$179 for an Airport base station, $321 for three 500GB USB drives and a USB 2.0 hub. Should be enough for a serious porn collection, and you get wireless N for free. Or $179 for a Linksys WRT350N. It provides one more gigabit ethernet port (4 ports) over Airport (3 ports) and doesn't require additional config software (it uses the usual web-based config). It doesn't look as cool as Airport, though.
Thanks for the suggestion about Whole Foods w.w. pasta. I'll keep an eye out next time I'm at HEB Just to make things perfectly clear, I'm referring to Whole Foods Market, the chain of "upscale" grocery stores that specializes in natural and organic foods (also on Wikipedia). Lots of expensive stuff, but I go there mostly for their reasonably priced store-brand stuff and bulk food section. I believe their store-brand whole wheat pasta is sold under the label "365 Organic".
I'd never heard of HEB and Googled them a few minutes ago. Apparently, they're based in Texas. Whole Foods has some Texas locations.
The IT field breeds an unhealthy life style, after sitting at a computer all day most people have to struggle to do anything active in the evenings. Couple that with the long hours, stress, loneliness, and depression that are common with "Geeks" and you have a recipe for disaster. I know what works for me won't work for everybody, but jogging (not running) in the evening works for me. I've tried early-morning jogging, but my body can never "warm up" or get loose during the jog. The difficult part about evening jogging is getting my ass out there when my mind is tired. However, once I get started, my mind/body adjusts and I have no problem finishing my 45-75 minute jog four or five nights a week.
Wherever I live, I try to find a reasonably well-lit route from my doorstep (driving to my running route is an extra time-wasting hassle). I look forward to weekends when I can jog during the day (which I'll do right after this comment). My health has been much better when I slowed down my runs to a jog and didn't let the time of day determine when I went jogging.
I wish I had mod points yesterday. I've read about (in a nutrition course textbook) med school curricula that required, at most, a single course on nutrition. The old "family doctor" might seem like a good source for nutrition advice, but a good college student who recently aced a course on nutrition will be more up-to-date and probably give better advice. Good nutrition studies/experiments are slow, expensive, difficult to control, and not as well-funded as they should be.
Hopefully, the family doctor will be unpretentious and recommend a Dietician.
Keep in mind, though, that he cherry-picks his evidence to an extent that would never pass peer-review itself. He's also misrepresented quite a few of his sources to the point where they're too angry to talk to him anymore. Reminds me of what quoted sources said about Barry Sears ("The Zone" diet).
As for Taubes, from the Reason Magazine article "Big Fat Fake":
But there were serious problems with this revolutionary argument about one of our nation's most serious health problems. For example, Taubes omitted any reference to hundreds of refereed scientific studies published during the last three decades that contradicted his position. Researchers from whom he could not pull even a single useful quote supportive of his thesis were banished from the piece, while many of those whom Taubes did end up quoting now complain that he twisted their words.
Stanford University endocrinologist Gerald Reaven:
"I thought [Taubes'] article was outrageous," Reaven says. "I saw my name in it and all that was quoted to me was not wrong. But in the context it looked like I was buying the rest of that crap." He adds, "I tried to be helpful and a good citizen, and I ended up being embarrassed as hell. He sort of set me up." When I first contacted Reaven, he was so angry he wouldn't even let me interview him.
Stanford cardiologist John Farquhar:
"I was greatly offended by how Gary Taubes tricked us all into coming across as supporters of the Atkins diet," says one such source, Stanford University cardiologist John Farquhar. "I think he's a dangerous man. I'm sorry I ever talked to him."
"I was greatly offended by how Gary Taubes tricked us all into coming across as supporters of the Atkins diet," he wrote in an e-mail he broadcast to reporters and to colleagues who were stunned that Farquhar might actually hold the beliefs Taubes attributed to him. "We are against the Atkins Diet," he wrote, speaking for himself and Reaven. "I told him [Taubes] there is the minor degree of merit" to the idea that "people are getting fatter because too much emphasis is being placed on just cutting fats," Farquhar told me. But "once I gave him that opening -- bingo -- he was off and running, even though I said about six times that this is not the cause of the obesity epidemic."
