It doesn't make me stupid that I'm willing to pay 5x more for something legal. That you can get an illegal copy for 5x less doesn't mean the legal copy is overpriced.
I won't say I've never pirated. Or copied a friends album or cassette...
But as I get older and my income expands, I buy the stuff I want, rather than pirate it.
Stealing is cheaper, but paying a fair price is better.
Yup, you go right ahead and pay more for a crippled and lower quality download than you'd pay for a real CD...
I'm not saying allofmp3 are doing something good, but they are putting one in the eye of those who claim $.99 is the minimum a company can provide downloadable tracks for.
But, I'm not. A full CD costs something like $15.00 at Best Buy. $9.99 at iTunes, $8.88 at MP3Tunes, or a physical CD is $5.99 (with a limited selection) from www.mymusic.com.
I prefer the physical CD when I can, because I can rip it at any format and any quality at will.
I remember paying $.75us for a 45rpm with two songs.
I'm a member of www.mymusic.com that charges $5.99 SHIPPED for a physical CD.
If they can't make sufficient money at $9.99 an album with digital delivery, something is VERY wrong here.
www.MP3Music.com is charging.88 a track, and I'm sure they are making money.
This seems like greed to me.
Perhaps we ought to do away with record companies. Now that bands can use 100% Digital Delivery, who needs them?
I think the bulk of the money ought to go to the writer of the song, and the performer. With the Distribution companies (Record Label and Digital Delivery Service) getting the smallest cut.
The idea is to sell quantity...
Something that seems to escape the Record Labels.
The fan-produced series, based on the Original Series did INCREDIBLY well.
The money was donated to the Space Shuttle Children's Fund.
I don't remember how much was raised, but there were millions of downloads of the shows.
http://www.newvoyages.com
Costumes and sets and whatnot are already available. If Paramount were to continue Enterprise as Pay-per-view, or do a few direct to DVD movies each year, I think that would work well..
A Direct-to-DVD movie or Mini-Series about the Romulan War would sell well to fans.
The Zire retails for under $100.00. And has a processor much more powerful than the first Macintosh 128/512/Plus.
Something like a Zire with a larger screen and some useful apps would make a great low cost Laptop.
There was an old HP Omnibook with a black and white LCD display, Flash Memory Drive with Windows and Office in ROM. Something like that with a built-in modem might be good.
Leveraging legacy apps and operating systems to create a perfectly usable computer for these people is a good idea.
Just because we as users, have moved on to 3Ghz P4 Processors and the like, doesn't mean a system running on a Pentum 233MMX with appropriate software won't have utility for non-power users.
We're jaded by all the hardware advances and forget that we used to do fine with that older hardware.
Acutally, the morons are the ones who voted for the other guy... You know, the guy that lost?
He lost for a reason, and it wasn't because the people who voted for the winner were "Voting against their own interests."
I think it's time for a class action suit against Microsoft.
He's got PLENTY of money to assemble a team of programmers to go through the Windows code base with fine tooth comb, clean it up, trim it down, speed it up, and close all the open doors and windows that spyware uses to get in.
Most people are impacted more by the viruses and spybots that infect their computers than by the loss of functionality that removing all these compromised services would cause.
NO Program should be able to modify the registry, the windows directory or the program files directory without the users explicit permission.
Not sure of the value of that...
I really prefer my HP Laserjet IIIP and my old Laserjet II to just about ANY printer on the market today (for a B&W Laser Printer). Work horses over 10 years old and still going.
And while I like the little 1210PSC I just bought. My Deskjet 540 is still also plugging away.
Newer printers from Epson and Lexmark are in the trash heap as uneconomical to repair, and were too flimsy to hold up long.
So there's a trade off there...
I'd like to see HP reintroduce a "Classic Line" of products. Instead of innovating all the quality out of their line...
One thing I think that people miss in this Linux/Windows argument is the following...
We have a model of a successfull migration from one captive OS to another newer one.
And that's from the Classic MacOS to MacOS X.
