Trust me, a copyright is easier to obtain than a patent.
To obtain a copyright: Create the work. Copyright is automatic.
To obtain a patent: Create the work. Apply for a patent using specific forms and formats, submitted to the right people. Then, if the patent application is approved, you will be awarded the patent.
What a lot of people seem to miss is that different communities seem to center on different IM networks.
When I was working in a different industry, I had to have ICQ because everyone I worked with used it. Another segment of people all seemed to have MSN Messenger. Now, both the people I work with, and the people in my social circles, all have AIM/AOL accounts. So that's what I use.
If the technology's purpose is to talk to people, choose the technology that lets you talk to the people you want to. Choosing on technological merits or open-source dogma will leave you with a great tool that you will never have a reason to use.
They played with this in (I believe) the very first episode. Dr. Carter, resident science wonk, talks about solving a problem by "MacGuyverying" a solution. O'Niel just gives her a weird look.
I think they handled it perfectly, and then moved on.
Microsoft clearly sells a ton of embedded Windows licenses. It is ending up in appliances, cars, warships, ATMs, and who knows what else.Likewise, a number of embedded open source *nix variants seem to be out there.
From what I understand, Motorola (ahem, Freescale) and IBM are both concentrating a lot on embedded PPC chips for just the same kinds of devices.
I wonder if this could put Apple into an interesting position to sell an easy to configure, commercially guaranteed embedded OS for embedded PPC.
The GBA SP is down to like $79 list price now, isn't it? The more interesting thing is that the DS is going to be $149. That's in the same territory as the PSP.
It seems pretty impressive that this device is taking in pre-orders that put it in such a position. It is something of a novelty device, so it bodes well for the new product to see it competing strongly with its cheaper, more established, and let's not forget *available* sibling, the GBA-SP.
I didn't say they were giving everyone what they want. Apple works on margins, and stays out of the low-end or even the mid-low-end. All I mean is that this feels like a move in that direction.
1.) They released a new iBook, at a lower price point, with more included than before. A fully useful Mac laptop is now $999.
2.) They released a new XServe RAID. They are competing at $2 a gig. This is much more aggressive pricing than their competitors, allowing them to edge into the enterprise based both on price and performance.
3.) They now offer a single processor low-end G5. This lowers the price of entry into their pro-range. It helps keep up with demand, given that supply of G5 processors is an issue.
What is this all about? Well, it lowers the price of entry for the platform. That is good for average consumers, and wooing people to the platform.
However, look at which units these are. The low-end G5 is a great office machine. This is the computer you put under your desk. The iBook is a great laptop for someone who already has a desktop. The XServe RAID gets Macs into the server room. This is all about the Enterprise. Go for the solid midrange, and they will come.
If it is edited into an episodic format, that could work. I admit, I didn't look into it in that detail.
That still leaves the question of whether the history of the BBS is a worthwhile subject for a 7-episode documentary, and whether it has been edited down enough from the initial tapes to be informative rather than regurgatative.
It sounds like someone needs to learn a thing or two about editing.
Many subjects have been distilled into 2 hour documentaries. Sure, two hours of film won't make you an expert, or communicate the full depth of knowledge, but it can show a great deal. I am sure that the history of the BBS is a rich and potentially interesting subject. However, I am sure it isn't so complex and full of details that it could not survive a 2-hour treatment.
A seven hour documentary will be watched by 7 people, and interest none. The subject would be far better served by something edited to a size mere mortals could digest.
Apple had plenty of money in the bank at the time. Microsoft's money did not save Apple.
However, the investment was a very big deal, and did help stabilize Apple's position. The reasons are far less simple than you are suggesting, though.
It showed that a big player thought Apple was worth investing it. It promised five years of Office updates. It stopped multiple lawsuits between the two companies. This helped reassure people that Apple wasn't going anywhere, but it was about much more than the money.
Also, as I understand it, Microsoft sold off that non-voting stock years ago, and is no longer making any money off of the deal.
So the only definition of "rich" that you like is one that doesn't include you? I imagine when people talk about raising taxes for the rich, everyone would take the same stance-- but it's not a very consistent principle.
There's something very close to this already, and has been for years. Generally speaking, if you have version N of a major piece of Windows software, the price to upgrade to N+1 on Windows, or move to N+1 on a Mac, is the same. Upgrade pricing usually doesn't seem to care about pricing.
Slashdot Mirror
To obtain a copyright: Create the work. Copyright is automatic.
To obtain a patent: Create the work. Apply for a patent using specific forms and formats, submitted to the right people. Then, if the patent application is approved, you will be awarded the patent.
