Let me explain where I am coing from. I used to put computers together for folks before Dell made it big. Since then, putting custom computers together is only financially viable for those in niche markets. Why put together my in-laws computer, when I can buy a starter kit for $299 that includes a monitor? They buy in bulk. I buy in ones or twos. I can't compete. No problem with this as it was just a way to pay for school, and my real love was software and finance.
Anyhow, I've been out of the hardware game for quite a while (almost 15 years). Was the article rudimentary? Yes. But for someone like me, it was actually informative. There are articles here on Slashdot about software development that make me smile... been there.... done that... didn't get the T-shirt, cuz a real programmer only needs ONE T-Shirt. But to someone who is a db designer or, like you, appears to be into hardware, might be informative.
If the title of this site were 'Hardware Gurus', I'd agree with you. But it isn't. This is a general technology site.
Also, if you want more interesting articles, submit some. I see you haven't done so yet. Kinda like politics... if you aren't doing anything to fix the problems, then you are part of the problem.
That's nothing. When you can post pro-microsoft haiku that reference old Korean people and get modded +1 insightful, then you have achieved the highest Slashdot-judo level.
Yes, this article was definitely beneath your level of understanding. However, I am sure there are others (like me) who aren't up on hardware like you. However, please don't disparage us.
At some point Cmdr Taco will put up an article about personal grooming. I promise not to make fun of it when the article introduces you to 'Shampoo' and 'Deoderant'.
Could they afford to do that? Yes. But tell me what shareholder would sit by idly and watch 25% of their share value disappear ($5 million per day is 25% of profit)? Not even Bill Gates would allow that to happen.
And, BTW, their cash and equivilents were 60 billion at the end of 2004:)
5% of average sales comes very close to $5 million. Microsofts annual revenue last year was $36,835,000,000. EU stated 5% fine. The $5 million is thrown around to make it clearer what the stakes are.
$5 million is chump change? That is $1.8 billion per year. About 20% of their profits would go down the drain, or about their total profit from the European market. If faced with being shut out of the market, or paying the fine, it would be a push.
Microsoft will give in. If not totally, enough to get EU off its back.
Damn that Hammorabi guy. How dare he codify laws and take it out of the hands of whomever was overseeing the case!
Do I want to take discression totally out of the hands of judges? No. But when you see 10-12 time offenders killing people (and the bums never doing a day in jail), then you have to think there is a problem with the system.
The problem with judicial "discretion"? Leniency is disproportionally given to those with better resources. Take a look at a few state senators who have literally gotten away with murder. Look at lawyers who specialize in DUI cases. Then please explain why we shouldn't have a "One DUI, lose the privledge for a year, three DUIs and you can't drive again" law on the books (or similar).
I choose to base my beliefs on evidence. Theories about the origin of life are theories based upon a single data set -- that of planet Earth. Until we have a broader set of data, I will not believe in alien intelligence. I will also not believe in the absence of alien intelligence.
Beliefs get in the way of science. At least when those beliefs are not grounded in facts.
It seems to me that the there is really only room for one DVD rental-by-mail service. It is one of those commodity items that becomes cheaper to run on a per-customer basis the more customers you have. Netflix got rid of a potential competitor and gained an influential ally in the process. Now, they have to deal with Blockbuster.
In five years, only one will remain. Who will win? My money is still on Blockbuster, but the odds have definitely shifted.
Tsk. Tsk. Just cause you can't get any doesn't mean you should take it out on the rest of us who can.
BTW, even if you single, childless folk are really as productive as you say, if everyone chose your "super productive" lifestyle, it would only last 30-40 years till everyone was too old to work... and no young 'uns to replace you.
My observation is that the less respnsibilities in life someone has, the less efficient they really are with their time. There are exceptions. However, often when meeting up with some single friends, I find they are always late, and I am always on time despitehaving to pack up two kids under the age of two.
I think you misunerstand my post. Look at folks who have never had sight. Studies have shown that other parts of the brain begin to use the "dead space" that would have been dedicated to vison. I don't think it is unreasonale to expect that you COULD get super sight.... but something else would suffer as a result.
The brain is a very amazing creation. However, it isn;t sitting around with 90% unused capacity as is the common old wives tail. Make vision better, something else must suffer.
This would be worthy of an insightful mod, if you had the guts to log in when you posted. It is true that folks like to look at external reason for their inadequacies instead of looking in the mirror (pun unintentional). However, when the poster isn't willing to put one's own karma on the line, it just doesn't have the same effect.
You'll need an artificial brain as well. Most of what you "see" is really brain processing. Simply increasing the resolution of the camera won't help. 360 vision sounds neat, but your brain won't be able to cope without making other concessions.
Granted, being able to focus on something 200 yards away the size of a needle would be awesome. But don't think this is a panacea for everyone.
Slashdot Mirror
Let me explain where I am coing from. I used to put computers together for folks before Dell made it big. Since then, putting custom computers together is only financially viable for those in niche markets. Why put together my in-laws computer, when I can buy a starter kit for $299 that includes a monitor? They buy in bulk. I buy in ones or twos. I can't compete. No problem with this as it was just a way to pay for school, and my real love was software and finance.
