It's funny but I actually ran across something on one of the multimedia sites (sorry can't find the link at the moment) of how to use use a standard laptop with a pair of $500 display glasses and a chording keyboard/mouse as a "wearable". Not too bad if you get a light notebook and wear it in a small satchel - or maybe a Libretto or Sony Picture Book. =-)
Things like this seem to point me in the direction of thought that we need to develop a totally new technology that doesn't use so much power/resources to do the same tasks. It may very well be IMHO that we're barking up the wrong development/research tree by trying to improve the current technology instead of creating something new.
Is there something better? is what I think we should be asking. While the fuel-cell research is a step towards this I think we need to re-create the other side of the hardware/power-source coin before any of this will do any good.
No! No! No! Phones should be OpenBSD due to security issues!;-)
(Although the PGPphone code might come in handy.)*grin*
The Tick - "Spoon!"
Re:It's exactly what's needed for Linux acceptance
on
New Desktop for Linux
·
· Score: 2
I'm not sure upper management can handle such a complex interface. Think of all the decisions to make!
Oh-No Manager Bill! =-)
One of the great things about open source is that programs can be whatever programmers want them to be. There isn't pressure to ''dumb down'' the interface, but the possibility still exists to do so. Linux (and the other open source systems like *BSD, HURD, etc.) will continue to evolve regardless of their ''market share'' against commercial OSes.
True but we're talking about making Linux available to the average user. Remember that the average user is trained almost from birth to have people do things for them, not the reverse. Until that changes or we're big enough to alter the game we're all playing then we have to work within that framework if we want Linux to be usable to Joe Public.
Besides, Linux is *already* accepted--by many hard-core programmers, many of whom probably don't really care if it's accepted by the world of end-users.
This is true and much appreciated for without those users we'd probably not have a working Linux to speak of at all! However, remember that one of the best ways to get something to flourish, especially if you care about making it big, is to get the general public interested in it. While this may not be the ideal solution due to "comittee" type issues it will most definitely blow the doors off even more than they are.
And maybe someday - hopefully someday soon - we'll all be using some form of Linux for all our uses. One can only hope.:-)
And with general society today your point would be...?
Unfortunately this is the sort of thinking that the "unwashed masses" (sorry clichet filter kicked in) want in their day to day lives. The current spate of government and other similiar groups have this as a main agenda on their tickets because they want to control everything. If they force people into this mode then they get to do that - no questions asked.
Aren't you glad we're at least asking questions about what should be?;-)
And Maybe...just maybe...we' ll get an increase in the geek population so that we can move people towards a "thinking" base and away from the degredation of thought that has happened for far too long.:-(
I agree with your sharpshooting - please have patience on a previous VB programmer who's doing pennance by re-learning C on Linux.;-)
As for modularity that's fine too but remember that what we need to do is have a level of access that will be acceptable for the new user. Unfortunately this means using a lot of extra code to hide most of the functions "behind the scenes" so that the user does not become confused. An ideal solution would be not just a mode of install (Basic, Full, Server, etc.) but a mode of usage as well! Imagine having an internal switch setting for each user account that allows the system to treat the new user at a level that they feel comfortable with. I hate to bring M$-isms into this but maybe a first-time "wizard" that asks the user simple questions to determine the level at which the user should be able to use the system. "Do you know what GREP the/etc/inittab for the shutdown line. means?" That's actually a bad example but you get the idea. When the user eventually grows/learns to a level that they can use the system then they should have gotten to a point where they can turn that switch off on their user account and move on to a more complex setup. Doing that would allow both newbies and experienced users to use the same system without have major problems or conflicts. You can also do this for the installation choices as well and eventually get to the point where even a beginning user will not have too much problem installing and configuring a new system. Modularity will help that certainly but there needs to be a shift in thinking so that the newbie "level" is designed for totally new users and not anything higher.
The Tick - "Spoon!"
It's exactly what's needed for Linux acceptance...
on
New Desktop for Linux
·
· Score: 3
This is exactly the sort of thing that is needed for Linux to be accepted by the mainstream public. For all our talk as Linux users about the "dumbing down of Linux" as an OS Linux really needs something like this. For instance I could teach most of KDE or GNOME to my mother but what would she do if the print spool wouldn't clear after trying the Printer Control? Or what if she wanted someone else in the family to be able to use her system but not touch her stuff? Both of these tasks require administrative skills that she does not have and would most likely be unwilling to have to learn. Unfortunately for those of the Linux community there is no substitute for the Windows Control Panel. (yet)
Remember what people have said for years about software and business management - Programmers want an infintely wide interface, middle managers want an 8-bit interface because that's all they can handle, and upper management wants a 2 bit interface - Yes/No.