Make sure they're whole-grain pastas, not cheapo Wal-Mart or HEB pasta. Whole Foods sells pretty good (IMO) relatively cheap (around $1.50/lb) whole-wheat pastas (their store-brand organic). Trader Joe's cheap ($1/lb) w.w. pasta is pretty lousy. Also, IMO, tomato-based sauces don't work with w.w. pasta. I recommend pesto, cheese, or oil-based mixes.
If you rip a Audio CD to MP3,AAC,WMA or OGG that is lossy compression. There is no way of getting the original data back. If you compress it with FLAC, you can get the exact bits present on the original Audio CD. I think it's also helpful to compare the size of FLAC files compared to typical MP3/AAC/WMA/OGG files (in kbps since that's the way many users think nowadays). According to FLAC's site, FLAC typically compresses CD audio to about 54% of its original size.
Uncompressed CD Audio: 1411.2 kbps
FLAC at 54% compression: 762 kbps
"Very high quality" lossy compression: 256 kbps
"High quality" lossy compression: 192 kbps
So FLAC's big drawback is filesizes 3x the size of 256 kbps files and 4x the size of 192 kbps files. For me, it's worth it.
I think you'd increase your slash-cred if you explained it using a Futurama quote:
Leela: Our car broke down and we're low on oxygen. Can we borrow some? Moon farmer: Borry? Listen here, city girl. You can't just borry oxygen. Oxygen doesn't grow on trees. You'll have to work it off doing chores on my hydroponic farm. You can return to your precious park at sun-up. Fry: I guess we can do chores for a few hours. Leela: Night lasts two weeks on the moon. Moon farmer: Yep, goes down to minus-173 degrees. Fry: Celsius or Fahrenheit? Moon farmer: First one, then the other.
I think these days format wars are no longer resolved. Instead hybrids will come out which can handle whatever format you throw at them. HTPC + $300 LG "hybrid" optical drive for the win! That LG drive plays, but doesn't burn, both Blu-ray and HD DVD. It also burns DVDs and CDs, of course.
$300 ain't cheap for a computer optical drive (and it doesn't burn the new formats), but that's a heck of a lot less than the set top hybrid players I've seen so far (~$700 is the cheapest I've seen). HTPC components are getting better, cheaper, and more numerous. I may never buy a set top video player again.
Quick, cheap HTPC config (all prices Newegg except case from eWiz):
LG optical drive: $300
In Win IW-BK623 case w/power supply: $50
GIGABYTE GA-73PVM-S2H motherboard with HDMI and digital audio out: $90
You are right on FLW in that he did not design for function as much as his mentor, Louis Sullivan who coined the phrase "Form Follows Function." FLW did a great job of creating fantastic spaces (with lots of roof leaks), but they were not built for the occupants. I grew up using one of Frank Lloyd Wright's last designs: the Marin County Civic Center. Many (maybe most) Slashdot readers have seen this building in the sci-fi movies THX 1138 and/or Gattaca. I think the building's "futuristic" look is pretty impressive for a building that was designed in the late 1950s.
However, my childhood memories of the Civic Center include leaking roofs (as you mentioned) and cool-looking (but unusable) drinking fountains. The fountains are freakin' round. I wish I could find a photo, but imagine half of a round metal sink recessed into the wall (with a claustrophia-inducing oval indentation) and half of the sink sticking out. To take a drink, you stick your head into a freakin' wall and the round sink sticks into your ribs. I'm not kidding.
What's better for a chinese citizen, a Google search that's censored by google as legally required by the government, a chinese company's search result, or no search result? I'm of the opinion that a censored google is better than no google at all. Did "search" have anything to do with this violation of basic human rights? I thought all the information that Yahoo turned over to the Chinese government was from Yahoo's message boards and/or email service.
As pointed out in the article, Yahoo would have been putting their chinese employees at risk by refusing to turn over the information. Where's the moral superiority there? The only argument that can be made is that they shouldn't do any business at all in China, thereby increasing the separation between chinese citizens and the rest of the world. Am I missing something? Why the fuck can't Yahoo just exclude the services (like message boards and email) that can obviously get Chinese citizens in trouble with the government? Yahoo seems to have tons of services that don't depend on messages (e.g. search, advertising, news, finance, music, shopping, etc). We (outside of China) have known for a long time how the Chinese government can sometimes mistreat its "dissadents," but Chinese citizens might not know what they can and cannot say (since so much of their information is censored).
I think this dilemna was predictable and never should have occured. Messages boards and email never should have been provided on Yahoo China.
