My keys are in 123 / 456 / 789 / *0# order. Is there something not normal about this? The control keys are in the perfect place for one handed operation (either left or right, I use either depending on which hand is free). It took no getting used to for me.
The one flaw in the design is the send/end buttons. My sister and a few other people couldn't figure out which was which. One is green and the other is red and they are on the normal sides of the keypads but the icons are a bit weird so I can see how they are confusing. It's also not immediately obvious what the menu key does (then again, look at Motorola's three line menu key, that makes almost no sense at all).
Which Nokia phone? Not all Nokia keypads are the same.
I don't see how the N-Gage keys are in the wrong place. They are in the standard 4x3 grid. 123 / 456 / 789 / *0#. Just like every single phone I have ever used before.
You've never used one of those "hard-to-use" keypads before, have you?
I use the one on the 7610 every day without any problems. The keys are in the right places, they are just different shapes. Which actually makes it easier for me to type without looking at the keypad.
What I'm saying is that if you were on a system where 40 bytes actually mattered then I doubt that you would be using C++. You probably wouldn't be using Lisp either.
My version doesn't deal with inheritance after the first level. It allows for the overriding of methods on one class so that it can be reimplimented in different ways without any problems. A lot of times this is enough.
Having the vtable in a struct shared between every single instance of a class does make sense. I wasn't thinking last night (well, earlier this morning really).
C++ does not generate identical code to C when you avoid using OOP stuff. There is a lot of stuff involving temporary copies and whatnot that doesn't really go on behind your back as much as it happens without you having to write any code. So, unless you know the language extremely well, there's probably some fiddling with memory going on that you can't see because there is no explicit code mentioning it. It is also not entirely compatible with C (especially not C99).
C-<spc>, [move arrow key to end of block], C-c, C-c.
Not it's a comment in whatever language you are using. Emacs has done this for ages. No need for a new magic language with new XML based textual formats and new editors written in Java using XSLT and CORBA to format the data for view and send keystrokes to the main app over the network from the keyboard_server...
Keeping the translations inside of the code itself is braindead. It is easy to find where you are translating a string by greping for _ or gettext if you don't define a convinience macro.
The programmer just adds the macros, culls the strings from the source with a special program (that already exists and works quite well) and then the translators create po files with their translations inside. It makes the code easier to read (you don't have 10 copies of each string in different languages cluttering up the programmer's view) and allows for translations to be edited by anyone with a text editor.
Not everyone can use byte compiled languages or ship their source. In the Real World (tm) people use precompiled languages and probably don't even want the translators to have access to the source. And the translators don't need access to the source. Your solution makes things far more complicated than they already are. Not to mention that you'd be adding even more syntatic sugar to an application (i18n built in).
Then you have the issue of i18n working in a different way for each language. Gettext works with a large number of languages. Hell, I could write my app in C and translate it into Scheme and the translators wouldn't notice a thing. Gettext doesn't care. It provides a uniform interface for translating strings across basically any language (and if your language lacks support you can just bind the C library; adding support for gettextize is a bit more difficult but not absolutely neccessary to use gettext).
My version would have worked fine. Who cares if you lose maybe 10*sizeof(function_pointer) (or whatever the number of methods is, ten seems reasonable). That's 40 entire bytes per struct on a 32-bit system! OH NO THE SKY IS FALLING WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF RAM!!!
If your memory contraints are that tight you probably wouldn't be using C++ and would be using your multiple-struct solution.
showDialog("File not found" [English, Swedish, (8 more languages)]);
showDialog (_("File not Found"));
Why would you want translations inside of the source itself? gettext is a much better solution (you have external message catalogs) because you can edit the message catalogs without recompiling your source. It makes a translator's work a lot easier because he doesn't have to understand the language the application is written in and all of the strings are in a central location so he doesn't have to search the program for them.
The original Lisp system didn't have a GC. See Communcation of the ACM, Vol 3 Issue 4 Page 184 "Recursive Expressions and Their Computation Machine, Part I" (McCarthy).
The original Lisp had both S- and M-exps. It was a bit different than the Lisp we know. The important part is that it didn't have GC until later.
When I bought Opera, it came with a 90 trial of their web proxy that resizes images and trims HTML for you (removes comments and stuff). This sped up the browser noticeably and I plan on paying for a subscription when I have to (it's only a few bucks a month). The proxy did mess up.sis files so I have to disable it when I download programs.