Most (I use the word loosely) users in America today can handle the 8-bit interface but due to the increased "dumbing-down" of our culture we're forcing people down to the level of a 2-bit interface. (Unfortunate but true.) Thus we're left with the situation that "Anything that is simpler for the user is the solution."
We may not like it but there it is and we do have to accept it until we can change it.
Also for those of you about to rally to the "We'll force them to learn!" flag - might I suggest you look at your own reactions when someone "forced" you to do something such as use an M$ product.;-)
If you follow the links and actually LOOK for the bill you'll find out that it HAS passed in both places. It is just under different bill numbers and is not easily locatable. If necessary I will find the link and post it here.
Actually if you check the bills on the site referred to in the original article you'll find that both the house and senate have passed the bill - they're just under different numbers.
I'm 22 yrs in the biz, and I still have to learn too. (*1) Yes, but just by the fact that you've been in the business that long gives you the edge in the computer situation and indeed makes you an almost automatic exception to the rule. You're at least *comfortable* with a computer. Most new users aren't. And that's why it would be/is tough to teach people about Linux. (I'm not even going to mention that the amount of training material for Windows is much greater than what exists for Linux. Although Linux is catching up rapidly. Heck - QUE has a nice beginning book out for Linux users that comes with a copy of Caldera and color pictures;-) I've taught users how to do things from scratch and the biggest gradient for them is not that they have to learn something new but that they have to learn at all. (This is also an extremely sad comment on out society at large but that's another topic.)
I still maintain that sitting a Windows user down in front of a X-Windows box, even with KDE or GNOME, will present a significant enough challenge to most users that they will gladly give up the linux box in favor of a Windows one.
Anybody look at the last 10 posts or so on this thread? This is exactly what the author was talking about! A set of flaming comments on the author being "a M$ pawn" and "Grok? Crock!" and so forth. (Especially if you browse/. at a lower level!) In spite of the man having some good points about the state of Linux in relation to "newbie" users, i.e. the public in general, he is automatically attacked and flamed as if he was Bill Gates posting on/.!
As a user of Linux for about two years now I can honestly say that it's not ready for prime time quite yet. Close? Yes! Absolutely! Can we just give it to a Windows user and have them use it without having to seriously re-train or coddle them? No. No way!
I have 10 years of OS/Network experience under my belt and there are still quite a few things about Linux that I don't understand. If I don't undsertand it then there's quite a good chance that a new or converted user won't either.
I'm just as strong a promoter for replacing Windows with Linux as anyone else but as members of the Linux community we have to face facts - we're not going to replace Windows any time soon.
It seems to me that they are trying very hard to push te blame off on their users and not taking responsibility for their actions. It's their sysadmins and security people who are at fault here. I don't even think the "corporate" level had any clue at all. (I sent an e-mail, like everyone else, informing them of the UDP announcement. Instead of sending it to the support people though I sent it to the "Corporate PR" e-mail address on their site.;-) (Before you ask - no I didn't get a response.)
Regardless they are still blaming the user when they should be blaming themselves.
That would allow for maximum cooling and airflow and even allow you to make the case with custom ductwork for a "remote" fan.
I just got a ALR Revolution 6x6 board that uses PPROs. I bought it off of E-bay so I'll have to build a case for it from scratch.
My plan is to actually RF shield a small closet in my house, (don't want to disturb my neighbor's TV;-), mount the board on the wall with custom brackets and then cool the entire closet with a small AC unit. I'll run a separate duct directly over the top of the board itself so that the AC cools the CPUs which run with large heat-sinks and no fans. The AC unit, depending on the model, is quiet and the closet closes off any local fans I may have to install later - for things like overclocked boards - =-) .
As for video and peripherals - they can be mounted separately - especially if the drives are SCSI - and a good KVM can be used for the console.
This closet would also serve to house/cool the network switch/hubs as well as future things such as the cable modem, router/firewall box, or even the cable/satellite distribution system.
The closet is an extreme example but you get the idea - if something exists to suit your needs then buy it, but if you can't find anything that suits your needs make it yourself.
Slashdot Mirror
It's funny but I actually ran across something on one of the multimedia sites (sorry can't find the link at the moment) of how to use use a standard laptop with a pair of $500 display glasses and a chording keyboard/mouse as a "wearable". Not too bad if you get a light notebook and wear it in a small satchel - or maybe a Libretto or Sony Picture Book. =-)
The Tick - "Spoon!"
They don't have to use Hydrogen - see my earlier posts about one using Methanol or go here.
The Tick - "Spoon!"
The site seems to be /.'d already. :-(
The Tick - "Spoon!"
Things like this seem to point me in the direction of thought that we need to develop a totally new technology that doesn't use so much power/resources to do the same tasks.
It may very well be IMHO that we're barking up the wrong development/research tree by trying to improve the current technology instead of creating something new.
