"a graphics chip by Nvidia, the current (if you don't include the $600 Voodoo 6000) graphics chip king"
Actually, the graphics chip inside the Xbox is not nVidia's current chip...it is actually a custom made chip that falls somewhere in between the current generation and the next.
It will do fancy features such as FSAA (which has been buggin so many PS2 owners).
I think that the biggest problem with linux gaming is DirectX. In the past developers were happy to use OpenGL, as it was better than Direct3D, and would reach the same userbase.
However, with the arrival of the xbox, more and more developers will develop exclisively for DirectX so that they can easily port their games to xbox. Linux (and windows) will never have the market for gaming that consoles have.
Now if microsoft were forced to release the source to DirectX, we'd be in business!
If anyone's interested in the theory behind usability, I recommend this book on Human Computer Interaction as an introduction.
Also, here are some web-sites I found useful:
- Cooper design Excellent collection of articles, case studies and, for students who want bullet-point summaries for ease of recall, a nice list of HCI design axioms. See in particular http://www.cooper.com/design/ where there is a series of articles, including one entitled "The myth of metaphor". Cooper is also the author of two excellent books on interface design.
- Ask Tog Design Bruce "Tog" Tognazzini developed the first version of the Apple Human Interface Guidelines in 1978, moved to Sun, and is currently lead designer at Healtheon. He has published two excellent books on interface and software design and at this web site, he answers questions and discusses interface issues with wit and insight.
- Jacob Nielsen's website Nielsen produces a bi-weekly column on web usability and has also just published a book called Designing Web Usability: The Practice of Simplicity which is getting rave reviews. He is widely regarded as a leader in the field of web site design and usability testing.
- Interface Hall of Shame An excellent collection of scathing but accurate reviews of user interface disasters of one sort or another. The ultimate depressing experience for any interface designer must be to end up here.
- HCI Reading List If you want an exhaustive list of HCI reading materials, this is a good place to look. It is reasonably up-to-date (Feb 98) and has useful comments on the majority of textbooks in this area.
- University of Maryland Human-Computer Interaction Lab The Human-Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL) at the University of Maryland conducts research on advanced user interfaces and their development processes. They study areas such as new approaches to information visualization, interfaces for digital libraries, multimedia resources for learning communities, zooming user interfaces (ZUIs), technology design methods with and for children, and instruments for evaluating user interface technologies. The director is Ben Schneiderman, author of the book "Designing the user interface".
Interesting point, but my question is: if you don't work for corporations then who do you work for? This is a problem I've been thinking about for some time now. I'd like to work on open-source software projects...but I have to live too! We really need to find a way of providing for programmers who contribute a lot to the community. Gift culture or something. Then we can be truly independent from the corporations
"The gimp has it's own internal format for gimp use if that's what you mean. I don't see the use in having another thing that a browser can't read and needs me to start up a very, very large memory hog (I had to increase my swap size just for gimp use). "
Ahh but obviously the gimp needs its internal format. It needs to store things like layers that have no effect in a browser but are vital to the program itself. There's much more information stored in a psd file (for photoshop) than just the bitmap.
The thing that matters is the balance between size, speed, and price. The article doesn't seem to touch upon this point very much.
There are many very promising technologies out there. The real problem with memory right now does not seem to be the size at all. For example, hard disk density (size) doubles every year. However, the access time (speed) only decreases about 30% every 10 years.
I think these figures are correct. If not please correct me.
I don't really see how skins affect the interface really. The different widgets and components are specified by the underlying application.
Obviously for some users it will be confusing if the widgets all look different in different applications, but as has been said before, you don't have to use skins if you don't want to.
I think the real challenge is to get developers to stick to HCI Design principles: this is where many of the real mistakes get made. To see what I'm talking about check out the interface hall of shame.
> IMHO Microsoft will focus its business back onto > computing and software and continue to get rid > of media/Web holdings (as they did with > Expedia).
Don count on it: check out this story on yahoo. It details how microsoft just bought a cable company in Japan
Well this only works because most people today still use their cd players to listen to music. Imagine the day when the stereo is networked to the computer/net, and there is no more need for burning cds. So it's not really a long-term solution.
They will just keep adding new gimmicks that nobody needs
Hmm lets see. Installation of W2K is a breeze. It will configure pretty much all your hardware for you. Somehow that doesn't seem to be a useless gimmick to me. I really hope to see the day when linux will reach the same level of installation ease.
Lets face it: outside the opensource community people judge software not on the beauty of the code, but on the functionality of the software.
Although there might well be "65000 bugs", At least the majority of people will be able to use the software, something which cannot yet be said of linux.
I read the article on wired.com regarding nokia, and it seems they're making wireless LAns for home and office. Should finally end that surf'n'dump problem ehh?
"I believe in purpose-built devices," Torvalds said. "If you look, for instance, at the Nokia 9000 [Communicator], it is a cute thing, which I like, but it is not a good mobile phone and it is not a good PDA."
I'm sorry, but who wants to have a separate PDA and Moblie Phone? Come on, these things would be much better as one device. So what if Nokia hasn't got a good implementation. Sometime someone will get it right.
I think a PDA/Mobile Phone/Mp3 player/Voice Recorder/Digital camera/Web Browser/Email Client device would kick ass.
Slashdot Mirror
"a graphics chip by Nvidia, the current (if you don't include the $600 Voodoo 6000) graphics chip king"
Actually, the graphics chip inside the Xbox is not nVidia's current chip...it is actually a custom made chip that falls somewhere in between the current generation and the next.
It will do fancy features such as FSAA (which has been buggin so many PS2 owners).
Also, there is the Afro Thunder speech about XBox.
I think that the biggest problem with linux gaming is DirectX. In the past developers were happy to use OpenGL, as it was better than Direct3D, and would reach the same userbase.
