what about a phone, with a switch to say what mode you are in, and a touchscreen to do funcionallity, so depending on the switch, you have a different interface.
This is actually an very interesting idea. With the interface exported to a single touchscreen display, you could make the switch pretty big and easy to handle. There are still some problems though. Lots of the things that are different about the devices aren't software interfaces discrepancies - they are hardware. Camera lens, phone speaker and microphone, display, etc.
Also, touchscreen interfaces have their issues. They are more difficult to operate in direct sunlight (a big issue if you need precision interaction), they require more power to operate than just having a plastic button, and you have to actually look at the screen to press buttons - you can't just "feel" around for it. This is mostly a problem for the music player functionality.
am I alone in prefering a few different devices that do what they are supposed to do well, rather than a single device that half asses everything.
Exactly! How long have humans had cameras and telephones and music? About as long as we've been able to enjoy using all of those things/without/ "converging" them into a single device.
It's pretty simple.
A phone has certain interface requirements: 10 buttons for dialing, one for taking a call, a few directional keys for navigating menus, a microphone, a speaker, etc.
A (non-trivial) camera requires other,/different/ things: a lens, buttons for adjusting shutter/aperature/exposure, white balance, etc.
A music device requires headphone jacks, a way to navigate a music library, buttons to control playback, etc.
Rotary telephones, regular cameras, and iPods are examples of how devices with one dedicated function are extremely usable. The more you try to force "digital convergence" of disparate devices with completely different interface requirements, the more you end up with a clunky and hard-to-use gadget.
Sure, it'd be great to have something that could do everything and still be intuitively easy to use and still fit in your pocket... but I don't think it'll ever happen.
If you're in the market for getting a computer, bend over and make sure it has Windows XP pre-installed. Really. What it lacks in features and flexibility is made up by being the de facto OS and having a whole ecosystem of third party software.
Not getting Windows now is like.. using *nix. Sure, you can always search tirelessly for docs and howtos on EVERYTHING, and be forced to research your hardware before you buy it, but your idiosyncrasy is going to cost you.
No kidding. When I first started running xscreensaver and hadn't yet configured it (so I hadn't seen what effects were available/selected), I just about toppled over when my debian machine got a BSOD.
I've always been bothered by that name. Trolltech. Looking at Wikipedia's article, apparently the company is from Norway. Does "troll" mean something in Norwegian?
I also see that they used be "Quasar Technologies." That seems a hell of a lot better than Trolltech. Maybe it will always be a mystery.
Actually, only the Organizr requires Flash. The Organizr is required to sort your photostream (all the images you've uploaded) into different sets as well as adding images from your photostream into the photo pools of groups you belong to.
Of course, you can also use it to do other neat things, like mass-tagging images. But it is definitely not the "core functionality" - uploading, tagging, adding descriptions, browsing, adding tags and comments, etc, photos all do not require Flash.
To run a good business, you have to not only have something people want but you have to actually market it with skill and have good business practices.
Right... So basically, you're saying that any company that doesn't try to bludgeon potential buyers with seizure-inducing flash ads and billboards and flyers to induce blind, vapid consumerism is doomed to fail? Oh, good to know our society is still chugging along.:)
What's the point of screenshot tours for distros? All distros have KDE and Gnome and whathaveyou. The only thing that's "unique" about the screenshots is that the wallpapers are just each distro's logo.
So then you take out your sword and run up to a guy and go, "Chiiing!" And after you saw through his head, you fly inside your X-wing.
Did this remind anyone else of this, by any chance, or is it just me?
Are you kidding me? The title of the story is "Beware Fake Security Alert." Surely/.er's are a bit more capable than mindlessly clicking lemmings?
On the other hand...
Microsoft feels the need to dumb down everything that has to do with the PC because consumers want it dumbed down. I mean, how many times have you heard people in Best Buy or Circuit City as if a computer model is "fast enough for Word."
Anyway, this probably won't solve anything. Just like how people will buy a model because "2.4ghz" is higher than "2.0ghz," people will be duped into buying higher models. I guess it could work if there was a description of each level.. "Level 1 - Web browsing, notepad." etc..
Yes, I live in America, but if it counts for anything, my parents are both Asian (mom from China, dad from Taiwan). I researched the "Great Firewall" a bit, and knowing what I do about China's past, I don't think it's that far-fetched to think that the government might get squirrely over a security conference. Hell, they cracked down on Falun Gong didn't they? And all they do is medidate in groups.
I wouldn't have expected this sort of event to be allowed by authorities. Maybe the Chinese government just has a bunch of undercover guys at the convention?
