In my very limited experience (ubuntu), changing resolutions it's as easy as windows, once you have it recognized. Getting it recognized, on the other hand, did involve shutting down the GUI, going to command line, typing some commands (forgot which they were , I had a howto opened on the windows computer while I was doing this) then using a text mode program to manually select which resolutions I wanted the GUI to show, and then start the GUI again to see if you did it right. This is at least one area where windows was easier (again, in my experience), if the monitor wasn't recognized properly, then it was just a matter of unchecking the "hide unsuported resolutions and refresh rate settings" checkmark.
To be fair, for a newbie installing on windows steps 2, 3 and 4 end up being "keep clicking next until it's done". However, I do agree that it's easier installing in linux by using synaptic and simmilar (I doubt any newbie would really jump ahead to terminal and type apt-get install followed by a cryptic name), and at least in the latest version of ubuntu (always forget the current names) installing a.deb file is about the same process than a windows installer, at least in the ones I've tried, in case whatever is it that you want isn't on the repositories.
Agree with the other comment here, some but not all. Not sure why, but my computer works perfectly with 6.06, but the 6.10 liveCD/installer doesn't even start no matter what I did. Eventually managed update to 6.10 from the repositories (took some trouble to do it, though), but left some weird problems that for some reason I couldn't fix without switching to KDE (which I kinda like better after using it for a week or so anyway... and for the record, the problems were errors in the keyboard settings that prevented me from changing the keyboard language, and related, the altGR key not workng which I need for the # and @ symbols).
I don't know, but one of the things I'd like to see improved in WoW is the "everyone has the same body type" thing, maybe sliders for how thin/muscular/fat/tall/short you want someone (with limits, of course, so that humans are always taller than dwarves, for example).
I just think it would help set characters apart from everyone else, so you could play (for example) a fat priest like friar tuck on Robin Hood, or a thin tall albino guy like Elric of Melniboné. No idea how hard would it be to implement that, though. I'm still rather new to the game, probably would be problems scaling the armor that are actual models (instead of just different textures) when they're on the characters.
I have to agree too... I just started playing some weeks ago, and I'm level 32 but most of my friends are 60 already... hopefully I can get there and do some endgame quests with them before they all move to burning crusade and level 70 stuff..:)
And then the alien conspiracy theorists will point at them as proof of intelligent life on earth, only to be dismissed by almost all the other aliens (like what happened to the face on mars and the butt on mercury)...:)
From what I've read (have to say haven't looked too much into it, still a newb level 28 here..:) ), one of the things about TBC is that they're making the endgame (the cap is 70, BTW) more accesible to casual gaming. The two big changes seem to be that you now acumulate honor (or something like that) to buy the high level PvP gear (instead of what it is now that you have to rank among the top players to get it), so you can get them even if it takes longer if you play casually, and most (if not all) of the new instances will need less people to complete them. Don't really know about specifics, I'll ask one of the level 60's on my guild that has been following this more closely than me.
One thing I do disagree with you... IE5 when it came out was better than the version of netscape out at that time, at least in my experience. It felt a lot slower (not sure about how faster/slower it loaded the websites, but the program itself felt a lot slower and heavier than IE5) and it crashed much more frequently too. I remember I had a net cafe back when IE5 came out, and ISPs gave CDs with netscape on them to new costumers, and I had people bringing their computers for me to install it (and I kept a downloaded version for the more computer savvy people that just wanted to install it themselves).
Can't say I've ever had any problems with word on mac. Powerpoint, however, is another thing entirely. I very rarely create word or powerpoint content myself, but I read a lot of it sent from our clients (I positively HATE when I ask them to e-mail me some photos and they send a powerpoint file), and while word files usually look exactly like they do in windows (or at least simmilar enough for what I need), it's very common for the powerpoint files to get their layout all screwed around, even if all the fonts used are present.
On the right click thing, I don't think that's what he means. IIRC when I tried ubuntu I did see the "open with" option, but what I think he meant is that, for example, if I have winamp as the default MP3 player and I right click on an MP3, on the popup menu I have the "play on winamp" and "queue on winamp playlist" option (without going into "open with"). If I have winrar installed, it also adds "compress this file" "compress and zip" and others. Also if I right click on a RAR or other compressed file (again, with winrar installed), I get "uncompress here" "uncompress on (folder with the compressed file name)" and the like (I never actually open winrar anymore, I just use the context menus for everything). That was one thing I remember missing in the week or so I used ubuntu.
AFAIK, it's still infringing even if it was being given away for free. The main difference is that the damages claimed by the company might be less, but even then it's not a certainty either.
