It's true there is a lack of industry-specific apps for Linux, open source or not. For example, in Molecular Biology (stuff used in the Pharma Industry) there nothing for Linux comparable to what you can find for Windows and Mac OSX.
But no IT company will develop open-source software, for Linux or not, unless either they have dual licenses or some indirect source of revenue. We are talking about putting in money, time, and effort to create something new. Everybody has a stake, one way or another. Open-source developers have their own motivations, often status among their peers or the prospect of getting a better job.
The only cross-platform development tool I am aware of is Lazarus/FPC, a Delphi clone, and I can say it has come a long way from what it was 10 years ago. I highly recommend it to those wanting to write code once and compile it "everywhere".
I am surprised it took them so long to make this decision and I expect other countries to do the same. Maps have historically been used by explorers and the military so why would any country accept that potential enemies gain access to that kind of information?
Ada has turned into Pascal in the '80s and then into Delphi in the '90s.
It is not surprising that Ada is going through a "rediscovery" phase. A few days ago I was discussing with a professional software developper the pros and cons of Java and I realized that C programmers who migrated to Java did so for some of its features that Pascal had long before Java was even "born". It is likely that most Java programmers were never exposed to either of Ada, Pascal, or Delphi. Perhaps it's not too late; a fully featured, non-time limited, free version of Delphi (Turbo Delphi Explorer http://cc.codegear.com/free/turbo) is available from Codegear, the Borland spin-off.
if you work for somebody else, learn whatever language they use. if you work for yourself, then stick with fortran if you are an engineer, c if you are a systems programmer, and delphi or visual basic if you are a scientist.
...they all have their zealots. They are devout defenders of what they love but, at the same time, they are adverse to change. That's why Balmer can say, with a smile, "I think there is value in Windows Vista" when asked about its instability; that's why Apple machines will continue to be more expensive than PCs at similar performance; that's why Linux will fail to go beyond the limits of its little world.
People who are unhappy with Linux are unhappy about what it is when they try using it. Those who are enthusiastic about Linux are so because of what it might be, some day. The situation has not changed much since the early nineties.
That's so true. If only the Linux community could learn from Microsoft the way Microsoft learned (and copied the good ideas) from others. I have been keeping a Linux machine up-to-date and running in my home for many years, switching from RedHat to Mandrake to Suse to Kubuntu and then to CentOS. Because I liked the ideea, the concept, the promise brought forth by Linux. I also do computer programming and I thought it was too good to be true when I learned that Borland's Kylix had become available on Linux; it didn't last for long. The last frustration I have is the lack of KDE-4 RPMS for my distribution. So I turn my Linux machine on every once in a while, sit back and tell myself with great satisfaction that Apache and PHP are probably much safer running under Linux -- and then I reboot in (the non-default grub boot partition) Windows to create a DVD and play Trespasser.
Somebody gave this post a "0" score. It's unfortunate I cannot vote on this one but I would give it a "+10" score if I could because it make so much sense, especially when compared to some other posts that scored "+4". Thumbs up!
Besides, Microsoft is the (pre)dominant platform for a reason. If you went to Bestbuy and had the choice betwenn preinstalled Windows and preinstalled Linux, what would you choose? How about Windows, because:
- It runs Internet Explorer, which will allow me to access every feature on every web-site, including the "non standards-compliant" ones;
- It runs MSN messenger, and the teenager in my house wants it;
- It runs iTunes and I need it for my iPod;
- It runs MS Office and that is what my friends and I use at work (well, at home, too...);
- It comes with DVD creation/labelling software;
- I can watch any videoclip, in any format;
- It can run any videogame that I can buy at Futureshop;
- It is compatible with my Sony digital camera;
- It is compatible with my Canon flatbed scanner;
- It is compatible with my Logitech webcam;
MacOS-X is better than Windows it terms of user experience and if it was not more expensive than Windows I might switch to it. The rest is developper narcissism and user evangelism -- and, worse, without documentation.
That is not the reason why Linux failed to achieve critical mass on the desktop. I've been using Linux in parellel to Windows for the last 15 years and it is great as a server but as a desktop it doesn't measure up to Windows or MacOS-X in terms of multimedia and speciality software (e.g., Molecular Biology). Most software on Linux, being open source, is a "80/20 project" and the missing 80% functionality is unfortunately important from a user's point of view ("The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little 'extra'."). To me, the consumer Unix is MacOS-X but even that OS sometimes fails to deliver and it is too expensive compared to Windows. Therefore, as much as I despise the MS way of doing business I have no choice but to go with what they offer.
To follow up on the previous post, I would say that Computer Science is the knowledge and Computer Programming is the skill -- the latter is not worth much without the former.