It was: Mosaic --> Netscape Navigator --> Internet Explorer
Mozilla is just the latest incarnation of Navigator. Claiming it was a reaction to Internet Explorer is just 100% batshit daffy.
When I was working in a different industry, I had to have ICQ because everyone I worked with used it. Another segment of people all seemed to have MSN Messenger. Now, both the people I work with, and the people in my social circles, all have AIM/AOL accounts. So that's what I use.
If the technology's purpose is to talk to people, choose the technology that lets you talk to the people you want to. Choosing on technological merits or open-source dogma will leave you with a great tool that you will never have a reason to use.
But I will give you a clue:
"Give me a place to stand and a lever long enough and I will move the world."
No. Solar energy in the form of light. No electricity involved. It really is just a very complex sundial-- whose output is numerical.
Sundials would also work with a moving sun. ;)
When you quote, you should mention who you are quoting-- or at least put it in quotes, if you don't know who said it. (Marcus Brigstocke, probably.)
I think the man was Sir Winston Churchill.
I do not think it means what you think it means.
I think they handled it perfectly, and then moved on.
I want a video of someone using this trick to play *this* video on their iPod Photo. Hooray for recursion!
Oh My God Will Someone Please Think of the Children
Do you mean MP3, MP4, or AAC? All of the many file formats supported by iTunes are playable on a variety of hardware and software.
Or are you confusing the player (which competes with WinAmp) with the iTunes store?
Are you by any chance installing onto a VMWare virtual machine? (We saw a problem like this initially, and it turned out to hinge on a setting.)
From what I understand, Motorola (ahem, Freescale) and IBM are both concentrating a lot on embedded PPC chips for just the same kinds of devices.
I wonder if this could put Apple into an interesting position to sell an easy to configure, commercially guaranteed embedded OS for embedded PPC.
The GBA SP is down to like $79 list price now, isn't it? The more interesting thing is that the DS is going to be $149. That's in the same territory as the PSP.
It seems pretty impressive that this device is taking in pre-orders that put it in such a position. It is something of a novelty device, so it bodes well for the new product to see it competing strongly with its cheaper, more established, and let's not forget *available* sibling, the GBA-SP.
I didn't say they were giving everyone what they want. Apple works on margins, and stays out of the low-end or even the mid-low-end. All I mean is that this feels like a move in that direction.
1.) They released a new iBook, at a lower price point, with more included than before. A fully useful Mac laptop is now $999.
2.) They released a new XServe RAID. They are competing at $2 a gig. This is much more aggressive pricing than their competitors, allowing them to edge into the enterprise based both on price and performance.
3.) They now offer a single processor low-end G5. This lowers the price of entry into their pro-range. It helps keep up with demand, given that supply of G5 processors is an issue.
What is this all about? Well, it lowers the price of entry for the platform. That is good for average consumers, and wooing people to the platform.
However, look at which units these are. The low-end G5 is a great office machine. This is the computer you put under your desk. The iBook is a great laptop for someone who already has a desktop. The XServe RAID gets Macs into the server room. This is all about the Enterprise. Go for the solid midrange, and they will come.
That still leaves the question of whether the history of the BBS is a worthwhile subject for a 7-episode documentary, and whether it has been edited down enough from the initial tapes to be informative rather than regurgatative.
Many subjects have been distilled into 2 hour documentaries. Sure, two hours of film won't make you an expert, or communicate the full depth of knowledge, but it can show a great deal. I am sure that the history of the BBS is a rich and potentially interesting subject. However, I am sure it isn't so complex and full of details that it could not survive a 2-hour treatment.
A seven hour documentary will be watched by 7 people, and interest none. The subject would be far better served by something edited to a size mere mortals could digest.
However, the investment was a very big deal, and did help stabilize Apple's position. The reasons are far less simple than you are suggesting, though.
It showed that a big player thought Apple was worth investing it. It promised five years of Office updates. It stopped multiple lawsuits between the two companies. This helped reassure people that Apple wasn't going anywhere, but it was about much more than the money.
Also, as I understand it, Microsoft sold off that non-voting stock years ago, and is no longer making any money off of the deal.
So the only definition of "rich" that you like is one that doesn't include you? I imagine when people talk about raising taxes for the rich, everyone would take the same stance-- but it's not a very consistent principle.
Duh. Sorry.
There's something very close to this already, and has been for years. Generally speaking, if you have version N of a major piece of Windows software, the price to upgrade to N+1 on Windows, or move to N+1 on a Mac, is the same. Upgrade pricing usually doesn't seem to care about pricing.