The starwars and startrek fan movies are infringing too, but George Lucas and Paramount respectively have basically said that they won't do anything against them as long as they're not being sold (of course, there's no legal binding on that, so for all intent and purposes they could have a change of heart tomorrow and start suing right and left).
Well, in my friend's case, he's on a very transitated place right in front of a beach, and he closes before nigthfall... I've seen a couple here that are still open for a few more hours agter nightfall but they're next to very transitated fast food places. I'd believe they'd get robbed here and then, though... or most likely end up paying some protection money instead..:)
My brother has two mainly because he does most of his business trough the phone, and here in Venezuela there are two major cell phone companies (well, more than two, but the other ones don't have countrywide coverage yet and neither of them work where I live), and both of them have rates that are a LOT cheaper for calls within the same cell phone company, so it's cheaper for him to have one of each and use them depending on who's he calling to.
Also, it has become a rather popular business to buy several cell phones and then rent them on the street for people to make calls (kinda like public phones), and according to a friend that does that, it's quite profitable if you use the free minutes plans, plus you get enough "points" to change or get new cell phones from the operators at least once a year for free...:)
The OSX version isn't perfect either. I've had quite a few cases where the document's formatting is all broken out (though most of the times is because of windows only fonts used) and some issues with powerpoint files too. Good thing I'm not too affected by those, since I work with video so when I deal with office files are either for scripts I receive for someone to read for a video I'm making or when someone sends me some pictures to use them in a video and decide to send them on a powerpoint file instead of the actual picture files (I HATE that).
I have to agree there. The way I see it, Linux IS ready to be used by the masses (in my limited experience with ubuntu, at least), provided someone configures it and install all they need for them first, that is.
However, the ways I can see linux making way into the home desktop are by having major vendors offer linux computers like the windows ones they offer (for example, a line of linux computers that come with everything preinstalled and heavily marketed), or linux having some killer app everyone wants (enough to make them want to switch) and that they can't get anywhere else, and that they might be willing to put off with the inconveniences and differences from what they're used to.
Until then, I guess we'll keep seeing "XXXX app is what linux needs to be on the desktop" articles...
I know that at least in my household (my mother and older brother) the big killer app they'd need is a full MSN messenger software that can seamless do everything it does with other MSN users (as in, emoticons, webcams, file transfer, animations, voice chat and the like).
Or at least that's how it looks from this side of the monitor..:)
On the install thing, windows does have several installers, but from the user's point of view they all end up being "double click file - next - next - next - wait for progress bar - next - finish". In my (limited) experience with linux, if the program you want is on the repositories it's very easy... if it's not, well... just hope you like the command line.
However, I don't think a common installer is something relevant to this particular case. Most students aren't supposed to install anything on the school computers (that's the admin's job), and if they do have to install programs, it means they're going for a computer related degree, in which case it will actually benefit them to learn how to do things the hard way..:)
Most video editing programs I've used (well, premiere, afterFX and final cut pro) use the capslock key to allow you to scrub without previewing (but you can still hear the audio). That can be useful when you want to change something in an effects heavy area that slows down the computer as it tries to render a preview of the frames. Other than that, I don't think I ever use it anywhere else..:)
Actually, no, I don't have it installed (I checked, just in case)... that's why I have it set to download but not install updates automatically, so I can see what's being installed before doing it. It did try to install WGA a month ago or so, I just unchecked it and told it not to ask me about it again (let's see how long until it tries to install it again, though)..:)
It's really a catch-22 situation. If MS doesn't provide a way for AV programs to load directly into the kernel, they aren't as effective.... on the other hand, if they do provide a way, that way can (and will) be leaked to that viruses and rootkits use it as well rendering the new security measures useless.
I guess it'll be a wait and see if these measures will work or not... if the kernel security system, coupled with the non admin use, works as intended, then the AV programs won't be an issue to begin with. What I wonder is that they say that the blackhats can bypass it... so, did they find out how? (and more importantly, did they report it to be fixed?)... and how easily?... I mean, if bypassing it depends on actually being on the computer, or getting the user to install an unknown program (inputting his admin password)), I don't see it being much of a deal, since that would be more of an user problem than an OS one.
The patches seemed to download and install fine on my computer without the WGA installed. I use automatic updates, though, but set to just download them and then ask me to install them (so I can see what's being installed). I think you only need WGA (at least for the time being) to download them from windowsupdate.com
Agree there... we have one wireless mouse at work and we end up changing its batteries a LOT...one more thing to buy batteries for isn't exactly my idea of progress...:)
Well, that, and knowing how I am with the TV remote control, I'd end up tearing apart my room trying to find a mouse that most likely found its way to the fridge...:)
Agree there. I used it for a while and it took quite a while to switch desktops. I use one called Virtual Dimension (found it on sourceforge, google it around) that seems to be at least as fast (in my computer) as Ubuntu's (on my previous computer). The nvidia drivers also include one that was almost as fast too if you configure it right.