Homer: Why didn't I bet on them like Professor Pigskin told me to?
Lisa: Who's Professor Pigskin?
Homer: (Holding Professor Pignskin pamplet) He's a pig who can predict football winners in advance!
Lisa: How is that possible?
Homer: Because he's got something no gambler's ever had: a system! I've gotten the pamphlet four weeks in a row, and every time, the pick-of-the-week has been right on the money.
Lisa: Ah... I get it. Every week, they send out two pamphlets, half picking one team and half picking the other. Eventually, there's a small group of people who only receive the correct predictions and think Professor Pigskin is always right. That's when they ask for your money.
Homer: I have money!
Lisa: Dad, it's a scam!
Homer: A scam?! Not according to Eddie F. From Tucson, or Football Millionaire in Beloit, Michigan.
At that price point who cares about the player, it's the media. Which is why I wouldn't use a high-def player if I got it for free. The player also upconverts standard DVDs. Even if HD DVD media doesn't catch on, isn't that price point ($100) good for that purpose alone?
Of course, that assumes the buyer has an HDTV that correctly handles lossless 1080i to 1080p conversion (3:2 pulldown deinterlacing). I wonder if all newer HDTVs do this correctly.
Whoops, mini-ITX not mini-ATX Also, another nitpick from your original comment:
These computers are in cases that would fit a full-size ATX motherboard. Actually, a full-size ATX board (7 expansion slots) would not fit in that case (4 slots). That case is for microATX boards (9.6" x 9.6"), not "full" ATX (12" x 9.6"). That still seems ridiculously large for a mini-ITX board (6.7" x 6.7", 1 slot), though.
That case also looks like it's designed following Intel's Thermally Advantaged Chassis specification, which was created when Intel's CPU temperatures were getting out of control (NetBurst era). The back of the case has a space for a 92mm exhaust fan and the side of the case has intake vents directly over where the CPU and external graphics card would be in a microATX case. All this for a CPU that consumes 20W max at load.
we all know that games generally speaking are the most intensive software ever run on a PC
Not even close. Games, after all, run in realtime. There are many, many applications out there that have no problem pegging top-of-the-line hardware for hours on end: DV editing, raytracing, scientific computing. Maybe by "PC" the GP meant "desktop PC" and not "workstation." Of course, the Skulltrail platform is just workstation hardware (dual Xeons, ECC FB-DIMMS) with some modifications for uber-gamers that have more money than common sense.
Isn't a standard workstation (dual workstation CPUs, ECC RAM, workstation graphics card) more appropriate for DV editing, raytracing, and scientific computing? Isn't "desktop" hardware (fast single desktop CPU, faster non-ECC DDR2, "gamer" graphics card/cards) more appropriate for gaming?
That's why I'm confused about the existence of the Skulltrail/V8 platform. Does anybody buy this shit? I thought V8 (Skulltrail's predecessor) was only created in response to AMD's ridiculous Quad FX platform (dual CPU for desktops). I thought Quad FX was only created in response to Intel's quad-core desktop CPUs, since AMD only had dual-core at the time (the only way AMD could "match" Intel's quad-core desktops was to create a dual-CPU platform for the desktop).
Intel's fast single-CPU quad-core desktops outperformed Quad FX in most important benchmarks anyway. I thought Intel's V8 was just a demo to rub it in. Now that both Intel and AMD have quad-core CPUs, why do either of them need dual-CPU desktops that use workstation hardware? Uber-gamers are better served with single-CPU enthusiast desktop platforms (Core 2, Athlon). Other power-users are better served with dual-CPU standard workstation platforms (Xeon, Opteron).
The Mini is actually one of the easier systems to upgrade, since you just have to pop the case off. Somewhat easy for you or me. However, according to the current Mac mini User's Guide (PDF):
Page 29: "WARNING: Do not attempt to open your Mac mini. If your Mac mini needs service, see Learning More, Service, and Supporton page 41 for information about how to
contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider or Apple for service.Your Mac mini
doesnt have any user-serviceable parts."
Page 41: "Your Mac mini does not have any user-serviceable parts. If you need service, take your Mac mini to an Apple Authorized Service Provider or contact Apple for service.You can
find more information about your Mac mini through online resources, onscreen help,
System Profiler, or Apple Hardware Test."
