Same with any industry. At work (I work for a Car Dealership) one of the Customer's Glovebox wouldn't close. They wanted a quote upfront, before anyone looked at it, so the Service Advisor said "up to $400". This way we were covered in case the Parts were damaged and had to be replaced. The mechanic assigned the Job pulled everything out of the glovebox, put some of it in the Centre Console and some of it back in the Glovebox, and solved the problem. The Glovebox worked good as new. It took him 5 minutes and required no parts, tools or specialist skills. Should she still get charged $400? Too Right!
Central Locking is also a Security Risk, not only from Car Jackers (who hide on the Passenger side and jump in when the Central locking Activates) but also from Jimmied Doors. One Particular Australian Car (Not a Mitsubishi, Toyota or Holden) can have all doors open by kicking the Rear Passenger Door in just the right location.
The same issue with the Trusty XD-XE Ford Falcons of 1980-1984. I remember starting the ignition of one of those with the Dipstick once! (Legally, of course, someone lost the key and we were out in the bush) A Friend with an XE opened our boot for us, and by pulling out the back parcel shelf, we gained access to the cabin of the vehicle.
My Trusty N14 Nissan Pulsar has a security system/Central Locking. If you open the door without the remote, it sets off the alarm, and the Imobiliser doesn't get disactiveated.
The Alarm override is located somewhere on the passenger side (I'm not saying where), so when my remote battery died, I had to open the passenger door with the key, (which set off the alarm) and then access the override with the key in order to disable the alarm. That also disabled the Engine Imobiliser so I could drive home and get my Spare Remote.
It pays to Read the Instructions Manual. A Friend with a similar car rang me up to find out how to turn off the alarm, after trying to 30minutes.
Another option would be, using Descriptions of the Undocumented API's, to write an Extension for Windows which supports ReiserFS (or some other Open Source Filesystem).
This will allow Dual Boot Users to be able to access thier Windows Partition Read/Write from GNU/Linux without invoking MS's Wrath on the whole OSS Community, since it is software for Windows.
The reason why using iSync to sync with your Palm is slower than using Palm Desktop is because;...iSync actually has to use HotSync to access the Palm Device. It can't do it on your own, so it has to wait for HotSync as well as it's own processes....PalmDesktop is integrated with HotSync. It only has to run HotSync.
If you use iSync with (for example) a Sony-Ericsson T610, and compare the speed with HotSync (without iSync) with (for example) a Palm Zire21, you'll find that iSync is marginally quicker.
iSync also works with your iPod using Native Drivers. You can sync three ways, or even 4 ways (with a.Mac account), about as fast as HotSync works on it's own with a Palm.
I'm looking forward to seeing Apple improve iSync to support extended Features, vNotes (on my T68i), Stickys (on my iBook) and Memos (on my Palm) would be good.
I recently switched to MacOSX from BeOS. In my experience chatting to the Mac Community out there, they are not more fanatical than Any other Community. I've know Car Clubs who are more obsessive than the Macintosh Community.
The only fanatics I've ran accross in the MacOSX World are the AntiMac Fanatics. For whatever reason, these individuals *hate* Macs. Not just Dislike Macs, but actively *hate* them, with a passion remeniscant of Religious Fundamentalists.
People who rebute these AntiMac Fanatics are Labeled Mac Zealots. This is only a half truth, they are really just qualifiers of the AntiMac FUD.
Anti-OS sentiments aren't restricted to MacOS, though, There are plenty of AntiMS, AntiLinux, AntiBSD and Anti[insert favourite OS here] Fanatics. Are you one of them?
I'd love to use Linux again. But after using BeOS for a few years, I've grown used to a few too many luxuries.
I'd love a Linux Distrlibution which, out of the Box does the following:
1. Has Metadata Attributes in the Filesystem, which can be easily accessable by the File Manager.
2. Has a pretty, consistant and responsive GUI.
3. can mount Different Sessions from Different CD's graphically
4. mounts Audio CD's just like any other filesystem
5. works with my Video Capture Card straight out of the box.