What made that possible is the following:
- Support of Legacy Apps.
- A familiar user interface
- Easy install of new applications.
- Seemless operation of legacy apps.
So, I think for Windows users to be able to transition to Linux, they'd need to be able to run their older Windows apps as seemlessly as possible, and have at least as good an experience (as a user) in using Linux as they do Windows.
So that means more polish on the interface. Easier installation of programs (no user wrestling with dependancies. A smart installer, just installs the app. Click install, answer any necessary questions and it works! That's what Windows and MacOS X do.)
MacOS X was nowhere 4 years ago. But is now a mature and stable alternate OS. Easily as powerful (if not moreso) than Windows. Very similar to Linux, except the level of polish is present in OS X that is NOT in Linux.
If I had a Linux Distribution I could run out of the box, and use as easily as MacOS X, but run Windows apps on it, instead of Classic MacOS apps... You bet, I'd ditch Windows 2k/XP in a heartbeat.
I'm running MEPIS and Linspire on two boxes now. But the experience just isn't as smooth as Windows/MacOS X.
Give me that smoothness on a Linux Base, and I'm sold.
Target Windows 98 for WINE, and get that running smoothly and seamlessly, and then upgrade it to Win2k/XP functionality while the users USE the thing.
Targeting a moving target is why we still don't have a version of WINE that is complete.
Sorry, the lack of comprehension seems to be on YOUR part.
I'm not disputing that Lindows, Inc. is responsible for the error. I'm disputing the automatic conclusion that they did it on purpose. That they did it because their corporate culture is one of ripping people off and reselling that work. That Lindows, Inc. is a company to be reviled and attacked at every opportunity.
Based on what I've read elsewhere, they've responded, and responded as quickly as a reasonable person could like.
I understand the Judgemental/. Trolls who can't stand ANYONE making a buck from providing services that bring Linux to the masses, aren't satisfied that this problem was not resolved in 60 seconds...
This is a LOT like politics. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
You all are assuming that Lindows, Inc. did something purposeful in this situation. That they purposefully perpetrated an injustice.
I'm questioning that jump to a conclusion. Because there's no evidence to support it. Other than bias from Anti-Lindows Geeks, who probably prefer to do everything command line, so that they can be the "Elite" and lock out the casual users.
To use your analogy. While you may have struck a family of 4, and are sorry... And will be responsbile for it. One CANNOT ASSUME that you purposely jumped in your car, and planned to hit that family. Without evidence, that this was so.
It's possible you could have done that. But, not likely. And anyone who went on a public forum and started posting about how rotten you were for purposely hitting that family, how it proves you are a rotten person, and furthermore... Since you haven't issued a public apology yet (a mere 2 hours afterwards), shows even MORE how rotten you are... Anyone who did that, would be as unfair, and just plain WRONG, as all these people bashing Lindows, Inc.
You guys have watched too much television, time to take off the Aluminum lined hats.
All I'm questioning is the automatic assumption that Lindows, Inc. is a "bad and wrong" company. That they did this on purpose to rip everyone off. And that their business practice is to steal other people's work and profit off it.
It's the automatic assumption of guilt, that bothers me.
I don't know if anyone else might see this point; but this is further damage Microsoft has wreaked, in that they have now trained people to expect large companies to be predatory and irresponsible.
I've seen a company that gives back to the community BIG TIME. So much so, that they gave money to support the Linux Community when they weren't making money.
They borrowed money, they are paying interest on, to contribute to the community.
Doesn't sound like a company that has no respect to me.
Sounds like more Bashing from the Snooty Linux Community.
Again, you make the assertion this was purposeful by Lindows/Linspire, and not accidental. Or done by someone in the Art Department without their superiors knowing...
How much stuff goes on in your life that you don't even know about?
When you run a company, you find LOTS of things happen that you don't know about, or wouldn't approve of... If you knew.
Instead of convicting Michael and the company before-hand. Why don't you all wait and see what happens?
Your reply is still in the domain of "Lindows, Inc. a corporation did something wrong and ripped off a 'little guy'."