I agree there. The big difference between this war and the VHS/betamax one was that back then there wasn't really a practical alternative (that I can remember at least, I had like 5 when we got our first and only betamax). The only other home movie player I saw were some very big, bulky and complicated 8 mm film projectors some people had, and the movies that were much more expensive than the beta tapes when they came out and less practical to handle, so it was obvious one of them would stick because frankly, there wasn't really anything else.
This time, though, there's DVD that's just as practical as any of the new formats, a LOT more widespread, and I'd bet that for 95% or more (most likely more) of the population worldwide that doesn't have an HDTV it would look just as well as any of the new formats. Heck, lots people I know here in Venezuela have their DVD player connected to 14" TVs with 19" considered a big one, and sometimes I'm considered kind of "snobbish" for buying original DVDs because of the quality and extras instead of the pirated VCDs or shakycam DVDs they sell on the streets
I don't doubt one of these formats (or maybe even a third one) will take hold several years from now when HDTV starts being the norm rather than the exception... but I really doubt that there are enough people right now to make either one of the formats to become really dominant for the time being.
The big difference, though, is that while there might be more linux users than mac users, I really doubt there are more linux only gamers than mac gamers. Most hardcore gamers that run linux will either dual boot windows, or have a second windows computer around. There are some like you that are linux only but I'd be prepared to bet they're a lot less than mac only gamers.
Add to that the fact that it's relatively very easy to test a game against all possible mac configurations, so if a game is coded from the beggining to be cross platform, it's easy to make it likely to run on any mac out there. It's harder with linux with all the different possible configurations it allows. And while a computer company can support the windows version only and let the community support the linux version, it isn't something they'd find that a particularly good situation. If the game isn't succesful, there will be to be little of a community to support it, and also (IMHO, that is) it would create less of an ill will against a company to say "I wish they ported the game to linux" than "I paid $60 for this and it won run!!!".
Slashdot Mirror
In my very limited experience (ubuntu), changing resolutions it's as easy as windows, once you have it recognized. Getting it recognized, on the other hand, did involve shutting down the GUI, going to command line, typing some commands (forgot which they were , I had a howto opened on the windows computer while I was doing this) then using a text mode program to manually select which resolutions I wanted the GUI to show, and then start the GUI again to see if you did it right. This is at least one area where windows was easier (again, in my experience), if the monitor wasn't recognized properly, then it was just a matter of unchecking the "hide unsuported resolutions and refresh rate settings" checkmark.
To be fair, for a newbie installing on windows steps 2, 3 and 4 end up being "keep clicking next until it's done". However, I do agree that it's easier installing in linux by using synaptic and simmilar (I doubt any newbie would really jump ahead to terminal and type apt-get install followed by a cryptic name), and at least in the latest version of ubuntu (always forget the current names) installing a .deb file is about the same process than a windows installer, at least in the ones I've tried, in case whatever is it that you want isn't on the repositories.
Agree with the other comment here, some but not all. Not sure why, but my computer works perfectly with 6.06, but the 6.10 liveCD/installer doesn't even start no matter what I did. Eventually managed update to 6.10 from the repositories (took some trouble to do it, though), but left some weird problems that for some reason I couldn't fix without switching to KDE (which I kinda like better after using it for a week or so anyway... and for the record, the problems were errors in the keyboard settings that prevented me from changing the keyboard language, and related, the altGR key not workng which I need for the # and @ symbols).
I don't know, but one of the things I'd like to see improved in WoW is the "everyone has the same body type" thing, maybe sliders for how thin/muscular/fat/tall/short you want someone (with limits, of course, so that humans are always taller than dwarves, for example).
I just think it would help set characters apart from everyone else, so you could play (for example) a fat priest like friar tuck on Robin Hood, or a thin tall albino guy like Elric of Melniboné. No idea how hard would it be to implement that, though. I'm still rather new to the game, probably would be problems scaling the armor that are actual models (instead of just different textures) when they're on the characters.