Page 49: "Your Mac mini doesnt have any user-serviceable parts. Do not attempt to open your
Mac mini. If your Mac mini needs service, consult the service and support information
that came with your computer for instructions about how to contact an Apple
Authorized Service Provider or Apple for service.
If you open your Mac mini or install items, you risk damaging your equipment, and
such damage isnt covered by the limited warranty on your Mac mini."
Much easier to get at than a laptop... I can upgrade much of the system with improved laptop components (like a faster drive and more memory). Mostly the things people would upgrade anyway. Actually, it's easier to upgrade hard drives and memory on most modern notebooks. You don't need to pry open the case and work around the other internal components like you would on a Mac mini. On most notebooks, just open the hard drive and memory covers on the bottom.
I agree that hard drive and memory are the most common upgrades/replacements on standard desktops. However, other somewhat common upgrades/replacements are optical drive (burner or Blu-ray), wireless (final draft 802.11n or WiMax), video card (for high-bitrate h.264 HDCP), and tv tuner. Sure, you can add most of these using slower and more expensive external peripherals, but doesn't that tarnish the elegance of the Mac mini?
The Mac mini is a very nice tiny computer and many users are more than satisfied with the performance of "slow" (by current standards) notebook parts. However, I wouldn't call it "easy to upgrade" and it doesn't integrate every useful technology that will be available over its 3-year or longer lifetime.
Which makes me wonder: will ASUS, Gigabyte, or XFX come out with a passively cooled version? If not, will there be a chipset that's quicker than the 8600GTS yet passively cooled?
The 8600s are real stinkers with respect to performance, but they're the fastest passively cooled game in town on the NVIDIA side of the fence.
In case you missed the announcement: Sparkle is releasing a passively-cooled GeForce 8800 GT. It's a single-slot card. Silent, but deadly.
"Amazon MP3 does not yet offer the complete Dixie Chicks catalog. Not all record labels have approved all of their music for sale as MP3s, but we're working to expand selection. "
I think the next sentence in Amazon's reason is relevant:
"Shop the complete collection of Dixie Chicks in our CD store."
Since these same labels haven't approved non-drm sales in the iTunes store either, what makes you think they will on the Amazon site? The same "matter of time" will never happen, given the current greedy culture of the labels. I agree with this point, but many people (I don't know how many) would rather just buy the freakin' CD on Amazon (for very good new/used prices) than buy a track with DRM on iTunes. Some people hate DRM so much (even Apple's wonderful FairPlay DRM) they'll shop Amazon instead, where they can find MP3s if the label allows it or CDs if they don't.
Of course, a gazillion iTunes song sales may be proving me wrong. I'm hoping those buyers wake up and realize how much DRM sucks (just like Jobs says).
You had to ask for Linux in a very different way. Now, they are offering a proper desktop alternative, which wasn't the case before, so when he says they've had Linux for 8+ years, it doesn't tell the whole story. There's a difference between offering Linux, under the table more or less, and offering it as an actual alternative to Windows when you're ordering your new laptop. There was nothing "under the table" about the way Dell has been selling Red Hat Linux Enterprise on their Precision workstations and PowerEdge Servers for the last 8+ years. I'm pretty darned sure (TFA appears to be Slashdotted) that's what Hull was referring to when he said they've been "supporting, testing, developing for, and selling Linux for 8+ years."
I agree with what I think is your point, though. There's a huge difference between professional workstations/servers with Red Hat Linux Enterprise and desktops/notebooks with Ubuntu.
I know you're joking (I hope so), but for all you Butt-heads out there waiting for AC/DC on iTunes (or any other digital store not owned by Verizon), check in April 2008.
How about Quickbooks? Can't use compatibility mode here, you MUST upgrade to version 2007 or newer if you have Vista ($500-++?? for multiuser versions). MANY other industry specific apps are the same in my experience. Can you believe Intuit never bothered to get Windows XP certification for pre-2007 versions of Quickbooks? If Quickbooks was certified for Windows XP, then it would automatically be compatible with Windows Vista.
Quickbooks's "forbidden" behavior: In order to talk to Intuit or third party add-on software (a common occurrence for many users), Quickbooks writes to a part of the registry that requires Administrator privileges. Every competent developer knows this goes against Windows XP (and Windows 2000) programming guidelines. To allow for backwards compatibility, XP was more permissive than Vista. Vista is finally enforcing these guidelines.