Is there something better? is what I think we should be asking. While the fuel-cell research is a step towards this I think we need to re-create the other side of the hardware/power-source coin before any of this will do any good.
The Tick - "Spoon!"
Actualy the Motorola cell design seems like more of an option.
Here's an article in EE Times about it.
That is if they can get more voltage out of it.
The Tick - "Spoon!"
No! No! No! Phones should be OpenBSD due to security issues! ;-)
(Although the PGPphone code might come in handy.)*grin*
The Tick - "Spoon!"
I'm not sure upper management can handle such a complex interface. Think of all the decisions to make!
:-)
Oh-No Manager Bill! =-)
One of the great things about open source is that programs can be whatever programmers want them to be. There isn't pressure to ''dumb down'' the interface, but the possibility still exists to do so. Linux (and the other open source systems like *BSD, HURD, etc.) will continue to evolve regardless of their ''market share'' against commercial OSes.
True but we're talking about making Linux available to the average user. Remember that the average user is trained almost from birth to have people do things for them, not the reverse. Until that changes or we're big enough to alter the game we're all playing then we have to work within that framework if we want Linux to be usable to Joe Public.
Besides, Linux is *already* accepted--by many hard-core programmers, many of whom probably don't really care if it's accepted by the world of end-users.
This is true and much appreciated for without those users we'd probably not have a working Linux to speak of at all! However, remember that one of the best ways to get something to flourish, especially if you care about making it big, is to get the general public interested in it. While this may not be the ideal solution due to "comittee" type issues it will most definitely blow the doors off even more than they are.
And maybe someday - hopefully someday soon - we'll all be using some form of Linux for all our uses. One can only hope.
The Tick - "Spoon!"
And with general society today your point would be...?
;-)
Unfortunately this is the sort of thinking that the "unwashed masses" (sorry clichet filter kicked in) want in their day to day lives. The current spate of government and other similiar groups have this as a main agenda on their tickets because they want to control everything. If they force people into this mode then they get to do that - no questions asked.
Aren't you glad we're at least asking questions about what should be?
The Tick - "Spoon!"
And Maybe...just maybe...we' ll get an increase in the geek population so that we can move people towards a "thinking" base and away from the degredation of thought that has happened for far too long. :-(
I hope this for all the world.
The Tick - "Spoon!"
I agree with your sharpshooting - please have patience on a previous VB programmer who's doing pennance by re-learning C on Linux. ;-)
/etc/inittab for the shutdown line. means?"
As for modularity that's fine too but remember that what we need to do is have a level of access that will be acceptable for the new user. Unfortunately this means using a lot of extra code to hide most of the functions "behind the scenes" so that the user does not become confused.
An ideal solution would be not just a mode of install (Basic, Full, Server, etc.) but a mode of usage as well! Imagine having an internal switch setting for each user account that allows the system to treat the new user at a level that they feel comfortable with.
I hate to bring M$-isms into this but maybe a first-time "wizard" that asks the user simple questions to determine the level at which the user should be able to use the system.
"Do you know what GREP the
That's actually a bad example but you get the idea. When the user eventually grows/learns to a level that they can use the system then they should have gotten to a point where they can turn that switch off on their user account and move on to a more complex setup. Doing that would allow both newbies and experienced users to use the same system without have major problems or conflicts. You can also do this for the installation choices as well and eventually get to the point where even a beginning user will not have too much problem installing and configuring a new system.
Modularity will help that certainly but there needs to be a shift in thinking so that the newbie "level" is designed for totally new users and not anything higher.
The Tick - "Spoon!"
This is exactly the sort of thing that is needed for Linux to be accepted by the mainstream public.
;-)
For all our talk as Linux users about the "dumbing down of Linux" as an OS Linux really needs something like this.
For instance I could teach most of KDE or GNOME to my mother but what would she do if the print spool wouldn't clear after trying the Printer Control? Or what if she wanted someone else in the family to be able to use her system but not touch her stuff? Both of these tasks require administrative skills that she does not have and would most likely be unwilling to have to learn. Unfortunately for those of the Linux community there is no substitute for the Windows Control Panel. (yet)
Remember what people have said for years about software and business management - Programmers want an infintely wide interface, middle managers want an 8-bit interface because that's all they can handle, and upper management wants a 2 bit interface - Yes/No.
Most (I use the word loosely) users in America today can handle the 8-bit interface but due to the increased "dumbing-down" of our culture we're forcing people down to the level of a 2-bit interface. (Unfortunate but true.) Thus we're left with the situation that "Anything that is simpler for the user is the solution."
We may not like it but there it is and we do have to accept it until we can change it.
Also for those of you about to rally to the "We'll force them to learn!" flag - might I suggest you look at your own reactions when someone "forced" you to do something such as use an M$ product.
The Tick - "Spoon!"