So, that means you didn't read what I said.
I'd be sure that this issue will get settled to the two parties satisfaction.
Whether it will satisfy all the Anti-Lindows/Linspire people, we can pretty much predict the answer to that.
If you've never put 10 million dollars of your money on the line, to create an alternate consumer operating system to Windows. You just don't understand what Lindows, Inc. is all about.
Does all this Knee-Jerk, Anti-Lindows/Linspire trolling ever once take into account that as a corporation, Linspire/Lindows didn't say: "Hey! Let's go rip off as much stuff as possible, and not pay people for it..."
Can anyone consider the possibility that someone who made up that Flash Presentation used the material and didn't happen to mention they lifted it?
It happens all the time.
It doesn't require Linspire to be an evil company looking to rip people off, and make a buck off someone's work.
It just takes one person who isn't clear on copyrights, and assumed they could use that artwork without permission. They might not even have realized they were doing something wrong.
How many people do YOU know, who totally understand IP and Copyright laws?
I'm getting tired of the automatic Anti-Linspire sentiment expressed by most Linux people. Linspire has given back A LOT to the Linux community. They've donated big bucks to WINE, KDE, Reiser-FS, and other projects. Go check their website.
And if you read their financials in the item about their upcoming IPO, if they are making money... They've sure fooled everyone.
The first voyage of the Starship Enterprise, NCC-1701.
Not the NX-01 of Enterprise (we already saw that).
But the Enterprise that people know and love from the original series.
The TNG and DS9 Episodes that referred back to the original series are two of the highest rated Treks ever on Television.
Imagine a movie with the first voyage of the Enterprise. Captain Robert April and crew.
That would be a movie people might like to see.
And, it could be done with current characters (from TNG or DS9 and Voyager) in a wrap-around.
It could even be done as in "Trials and Tribbleations) where current characters go back in time to make sure the voyage goes off as recorded because "Future Guy" or some other character is trying to tamper with it.
It's a bit late for it, but even a movie version of "Kobyashi Maru" would have been great. Even as a TV Special Mini-Series.
There are a LOT of good stories in the books.
The Phoenix Series of Books would have made a good movie. Even if simplified a little.
And the Shatner/Reese-Stevens books, would also be great bases for a series of movies.
One thing Paramount ought to do, is hire 10 fans as script consultants. If they start turning thumbs down to the script, they ought to think twice.
Fans have been right about every movies released.
The simple suggestions fans made about Generations would have made it a MUCH better movie.
Make new Trek's Character driven Dramas. That's what people like these days.
Slashdot Mirror
When you steal something you get it for free...
It doesn't make me stupid that I'm willing to pay 5x more for something legal. That you can get an illegal copy for 5x less doesn't mean the legal copy is overpriced.
I won't say I've never pirated. Or copied a friends album or cassette...
But as I get older and my income expands, I buy the stuff I want, rather than pirate it.
Stealing is cheaper, but paying a fair price is better.
I'm not talking about whether it's legal or not.
Because that's splitting hairs.
It's not "legal" or right if the owner of the song isn't being compensated for it.
When I produce saleable product, I want to be paid for it. I want the artists to be paid for their work, so they'll make more.
I want to be paid for my work, so I stand for that.
I don't have a problem with .99/.88 a tune and 9.99/8.88 an album. As long as the artist gets a cut of it that's fair.
When possible, I go to the artist's site and buy the music from them directly so they make the most money.
But, I'm not. A full CD costs something like $15.00 at Best Buy. $9.99 at iTunes, $8.88 at MP3Tunes, or a physical CD is $5.99 (with a limited selection) from www.mymusic.com.
I prefer the physical CD when I can, because I can rip it at any format and any quality at will.
I simply won't buy music from this website.
I want to support inexpensive and LEGAL channels to buy the music I want.
Like ITMS (even though I dislike the DRM), MP3Tunes, WalMart, MusicMatch (ditto for the DRM) and other sources...