Quickbooks, and any other "industry specific app" that requires Administrator privileges, sucks donkey balls.
This may mean we'll soon see a Mac hardware announcement from Apple that uses X38. We may be dreamin' (as another comment in this thread said), but I think this would be a great chipset for the mythical "xMac" or "Mac XL" for all those desktop buyers who don't want an underpowered SFF (Mac mini), an all-in-one with few options (iMac), or an overpowered dual-processor workstation (Mac Pro).
The X38 chipset offers Apple a choice of implementing four DDR2 or DDR3 slots, which are both better options than the iMac's two SO-DIMM slots or the Mac Pro's FB-DIMM slots. The CPU socket will accept a large variety good-performing desktop CPUs (not the iMac's notebook CPUs or the Mac Pro's server/workstation Xeons) from the Pentium Dual-Core E2140 (which offers great performance for $75) up through the upcoming (by MacWorld) 45nm quad-core "Extreme" CPUs. Other chipset features like PCI Express 2.0, RAID, and eSATA would help justify the price premium over the iMac.
The only drawback I can think of is the probable large case size if the X38 chipset is used. "Performance" chipsets typically are used on large motherboards like ATX. I'd settle for a microATX-sized G35-based xMac. That would still be a heck of a lot better than an iMac, which uses a notebook chipset and offers few options.
"As a two-sided touch screen, the LucidTouch is a direct extension of our two-sided touch table, published previously as Under the Table Interaction (reference below).
...[snip]... Publications:
Wigdor, D.; Leigh, D.; Forlines, C.; Shipman, S.; Barnwell, J.; Balakrishnan, R.; Shen, C., "Under the Table Interaction", ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST), ISBN: 1-59593-313-1, pp. 259-268, October 2006 (ACM Press, TR2006-076)"
Microsoft's multitouch table (which has been in development for years) was covered on Slashdot. The "under the table" paper was published in October 2006. The Apple patent you linked to has a filing date of January 5, 2007.
So is Apple copying Microsoft? Of course not. A table is not an iPod/phone is not a see-through tablet. As another replier mentioned, there's an obviousness about this "behind the screen" interaction. However, Apple fanboys (I'm not calling you one) like to think everybody's copying Apple.
I think the re-enabled (by default) menu bar is just as important as the dropped WGA requirement. For novice/intermediate Windows users, IE7's hidden menu bar (revealed by pressing "Alt") was needlessly confusing. Every time I've checked a friend's IE7 setup (on both XP and Vista), I've asked if they wanted the menu bar back. Not surprisingly, the answer has been "YES" every time.
I'm guessing Microsoft wanted IE7 (and some of their other apps) to follow Office 2007's lead and get rid of the menu bar. This made sense for Office because the new contextual ribbon interface negates the need for a menu bar. It was hard to believe at first, but Office 2007 really does work better without the menu bar.
However, removing the menu bar from IE7 made no sense IMO. IE7 didn't implement a ribbon interface (which wouldn't work for this app anyway), but they still removed the menu bar and seemingly tried to put all important functions on the button bar. Requiring a keyboard shorcut ("Alt") to access the menu was annoying to me and probably frustrating to novice/intermediate users.
I think this simple change will significantly improve usablility. I'll still be an Opera man, though.
The only reason someone would want to use the champagne name is for marketing, which I think would probably benefit cheap knock-offs but hardly the consumer...
Champagne is a method which the Australians use it and actually make better wine. There are cheap knock offs, but they're very easy to spot and some consumers probably prefer them anyway.
From the wikipedia article you mentioned (and my limited knowledge of wine), "Champagne" (the single word) is a region of France, not a method, type, or varietal. I'm not a big fan of the confusing regional naming system of Old World wines, but regions have been very important for marketing wine and guiding consumers. A cabernet sauvignon from Napa Valley is much more likely to be better than a cab from Fresno. Napa Ridge winery has been sued by Napa Valley vintners for its misleading name on its wine bottle (made from non-Napa grapes).
In fact, the US has already cheapened the region-based names of some of the finest wines in the world. Many Americans think Burgundy and Chablis are cheap jug or boxed wines, not regions of France that produce some of the finest (and most expensive) pinot noirs and chardonnays in the world.
However, I do think Champagne producers are being unreasonable by trying to ban the term "méthode champenoise" (champagne method). That is a freakin' method/description.