Again! It HAS Passed! :
See
HERE
The Tick - "Spoon!"
READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE!!!
If you follow the links and actually LOOK for the bill you'll find out that it HAS passed in both places. It is just under different bill numbers and is not easily locatable. If necessary I will find the link and post it here.
The Tick - "Spoon!"
Actually if you check the bills on the site referred to in the original article you'll find that both the house and senate have passed the bill - they're just under different numbers.
The Tick - "Spoon!"
I'm 22 yrs in the biz, and I still have to learn too. (*1) ;-)
Yes, but just by the fact that you've been in the business that long gives you the edge in the computer situation and indeed makes you an almost automatic exception to the rule.
You're at least *comfortable* with a computer. Most new users aren't. And that's why it would be/is tough to teach people about Linux.
(I'm not even going to mention that the amount of training material for Windows is much greater than what exists for Linux. Although Linux is catching up rapidly. Heck - QUE has a nice beginning book out for Linux users that comes with a copy of Caldera and color pictures
I've taught users how to do things from scratch and the biggest gradient for them is not that they have to learn something new but that they have to learn at all. (This is also an extremely sad comment on out society at large but that's another topic.)
I still maintain that sitting a Windows user down in front of a X-Windows box, even with KDE or GNOME, will present a significant enough challenge to most users that they will gladly give up the linux box in favor of a Windows one.
The Tick - "Spoon!"
*donning asbestos full body suit*
/. at a lower level!) /.!
Anybody look at the last 10 posts or so on this thread?
This is exactly what the author was talking about!
A set of flaming comments on the author being "a M$ pawn" and "Grok? Crock!" and so forth. (Especially if you browse
In spite of the man having some good points about the state of Linux in relation to "newbie" users, i.e. the public in general, he is automatically attacked and flamed as if he was Bill Gates posting on
As a user of Linux for about two years now I can honestly say that it's not ready for prime time quite yet. Close? Yes! Absolutely!
Can we just give it to a Windows user and have them use it without having to seriously re-train or coddle them? No. No way!
I have 10 years of OS/Network experience under my belt and there are still quite a few things about Linux that I don't understand.
If I don't undsertand it then there's quite a good chance that a new or converted user won't either.
I'm just as strong a promoter for replacing Windows with Linux as anyone else but as members of the Linux community we have to face facts - we're not going to replace Windows any time soon.
The Tick - "Spoon!"
- BESIDES
the fact that it costs $800.The Tick - "Spoon!"
Hammacher Schlemmer has a large size MP3 player that while rather expensive seems nice.
It's only glaring failing I can see (without buying one of course) is that it uses Windows based software.
Maybe it will work under WINE.
The Tick - "Spoon!"
Yeah, it became available again about midnight.
The Tick - "Spoon!"
I can't seem to get to AMD as well.
I think they're getting hit also.
The Tick - "Spoon!"
I can't seem to get to AMD as well.
I think they're getting hit also.
The Tick - "Spoon!"
An 80's song by Foreigner comes to mind all of a sudden.... ;-)
The Tick - "Spoon!"
Maybe old COBOL programmers too!
The - Completely Obfuscated COBOL Code Contest
Hmm... or maybe thats too obfusctated.
The Tick - "Spoon!"
It seems to me that they are trying very hard to push te blame off on their users and not taking responsibility for their actions. It's their sysadmins and security people who are at fault here. I don't even think the "corporate" level had any clue at all. (I sent an e-mail, like everyone else, informing them of the UDP announcement. Instead of sending it to the support people though I sent it to the "Corporate PR" e-mail address on their site. ;-) (Before you ask - no I didn't get a response.)
Regardless they are still blaming the user when they should be blaming themselves.
...building your own case?
;-), mount the board on the wall with custom brackets and then cool the entire closet with a small AC unit. I'll run a separate duct directly over the top of the board itself so that the AC cools the CPUs which run with large heat-sinks and no fans. The AC unit, depending on the model, is quiet and the closet closes off any local fans I may have to install later - for things like overclocked boards - =-) .
;-)
That would allow for maximum cooling and airflow and even allow you to make the case with custom ductwork for a "remote" fan.
I just got a ALR Revolution 6x6 board that uses PPROs. I bought it off of E-bay so I'll have to build a case for it from scratch.
My plan is to actually RF shield a small closet in my house, (don't want to disturb my neighbor's TV
As for video and peripherals - they can be mounted separately - especially if the drives are SCSI - and a good KVM can be used for the console.
This closet would also serve to house/cool the network switch/hubs as well as future things such as the cable modem, router/firewall box, or even the cable/satellite distribution system.
The closet is an extreme example but you get the idea - if something exists to suit your needs then buy it, but if you can't find anything that suits your needs make it yourself .
Thus was how Linux born unto the world.