I have been programming computers for almost 20 years and IMO it's a shame that C and Java have come to dominate this field. C was invented with the main purpose of writing operating systems. It is powerfull and flexible and therefore it is overkill for the vast majority of programmers who only need to get simpler jobs done, particularly for people who do not work in high tech (most people do not work in high tech). Java is even worse because it is like C without the goodies. C is good to understand what programming is really about but it's way too complicated and too cryptical for that purpose. I am not saying that we should go back to Fortran (although Fortran has been greatly enhanced, with pointers and such) but languages such as Delphi or Ada are much better suited for most purposes because they are more intuitive and therefore easier to learn and use.
i don't get it -- the publisher should get their money, anyway, and it should be amazon.com losing money if they do free shipping, or, at least, making a lesser profit.
that being said, the law is the law and everybody is supposed to abide by it. in canada, for instance, some laws are different in quebec and ontario (two different provinces, like -- for the americans -- two different states) so, if you live in ottawa (the capital city of canada), in ontario, you can only buy alcoholic drinks in authorized stores and until 9 pm, whereas if you cross the ottawa river into quebec (a 1 minute drive) you can buy alcoholic drinks at any convenience store and until 11 pm. also, gas is more expensive in quebec that in ontario a.s.o. and nobody sues anybody about that because different laws apply on each side of the river and canadians have no problem with that. so why would the ceo of amazon.com expect another country to change its laws for him?
"By incorporating small pieces of logic into the processor, the vendor can enable and disable individual cores"
so, why build multicore machines and then disable the cores?
I got my Vista Home Premium laptop six months ago and everything worked just fine for a long time. I had no problems with compatibility, blue screens or such, and even older computer games run perfectly, so I was surprised with the criticism against Vista that seemes to flourish everywhere on the net. However, things changed a little over the last 2-3 months (because of the updates?). Here is a short list of nuissances that I experience:
- computer often reboots after entering the states of sleep or hibernation;
- many applications occasionally become unresponsive for 30 seconds or more;
- WMP becomes unresponsive for up to one minute when playing files over the local network;
- computers on the local network are no longer displayed after resuming from a 1-2 hour hibernation;
- copying/moving local files takes an unexpected long time;
- some files become locked and can only be unlocked by rebooting.
The stability of XP SP2 is better but it's overrated. It depends on which programs you run and for how long. The "right" programs will make XP less and less responsive after a few days of continuous running, or they will start to behave unexpectedly.
Speaking of XP, as of last week MS are pushing WGA as a high priority (=mandatory) update some of the XP machines I've been working on. It's not optional and cannot be ignored. Anyone noticed that?
in terms of reliability, youtube is no different than those magazines that you can buy at the cash in any superstore accross north america, where you can learn the latest "news" on the lives of hollywood stars and such. who would use that as a reliable source of information? why care at all?
yes, in my case i signed the "agreement" when i was hired and it was valid through month 18 after the end of my employment, for any kind of "invention" or "idea" that i would potentially come up with, not necessarily related to the industry sector my employer belonged to. i wonder how companies get away with that.
Slashdot Mirror
It's true there is a lack of industry-specific apps for Linux, open source or not. For example, in Molecular Biology (stuff used in the Pharma Industry) there nothing for Linux comparable to what you can find for Windows and Mac OSX.
But no IT company will develop open-source software, for Linux or not, unless either they have dual licenses or some indirect source of revenue. We are talking about putting in money, time, and effort to create something new. Everybody has a stake, one way or another. Open-source developers have their own motivations, often status among their peers or the prospect of getting a better job.
The only cross-platform development tool I am aware of is Lazarus/FPC, a Delphi clone, and I can say it has come a long way from what it was 10 years ago. I highly recommend it to those wanting to write code once and compile it "everywhere".
I am surprised it took them so long to make this decision and I expect other countries to do the same. Maps have historically been used by explorers and the military so why would any country accept that potential enemies gain access to that kind of information?
That's how it started. But you know what they say, "no religion remains pure for long".
reminds me of that movie
It is not surprising that Ada is going through a "rediscovery" phase. A few days ago I was discussing with a professional software developper the pros and cons of Java and I realized that C programmers who migrated to Java did so for some of its features that Pascal had long before Java was even "born". It is likely that most Java programmers were never exposed to either of Ada, Pascal, or Delphi. Perhaps it's not too late; a fully featured, non-time limited, free version of Delphi (Turbo Delphi Explorer http://cc.codegear.com/free/turbo) is available from Codegear, the Borland spin-off.
hot unless the metabolic rate decreased in all tissues, in which case the brain would be protected against hypoxia.
if you work for somebody else, learn whatever language they use. if you work for yourself, then stick with fortran if you are an engineer, c if you are a systems programmer, and delphi or visual basic if you are a scientist.
...they all have their zealots. They are devout defenders of what they love but, at the same time, they are adverse to change. That's why Balmer can say, with a smile, "I think there is value in Windows Vista" when asked about its instability; that's why Apple machines will continue to be more expensive than PCs at similar performance; that's why Linux will fail to go beyond the limits of its little world.