I have to agree too... I just started playing some weeks ago, and I'm level 32 but most of my friends are 60 already... hopefully I can get there and do some endgame quests with them before they all move to burning crusade and level 70 stuff.. :)
And then the alien conspiracy theorists will point at them as proof of intelligent life on earth, only to be dismissed by almost all the other aliens (like what happened to the face on mars and the butt on mercury)... :)
From what I've read (have to say haven't looked too much into it, still a newb level 28 here.. :) ), one of the things about TBC is that they're making the endgame (the cap is 70, BTW) more accesible to casual gaming. The two big changes seem to be that you now acumulate honor (or something like that) to buy the high level PvP gear (instead of what it is now that you have to rank among the top players to get it), so you can get them even if it takes longer if you play casually, and most (if not all) of the new instances will need less people to complete them. Don't really know about specifics, I'll ask one of the level 60's on my guild that has been following this more closely than me.
One thing I do disagree with you... IE5 when it came out was better than the version of netscape out at that time, at least in my experience. It felt a lot slower (not sure about how faster/slower it loaded the websites, but the program itself felt a lot slower and heavier than IE5) and it crashed much more frequently too. I remember I had a net cafe back when IE5 came out, and ISPs gave CDs with netscape on them to new costumers, and I had people bringing their computers for me to install it (and I kept a downloaded version for the more computer savvy people that just wanted to install it themselves).
Can't say I've ever had any problems with word on mac. Powerpoint, however, is another thing entirely. I very rarely create word or powerpoint content myself, but I read a lot of it sent from our clients (I positively HATE when I ask them to e-mail me some photos and they send a powerpoint file), and while word files usually look exactly like they do in windows (or at least simmilar enough for what I need), it's very common for the powerpoint files to get their layout all screwed around, even if all the fonts used are present.
You can also get them on thinkgeek... :)
http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/audio/7c99/
On the right click thing, I don't think that's what he means. IIRC when I tried ubuntu I did see the "open with" option, but what I think he meant is that, for example, if I have winamp as the default MP3 player and I right click on an MP3, on the popup menu I have the "play on winamp" and "queue on winamp playlist" option (without going into "open with"). If I have winrar installed, it also adds "compress this file" "compress and zip" and others. Also if I right click on a RAR or other compressed file (again, with winrar installed), I get "uncompress here" "uncompress on (folder with the compressed file name)" and the like (I never actually open winrar anymore, I just use the context menus for everything). That was one thing I remember missing in the week or so I used ubuntu.
AFAIK, it's still infringing even if it was being given away for free. The main difference is that the damages claimed by the company might be less, but even then it's not a certainty either.
The starwars and startrek fan movies are infringing too, but George Lucas and Paramount respectively have basically said that they won't do anything against them as long as they're not being sold (of course, there's no legal binding on that, so for all intent and purposes they could have a change of heart tomorrow and start suing right and left).
Well, in my friend's case, he's on a very transitated place right in front of a beach, and he closes before nigthfall... I've seen a couple here that are still open for a few more hours agter nightfall but they're next to very transitated fast food places. I'd believe they'd get robbed here and then, though... or most likely end up paying some protection money instead.. :)
My brother has two mainly because he does most of his business trough the phone, and here in Venezuela there are two major cell phone companies (well, more than two, but the other ones don't have countrywide coverage yet and neither of them work where I live), and both of them have rates that are a LOT cheaper for calls within the same cell phone company, so it's cheaper for him to have one of each and use them depending on who's he calling to.
:)
Also, it has become a rather popular business to buy several cell phones and then rent them on the street for people to make calls (kinda like public phones), and according to a friend that does that, it's quite profitable if you use the free minutes plans, plus you get enough "points" to change or get new cell phones from the operators at least once a year for free...
The OSX version isn't perfect either. I've had quite a few cases where the document's formatting is all broken out (though most of the times is because of windows only fonts used) and some issues with powerpoint files too. Good thing I'm not too affected by those, since I work with video so when I deal with office files are either for scripts I receive for someone to read for a video I'm making or when someone sends me some pictures to use them in a video and decide to send them on a powerpoint file instead of the actual picture files (I HATE that).
I have to agree there. The way I see it, Linux IS ready to be used by the masses (in my limited experience with ubuntu, at least), provided someone configures it and install all they need for them first, that is.
:)
However, the ways I can see linux making way into the home desktop are by having major vendors offer linux computers like the windows ones they offer (for example, a line of linux computers that come with everything preinstalled and heavily marketed), or linux having some killer app everyone wants (enough to make them want to switch) and that they can't get anywhere else, and that they might be willing to put off with the inconveniences and differences from what they're used to.
Until then, I guess we'll keep seeing "XXXX app is what linux needs to be on the desktop" articles...
I know that at least in my household (my mother and older brother) the big killer app they'd need is a full MSN messenger software that can seamless do everything it does with other MSN users (as in, emoticons, webcams, file transfer, animations, voice chat and the like).