6. can easily be replicated by burning an img of the bootdisk and img of the/boot partition to a CD-R (great for system backups, and sharing the experience)
If someone made a Linux Distribution which did these things, I'd be ecstatic. It doesn't need fancy things like Blistering Audio Performance, or the ability to turn a processor off on an SMP system, or even the ability to play 5 DivX Videos at once on a K6-3/550 without skipping. Just a nice, clean, logical GUI.
AtheOS was mentioned in Slashdot a while ago. It started off as an GPL AmigaOS Clone, but rapidly lost most similarities with Amiga and much closer to BeOS, without the Commercial licence, Closed-source development delay, or Commercial financial backing.
It is slowly making its way towards a usable Desktop OS, without the 'flaws' of BeOS such as the Hardcoded Windows Decor, and incomplete Media Codec extensability.
Unfortunatly, AtheOS also lacks a Complete File Manager, A Productivity Suite (unless you consider EMACS a Productivity Suite), and lots of Games, but being GPLed, these things could all soon change.
If you want to develop for a quick, non-legacy OS, without any Commercial dependancies, AtheOS will do the trick.
If you want to develop for a quick non-legacy, complete OS, BeOS will suit your needs.
IANAL, so what does this mean for Be Inc, who use the bladenc in BeOS R5 Pro?
Ironically, bladenc was chosen because it had no patent problems. GOGO-no-coda was rejected because it only works in x86 and licencing issues with compiled binaries. LAME was rejected because of the compiled binaries issue.
Now LAME has replaced all the problem code with GPL code.
If bladenc falls in a heap, Be could have to use the superior LAME codebase to write thier encoding addon. They will however have to include the source code (somewhere freely available), and GPL licencing (just like with GNU Utils). This will mean that one of the key benefits in R5 Pro (native mp3 encoding) will be available to savvy PE users.
If I'm wrong on any of the issues above, please inform me publicly, so that my mistake is corrected for all.
Most kids I know can relate to a GUI interface better than Command-line output.
If they want to see results quickly, and actually want to know how they reached thier results, I suggest Delphi or C++ Builder.
There is the issue that after they've designed the GUI, they might not be interested in the actual code anymore, just the outcome (and where's the fun in that).
BeOS (or AtheOS) is another good answer. The API's are completely legacy free, and simple, and BeOS comes with a Version of Codewarrior, to keep everything in order. There's also a healthy amount of legacy code.
I'm of the opinion that there isn't enough Good sample code for Windows, and there is too much sample code for X/Unix for a beginner. BeOS is a good balance, and if they want to try something more adventurous, they can start playing with AtheOS. Both these OS's could do with some more apps and addons/plugins (AtheOS especially).
Don't forget to ensure that thier knowledge is varied. It's pointless to learn an OS intimately if the company (or philosophy) fails.
A few years ago, Be tried to get popular OEMs to offer BeOS on new machines. The OEMs would get the licences for BeOS for free, and then could charge the end user. Only a few OEMs took up the offer, the rest had exclusive contracts with MS, which meant that the couldn't package any other OS (remember Refund Day?).
Free BeOS is a great move, BeOS5PE is a little restricted, due to licencing and size constraints, but the missing features aren't used by the average desktop user, and there are always alternatives to the missing features. For example, since the MP3 encoder isn't in the PE, and only in Pro, you can use GoGo and GoGo-Gadget instead. You can also download the Development stuff in a separate file. (only 20Mb)
BeOS is a very simple OS to use, but provides a wealth of information anout how you're computer runs. Maybe a new User gets BeOS, realises that there is a world outside MS, and it is better, and eventually gets interested in GNU and BSD OSs. (Linux, Hurd, *BSD, etc) This can only be a good thing for these communities. Know any GNU/Linux Distribution which installs itself non destructivly in Windows, in the same amount of time, and is just as accessable?
The release of BeOS 5PE will benefit Be with more publicity, but I think it will benefit (and liberate) the average computer user even more.
The sourcecode released by nVidia was Precompiled, which means that it is halfway between being structured code and real machine code. (My over-simplification)
The GLX thet the TNT2 and TNT uses only works at 15-bit and 16-bit colour. Any other depth and the reverts back to software.