I have a little Java app on my phone that lets me store financial stuff. In theory I could export my GNUCash stuff as a QIF and import it but I don't bother. I just scratch down transactions when I make them in the phone app and then copy them to GNUCash when I get home. This is why I'm the only college student I've met who has never overdrawn his bank account:) I've come within pennies of it though...
I've gotten used to T9 to the point where I can type around 45WPM with it (except when the word isn't in the dictionary but then the penalty for tapping it out only exists the first time). My handwriting is too terrible to even think about using any kind of handwriting recognition (I tried grafitti and failed miserably). A thumbboard is either going to make the phone too big or the keys will be too closely together for me to use them.
T9 does tend to piss me off occasionally though...one misstep and it's a PITA to fix the word because pushing back returns you to the beginning of the word and so I have to delete back to where I wrote the wrong letter or switch out of T9 mode [#,#], go back to the letter [arrow,arrow,...], change it [tap,tap,tap], then go back into T9 [#, #], and back to the end of the word. If I could replace T9 with something else I would (hrm, I wonder if it's possible, time to crack open my Series60 docs).
I try to avoid paying money for software on my phone:) The one thing I ever purchased was Opera. If there were a better note taking app I'd probably pay for that too (bluetooth keyboard + phone + 512M of storage = yay).
I'm tempted to buy a Nokia 7710 but Series90 as of yet has no software. It would be interesting if there were a note taking app that integrated the keyboard and the stylus. Type text, scribble in diagrams and equations with the stylus. With a 640x320 screen it is entirely possible. Being able to do that is the one thing that makes me maybe want a tablet PC. GNU/Linux support is spotty on them though so I doubt that I will own one ever (especially if Series90 catches on or touch screen is added to Series60).
It's funny how I never really use my phone as a phone (90% of my phone usage is Opera and AIM over GPRS, or SMS [unlimited text = $9.99 so I send several thousand a month]. I use about 150 peak minutes a month, maybe 500 off-peak).
I must be cursed because I can't use trackpads either. They literally just don't work reliably for me. They pick up my fingers very spottily.
I'm happy with my S60 phone but I've never owned a real PDA before. I've also net had a laptop and, with the way things are going with phones, probably won't for a while (when I can afford one for mobile recording then I'll get one, but not until then). Same for a dedicated PDA; especially with a 512M RS-MMC card in my phone I don't see the need.
One day someone will release the SmartPhone that you want. I doubt that it'll be more than a year out (especially if your only beef with the Samsung phone is the old version of PalmOS on it).
It's really hard for me to understand how the scroll wheel could be difficult to use. I'm seriously confused...you move your thumb, the cursor moves. You push the select button to, well, select stuff.
But is there a way for me to stop moving my thumb and have the wheel continue to scroll? I couldn't figure that out. It gets tiring to keep moving your thumb around in a circle when you are going to a track in your songs list instead of finding it by artist or album (keep in mind that I have well over 3000 tracks on my 80G Neuros). It was immediately obvious how the scroll wheel both scrolled as was four buttons. The lack of tactile feedback was really weird to me too.
What flaw prevents you from using Nokia's Series60 Smart Phones?
When I tried to use an iPod I couldn't figure out the weird scroll wheel thing until it was explained to me. I never did figure out how to get it to keep scrolling when I stopped moving my finger either (which is really useful when you are scrolling through 3000 or so tracks).
The joystick on the Neuros, OTOH, is easy to figure out. Up goes up. Down goes down. Left goes left (back), Right goes right (forward). Hold it in a direction and it keeps going in that direction until you let go. Play plays. Press it again and it pauses (it is labeled as such). Fast forward goes fast forwards, rewind rewinds. It's the same basic UI that has existed on basically every sound device ever. Except with a little music db on top (operated via the Easy to Use (tm) four way joystick).
Oddly enough, the music database app on my cell phone works in exactly the same way (sans the play/ff/rw buttons because it doesn't have those, but the joystick is five way and the middle button does play/pause). I know that the iPod works in basically the same way but I don't like the scroll wheel because it wears out my thumb. This coming from a guy who uses a trackball.
iTunes is easier to use than the Neuros sync software. Well, sort of. I haven't used Windows in about five years now so I have no idea how NSM is. Sorune (one of the three or four GNU/Linux sync managers) works fairly well (tell it to sync/music/ripped with/mnt/neuros and hit go). It has a little music db built in that lets you play music but I have no use for it (XMMS + wmusic + xmms-xosd works for me).