I remember paying $.75us for a 45rpm with two songs. I'm a member of www.mymusic.com that charges $5.99 SHIPPED for a physical CD. If they can't make sufficient money at $9.99 an album with digital delivery, something is VERY wrong here. www.MP3Music.com is charging .88 a track, and I'm sure they are making money.
This seems like greed to me.
Perhaps we ought to do away with record companies. Now that bands can use 100% Digital Delivery, who needs them?
I think the bulk of the money ought to go to the writer of the song, and the performer. With the Distribution companies (Record Label and Digital Delivery Service) getting the smallest cut.
The idea is to sell quantity...
Something that seems to escape the Record Labels.
The fan-produced series, based on the Original Series did INCREDIBLY well.
The money was donated to the Space Shuttle Children's Fund.
I don't remember how much was raised, but there were millions of downloads of the shows.
http://www.newvoyages.com
Costumes and sets and whatnot are already available. If Paramount were to continue Enterprise as Pay-per-view, or do a few direct to DVD movies each year, I think that would work well..
A Direct-to-DVD movie or Mini-Series about the Romulan War would sell well to fans.
The Zire retails for under $100.00. And has a processor much more powerful than the first Macintosh 128/512/Plus.
Something like a Zire with a larger screen and some useful apps would make a great low cost Laptop.
There was an old HP Omnibook with a black and white LCD display, Flash Memory Drive with Windows and Office in ROM. Something like that with a built-in modem might be good.
Leveraging legacy apps and operating systems to create a perfectly usable computer for these people is a good idea.
Just because we as users, have moved on to 3Ghz P4 Processors and the like, doesn't mean a system running on a Pentum 233MMX with appropriate software won't have utility for non-power users.
We're jaded by all the hardware advances and forget that we used to do fine with that older hardware.
Acutally, the morons are the ones who voted for the other guy... You know, the guy that lost? He lost for a reason, and it wasn't because the people who voted for the winner were "Voting against their own interests." I think it's time for a class action suit against Microsoft. He's got PLENTY of money to assemble a team of programmers to go through the Windows code base with fine tooth comb, clean it up, trim it down, speed it up, and close all the open doors and windows that spyware uses to get in. Most people are impacted more by the viruses and spybots that infect their computers than by the loss of functionality that removing all these compromised services would cause. NO Program should be able to modify the registry, the windows directory or the program files directory without the users explicit permission.
Not sure of the value of that... I really prefer my HP Laserjet IIIP and my old Laserjet II to just about ANY printer on the market today (for a B&W Laser Printer). Work horses over 10 years old and still going. And while I like the little 1210PSC I just bought. My Deskjet 540 is still also plugging away. Newer printers from Epson and Lexmark are in the trash heap as uneconomical to repair, and were too flimsy to hold up long. So there's a trade off there... I'd like to see HP reintroduce a "Classic Line" of products. Instead of innovating all the quality out of their line...
One thing I think that people miss in this Linux/Windows argument is the following...
We have a model of a successfull migration from one captive OS to another newer one.
And that's from the Classic MacOS to MacOS X.
What made that possible is the following:
- Support of Legacy Apps.
- A familiar user interface
- Easy install of new applications.
- Seemless operation of legacy apps.
So, I think for Windows users to be able to transition to Linux, they'd need to be able to run their older Windows apps as seemlessly as possible, and have at least as good an experience (as a user) in using Linux as they do Windows.
So that means more polish on the interface. Easier installation of programs (no user wrestling with dependancies. A smart installer, just installs the app. Click install, answer any necessary questions and it works! That's what Windows and MacOS X do.)
MacOS X was nowhere 4 years ago. But is now a mature and stable alternate OS. Easily as powerful (if not moreso) than Windows. Very similar to Linux, except the level of polish is present in OS X that is NOT in Linux.
If I had a Linux Distribution I could run out of the box, and use as easily as MacOS X, but run Windows apps on it, instead of Classic MacOS apps... You bet, I'd ditch Windows 2k/XP in a heartbeat.