Slashdot Mirror
I'd never heard of HEB and Googled them a few minutes ago. Apparently, they're based in Texas. Whole Foods has some Texas locations.
Wherever I live, I try to find a reasonably well-lit route from my doorstep (driving to my running route is an extra time-wasting hassle). I look forward to weekends when I can jog during the day (which I'll do right after this comment). My health has been much better when I slowed down my runs to a jog and didn't let the time of day determine when I went jogging.
Hopefully, the family doctor will be unpretentious and recommend a Dietician.
As for Taubes, from the Reason Magazine article "Big Fat Fake":
- But there were serious problems with this revolutionary argument about one of our nation's most serious health problems. For example, Taubes omitted any reference to hundreds of refereed scientific studies published during the last three decades that contradicted his position. Researchers from whom he could not pull even a single useful quote supportive of his thesis were banished from the piece, while many of those whom Taubes did end up quoting now complain that he twisted their words.
Stanford University endocrinologist Gerald Reaven:- "I thought [Taubes'] article was outrageous," Reaven says. "I saw my name in it and all that was quoted to me was not wrong. But in the context it looked like I was buying the rest of that crap." He adds, "I tried to be helpful and a good citizen, and I ended up being embarrassed as hell. He sort of set me up." When I first contacted Reaven, he was so angry he wouldn't even let me interview him.
Stanford cardiologist John Farquhar:- Uncompressed CD Audio: 1411.2 kbps
- FLAC at 54% compression: 762 kbps
- "Very high quality" lossy compression: 256 kbps
- "High quality" lossy compression: 192 kbps
So FLAC's big drawback is filesizes 3x the size of 256 kbps files and 4x the size of 192 kbps files. For me, it's worth it.Orbital period (days) 27.32166
Rotational period (days) 27.32166
http://www.solarviews.com/eng/moon.htm
The moon has about 13 days a year.
I think you'd increase your slash-cred if you explained it using a Futurama quote:Moon farmer: Borry? Listen here, city girl. You can't just borry oxygen. Oxygen doesn't grow on trees. You'll have to work it off doing chores on my hydroponic farm. You can return to your precious park at sun-up.
Fry: I guess we can do chores for a few hours.
Leela: Night lasts two weeks on the moon.
Moon farmer: Yep, goes down to minus-173 degrees.
Fry: Celsius or Fahrenheit?
Moon farmer: First one, then the other.
$300 ain't cheap for a computer optical drive (and it doesn't burn the new formats), but that's a heck of a lot less than the set top hybrid players I've seen so far (~$700 is the cheapest I've seen). HTPC components are getting better, cheaper, and more numerous. I may never buy a set top video player again.
Quick, cheap HTPC config (all prices Newegg except case from eWiz):
However, my childhood memories of the Civic Center include leaking roofs (as you mentioned) and cool-looking (but unusable) drinking fountains. The fountains are freakin' round. I wish I could find a photo, but imagine half of a round metal sink recessed into the wall (with a claustrophia-inducing oval indentation) and half of the sink sticking out. To take a drink, you stick your head into a freakin' wall and the round sink sticks into your ribs. I'm not kidding.
I think this dilemna was predictable and never should have occured. Messages boards and email never should have been provided on Yahoo China.
Lisa: Oh, the Broncos won?
Homer: Why didn't I bet on them like Professor Pigskin told me to?
Lisa: Who's Professor Pigskin?
Homer: (Holding Professor Pignskin pamplet) He's a pig who can predict football winners in advance!
Lisa: How is that possible?
Homer: Because he's got something no gambler's ever had: a system! I've gotten the pamphlet four weeks in a row, and every time, the pick-of-the-week has been right on the money.
Lisa: Ah... I get it. Every week, they send out two pamphlets, half picking one team and half picking the other. Eventually, there's a small group of people who only receive the correct predictions and think Professor Pigskin is always right. That's when they ask for your money.
Homer: I have money!
Lisa: Dad, it's a scam!
Homer: A scam?! Not according to Eddie F. From Tucson, or Football Millionaire in Beloit, Michigan.
Of course, that assumes the buyer has an HDTV that correctly handles lossless 1080i to 1080p conversion (3:2 pulldown deinterlacing). I wonder if all newer HDTVs do this correctly.
