Didn't he already write that book? Do these predator microbes evolve and eat through rubber seals? Do they evolve into something uninterested in humans and float (back) off into space?
Has writing novels been reduced to someting like:
sed y/"old fear"/"new fear"/ old_novel.text > new_novel.text
Perhaps you aren't aware of the size of the discounts that MS extends to its preferred vendors. Or the paper-thin margins that PC vendors operate on.
Do you really think that Dell pays $200 dollars for the OS on a $494 PC? They probably pay closer to $10. If they jack that up to, say, $50 Dell wouldn't be able to compete in that market any longer. They sell a shitload more units in the $499-$2,000 range than they do $50,000 servers.
As PC prices come down, and software prices stay the same, or increase, this effect only becomes more pronounced. (Incidentally, Intel does almost the same thing with co-marketing, which is why you can't by an AMD based Dell. That Intel "Ding-dun-dun-do" at the end of practically every PC commercial is the sound of Intel coercing the PC vendor.)
Incidentally, the versions of Windows that ship on $50k servers do list for several thousand dollars, so the same action on MS part scales. Instead of selling OEM Enterprise Edition to Dell for $100, they might sell it for $500, (still far less than its $4,000 list price) eating a considerable amount, if not all, of Dell's profit.
Microsoft doesn't have Dell by the short'n'curlies
You are flatly wrong. Appreciate that, at least at the low end, the discretionary discounts that MS extends Dell is approximately equal to the profit on the sale. In other words, if MS decides to only offer its products to Dell at "normal" bulk pricing half of Dell's business disappears. While that business is probably not terribly profitable, it does add a huge number to their volume, which helps to defray fixed (and non-linear) costs.
In other words, MS could put Dell (yes Dell) out of business on a whim.
Now Dell moves a lot of their product, so they wouldn't do that. Unless their perception of how much of a threat Linux based systems are grows and their perception of how much of an ally Dell is shrinks.
None of this has anything to do with the quality (or lack of quality) of GNU/Linux systems, but it does have everything to do with my original post.
I worked for Dell from '98 to early '00. During that time they went from "testing the waters" to fairly comitted (with an "apliance" that came in two flavors: Linux and Netware). Then sort of back to testing the waters.
Now its '04 and they are testing the waters.
I think that it would be better to say that they are perpetually ready to "go Linux" if and when it makes sense, but MS still pretty much has them by the short hairs.
What do you mean? The GFDL is very friendly to dead-tree publishing.
The only "hurdle" is that no publisher can get exclusive rights to publish it. Is that what you mean? Do you think that is really a practical limitation in this case? (I don't, as I think it is too big and would take too much startup cost with too small a market for some other publisher to come in and poach.)
I'm as against the broadcast flag as the next slashdotter, but isn't it mandated by legislation? Are you really suggesting that a bureaucrat should have the ability to override the law by fiat?
Oh! Oh! I know! That the government isn't the answer to all problems?
But that's just the Libertarian in me talking.
In all seriousness, if you really think that this is a good idea consider pitching in to make it happen. I have my own project to this end, the Free Curriculum Project.
I tend to agree with the sentiment, but only about 4% of the oil we use comes from Iraq.
See http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/usa.html and http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data_ publications/company_level_imports/current/import. html.
I do not serve the computer, the computer serves me.
Anyway, I removed the old program dir and re-installed. It seems to have found all my bookmarks and let me choose which ones I wanted. So I grabbed my old 0.8 stuff.
Oh, the extensions work now too. Before I'd click the install link and it would just blink at me. Now it gives me the install dialog and they actually work after a restart (of Thunderbird)!
It is, in fact, windows. I'm stuck with it at work.
Slashdot Mirror
I live in Denver and will work for 40% less than average. And I don't say "eh?" all the time.
-Peter
And I thought that people talking on the cell phone while driving were bad!
-Peter
Has writing novels been reduced to someting like:?
-Peter
I would guess that their next robot will be based on buttered toast, and have the opposite capablities.
-Peter
And always has the inteneded effects.
-Peter
I didn't know that! So I guess it doesn't scale :-)
Can anyone blow my arguemnet about the low-end out of the water? AC?
-Peter
Perhaps you aren't aware of the size of the discounts that MS extends to its preferred vendors. Or the paper-thin margins that PC vendors operate on.
Do you really think that Dell pays $200 dollars for the OS on a $494 PC? They probably pay closer to $10. If they jack that up to, say, $50 Dell wouldn't be able to compete in that market any longer. They sell a shitload more units in the $499-$2,000 range than they do $50,000 servers.