I'm running MEPIS and Linspire on two boxes now. But the experience just isn't as smooth as Windows/MacOS X.
Give me that smoothness on a Linux Base, and I'm sold.
Target Windows 98 for WINE, and get that running smoothly and seamlessly, and then upgrade it to Win2k/XP functionality while the users USE the thing.
Targeting a moving target is why we still don't have a version of WINE that is complete.
There you go again.
It's OBVIOUS that Lindows is responsible for the mistake.
All I'm objecting to is the idea that there is a Moral Value attached to that mistake.
As long as Lindows, Inc. cleans up the mistake, I don't have a problem with it. No company does 100% of the things they do, perfect, all the time.
It's the automatic Lindows Bashing I object to.
No.
Better off without the people trying to bash a company that's contributed over a Million Dollars to Open Source Development...
We'd be MUCH better off without them.
Sorry, the lack of comprehension seems to be on YOUR part.
I'm not disputing that Lindows, Inc. is responsible for the error. I'm disputing the automatic conclusion that they did it on purpose. That they did it because their corporate culture is one of ripping people off and reselling that work. That Lindows, Inc. is a company to be reviled and attacked at every opportunity.
Based on what I've read elsewhere, they've responded, and responded as quickly as a reasonable person could like.
I understand the Judgemental /. Trolls who can't stand ANYONE making a buck from providing services that bring Linux to the masses, aren't satisfied that this problem was not resolved in 60 seconds...
This is a LOT like politics. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
You all are assuming that Lindows, Inc. did something purposeful in this situation. That they purposefully perpetrated an injustice.
I'm questioning that jump to a conclusion. Because there's no evidence to support it. Other than bias from Anti-Lindows Geeks, who probably prefer to do everything command line, so that they can be the "Elite" and lock out the casual users.
To use your analogy. While you may have struck a family of 4, and are sorry... And will be responsbile for it. One CANNOT ASSUME that you purposely jumped in your car, and planned to hit that family. Without evidence, that this was so.
It's possible you could have done that. But, not likely. And anyone who went on a public forum and started posting about how rotten you were for purposely hitting that family, how it proves you are a rotten person, and furthermore... Since you haven't issued a public apology yet (a mere 2 hours afterwards), shows even MORE how rotten you are... Anyone who did that, would be as unfair, and just plain WRONG, as all these people bashing Lindows, Inc.
You guys have watched too much television, time to take off the Aluminum lined hats.
Not all corporations are Robber Barons.
No doubt about that.
All I'm questioning is the automatic assumption that Lindows, Inc. is a "bad and wrong" company. That they did this on purpose to rip everyone off. And that their business practice is to steal other people's work and profit off it.
It's the automatic assumption of guilt, that bothers me.
I don't know if anyone else might see this point; but this is further damage Microsoft has wreaked, in that they have now trained people to expect large companies to be predatory and irresponsible.
How kind of you to make that decision for them.
Amazing, given that it DID happen, and it's quite arguable NOBODY involved wanted it to happen this way.
Thanks anyway. You bias and unfairness is noted and logged.
You do.
I don't experience this at all.
Are we looking at the same company?
I've seen NO evidence of ANY of these things.
I've seen a company that gives back to the community BIG TIME. So much so, that they gave money to support the Linux Community when they weren't making money.
They borrowed money, they are paying interest on, to contribute to the community.
Doesn't sound like a company that has no respect to me.
Sounds like more Bashing from the Snooty Linux Community.
I'm not talking about who's responsible. OBVIOUSLY Lindows, Inc. is responsible.
I'm talking about all the innuendo that they are bad people. They did it on purpose. They are thieves, etc...
And a few hours is just NOT enough time for them to have taken action on this.
Give them some time to act.
I don't work for Lindows (wish I did...), but I've run small companies before.
There's a trend here on /. and on OSNews to just jump on Lindows no matter what they do.
I don't agree with it.
And, a couple of hours is too short a time for a company to move on this. You don't even know if anyone there knows about it yet.
It's likely they know by now, because there's a thread about this on their own forums.
