I have to disagree on your comment on 3G phones, at least in the UK. A large number of people in my 6th form have a 3G phone, as do many people I work with.
My school took great joy in handing out envelopes to encourage people to donate. Damn PR...
We also had a couple of asshats go out in their school uniform and go round houses collecting "on behalf of the school" then keeping the cash. Bastards (the police got them though!).
No - if there's no point learning new skills then I won't. I haven't yet had to work with IBM mainframes, and when I do then I'll learn how to best utilise whatever OS they are running.
But for the most part, XP can do anything useful (as a desktop) that Linux can, without refering to meaningless man pages, badly written tutorials, and obscure command switches.
I know Linux can do everything my XP box can do. But I also know that I *can make* XP do anything useful that a Linux box can do. No new skills need to be learnt to make XP do what I need, the most I need to do is read TechNet.
Alternatively I could struggle through a Linux install, have to make 14 different drivers, configure a USB header that for some reason doesn't feel like working, make another couple of drivers to deal with that change, have to configure KDE or Gnome to do what I want, then convert everything.
Until Linux can do what I need quickly and easily without me needing to spend 3 weeks learning new skills, I'll stick with Windows. There are some Windows users who can make the system dance to our own tune.
I use Windows as my primary desktop machine. I've been using windows as my primary desktop for about 10 years now, and in all those years I have never once had it corrupt drives, catch a virus or become infested. Why? Because I know how to use it.
By contrast, I have twice screwed my Red Hat linux box which I use for testing and development because I am unfamiliar with the system. This, coupled with the fact that I am unfamiliar with the install, means it takes about 10 hours to get it back to a useful state. By contrast, I can rebuild my entire XP box in about 3 hours.
I take usability and convenience any day. Don't get me wrong, half the apps on my PC are FOSS, but only because it was more convenient to me to download, install and learn those than to go out, buy, install and learn a propriatary software.
I was awaiting the torrent of "Oh no, another security bug! What is the world coming to?" which usually accompanies any bug article around here.
Oh sorry, forgot that any Linux bug can be explained away with a link and a brief summary whereas any bug in Windows must be ripped apart and Microsoft beaten again.
I have a 120gb drive and a 20gb drive. I have no worries about the 120gb going down, because I only have 15gb worth of stuff which I cannot reinstall in a day or two. Losing 100gb isn't that big a deal, none of it requires work to recreate (I mean, HL2 takes 5gb of it...)
I agree totally with your point about convenience - if I want convenient one-click synchronisation with something such as Windows Media Player (assuming that one-click works as planned) then I need to shell out for a WMP-compatible media player. Likewise if I want to sync with iTunes (which I do) conveniently (which I do) then I need to shell out for an iTunes compatible media player (which I have, and very glad I am too). This isn't just an Apple issue.
That is most likely due to beta - alphas and betas of most MS software (and I'm speaking as an MSDN subscriber who can get hold of them) have expiry dates built in - I think the Longhorn tech release I have expires in August or something, and a beta of Windows 2000 expired before W2K was actually released. Can't speak for Office betas, but I feel it would be likely that they too expire.
I'm not beating down regex here, it's a great way of building powerful queries and matching patterns, but your average user on a desktop machine (note not your ssh session to the server) doesn't want to be typing out what looks like a string of expletives to find a single file.
Properly indexed search tools can find the file you need in the midst of hundreds of others (Yes, I keep my hard disk organised. Some document folders have thousands of files in them) without resorting to having to grep a specific folder with an obscure argument.
Ease of use if you want to get it done quickly - I know *nix isn't famed for this. No, writing your own tool is not an option since that wastes more time to start with.
You forgot the 16 different switches, which don't match with the ones for grep, and 3 functions totally unrelated. At a push it might produce output which can be easily piped without needing another script to reformat it.
For further information on why the apostrophe does not live before every 's', along with other essential punctuation guidelines for English, "please refer to Eats, Shoots and Leaves" by Lynne Truss. ISBN 1861976127
Note: The threat of blowing up an oil tanker has nothing to do with large amount of oil exploding - crude oil isn't renowned for going boom. The problem would arise with the fact that nothing could move in or out due to contamination, water supplies would get screwed (if they're taken from the sea) etc etc.