People who are unhappy with Linux are unhappy about what it is when they try using it. Those who are enthusiastic about Linux are so because of what it might be, some day. The situation has not changed much since the early nineties.
Maybe the time to wake up has come and passed.
Somebody gave this post a "0" score. It's unfortunate I cannot vote on this one but I would give it a "+10" score if I could because it make so much sense, especially when compared to some other posts that scored "+4". Thumbs up!
- It runs Internet Explorer, which will allow me to access every feature on every web-site, including the "non standards-compliant" ones;
- It runs MSN messenger, and the teenager in my house wants it;
- It runs iTunes and I need it for my iPod;
- It runs MS Office and that is what my friends and I use at work (well, at home, too...);
- It comes with DVD creation/labelling software;
- I can watch any videoclip, in any format;
- It can run any videogame that I can buy at Futureshop;
- It is compatible with my Sony digital camera;
- It is compatible with my Canon flatbed scanner;
- It is compatible with my Logitech webcam;
MacOS-X is better than Windows it terms of user experience and if it was not more expensive than Windows I might switch to it. The rest is developper narcissism and user evangelism -- and, worse, without documentation.
That is not the reason why Linux failed to achieve critical mass on the desktop. I've been using Linux in parellel to Windows for the last 15 years and it is great as a server but as a desktop it doesn't measure up to Windows or MacOS-X in terms of multimedia and speciality software (e.g., Molecular Biology). Most software on Linux, being open source, is a "80/20 project" and the missing 80% functionality is unfortunately important from a user's point of view ("The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little 'extra'."). To me, the consumer Unix is MacOS-X but even that OS sometimes fails to deliver and it is too expensive compared to Windows. Therefore, as much as I despise the MS way of doing business I have no choice but to go with what they offer.
the odds of three undersea cables being accidentally cut off at almost the same time is virtually zero. it was a test and a warning.
I have been programming computers for almost 20 years and IMO it's a shame that C and Java have come to dominate this field. C was invented with the main purpose of writing operating systems. It is powerfull and flexible and therefore it is overkill for the vast majority of programmers who only need to get simpler jobs done, particularly for people who do not work in high tech (most people do not work in high tech). Java is even worse because it is like C without the goodies. C is good to understand what programming is really about but it's way too complicated and too cryptical for that purpose. I am not saying that we should go back to Fortran (although Fortran has been greatly enhanced, with pointers and such) but languages such as Delphi or Ada are much better suited for most purposes because they are more intuitive and therefore easier to learn and use.
that being said, the law is the law and everybody is supposed to abide by it. in canada, for instance, some laws are different in quebec and ontario (two different provinces, like -- for the americans -- two different states) so, if you live in ottawa (the capital city of canada), in ontario, you can only buy alcoholic drinks in authorized stores and until 9 pm, whereas if you cross the ottawa river into quebec (a 1 minute drive) you can buy alcoholic drinks at any convenience store and until 11 pm. also, gas is more expensive in quebec that in ontario a.s.o. and nobody sues anybody about that because different laws apply on each side of the river and canadians have no problem with that. so why would the ceo of amazon.com expect another country to change its laws for him?
besides, in the EU there are lot less commercials in the tv programs, particularly in the movies.
...if they record directly to a DVD-R(W), not to a hard drive.
"By incorporating small pieces of logic into the processor, the vendor can enable and disable individual cores" so, why build multicore machines and then disable the cores?
it would be great and all countries should follow suit, provided it works out.
I got my Vista Home Premium laptop six months ago and everything worked just fine for a long time. I had no problems with compatibility, blue screens or such, and even older computer games run perfectly, so I was surprised with the criticism against Vista that seemes to flourish everywhere on the net. However, things changed a little over the last 2-3 months (because of the updates?). Here is a short list of nuissances that I experience: - computer often reboots after entering the states of sleep or hibernation; - many applications occasionally become unresponsive for 30 seconds or more; - WMP becomes unresponsive for up to one minute when playing files over the local network; - computers on the local network are no longer displayed after resuming from a 1-2 hour hibernation; - copying/moving local files takes an unexpected long time; - some files become locked and can only be unlocked by rebooting. The stability of XP SP2 is better but it's overrated. It depends on which programs you run and for how long. The "right" programs will make XP less and less responsive after a few days of continuous running, or they will start to behave unexpectedly.
Speaking of XP, as of last week MS are pushing WGA as a high priority (=mandatory) update some of the XP machines I've been working on. It's not optional and cannot be ignored. Anyone noticed that?
in terms of reliability, youtube is no different than those magazines that you can buy at the cash in any superstore accross north america, where you can learn the latest "news" on the lives of hollywood stars and such. who would use that as a reliable source of information? why care at all?
yes, but only if you have the leverage for negotiation.
yes, in my case i signed the "agreement" when i was hired and it was valid through month 18 after the end of my employment, for any kind of "invention" or "idea" that i would potentially come up with, not necessarily related to the industry sector my employer belonged to. i wonder how companies get away with that.