The driver didn't access all the features of the chipset. There was no advantage in having a TNT2 with 32Mb and a TNT with 16Mb. (Unless you had a ridiculously large Workspace with 32-bit colour, but that has nothing to do with the GLX code)
Basically, If you put a TNT-2 next to a comparative Matrox card (G200?) next to a comparative 3Dfx card (Voodoo2?), the TNT-2 would be only marginally better than a S3 Virge.:-(
Anyway, My interpretation of the "Article/Paragraph" is that nVidia are opening thier ICD for us to look at, and do what we like. ("We" being the open-source/Free-software community)
I wonder if it will be GPLed or BSDed or "n Public Licence"ed.
Install/Uninstall?? What could be more inefficient than the "Self-Executing Zip File"?
I don't know about most people, but I find rpm -e blah-de-balh.arch.rpm much easier than Start>Control Panel>Add Remove Programs>blah-de-blah Start>Run>Regedit>......
Sorry, but I consider Package Management to be the main disadvantage of WinDross.
I understand that Sharing a Scanner with a Windows (TWAIN) System is nigh-on Impossible. Using a Scanner on the "Alternative" OSs like Linux, Other Unixes and OS/2 uses the SANE interface in most cases. TWAIN (Technology without an Interesting Name) doesn't support Network Interfaces for Scanners. SANE (Scanner Access Now Easy) supports Network Scanners.
The other Option would to use a USB Scanner.
A Win98 box and an IMac can share a USB scanner nicely.
Slashdot Mirror
Wouldn't it require that I actually leave the house? ;)
Damn Slashdot doesn't support Unicode :(
2 H2O H3O+ + OH-
2 Water = Hydronium+ and Hydroxide-
Don't you mean Hydronium Hydroxide.
IANAC, but can a single water Molecule exist on it's lonesome and still stay pH Neutral?
2H?O ? H?O? + OH?
2 Water = Hydronium? and Hydroxide?
Same with any industry.
At work (I work for a Car Dealership) one of the Customer's Glovebox wouldn't close. They wanted a quote upfront, before anyone looked at it, so the Service Advisor said "up to $400". This way we were covered in case the Parts were damaged and had to be replaced.
The mechanic assigned the Job pulled everything out of the glovebox, put some of it in the Centre Console and some of it back in the Glovebox, and solved the problem. The Glovebox worked good as new. It took him 5 minutes and required no parts, tools or specialist skills.
Should she still get charged $400? Too Right!
Central Locking is also a Security Risk, not only from Car Jackers (who hide on the Passenger side and jump in when the Central locking Activates) but also from Jimmied Doors.
One Particular Australian Car (Not a Mitsubishi, Toyota or Holden) can have all doors open by kicking the Rear Passenger Door in just the right location.
The same issue with the Trusty XD-XE Ford Falcons of 1980-1984.
I remember starting the ignition of one of those with the Dipstick once! (Legally, of course, someone lost the key and we were out in the bush) A Friend with an XE opened our boot for us, and by pulling out the back parcel shelf, we gained access to the cabin of the vehicle.
My Trusty N14 Nissan Pulsar has a security system/Central Locking. If you open the door without the remote, it sets off the alarm, and the Imobiliser doesn't get disactiveated.
The Alarm override is located somewhere on the passenger side (I'm not saying where), so when my remote battery died, I had to open the passenger door with the key, (which set off the alarm) and then access the override with the key in order to disable the alarm. That also disabled the Engine Imobiliser so I could drive home and get my Spare Remote.
It pays to Read the Instructions Manual. A Friend with a similar car rang me up to find out how to turn off the alarm, after trying to 30minutes.
Another option would be, using Descriptions of the Undocumented API's, to write an Extension for Windows which supports ReiserFS (or some other Open Source Filesystem).
This will allow Dual Boot Users to be able to access thier Windows Partition Read/Write from GNU/Linux without invoking MS's Wrath on the whole OSS Community, since it is software for Windows.