Your iPod works for you. I find them too limiting to use. Keep in mind that I do have a smartphone and find normal phones limiting...I'm not trying to say that the iPod sucks. Some people like small devices that do one thing well, others don't care if it's large as long as it has the features. When your entire music collection is Vorbis, you need FM broadcast for your car (let's be honest: the radio sucks), and you record the line-out from sound boards a lot then a Neuros wins out against the iPod by a lot.
If you just want to play mp3s the iPod works. Albeit far more expensively.
It's really not that big. The interface is also easier to use in my experience than the iPod's, unless there is a way to make the scroll wheel thing be held down.
The GPLed firmware is cool too. As is the Vorbis support. And the line-in recording.
Your iPod is sexier though. People think that my Neuros is from the 80s:) It fits in well with my 91 Camaro.
I use it in the car for the most part and it fits in my jacket pocket with no problem so it's not an issue, except in the summer. I don't mind holding it in the summer or wearing loose shorts (loose shorts are more comfortable when it's 90F out).
The size can be an advantage since it uses a standard laptop drive. I accidentally killed my 20G (uh, I won't go into details about how it fell from above my head onto concrete while the drive was spinning...) and it only cost me $160 to buy an 80G to replace it. My battery is shot too (18 months of a daily charge/discharge cycle) but it only costs $15 to have a new one sent to you (and it's hella easy to replace; you literally remove two T-6 screws, flip up the case, disconnect the battery [it's connected via standard two-pin connector], plug the new one in, and screw it all back together).
It's not sexy but it's functional. A lot like the first few Series60 phones from Nokia. Now we have the 7610 and the new "fashion line" that combine power and style into one...(or at least not giganticness).
I drive a lot (and walk quite a bit during the semester) and I'd never leave the house without my Neuros in my car (WLME only plays True Metal (tm) and not the stuff I don't like that's on the radio). It sure beats the Hell out of lugging around 300 or so CDs in two binders everywhere (and would be a lot less expensive to replace if someone stole it).
My Nokia 7610 works really well as a phone and a PDA. It can also play movies and music, but the sound output is limited to mono 22.5kHz so the music playing functionality is of limited to use (I keep a copy of my band's album on there to show people if they ask).
The Nokia 7710 is a bit larger (same height and width as a SE P900) and is the same thickness as my 7610 (half as thick as a P900). That gives you a touch screen, great battery life, and a 640x240 screen. It uses regular MMC card (IIRC) so you can get up to 1G of storage into it. From what I've been hearing, the sound output is fairly decent but I don't think it's stereo yet.
So you can ditch the PDA but not the iPod yet. Well, you should ditch the iPod for a Neuros;)
It was announced in the paid members community and you just had to go a page and click a button because some people bitched about how they didn't want to get two months for free (yeah, weird people...something about not wanting to 'freeload' and 'hurt the project'...and now SixApart owns them).
Re:Hopefully companies will realize
on
Back to the Classics
·
· Score: 4, Informative
There was an old Free Software Magazine that was backed by the FSF in China that had two issues and then died years ago (first issue was in Dec 2001).
Directory listing of FSM issues. They made #3 but I don't think it was ever officially released (I actually submitted a really bad draft of an article for it that ended up being 'published' because I lost net access for about six months...)
The old FSM was officially endorsed by the FSF. This one appears to not have that. It looks like it is far better written than the other FSM though. Not all of the articles are focused on Free Software though (e.g. the one in issue0 about OS X).
I use an 802.11b to Ethernet bridge to access the wireless network in my house.
It frees up a PCI slot and configuration was easy (since I know how to configure ethernet devices and didn't have to mess with the wifi tools).
The same thing is possible with 802.11a. Just get a bridge. It makes life a lot simpler (and you can hook it up to a hub and bring more than one device onto the wireless network with it).
Slashdot Mirror
My keys are in 123 / 456 / 789 / *0# order. Is there something not normal about this? The control keys are in the perfect place for one handed operation (either left or right, I use either depending on which hand is free). It took no getting used to for me.