Or at least that's how it looks from this side of the monitor..
On the install thing, windows does have several installers, but from the user's point of view they all end up being "double click file - next - next - next - wait for progress bar - next - finish". In my (limited) experience with linux, if the program you want is on the repositories it's very easy... if it's not, well... just hope you like the command line.
:)
However, I don't think a common installer is something relevant to this particular case. Most students aren't supposed to install anything on the school computers (that's the admin's job), and if they do have to install programs, it means they're going for a computer related degree, in which case it will actually benefit them to learn how to do things the hard way..
Most video editing programs I've used (well, premiere, afterFX and final cut pro) use the capslock key to allow you to scrub without previewing (but you can still hear the audio). That can be useful when you want to change something in an effects heavy area that slows down the computer as it tries to render a preview of the frames. Other than that, I don't think I ever use it anywhere else.. :)
Actually, no, I don't have it installed (I checked, just in case)... that's why I have it set to download but not install updates automatically, so I can see what's being installed before doing it. It did try to install WGA a month ago or so, I just unchecked it and told it not to ask me about it again (let's see how long until it tries to install it again, though).. :)
It's really a catch-22 situation. If MS doesn't provide a way for AV programs to load directly into the kernel, they aren't as effective.... on the other hand, if they do provide a way, that way can (and will) be leaked to that viruses and rootkits use it as well rendering the new security measures useless.
I guess it'll be a wait and see if these measures will work or not... if the kernel security system, coupled with the non admin use, works as intended, then the AV programs won't be an issue to begin with. What I wonder is that they say that the blackhats can bypass it... so, did they find out how? (and more importantly, did they report it to be fixed?)... and how easily?... I mean, if bypassing it depends on actually being on the computer, or getting the user to install an unknown program (inputting his admin password)), I don't see it being much of a deal, since that would be more of an user problem than an OS one.
The patches seemed to download and install fine on my computer without the WGA installed. I use automatic updates, though, but set to just download them and then ask me to install them (so I can see what's being installed). I think you only need WGA (at least for the time being) to download them from windowsupdate.com
Agree there... we have one wireless mouse at work and we end up changing its batteries a LOT...one more thing to buy batteries for isn't exactly my idea of progress... :)
:)
Well, that, and knowing how I am with the TV remote control, I'd end up tearing apart my room trying to find a mouse that most likely found its way to the fridge...
Agree there. I used it for a while and it took quite a while to switch desktops. I use one called Virtual Dimension (found it on sourceforge, google it around) that seems to be at least as fast (in my computer) as Ubuntu's (on my previous computer). The nvidia drivers also include one that was almost as fast too if you configure it right.
I agree there. The big difference between this war and the VHS/betamax one was that back then there wasn't really a practical alternative (that I can remember at least, I had like 5 when we got our first and only betamax). The only other home movie player I saw were some very big, bulky and complicated 8 mm film projectors some people had, and the movies that were much more expensive than the beta tapes when they came out and less practical to handle, so it was obvious one of them would stick because frankly, there wasn't really anything else.
This time, though, there's DVD that's just as practical as any of the new formats, a LOT more widespread, and I'd bet that for 95% or more (most likely more) of the population worldwide that doesn't have an HDTV it would look just as well as any of the new formats. Heck, lots people I know here in Venezuela have their DVD player connected to 14" TVs with 19" considered a big one, and sometimes I'm considered kind of "snobbish" for buying original DVDs because of the quality and extras instead of the pirated VCDs or shakycam DVDs they sell on the streets
I don't doubt one of these formats (or maybe even a third one) will take hold several years from now when HDTV starts being the norm rather than the exception... but I really doubt that there are enough people right now to make either one of the formats to become really dominant for the time being.
The big difference, though, is that while there might be more linux users than mac users, I really doubt there are more linux only gamers than mac gamers. Most hardcore gamers that run linux will either dual boot windows, or have a second windows computer around. There are some like you that are linux only but I'd be prepared to bet they're a lot less than mac only gamers.
Add to that the fact that it's relatively very easy to test a game against all possible mac configurations, so if a game is coded from the beggining to be cross platform, it's easy to make it likely to run on any mac out there. It's harder with linux with all the different possible configurations it allows. And while a computer company can support the windows version only and let the community support the linux version, it isn't something they'd find that a particularly good situation. If the game isn't succesful, there will be to be little of a community to support it, and also (IMHO, that is) it would create less of an ill will against a company to say "I wish they ported the game to linux" than "I paid $60 for this and it won run!!!".
That's how I see it, anyway.