The reason why using iSync to sync with your Palm is slower than using Palm Desktop is because; ...iSync actually has to use HotSync to access the Palm Device. It can't do it on your own, so it has to wait for HotSync as well as it's own processes. ...PalmDesktop is integrated with HotSync. It only has to run HotSync.
.Mac account), about as fast as HotSync works on it's own with a Palm.
If you use iSync with (for example) a Sony-Ericsson T610, and compare the speed with HotSync (without iSync) with (for example) a Palm Zire21, you'll find that iSync is marginally quicker.
iSync also works with your iPod using Native Drivers. You can sync three ways, or even 4 ways (with a
I'm looking forward to seeing Apple improve iSync to support extended Features, vNotes (on my T68i), Stickys (on my iBook) and Memos (on my Palm) would be good.
I recently switched to MacOSX from BeOS. In my experience chatting to the Mac Community out there, they are not more fanatical than Any other Community. I've know Car Clubs who are more obsessive than the Macintosh Community.
The only fanatics I've ran accross in the MacOSX World are the AntiMac Fanatics. For whatever reason, these individuals *hate* Macs. Not just Dislike Macs, but actively *hate* them, with a passion remeniscant of Religious Fundamentalists.
People who rebute these AntiMac Fanatics are Labeled Mac Zealots. This is only a half truth, they are really just qualifiers of the AntiMac FUD.
Anti-OS sentiments aren't restricted to MacOS, though, There are plenty of AntiMS, AntiLinux, AntiBSD and Anti[insert favourite OS here] Fanatics. Are you one of them?
I'd love to use Linux again. But after using BeOS for a few years, I've grown used to a few too many luxuries.
/boot partition to a CD-R (great for system backups, and sharing the experience)
I'd love a Linux Distrlibution which, out of the Box does the following:
1. Has Metadata Attributes in the Filesystem, which can be easily accessable by the File Manager.
2. Has a pretty, consistant and responsive GUI.
3. can mount Different Sessions from Different CD's graphically
4. mounts Audio CD's just like any other filesystem
5. works with my Video Capture Card straight out of the box.
6. can easily be replicated by burning an img of the bootdisk and img of the
If someone made a Linux Distribution which did these things, I'd be ecstatic. It doesn't need fancy things like Blistering Audio Performance, or the ability to turn a processor off on an SMP system, or even the ability to play 5 DivX Videos at once on a K6-3/550 without skipping. Just a nice, clean, logical GUI.
AtheOS was mentioned in Slashdot a while ago. It started off as an GPL AmigaOS Clone, but rapidly lost most similarities with Amiga and much closer to BeOS, without the Commercial licence, Closed-source development delay, or Commercial financial backing.
It is slowly making its way towards a usable Desktop OS, without the 'flaws' of BeOS such as the Hardcoded Windows Decor, and incomplete Media Codec extensability.
Unfortunatly, AtheOS also lacks a Complete File Manager, A Productivity Suite (unless you consider EMACS a Productivity Suite), and lots of Games, but being GPLed, these things could all soon change.
If you want to develop for a quick, non-legacy OS, without any Commercial dependancies, AtheOS will do the trick.
If you want to develop for a quick non-legacy, complete OS, BeOS will suit your needs.
IANAL, so what does this mean for Be Inc, who use the bladenc in BeOS R5 Pro?
Ironically, bladenc was chosen because it had no patent problems. GOGO-no-coda was rejected because it only works in x86 and licencing issues with compiled binaries. LAME was rejected because of the compiled binaries issue.
Now LAME has replaced all the problem code with GPL code.
If bladenc falls in a heap, Be could have to use the superior LAME codebase to write thier encoding addon. They will however have to include the source code (somewhere freely available), and GPL licencing (just like with GNU Utils). This will mean that one of the key benefits in R5 Pro (native mp3 encoding) will be available to savvy PE users.
If I'm wrong on any of the issues above, please inform me publicly, so that my mistake is corrected for all.
Most kids I know can relate to a GUI interface better than Command-line output.
If they want to see results quickly, and actually want to know how they reached thier results, I suggest Delphi or C++ Builder.