The one flaw in the design is the send/end buttons. My sister and a few other people couldn't figure out which was which. One is green and the other is red and they are on the normal sides of the keypads but the icons are a bit weird so I can see how they are confusing. It's also not immediately obvious what the menu key does (then again, look at Motorola's three line menu key, that makes almost no sense at all).
Which Nokia phone? Not all Nokia keypads are the same.
I don't see how the N-Gage keys are in the wrong place. They are in the standard 4x3 grid. 123 / 456 / 789 / *0#. Just like every single phone I have ever used before.
You've never used one of those "hard-to-use" keypads before, have you?
I use the one on the 7610 every day without any problems. The keys are in the right places, they are just different shapes. Which actually makes it easier for me to type without looking at the keypad.
What I'm saying is that if you were on a system where 40 bytes actually mattered then I doubt that you would be using C++. You probably wouldn't be using Lisp either.
My version doesn't deal with inheritance after the first level. It allows for the overriding of methods on one class so that it can be reimplimented in different ways without any problems. A lot of times this is enough.
Having the vtable in a struct shared between every single instance of a class does make sense. I wasn't thinking last night (well, earlier this morning really).
C++ does not generate identical code to C when you avoid using OOP stuff. There is a lot of stuff involving temporary copies and whatnot that doesn't really go on behind your back as much as it happens without you having to write any code. So, unless you know the language extremely well, there's probably some fiddling with memory going on that you can't see because there is no explicit code mentioning it. It is also not entirely compatible with C (especially not C99).
C-<spc>, [move arrow key to end of block], C-c, C-c.
Not it's a comment in whatever language you are using. Emacs has done this for ages. No need for a new magic language with new XML based textual formats and new editors written in Java using XSLT and CORBA to format the data for view and send keystrokes to the main app over the network from the keyboard_server...
Keeping the translations inside of the code itself is braindead. It is easy to find where you are translating a string by greping for _ or gettext if you don't define a convinience macro.
The programmer just adds the macros, culls the strings from the source with a special program (that already exists and works quite well) and then the translators create po files with their translations inside. It makes the code easier to read (you don't have 10 copies of each string in different languages cluttering up the programmer's view) and allows for translations to be edited by anyone with a text editor.
Not everyone can use byte compiled languages or ship their source. In the Real World (tm) people use precompiled languages and probably don't even want the translators to have access to the source. And the translators don't need access to the source. Your solution makes things far more complicated than they already are. Not to mention that you'd be adding even more syntatic sugar to an application (i18n built in).
Then you have the issue of i18n working in a different way for each language. Gettext works with a large number of languages. Hell, I could write my app in C and translate it into Scheme and the translators wouldn't notice a thing. Gettext doesn't care. It provides a uniform interface for translating strings across basically any language (and if your language lacks support you can just bind the C library; adding support for gettextize is a bit more difficult but not absolutely neccessary to use gettext).
Your solution is a non-solution.
My version would have worked fine. Who cares if you lose maybe 10*sizeof(function_pointer) (or whatever the number of methods is, ten seems reasonable). That's 40 entire bytes per struct on a 32-bit system! OH NO THE SKY IS FALLING WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF RAM!!!
If your memory contraints are that tight you probably wouldn't be using C++ and would be using your multiple-struct solution.
This is why I use Lisp most of the time.
showDialog("File not found" [English, Swedish, (8 more languages)]);
showDialog (_("File not Found"));
Why would you want translations inside of the source itself? gettext is a much better solution (you have external message catalogs) because you can edit the message catalogs without recompiling your source. It makes a translator's work a lot easier because he doesn't have to understand the language the application is written in and all of the strings are in a central location so he doesn't have to search the program for them.
The original Lisp system didn't have a GC. See Communcation of the ACM, Vol 3 Issue 4 Page 184 "Recursive Expressions and Their Computation Machine, Part I" (McCarthy).
The original Lisp had both S- and M-exps. It was a bit different than the Lisp we know. The important part is that it didn't have GC until later.
Just put function pointers inside of the struct in C and it's just like having virtual methods.
Problem solved.
Lisp.
Heard of it before?
When I bought Opera, it came with a 90 trial of their web proxy that resizes images and trims HTML for you (removes comments and stuff). This sped up the browser noticeably and I plan on paying for a subscription when I have to (it's only a few bucks a month). The proxy did mess up .sis files so I have to disable it when I download programs.