Anyhow, I've been out of the hardware game for quite a while (almost 15 years). Was the article rudimentary? Yes. But for someone like me, it was actually informative. There are articles here on Slashdot about software development that make me smile... been there.... done that... didn't get the T-shirt, cuz a real programmer only needs ONE T-Shirt. But to someone who is a db designer or, like you, appears to be into hardware, might be informative.
If the title of this site were 'Hardware Gurus', I'd agree with you. But it isn't. This is a general technology site.
Also, if you want more interesting articles, submit some. I see you haven't done so yet. Kinda like politics... if you aren't doing anything to fix the problems, then you are part of the problem.
My 2 cents.
That's some impressive Slashdot-judo, it is.
That's nothing. When you can post pro-microsoft haiku that reference old Korean people and get modded +1 insightful, then you have achieved the highest Slashdot-judo level.
Remember that they also get the liquid assets valued at $1.2 Billion. Figure in the intangibles, and this isn't as ridiculous as it first seems.
You Southerners sure have some strange hobbies.
If you're going to insult somebody, at least learn how to spell 'Deodorant'. Moron.
Yes, this article was definitely beneath your level of understanding. However, I am sure there are others (like me) who aren't up on hardware like you. However, please don't disparage us.
At some point Cmdr Taco will put up an article about personal grooming. I promise not to make fun of it when the article introduces you to 'Shampoo' and 'Deoderant'.
FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array
And I always thought it was the more politically correct version of the LPGA. Go figure.
No. It is 5% of global sales. Not profit. Not european profit. Not european sales.
Could they afford to do that? Yes. But tell me what shareholder would sit by idly and watch 25% of their share value disappear ($5 million per day is 25% of profit)? Not even Bill Gates would allow that to happen.
:)
And, BTW, their cash and equivilents were 60 billion at the end of 2004
5% of average sales comes very close to $5 million. Microsofts annual revenue last year was $36,835,000,000. EU stated 5% fine. The $5 million is thrown around to make it clearer what the stakes are.
$5 million is chump change? That is $1.8 billion per year. About 20% of their profits would go down the drain, or about their total profit from the European market. If faced with being shut out of the market, or paying the fine, it would be a push.
Microsoft will give in. If not totally, enough to get EU off its back.
Perhaps you should re-read my entire post.
Damn that Hammorabi guy. How dare he codify laws and take it out of the hands of whomever was overseeing the case!
Do I want to take discression totally out of the hands of judges? No. But when you see 10-12 time offenders killing people (and the bums never doing a day in jail), then you have to think there is a problem with the system.
The problem with judicial "discretion"? Leniency is disproportionally given to those with better resources. Take a look at a few state senators who have literally gotten away with murder. Look at lawyers who specialize in DUI cases. Then please explain why we shouldn't have a "One DUI, lose the privledge for a year, three DUIs and you can't drive again" law on the books (or similar).
I choose to base my beliefs on evidence. Theories about the origin of life are theories based upon a single data set -- that of planet Earth. Until we have a broader set of data, I will not believe in alien intelligence. I will also not believe in the absence of alien intelligence.
Beliefs get in the way of science. At least when those beliefs are not grounded in facts.
Iron? Aluminum? Which one do you prefer?
Thanks for seeing the obvious. Apparently you are brighter than most of the mods out there :)
It seems to me that the there is really only room for one DVD rental-by-mail service. It is one of those commodity items that becomes cheaper to run on a per-customer basis the more customers you have. Netflix got rid of a potential competitor and gained an influential ally in the process. Now, they have to deal with Blockbuster.
In five years, only one will remain. Who will win? My money is still on Blockbuster, but the odds have definitely shifted.
Congratulations!
Tsk. Tsk. Just cause you can't get any doesn't mean you should take it out on the rest of us who can.
BTW, even if you single, childless folk are really as productive as you say, if everyone chose your "super productive" lifestyle, it would only last 30-40 years till everyone was too old to work... and no young 'uns to replace you.
My observation is that the less respnsibilities in life someone has, the less efficient they really are with their time. There are exceptions. However, often when meeting up with some single friends, I find they are always late, and I am always on time despitehaving to pack up two kids under the age of two.
Must suck knowing your country is a "never was". You are reduced to rooting against everyone else...
Will it support ActiveX?
I think you misunerstand my post. Look at folks who have never had sight. Studies have shown that other parts of the brain begin to use the "dead space" that would have been dedicated to vison. I don't think it is unreasonale to expect that you COULD get super sight.... but something else would suffer as a result.
The brain is a very amazing creation. However, it isn;t sitting around with 90% unused capacity as is the common old wives tail. Make vision better, something else must suffer.
This would be worthy of an insightful mod, if you had the guts to log in when you posted. It is true that folks like to look at external reason for their inadequacies instead of looking in the mirror (pun unintentional). However, when the poster isn't willing to put one's own karma on the line, it just doesn't have the same effect.
You'll need an artificial brain as well. Most of what you "see" is really brain processing. Simply increasing the resolution of the camera won't help. 360 vision sounds neat, but your brain won't be able to cope without making other concessions.
Granted, being able to focus on something 200 yards away the size of a needle would be awesome. But don't think this is a panacea for everyone.
One thing not predicted by evolution: existence of exclusively homosexual behavior in animals. Does this make evolution "falsified"?