Sadly I can get 1600x1200 on a 19" and 21" monitor, and I have found no way (except in nice programs like Gimp) to actually specify how 'long' something is on my screen in real units. Oh well, anybody got a decent UI hack that fixes this?
Yes, yes it is. IPv6 is just like IPv4, except a new standard. It's published by the IETF (whos URL escapes me right now, possibly a child will have it) and is already implemented left right and centre, just not on any large scale. The network in my house uses IPv6, as does my school's 'Test Suite'. Microsoft have a big 6to4 router (lets IPv6 talk to IPv4) which is publicly available (search TechNet for the "6bone").
So, although China has fairly whupped most other places in getting IPv6 in first, there's no way it can run the show.
Not specifically exercised as in "Oh, I'll go the the gym now" but exercised as in "Oh, I'll walk to the shops instead of driving" or "I'll walk instead of getting the subway". Partly because (in the UK at least) it's often quicker and more comfortable to walk than it is to rely on public transport.
I think that's a piss poor excuse. The 'good satisfying food' and 'fatty sausages' are eaten as part of balanced diets, and are often exercised off. That and a lot more food is organically produced, especially in rural areas. Less processing, healthier lifestyles and nicely balanced diets have a lot more effect than exercising but not changing how you eat, or vice versa.
When I spent a couple of weeks in the states, without altering my eating or exercise habits I started to put on weight. I agree that it's the food, but only because the people are willing to eat a lot of, for want of a better word, crap.
I try to force all my data through a single point, and make damn sure I have the 'off' button. Everything either goes to my PC, palmtop, or phone depending on what I'm using at the time, and it takes only pushing a power button to disconnect me from the world whilst everything (yes, even phone calls and IMs) just pile up and get filtered. True it's more work when you turn it back on, but it's quite possible for me to just disconnect should I feel the need.
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I have to disagree on your comment on 3G phones, at least in the UK. A large number of people in my 6th form have a 3G phone, as do many people I work with.
My school took great joy in handing out envelopes to encourage people to donate. Damn PR...
We also had a couple of asshats go out in their school uniform and go round houses collecting "on behalf of the school" then keeping the cash. Bastards (the police got them though!).
No - if there's no point learning new skills then I won't. I haven't yet had to work with IBM mainframes, and when I do then I'll learn how to best utilise whatever OS they are running.
But for the most part, XP can do anything useful (as a desktop) that Linux can, without refering to meaningless man pages, badly written tutorials, and obscure command switches.
I know Linux can do everything my XP box can do. But I also know that I *can make* XP do anything useful that a Linux box can do. No new skills need to be learnt to make XP do what I need, the most I need to do is read TechNet.
Alternatively I could struggle through a Linux install, have to make 14 different drivers, configure a USB header that for some reason doesn't feel like working, make another couple of drivers to deal with that change, have to configure KDE or Gnome to do what I want, then convert everything.
Until Linux can do what I need quickly and easily without me needing to spend 3 weeks learning new skills, I'll stick with Windows. There are some Windows users who can make the system dance to our own tune.
"You scratched the paintwork! That was new last month!"
I use Windows as my primary desktop machine. I've been using windows as my primary desktop for about 10 years now, and in all those years I have never once had it corrupt drives, catch a virus or become infested. Why? Because I know how to use it.
By contrast, I have twice screwed my Red Hat linux box which I use for testing and development because I am unfamiliar with the system. This, coupled with the fact that I am unfamiliar with the install, means it takes about 10 hours to get it back to a useful state. By contrast, I can rebuild my entire XP box in about 3 hours.
I take usability and convenience any day. Don't get me wrong, half the apps on my PC are FOSS, but only because it was more convenient to me to download, install and learn those than to go out, buy, install and learn a propriatary software.
I was awaiting the torrent of "Oh no, another security bug! What is the world coming to?" which usually accompanies any bug article around here.
Oh sorry, forgot that any Linux bug can be explained away with a link and a brief summary whereas any bug in Windows must be ripped apart and Microsoft beaten again.
Ooh, the one with 8 different buttons, where you put beans in one end and coffee comes out the other?
I have a 120gb drive and a 20gb drive. I have no worries about the 120gb going down, because I only have 15gb worth of stuff which I cannot reinstall in a day or two. Losing 100gb isn't that big a deal, none of it requires work to recreate (I mean, HL2 takes 5gb of it...)