Slashdot Mirror
This is actually an very interesting idea. With the interface exported to a single touchscreen display, you could make the switch pretty big and easy to handle. There are still some problems though. Lots of the things that are different about the devices aren't software interfaces discrepancies - they are hardware. Camera lens, phone speaker and microphone, display, etc.
Also, touchscreen interfaces have their issues. They are more difficult to operate in direct sunlight (a big issue if you need precision interaction), they require more power to operate than just having a plastic button, and you have to actually look at the screen to press buttons - you can't just "feel" around for it. This is mostly a problem for the music player functionality.
Still, it's an interesting idea.
It's pretty simple.
Rotary telephones, regular cameras, and iPods are examples of how devices with one dedicated function are extremely usable. The more you try to force "digital convergence" of disparate devices with completely different interface requirements, the more you end up with a clunky and hard-to-use gadget.
Sure, it'd be great to have something that could do everything and still be intuitively easy to use and still fit in your pocket... but I don't think it'll ever happen.
If you're in the market for getting a computer, bend over and make sure it has Windows XP pre-installed. Really. What it lacks in features and flexibility is made up by being the de facto OS and having a whole ecosystem of third party software.
Not getting Windows now is like .. using *nix. Sure, you can always search tirelessly for docs and howtos on EVERYTHING, and be forced to research your hardware before you buy it, but your idiosyncrasy is going to cost you.
Yeah, wtf, is this really /.?
Needless to say, that effect has been disabled.
I also see that they used be "Quasar Technologies." That seems a hell of a lot better than Trolltech. Maybe it will always be a mystery.
sigh
<!--SLASHVERTISEMENTMODE
PERHAPS YOU NEED A SPECIALLY WEIGHTED, UBER-COOL (TRUST US!) __DAS KEYBOARD__!!
-->
=P
Actually, only the Organizr requires Flash. The Organizr is required to sort your photostream (all the images you've uploaded) into different sets as well as adding images from your photostream into the photo pools of groups you belong to.
Of course, you can also use it to do other neat things, like mass-tagging images. But it is definitely not the "core functionality" - uploading, tagging, adding descriptions, browsing, adding tags and comments, etc, photos all do not require Flash.
Have a nice day! =)
http://freecycle.org/
Kind of like Ebay! Except you get a warm, fuzzy feeling instead of money =)
You mean, right now isn't considered an energy crisis?
Right... So basically, you're saying that any company that doesn't try to bludgeon potential buyers with seizure-inducing flash ads and billboards and flyers to induce blind, vapid consumerism is doomed to fail? Oh, good to know our society is still chugging along. :)
What's the point of screenshot tours for distros? All distros have KDE and Gnome and whathaveyou. The only thing that's "unique" about the screenshots is that the wallpapers are just each distro's logo.
So then you take out your sword and run up to a guy and go, "Chiiing!" And after you saw through his head, you fly inside your X-wing.
Did this remind anyone else of this, by any chance, or is it just me?
I'm kind of spooked now.
No kidding. Look who the Americans have just elected as their President.
What's worse? IE being vulnerable to spoofed URLs because of malformed HTML, or Firefox crashing because of the same thing?
Are there any details on how this exploit actually works? There's no FA to read this time :(
Are you kidding me? The title of the story is "Beware Fake Security Alert." Surely /.er's are a bit more capable than mindlessly clicking lemmings?
On the other hand...
Edit > Preferences > Web Features Click 'Allowed Sites' and add the site. :) Simple enough
Microsoft feels the need to dumb down everything that has to do with the PC because consumers want it dumbed down. I mean, how many times have you heard people in Best Buy or Circuit City as if a computer model is "fast enough for Word." Anyway, this probably won't solve anything. Just like how people will buy a model because "2.4ghz" is higher than "2.0ghz," people will be duped into buying higher models. I guess it could work if there was a description of each level.. "Level 1 - Web browsing, notepad." etc..
I love you Asa :-)
Browsing /. with 1.0PR now. Unfortunately, I ran into one of the ugly format bugs that pop up every so often.. sigh.
Yes, I live in America, but if it counts for anything, my parents are both Asian (mom from China, dad from Taiwan). I researched the "Great Firewall" a bit, and knowing what I do about China's past, I don't think it's that far-fetched to think that the government might get squirrely over a security conference. Hell, they cracked down on Falun Gong didn't they? And all they do is medidate in groups.
I wouldn't have expected this sort of event to be allowed by authorities. Maybe the Chinese government just has a bunch of undercover guys at the convention?