That case also looks like it's designed following Intel's Thermally Advantaged Chassis specification, which was created when Intel's CPU temperatures were getting out of control (NetBurst era). The back of the case has a space for a 92mm exhaust fan and the side of the case has intake vents directly over where the CPU and external graphics card would be in a microATX case. All this for a CPU that consumes 20W max at load.
Isn't a standard workstation (dual workstation CPUs, ECC RAM, workstation graphics card) more appropriate for DV editing, raytracing, and scientific computing? Isn't "desktop" hardware (fast single desktop CPU, faster non-ECC DDR2, "gamer" graphics card/cards) more appropriate for gaming?
That's why I'm confused about the existence of the Skulltrail/V8 platform. Does anybody buy this shit? I thought V8 (Skulltrail's predecessor) was only created in response to AMD's ridiculous Quad FX platform (dual CPU for desktops). I thought Quad FX was only created in response to Intel's quad-core desktop CPUs, since AMD only had dual-core at the time (the only way AMD could "match" Intel's quad-core desktops was to create a dual-CPU platform for the desktop).
Intel's fast single-CPU quad-core desktops outperformed Quad FX in most important benchmarks anyway. I thought Intel's V8 was just a demo to rub it in. Now that both Intel and AMD have quad-core CPUs, why do either of them need dual-CPU desktops that use workstation hardware? Uber-gamers are better served with single-CPU enthusiast desktop platforms (Core 2, Athlon). Other power-users are better served with dual-CPU standard workstation platforms (Xeon, Opteron).
- Page 29: "WARNING: Do not attempt to open your Mac mini. If your Mac mini needs service, see Learning More, Service, and Supporton page 41 for information about how to
contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider or Apple for service.Your Mac mini
doesnt have any user-serviceable parts."
- Page 41: "Your Mac mini does not have any user-serviceable parts. If you need service, take your Mac mini to an Apple Authorized Service Provider or contact Apple for service.You can
find more information about your Mac mini through online resources, onscreen help,
System Profiler, or Apple Hardware Test."
- Page 49: "Your Mac mini doesnt have any user-serviceable parts. Do not attempt to open your
Mac mini. If your Mac mini needs service, consult the service and support information
that came with your computer for instructions about how to contact an Apple
Authorized Service Provider or Apple for service.
Much easier to get at than a laptop... I can upgrade much of the system with improved laptop components (like a faster drive and more memory). Mostly the things people would upgrade anyway. Actually, it's easier to upgrade hard drives and memory on most modern notebooks. You don't need to pry open the case and work around the other internal components like you would on a Mac mini. On most notebooks, just open the hard drive and memory covers on the bottom.If you open your Mac mini or install items, you risk damaging your equipment, and such damage isnt covered by the limited warranty on your Mac mini."
I agree that hard drive and memory are the most common upgrades/replacements on standard desktops. However, other somewhat common upgrades/replacements are optical drive (burner or Blu-ray), wireless (final draft 802.11n or WiMax), video card (for high-bitrate h.264 HDCP), and tv tuner. Sure, you can add most of these using slower and more expensive external peripherals, but doesn't that tarnish the elegance of the Mac mini?
The Mac mini is a very nice tiny computer and many users are more than satisfied with the performance of "slow" (by current standards) notebook parts. However, I wouldn't call it "easy to upgrade" and it doesn't integrate every useful technology that will be available over its 3-year or longer lifetime.
The 8600s are real stinkers with respect to performance, but they're the fastest passively cooled game in town on the NVIDIA side of the fence.
In case you missed the announcement: Sparkle is releasing a passively-cooled GeForce 8800 GT. It's a single-slot card. Silent, but deadly."Amazon MP3 does not yet offer the complete Dixie Chicks catalog. Not all record labels have approved all of their music for sale as MP3s, but we're working to expand selection. "
I think the next sentence in Amazon's reason is relevant:"Shop the complete collection of Dixie Chicks in our CD store."
Since these same labels haven't approved non-drm sales in the iTunes store either, what makes you think they will on the Amazon site? The same "matter of time" will never happen, given the current greedy culture of the labels. I agree with this point, but many people (I don't know how many) would rather just buy the freakin' CD on Amazon (for very good new/used prices) than buy a track with DRM on iTunes. Some people hate DRM so much (even Apple's wonderful FairPlay DRM) they'll shop Amazon instead, where they can find MP3s if the label allows it or CDs if they don't.Of course, a gazillion iTunes song sales may be proving me wrong. I'm hoping those buyers wake up and realize how much DRM sucks (just like Jobs says).