I agree totally with your point about convenience - if I want convenient one-click synchronisation with something such as Windows Media Player (assuming that one-click works as planned) then I need to shell out for a WMP-compatible media player. Likewise if I want to sync with iTunes (which I do) conveniently (which I do) then I need to shell out for an iTunes compatible media player (which I have, and very glad I am too). This isn't just an Apple issue.
That is most likely due to beta - alphas and betas of most MS software (and I'm speaking as an MSDN subscriber who can get hold of them) have expiry dates built in - I think the Longhorn tech release I have expires in August or something, and a beta of Windows 2000 expired before W2K was actually released. Can't speak for Office betas, but I feel it would be likely that they too expire.
I'm not beating down regex here, it's a great way of building powerful queries and matching patterns, but your average user on a desktop machine (note not your ssh session to the server) doesn't want to be typing out what looks like a string of expletives to find a single file.
Properly indexed search tools can find the file you need in the midst of hundreds of others (Yes, I keep my hard disk organised. Some document folders have thousands of files in them) without resorting to having to grep a specific folder with an obscure argument.
Ease of use if you want to get it done quickly - I know *nix isn't famed for this. No, writing your own tool is not an option since that wastes more time to start with.
You forgot the 16 different switches, which don't match with the ones for grep, and 3 functions totally unrelated. At a push it might produce output which can be easily piped without needing another script to reformat it.
Because humans can think on the spot, not have to wait for a communications window and a 47 minute round-trip for communications to do something new.
For further information on why the apostrophe does not live before every 's', along with other essential punctuation guidelines for English, "please refer to Eats, Shoots and Leaves" by Lynne Truss. ISBN 1861976127
Dunno, but it would be a good idea to move well away from any major cities, or even vaguely small towns. Light pollution plays hell.
Amazing, I've been using Windows since I was 6 and XP since beta release and never knew that was there.
Thanks!
110dpi, how obscure.
Sadly I use Windows for the vast majority of work where I need real units, my server's terminal seems quite happy whatever I plug it into.
Thanks for the Linux info tho, must file that somewhere.
Note: The threat of blowing up an oil tanker has nothing to do with large amount of oil exploding - crude oil isn't renowned for going boom. The problem would arise with the fact that nothing could move in or out due to contamination, water supplies would get screwed (if they're taken from the sea) etc etc.
Sadly I can get 1600x1200 on a 19" and 21" monitor, and I have found no way (except in nice programs like Gimp) to actually specify how 'long' something is on my screen in real units. Oh well, anybody got a decent UI hack that fixes this?
Amen to that, and even if the person on the other end isn't Skyped then it's pretty cheap to ring them through it.
Go go gadget VoIP!
Yes, yes it is. IPv6 is just like IPv4, except a new standard. It's published by the IETF (whos URL escapes me right now, possibly a child will have it) and is already implemented left right and centre, just not on any large scale. The network in my house uses IPv6, as does my school's 'Test Suite'. Microsoft have a big 6to4 router (lets IPv6 talk to IPv4) which is publicly available (search TechNet for the "6bone").
So, although China has fairly whupped most other places in getting IPv6 in first, there's no way it can run the show.
Not specifically exercised as in "Oh, I'll go the the gym now" but exercised as in "Oh, I'll walk to the shops instead of driving" or "I'll walk instead of getting the subway". Partly because (in the UK at least) it's often quicker and more comfortable to walk than it is to rely on public transport.
I think that's a piss poor excuse. The 'good satisfying food' and 'fatty sausages' are eaten as part of balanced diets, and are often exercised off. That and a lot more food is organically produced, especially in rural areas. Less processing, healthier lifestyles and nicely balanced diets have a lot more effect than exercising but not changing how you eat, or vice versa.
When I spent a couple of weeks in the states, without altering my eating or exercise habits I started to put on weight. I agree that it's the food, but only because the people are willing to eat a lot of, for want of a better word, crap.
I try to force all my data through a single point, and make damn sure I have the 'off' button. Everything either goes to my PC, palmtop, or phone depending on what I'm using at the time, and it takes only pushing a power button to disconnect me from the world whilst everything (yes, even phone calls and IMs) just pile up and get filtered. True it's more work when you turn it back on, but it's quite possible for me to just disconnect should I feel the need.
Now, what was I doing... ah crap.