As PC prices come down, and software prices stay the same, or increase, this effect only becomes more pronounced. (Incidentally, Intel does almost the same thing with co-marketing, which is why you can't by an AMD based Dell. That Intel "Ding-dun-dun-do" at the end of practically every PC commercial is the sound of Intel coercing the PC vendor.)
Incidentally, the versions of Windows that ship on $50k servers do list for several thousand dollars, so the same action on MS part scales. Instead of selling OEM Enterprise Edition to Dell for $100, they might sell it for $500, (still far less than its $4,000 list price) eating a considerable amount, if not all, of Dell's profit.
-Peter
You are flatly wrong. Appreciate that, at least at the low end, the discretionary discounts that MS extends Dell is approximately equal to the profit on the sale. In other words, if MS decides to only offer its products to Dell at "normal" bulk pricing half of Dell's business disappears. While that business is probably not terribly profitable, it does add a huge number to their volume, which helps to defray fixed (and non-linear) costs.
In other words, MS could put Dell (yes Dell) out of business on a whim.
Now Dell moves a lot of their product, so they wouldn't do that. Unless their perception of how much of a threat Linux based systems are grows and their perception of how much of an ally Dell is shrinks.
None of this has anything to do with the quality (or lack of quality) of GNU/Linux systems, but it does have everything to do with my original post.
-Peter
I worked for Dell from '98 to early '00. During that time they went from "testing the waters" to fairly comitted (with an "apliance" that came in two flavors: Linux and Netware). Then sort of back to testing the waters.
Now its '04 and they are testing the waters.
I think that it would be better to say that they are perpetually ready to "go Linux" if and when it makes sense, but MS still pretty much has them by the short hairs.
-Peter
In a word: yes.
Short answer: nothing. Longer answer: startup costs, lack of a market, etc. Bottom line is that it would be perfectly legal.
The FDL is a Copyleft license. You are encouraged to copy FDLed works and, if you'd like, sell them for any price you can get*.
-Peter
*This like is specifically about Free Software, but both the GPL and the FDL are by the FSF. They are two implementations of the same philosophy.
What do you mean? The GFDL is very friendly to dead-tree publishing.
The only "hurdle" is that no publisher can get exclusive rights to publish it. Is that what you mean? Do you think that is really a practical limitation in this case? (I don't, as I think it is too big and would take too much startup cost with too small a market for some other publisher to come in and poach.)
-Peter
I'm as against the broadcast flag as the next slashdotter, but isn't it mandated by legislation? Are you really suggesting that a bureaucrat should have the ability to override the law by fiat?
Or am I confused on this one?
-Peter
Still one of my favorites.
-Peter
Congratulations. You just invented Bluecurve.
-Peter
I saw "Clear and Present Danger" too.
While it was probably attached to an IBM mainframe, it was a StorageTek tape silo.
-Peter
One would presume that it is MS BASIC on ROM. I can finally get rid of those "NO ROM BASIC" errors on boot!
I guess that explains why Smith was able to spread to every other system in the Matrix, and why it has to be reloaded so damned often.
Damn you Gates!
-Peter
Oh! Oh! I know! That the government isn't the answer to all problems?
But that's just the Libertarian in me talking.
In all seriousness, if you really think that this is a good idea consider pitching in to make it happen. I have my own project to this end, the Free Curriculum Project.
I also help out a bit with another, Free High School Science Texts.
I know that both or either project would sincerely appreciate your help.
Both are focused on High School texts. Mine is biased to the United States of America, the other is South African.
-Peter
Charles Barkley: That's cold, Obi-Wan.
-Peter
'Cause you have a dead battery, and don't want to get stuck with an expensive nonfunctional item again?
-Peter
Government gets big for its own good. It gets too big for our own good.
As said in a sibling post, vote Libertarian!
-Peter
I tend to agree with the sentiment, but only about 4% of the oil we use comes from Iraq.
_ publications/company_level_imports/current/import. html.
See http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/usa.html and http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data
-Peter
Coincidentally, I have a plan all drawn up. Perhaps I could colaborate with the BAS.
-Peter
I do not serve the computer, the computer serves me.
Anyway, I removed the old program dir and re-installed. It seems to have found all my bookmarks and let me choose which ones I wanted. So I grabbed my old 0.8 stuff.
Oh, the extensions work now too. Before I'd click the install link and it would just blink at me. Now it gives me the install dialog and they actually work after a restart (of Thunderbird)!
It is, in fact, windows. I'm stuck with it at work.
-Peter
0.9 ate my bookmarks when I upgraded from 0.8.
I guess I'm a sucker for thinking that 0.9.1 wouldn't eat 'em again.
-Peter
I belive the quote is, "Well I don't want Fop, godammit! I'm a Dapper Dan man!"
-Peter