I agree with what I think is your point, though. There's a huge difference between professional workstations/servers with Red Hat Linux Enterprise and desktops/notebooks with Ubuntu.
(I check several times each day.)
I know you're joking (I hope so), but for all you Butt-heads out there waiting for AC/DC on iTunes (or any other digital store not owned by Verizon), check in April 2008.Quickbooks's "forbidden" behavior: In order to talk to Intuit or third party add-on software (a common occurrence for many users), Quickbooks writes to a part of the registry that requires Administrator privileges. Every competent developer knows this goes against Windows XP (and Windows 2000) programming guidelines. To allow for backwards compatibility, XP was more permissive than Vista. Vista is finally enforcing these guidelines.
Quickbooks, and any other "industry specific app" that requires Administrator privileges, sucks donkey balls.
The X38 chipset offers Apple a choice of implementing four DDR2 or DDR3 slots, which are both better options than the iMac's two SO-DIMM slots or the Mac Pro's FB-DIMM slots. The CPU socket will accept a large variety good-performing desktop CPUs (not the iMac's notebook CPUs or the Mac Pro's server/workstation Xeons) from the Pentium Dual-Core E2140 (which offers great performance for $75) up through the upcoming (by MacWorld) 45nm quad-core "Extreme" CPUs. Other chipset features like PCI Express 2.0, RAID, and eSATA would help justify the price premium over the iMac.
The only drawback I can think of is the probable large case size if the X38 chipset is used. "Performance" chipsets typically are used on large motherboards like ATX. I'd settle for a microATX-sized G35-based xMac. That would still be a heck of a lot better than an iMac, which uses a notebook chipset and offers few options.
- "As a two-sided touch screen, the LucidTouch is a direct extension of our two-sided touch table, published previously as Under the Table Interaction (reference below).
Microsoft's multitouch table (which has been in development for years) was covered on Slashdot. The "under the table" paper was published in October 2006. The Apple patent you linked to has a filing date of January 5, 2007....[snip]...
Publications:
Wigdor, D.; Leigh, D.; Forlines, C.; Shipman, S.; Barnwell, J.; Balakrishnan, R.; Shen, C., "Under the Table Interaction", ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST), ISBN: 1-59593-313-1, pp. 259-268, October 2006 (ACM Press, TR2006-076)"
So is Apple copying Microsoft? Of course not. A table is not an iPod/phone is not a see-through tablet. As another replier mentioned, there's an obviousness about this "behind the screen" interaction. However, Apple fanboys (I'm not calling you one) like to think everybody's copying Apple.
I'm guessing Microsoft wanted IE7 (and some of their other apps) to follow Office 2007's lead and get rid of the menu bar. This made sense for Office because the new contextual ribbon interface negates the need for a menu bar. It was hard to believe at first, but Office 2007 really does work better without the menu bar.
However, removing the menu bar from IE7 made no sense IMO. IE7 didn't implement a ribbon interface (which wouldn't work for this app anyway), but they still removed the menu bar and seemingly tried to put all important functions on the button bar. Requiring a keyboard shorcut ("Alt") to access the menu was annoying to me and probably frustrating to novice/intermediate users.
I think this simple change will significantly improve usablility. I'll still be an Opera man, though.
Champagne is a method which the Australians use it and actually make better wine. There are cheap knock offs, but they're very easy to spot and some consumers probably prefer them anyway.
From the wikipedia article you mentioned (and my limited knowledge of wine), "Champagne" (the single word) is a region of France, not a method, type, or varietal. I'm not a big fan of the confusing regional naming system of Old World wines, but regions have been very important for marketing wine and guiding consumers. A cabernet sauvignon from Napa Valley is much more likely to be better than a cab from Fresno. Napa Ridge winery has been sued by Napa Valley vintners for its misleading name on its wine bottle (made from non-Napa grapes).In fact, the US has already cheapened the region-based names of some of the finest wines in the world. Many Americans think Burgundy and Chablis are cheap jug or boxed wines, not regions of France that produce some of the finest (and most expensive) pinot noirs and chardonnays in the world.
However, I do think Champagne producers are being unreasonable by trying to ban the term "méthode champenoise" (champagne method). That is a freakin' method/description.