I would give them some time to react before jumping down their throats.
I know all the Lindows Bashing is fun. It's the next best thing to Microsoft Bashing these days...
But give them a break... Willya?
Again, you make the assertion this was purposeful by Lindows/Linspire, and not accidental. Or done by someone in the Art Department without their superiors knowing...
How much stuff goes on in your life that you don't even know about?
When you run a company, you find LOTS of things happen that you don't know about, or wouldn't approve of... If you knew.
Instead of convicting Michael and the company before-hand. Why don't you all wait and see what happens?
I'm not aware of ANY damage to his credibility or his companies credibility...
I've been following this since his first announcement.
Can you tell me in what way he doesn't have any credibility?
You miss my point.
Do they even know to do this?
Did they contract out the Flash Presentation?
Was it done in-house?
You don't know...
And the immediate impluse to slam, slander, and troll Lindows, Inc. says loads to me.
There are a LOT of assumptions in this.
You assume that at 10am Wednesday Morning, that people at Linspire at the right level know, and made the decision to pull it or not.
You don't even know what time the meeting to discuss this has been set for, or if a meeting has been set.
None of us have a clue at the inner workings of Lindows, Inc. and how fast this process to deal with this issue will take.
I sure notice a lot of people jumping the gun, and having opinions without data...
Let's wait and see.
By the end of the day, it ought to be clear.
Your reply is still in the domain of "Lindows, Inc. a corporation did something wrong and ripped off a 'little guy'."
So, that means you didn't read what I said.
I'd be sure that this issue will get settled to the two parties satisfaction.
Whether it will satisfy all the Anti-Lindows/Linspire people, we can pretty much predict the answer to that.
If you've never put 10 million dollars of your money on the line, to create an alternate consumer operating system to Windows. You just don't understand what Lindows, Inc. is all about.
Does anyone here think critically?
Does all this Knee-Jerk, Anti-Lindows/Linspire trolling ever once take into account that as a corporation, Linspire/Lindows didn't say: "Hey! Let's go rip off as much stuff as possible, and not pay people for it..."
Can anyone consider the possibility that someone who made up that Flash Presentation used the material and didn't happen to mention they lifted it?
It happens all the time.
It doesn't require Linspire to be an evil company looking to rip people off, and make a buck off someone's work.
It just takes one person who isn't clear on copyrights, and assumed they could use that artwork without permission. They might not even have realized they were doing something wrong.
How many people do YOU know, who totally understand IP and Copyright laws?
I'm getting tired of the automatic Anti-Linspire sentiment expressed by most Linux people. Linspire has given back A LOT to the Linux community. They've donated big bucks to WINE, KDE, Reiser-FS, and other projects. Go check their website.
And if you read their financials in the item about their upcoming IPO, if they are making money... They've sure fooled everyone.
The first voyage of the Starship Enterprise, NCC-1701. Not the NX-01 of Enterprise (we already saw that). But the Enterprise that people know and love from the original series. The TNG and DS9 Episodes that referred back to the original series are two of the highest rated Treks ever on Television. Imagine a movie with the first voyage of the Enterprise. Captain Robert April and crew. That would be a movie people might like to see. And, it could be done with current characters (from TNG or DS9 and Voyager) in a wrap-around. It could even be done as in "Trials and Tribbleations) where current characters go back in time to make sure the voyage goes off as recorded because "Future Guy" or some other character is trying to tamper with it. It's a bit late for it, but even a movie version of "Kobyashi Maru" would have been great. Even as a TV Special Mini-Series. There are a LOT of good stories in the books. The Phoenix Series of Books would have made a good movie. Even if simplified a little. And the Shatner/Reese-Stevens books, would also be great bases for a series of movies. One thing Paramount ought to do, is hire 10 fans as script consultants. If they start turning thumbs down to the script, they ought to think twice. Fans have been right about every movies released. The simple suggestions fans made about Generations would have made it a MUCH better movie. Make new Trek's Character driven Dramas. That's what people like these days.