I have a little Java app on my phone that lets me store financial stuff. In theory I could export my GNUCash stuff as a QIF and import it but I don't bother. I just scratch down transactions when I make them in the phone app and then copy them to GNUCash when I get home. This is why I'm the only college student I've met who has never overdrawn his bank account :) I've come within pennies of it though...
I've gotten used to T9 to the point where I can type around 45WPM with it (except when the word isn't in the dictionary but then the penalty for tapping it out only exists the first time). My handwriting is too terrible to even think about using any kind of handwriting recognition (I tried grafitti and failed miserably). A thumbboard is either going to make the phone too big or the keys will be too closely together for me to use them.
T9 does tend to piss me off occasionally though...one misstep and it's a PITA to fix the word because pushing back returns you to the beginning of the word and so I have to delete back to where I wrote the wrong letter or switch out of T9 mode [#,#], go back to the letter [arrow,arrow,...], change it [tap,tap,tap], then go back into T9 [#, #], and back to the end of the word. If I could replace T9 with something else I would (hrm, I wonder if it's possible, time to crack open my Series60 docs).
I try to avoid paying money for software on my phone :) The one thing I ever purchased was Opera. If there were a better note taking app I'd probably pay for that too (bluetooth keyboard + phone + 512M of storage = yay).
I'm tempted to buy a Nokia 7710 but Series90 as of yet has no software. It would be interesting if there were a note taking app that integrated the keyboard and the stylus. Type text, scribble in diagrams and equations with the stylus. With a 640x320 screen it is entirely possible. Being able to do that is the one thing that makes me maybe want a tablet PC. GNU/Linux support is spotty on them though so I doubt that I will own one ever (especially if Series90 catches on or touch screen is added to Series60).
It's funny how I never really use my phone as a phone (90% of my phone usage is Opera and AIM over GPRS, or SMS [unlimited text = $9.99 so I send several thousand a month]. I use about 150 peak minutes a month, maybe 500 off-peak).
I must be cursed because I can't use trackpads either. They literally just don't work reliably for me. They pick up my fingers very spottily.
I'm happy with my S60 phone but I've never owned a real PDA before. I've also net had a laptop and, with the way things are going with phones, probably won't for a while (when I can afford one for mobile recording then I'll get one, but not until then). Same for a dedicated PDA; especially with a 512M RS-MMC card in my phone I don't see the need.
One day someone will release the SmartPhone that you want. I doubt that it'll be more than a year out (especially if your only beef with the Samsung phone is the old version of PalmOS on it).
The iPod I used didn't click when I pushed. I guess the mini is different.
I have trouble using trackpads too that could be why the velocity never worked.
I can understand why you don't want a Series60 phone. If you want a smartphone for less than $350 you're going to have to wait for a long time though.
It's really hard for me to understand how the scroll wheel could be difficult to use. I'm seriously confused...you move your thumb, the cursor moves. You push the select button to, well, select stuff.
But is there a way for me to stop moving my thumb and have the wheel continue to scroll? I couldn't figure that out. It gets tiring to keep moving your thumb around in a circle when you are going to a track in your songs list instead of finding it by artist or album (keep in mind that I have well over 3000 tracks on my 80G Neuros). It was immediately obvious how the scroll wheel both scrolled as was four buttons. The lack of tactile feedback was really weird to me too.
What flaw prevents you from using Nokia's Series60 Smart Phones?
When I tried to use an iPod I couldn't figure out the weird scroll wheel thing until it was explained to me. I never did figure out how to get it to keep scrolling when I stopped moving my finger either (which is really useful when you are scrolling through 3000 or so tracks).
The joystick on the Neuros, OTOH, is easy to figure out. Up goes up. Down goes down. Left goes left (back), Right goes right (forward). Hold it in a direction and it keeps going in that direction until you let go. Play plays. Press it again and it pauses (it is labeled as such). Fast forward goes fast forwards, rewind rewinds. It's the same basic UI that has existed on basically every sound device ever. Except with a little music db on top (operated via the Easy to Use (tm) four way joystick).