However, with the arrival of the xbox, more and more developers will develop exclisively for DirectX so that they can easily port their games to xbox. Linux (and windows) will never have the market for gaming that consoles have.
Now if microsoft were forced to release the source to DirectX, we'd be in business!
I agree.
If anyone's interested in the theory behind usability, I recommend this book on Human Computer Interaction as an introduction.
Also, here are some web-sites I found useful:
- Cooper design
Excellent collection of articles, case studies and, for students who want bullet-point summaries for ease of recall, a nice list of HCI design axioms. See in particular http://www.cooper.com/design/ where there is a series of articles, including one entitled "The myth of metaphor". Cooper is also the author of two excellent books on interface design.
- Ask Tog Design
Bruce "Tog" Tognazzini developed the first version of the Apple Human Interface Guidelines in 1978, moved to Sun, and is currently lead designer at Healtheon. He has published two excellent books on interface and software design and at this web site, he answers questions and discusses interface issues with wit and insight.
- Jacob Nielsen's website
Nielsen produces a bi-weekly column on web usability and has also just published a book called Designing Web Usability: The Practice of Simplicity which is getting rave reviews. He is widely regarded as a leader in the field of web site design and usability testing.
- Interface Hall of Shame
An excellent collection of scathing but accurate reviews of user interface disasters of one sort or another. The ultimate depressing experience for any interface designer must be to end up here.
- HCI Reading List
If you want an exhaustive list of HCI reading materials, this is a good place to look. It is reasonably up-to-date (Feb 98) and has useful comments on the majority of textbooks in this area.
- University of Maryland Human-Computer Interaction Lab
The Human-Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL) at the University of Maryland conducts research on advanced user interfaces and their development processes. They study areas such as new approaches to information visualization, interfaces for digital libraries, multimedia resources for learning communities, zooming user interfaces (ZUIs), technology design methods with and for children, and instruments for evaluating user interface technologies. The director is Ben Schneiderman, author of the book "Designing the user interface".
Interesting point, but my question is: if you don't work for corporations then who do you work for? This is a problem I've been thinking about for some time now. I'd like to work on open-source software projects...but I have to live too! We really need to find a way of providing for programmers who contribute a lot to the community. Gift culture or something. Then we can be truly independent from the corporations
Dekster's Laboratory !!!
AArghh! Someone who prints their emails. Dilbert's boss!!!
"The gimp has it's own internal format for gimp use if that's what you mean. I don't see the use in having another thing that a browser can't read
and needs me to start up a very, very large memory hog (I had to increase my swap size just for gimp use). "
Ahh but obviously the gimp needs its internal format. It needs to store things like layers that have no effect in a browser but are vital to the program itself. There's much more information stored in a psd file (for photoshop) than just the bitmap.
The thing that matters is the balance between size, speed, and price. The article doesn't seem to touch upon this point very much.
There are many very promising technologies out there. The real problem with memory right now does not seem to be the size at all. For example, hard disk density (size) doubles every year. However, the access time (speed) only decreases about 30% every 10 years.
I think these figures are correct. If not please correct me.
I don't really see how skins affect the interface really. The different widgets and components are specified by the underlying application.
Obviously for some users it will be confusing if the widgets all look different in different applications, but as has been said before, you don't have to use skins if you don't want to.
I think the real challenge is to get developers to stick to HCI Design principles: this is where many of the real mistakes get made. To see what I'm talking about check out the interface hall of shame.
> IMHO Microsoft will focus its business back onto > computing and software and continue to get rid > of media/Web holdings (as they did with > Expedia).
Don count on it: check out this story on yahoo. It details how microsoft just bought a cable company in Japan
Does anyone know whether the open directory has this bubbling?
Well this only works because most people today still use their cd players to listen to music. Imagine the day when the stereo is networked to the computer/net, and there is no more need for burning cds. So it's not really a long-term solution.
Try this.
No source available though...hmmm some opensource project.
no now it's for pirate music, warez and porn!
I heard something somewhere that this film was an inspritation to the guys who made the Matrix.
Hmm lets see. Installation of W2K is a breeze. It will configure pretty much all your hardware for you. Somehow that doesn't seem to be a useless gimmick to me. I really hope to see the day when linux will reach the same level of installation ease.
Lets face it: outside the opensource community people judge software not on the beauty of the code, but on the functionality of the software.
Although there might well be "65000 bugs", At least the majority of people will be able to use the software, something which cannot yet be said of linux.
Forget Epic releasing the engine as open-source...they get loads of money from licencing it to other companies.
Woo I'm studying CS in the University of Warwick.
I read the article on wired.com regarding nokia, and it seems they're making wireless LAns for home and office. Should finally end that surf'n'dump problem ehh?
sounds like dilbert
I sometimes print out long articles because my screen sucks. At 75Hz my eyes start to hurt quite quickly.
Also it means I can find a comfortable chair somewhere, because my computer-chair isn't very comfortable.
I guess I have no real love for the medium itself, but paper does have its advantages over computer screens for now.
I wouldn't say that I need to "touch" it though.
It's obviously not going to have a GPL licence. I want open software development software to write open software.
"I believe in purpose-built devices," Torvalds said. "If you look, for instance, at the Nokia 9000 [Communicator], it is a cute thing, which I like, but it is not a good mobile phone and it is not a good PDA."
I'm sorry, but who wants to have a separate PDA and Moblie Phone? Come on, these things would be much better as one device. So what if Nokia hasn't got a good implementation. Sometime someone will get it right.
I think a PDA/Mobile Phone/Mp3 player/Voice Recorder/Digital camera/Web Browser/Email Client device would kick ass.
All running on Linux of course.