, creating a new file, etc.
On top of that, the patent is specific to LRCDs which they name as Palm-top PCs running a "Windows" like OS (duh, WindowsCE).
I can't say I blame them; Palm certainly attempted to do the same with the Pilot, Apple's Newton before that, Zaurus, etc.
Michael Shnayerson writes Vanity Fair, April 2004, p.158.
I've been quite successful installing Redhat 7.2, 8.0 and 9.0 on an IBM Thinkpad T22. My only complaints are that my serial Palm cradle doesn't seem to connect. Otherwise - display, video adapter (ATI Rage) and all other ports are working fine. Ok, well, the built-in winmodem doesn't work, but I expected that. I've even gotten a wireless NIC from Micro$oft installed and working.
One meaningless complaint is the lack of connectors from Ximian for Exchange 5.5 (POP isn't sufficient for me)...