Oddly enough, the music database app on my cell phone works in exactly the same way (sans the play/ff/rw buttons because it doesn't have those, but the joystick is five way and the middle button does play/pause). I know that the iPod works in basically the same way but I don't like the scroll wheel because it wears out my thumb. This coming from a guy who uses a trackball.
iTunes is easier to use than the Neuros sync software. Well, sort of. I haven't used Windows in about five years now so I have no idea how NSM is. Sorune (one of the three or four GNU/Linux sync managers) works fairly well (tell it to sync /music/ripped with /mnt/neuros and hit go). It has a little music db built in that lets you play music but I have no use for it (XMMS + wmusic + xmms-xosd works for me).
Your iPod works for you. I find them too limiting to use. Keep in mind that I do have a smartphone and find normal phones limiting...I'm not trying to say that the iPod sucks. Some people like small devices that do one thing well, others don't care if it's large as long as it has the features. When your entire music collection is Vorbis, you need FM broadcast for your car (let's be honest: the radio sucks), and you record the line-out from sound boards a lot then a Neuros wins out against the iPod by a lot.
If you just want to play mp3s the iPod works. Albeit far more expensively.
It's really not that big. The interface is also easier to use in my experience than the iPod's, unless there is a way to make the scroll wheel thing be held down.
The GPLed firmware is cool too. As is the Vorbis support. And the line-in recording.
Your iPod is sexier though. People think that my Neuros is from the 80s :) It fits in well with my 91 Camaro.
Yeah, that's the one issue with it.
I use it in the car for the most part and it fits in my jacket pocket with no problem so it's not an issue, except in the summer. I don't mind holding it in the summer or wearing loose shorts (loose shorts are more comfortable when it's 90F out).
The size can be an advantage since it uses a standard laptop drive. I accidentally killed my 20G (uh, I won't go into details about how it fell from above my head onto concrete while the drive was spinning...) and it only cost me $160 to buy an 80G to replace it. My battery is shot too (18 months of a daily charge/discharge cycle) but it only costs $15 to have a new one sent to you (and it's hella easy to replace; you literally remove two T-6 screws, flip up the case, disconnect the battery [it's connected via standard two-pin connector], plug the new one in, and screw it all back together).
It's not sexy but it's functional. A lot like the first few Series60 phones from Nokia. Now we have the 7610 and the new "fashion line" that combine power and style into one...(or at least not giganticness).
I drive a lot (and walk quite a bit during the semester) and I'd never leave the house without my Neuros in my car (WLME only plays True Metal (tm) and not the stuff I don't like that's on the radio). It sure beats the Hell out of lugging around 300 or so CDs in two binders everywhere (and would be a lot less expensive to replace if someone stole it).
My Nokia 7610 works really well as a phone and a PDA. It can also play movies and music, but the sound output is limited to mono 22.5kHz so the music playing functionality is of limited to use (I keep a copy of my band's album on there to show people if they ask).
The Nokia 7710 is a bit larger (same height and width as a SE P900) and is the same thickness as my 7610 (half as thick as a P900). That gives you a touch screen, great battery life, and a 640x240 screen. It uses regular MMC card (IIRC) so you can get up to 1G of storage into it. From what I've been hearing, the sound output is fairly decent but I don't think it's stereo yet.
So you can ditch the PDA but not the iPod yet. Well, you should ditch the iPod for a Neuros ;)
It was announced in the paid members community and you just had to go a page and click a button because some people bitched about how they didn't want to get two months for free (yeah, weird people...something about not wanting to 'freeload' and 'hurt the project'...and now SixApart owns them).
Star ROMS.
$2 a pop (usually) but they only have 25 games right now. It's a start.
There was an old Free Software Magazine that was backed by the FSF in China that had two issues and then died years ago (first issue was in Dec 2001).
Directory listing of FSM issues. They made #3 but I don't think it was ever officially released (I actually submitted a really bad draft of an article for it that ended up being 'published' because I lost net access for about six months...)
The old FSM was officially endorsed by the FSF. This one appears to not have that. It looks like it is far better written than the other FSM though. Not all of the articles are focused on Free Software though (e.g. the one in issue0 about OS X).
I use an 802.11b to Ethernet bridge to access the wireless network in my house.
It frees up a PCI slot and configuration was easy (since I know how to configure ethernet devices and didn't have to mess with the wifi tools).
The same thing is possible with 802.11a. Just get a bridge. It makes life a lot simpler (and you can hook it up to a hub and bring more than one device onto the wireless network with it).