There is the issue that after they've designed the GUI, they might not be interested in the actual code anymore, just the outcome (and where's the fun in that).
BeOS (or AtheOS) is another good answer. The API's are completely legacy free, and simple, and BeOS comes with a Version of Codewarrior, to keep everything in order. There's also a healthy amount of legacy code.
I'm of the opinion that there isn't enough Good sample code for Windows, and there is too much sample code for X/Unix for a beginner. BeOS is a good balance, and if they want to try something more adventurous, they can start playing with AtheOS. Both these OS's could do with some more apps and addons/plugins (AtheOS especially).
Don't forget to ensure that thier knowledge is varied. It's pointless to learn an OS intimately if the company (or philosophy) fails.
A few years ago, Be tried to get popular OEMs to offer BeOS on new machines. The OEMs would get the licences for BeOS for free, and then could charge the end user. Only a few OEMs took up the offer, the rest had exclusive contracts with MS, which meant that the couldn't package any other OS (remember Refund Day?).
Free BeOS is a great move, BeOS5PE is a little restricted, due to licencing and size constraints, but the missing features aren't used by the average desktop user, and there are always alternatives to the missing features. For example, since the MP3 encoder isn't in the PE, and only in Pro, you can use GoGo and GoGo-Gadget instead. You can also download the Development stuff in a separate file. (only 20Mb)
BeOS is a very simple OS to use, but provides a wealth of information anout how you're computer runs. Maybe a new User gets BeOS, realises that there is a world outside MS, and it is better, and eventually gets interested in GNU and BSD OSs. (Linux, Hurd, *BSD, etc) This can only be a good thing for these communities. Know any GNU/Linux Distribution which installs itself non destructivly in Windows, in the same amount of time, and is just as accessable?
The release of BeOS 5PE will benefit Be with more publicity, but I think it will benefit (and liberate) the average computer user even more.
TNTs are crap compared to nVidia's new GeForce.
GeForce are crap compared to the Video systems in the SGI Machines.
Lets just face it. If you want good 3D performance, you go for an SGI machine running IRIX or SGI-Linux.
If you want realistically priced 3D performance you go for a Intel-compatable machine with a G200 / Voodoo3 / TNT.
I'm just looking forward to GeForce cards being usable in Linux. Then I'll be happy.
The sourcecode released by nVidia was Precompiled, which means that it is halfway between being structured code and real machine code. (My over-simplification)
:-(
The GLX thet the TNT2 and TNT uses only works at 15-bit and 16-bit colour. Any other depth and the reverts back to software.
The driver didn't access all the features of the chipset. There was no advantage in having a TNT2 with 32Mb and a TNT with 16Mb. (Unless you had a ridiculously large Workspace with 32-bit colour, but that has nothing to do with the GLX code)
Basically, If you put a TNT-2 next to a comparative Matrox card (G200?) next to a comparative 3Dfx card (Voodoo2?), the TNT-2 would be only marginally better than a S3 Virge.
Anyway, My interpretation of the "Article/Paragraph" is that nVidia are opening thier ICD for us to look at, and do what we like.
("We" being the open-source/Free-software community)
I wonder if it will be GPLed or BSDed or "n Public Licence"ed.
Install/Uninstall??
What could be more inefficient than the "Self-Executing Zip File"?
I don't know about most people, but I find
rpm -e blah-de-balh.arch.rpm
much easier than
Start>Control Panel>Add Remove Programs>blah-de-blah
Start>Run>Regedit>......
Sorry, but I consider Package Management to be the main disadvantage of WinDross.
I understand that Sharing a Scanner with a Windows (TWAIN) System is nigh-on Impossible. Using a Scanner on the "Alternative" OSs like Linux, Other Unixes and OS/2 uses the SANE interface in most cases.
TWAIN (Technology without an Interesting Name) doesn't support Network Interfaces for Scanners.
SANE (Scanner Access Now Easy) supports Network Scanners.
The other Option would to use a USB Scanner.
A Win98 box and an IMac can share a USB scanner nicely.
I maybe wrong, however.