For such a control panel to work (i.e., control the hardware), it needs to be able to communicate with the kernel. So at least someone involved with the kernel (if not Linus) needs to be paying attention to what the "Grand Unified Control Panel" people would be doing (and vice-versa), and trying to make life easy for them.
There already is a way for such a control panel to communicate with the kernel, it's called modprobe.
I have a music collection that is larger than the iPod's HD - at least larger than the discs of those I can afford. How does iTunes handle this? Judging from other posts here this is not so easy anymore.
And for being able to use iTunes I would first have to spend the money to buy Windows XP since it won't run on Windows98 that I keep around just in case... Yes, it's cheaper - at least for me.
Usually I simply plug my iRiver into the USB hub, it gets mounted automatically as a removable HD under Linux or Windows 98 - and probably every other OS that has USB support - and I can do whatever I want with the songs on the player. What's so complicated about that?
I already have my music collection organized to my liking, in fact I did this long before I was able to afford a mobile player. I don't want some "I'm smarter than you" piece of software messing around with my collection or deleting songs from my player.
I'm probably too old-fashioned for iTunes. But somehow, I couldn't care less...
Unlike companies, we can afford to make contributions anonymously. We can host servers in countries that pay no attention to silly patent laws. Therefore, we can always continue to produce the software that we want to use in secret, beyond the reach of IP laws, yet still available to those subjugated by IP laws.
Don't worry, the WIPO is hard at work closing all these terrorist-supporting communist cyber-hippie loopholes that only serve to interfere with the god-given right of corporations to make easy profits.
After all, even China is beginning to see the light...
Maybe then a laser printer instead of one of these crappy inkjet printers is an option for you?
I have bought a Lexmark printer that supports Postscript and I have been very happy with it since it works very well with a relatively simple setup on the Linux side - thanks to the ps support.
However, after these stupid stunts from Lexmark I probably wouldn't buy from them again.
Hey, don't knock the good old Amstrad home computers:-) It was a very nice computer for its time (at least the CPC line, maybe not so much the "Joyce" aka PCW).
The major downside was that it used a very unusual disk form factor: 3" - while the rest of the world standardized on 3.5"
How much does a patent application cost?
Maybe some group like EFF could actually try this - find someone who can obfuscate the patent application a bit so maybe the patent researchers miss the fact that it describes their own work (On the other hand, these people do not seem to do their jobs anyway). Then try to get some media coverage...
But if you patent the process of granting a patent, then you at least get to sue some of the people who are responsible for the current mess, namely the patent office.
It's no accident that this call for increased popularity and out-of-the-box utility is being done in the name of "open source". That movement pushes aside software freedom in pursuit of a message to make businesses feel more comfortable. For the open source movement, proprietary software is merely a less technically efficient way of speaking to businesses. Popularity, to them, is more valuable than software freedom. And that's a shame because history teaches that popularity won't get users freedom. Proprietors are chiefly looking to sell users software which denies users their freedom. Proprietors want to treat users as a market, not contribute to the free software community. The open source philosophy makes this more politically feasible.
That's one of the reasons why I use Debian. They may sometimes seem too dogmatic when licensing issues come up, however IMO it's good that they hold up their principles.
BTW there have been lots of discussions recently about this on the mailing lists, e.g. here, here or here.
Slashdot Mirror
Can you say "vendor lock-in"?
And for being able to use iTunes I would first have to spend the money to buy Windows XP since it won't run on Windows98 that I keep around just in case... Yes, it's cheaper - at least for me.
Usually I simply plug my iRiver into the USB hub, it gets mounted automatically as a removable HD under Linux or Windows 98 - and probably every other OS that has USB support - and I can do whatever I want with the songs on the player. What's so complicated about that?
I already have my music collection organized to my liking, in fact I did this long before I was able to afford a mobile player. I don't want some "I'm smarter than you" piece of software messing around with my collection or deleting songs from my player.
I'm probably too old-fashioned for iTunes. But somehow, I couldn't care less...
Or buy an iRiver and don't install any drivers, use the existing usb-storage support.
I asked myself the same question. Furthermore, does he have backups?
After all, even China is beginning to see the light...
I have bought a Lexmark printer that supports Postscript and I have been very happy with it since it works very well with a relatively simple setup on the Linux side - thanks to the ps support.
However, after these stupid stunts from Lexmark I probably wouldn't buy from them again.
Everybody who stands up for his rights as an employee or - heaven forbid - for the rights of others is a "fucking commie"?
On the other hand, WinAmp and xmms run just fine.
The major downside was that it used a very unusual disk form factor: 3" - while the rest of the world standardized on 3.5"
Are any FC developers living in these cities, or why did they decide to use these names?
Maybe someone should set up a mirror in Heidelberg?
...and of course this has little or nothing to do with free market and competition which most Americans at least claim to hold in high regard.
How much does a patent application cost? Maybe some group like EFF could actually try this - find someone who can obfuscate the patent application a bit so maybe the patent researchers miss the fact that it describes their own work (On the other hand, these people do not seem to do their jobs anyway). Then try to get some media coverage...
But if you patent the process of granting a patent, then you at least get to sue some of the people who are responsible for the current mess, namely the patent office.