Speaking of microwatts -- I was diagnosing a PIC program once, and was trying to find out why it wouldn't reset when the power was cut. It was just going into suspend mode, and picking right up where it left off. Turns out my finger was resting on the switch contacts, and the megohm or so of resistance across the contacts was enough to keep the PIC (a 12F683) powered up but paused. Amazing.
PIC microcontrollers in particular. Not only do you know exactly what the chip will do, but since it's programming on a reasonably small scale, you can have complete control -- right down to the actual bits -- of everything on the chip. Small, efficient, fast -- and with a bit more effort, you can do a quick mathematical proof that the software is airtight.
I realize this is completely impractical on a level of an operating system -- but TFA is right; if we could put a little less emphasis on having the shiny new gadget right now (and I know, I'm as bad as anyone), we could have much more reliable software. Do enough people want it that badly? Maybe not.
Yes, but can it play mp3s loaded in via the USB drive? In other words, can I take a folder with mp3 (and maybe m3u) files, drag it across to the new drive letter, and have it play on the Nano -- with iTunes nowhere in sight? TFM specifically says it can't do this.
I'd be very interested in a simple app that could make it work like this (if one exists).
The ability to work as a USB drive in addition to playing music is nice -- but not tying the two together is IMHO kind of like just Duct-taping a flash drive to an mp3 player.
Not the Finder -- but same concept. When you can buy mp3 players for $40 or so that you can use and load just like a USB drive, why do you need iTunes to manage loading your mp3s? Just drag the folders across and go.
...and the ability to "sync my music library"? Please, folks. 120+GB isn't gonna fit onto a Nano.
...those are my thoughts upon finally encountering an iPod Nano up close and personal. Nice touch-sensitive clickwheel, but why Apple couldn't just make it work like a USB drive? The menu system would work well for folder-based playback. This reliance on iTunes (which is very invasive) ruins an otherwise excellent product.
Actually, these are the games I play now (at 33) and have played since we first got a PC, back in '83 or so. YMMV, like I said -- not everyone's taste is the same as mine.
(Google for any that aren't familiar. None of these would qualify as "twitch" games, though some do take some coordination. At 44, I would think you'd be good to go for at least another 20-30 years with any of these...)
None of them involve the whole if-it-moves-shoot-it thing. Maybe that's your cup of tea, but if not...
Flight Simulator.
Syberia.
Chess.
Ballance (rare, but fun).
MS Train Simulator.
Civilization (or FreeCiv).
Zork (sometimes the imagination is better than any graphics).
Right, but it sets an upper limit for the RF energy per cm^2, given a power rating and distance from the transmitter. (I'm sure you know this, though.)
Sounds like the grandmother needs the schooling at least as much as the kids. I suggest starting with a list of RF-producing devices, then move on to the inverse square law...
>If ITER is successful, a commercial reactor could be built by 2040.
>Funny, I seem to remember fusion researchers from Livermore in the 70s say
>that commercial power was 20 years away...
--------
2006: Fusion power estimated to be 34 years away
1976: Fusion power estimated to be 20 years away
Assuming a linear fit from these two data points and solving y=mx+b for M and B...
34=m*2006+b
20=m*1976+b
Subtracting, I get:
14=m*30; therefore m == 14/30 == 7/15.
Substituting back in and solving for B, I get:
34=(7/15)*2006+b; 34=(14042/15)+b; b=34-(14042/15);
b=(510/15)-(14042/15); b=~-902.1333.
Therefore, solving for zero-distance:
0 = (7/15)X - 902.1333; 902.1333 = (7/15)*x;
x = ~1933.14286
Therefore, we achieved fusion power on February 21, 1933. QED.
This seems to underscore Microsoft's focus on flashiness over function, to me. I would hope that far more development would go into security, efficiency, and reliability. Adding new and exciting sounds is pretty far down the list of what would make me want to run out and buy a new OS. Especially since we've had the ability customize the sound scheme since what, Windows 3.0?
Generally, anywhere from just one (running Flight Sim X) to an average of three or four (surfing, email client in the background, etc) to perhaps a dozen. Generally, once the taskbar grows its own scroll widget, it's time to clean for me.
Um, IIRC, that only works if you post using the account that did the moderation.
Kudos for being the first-ever-documented AC-with-a-conscience, though!
You don't have to reply directly -- just posting anything to the thread will kill it, so go ahead.
So can the WMP-inspired interface be made to go away, and the interface made to look like a real Windows app (with the menu bar, and IE6-style controls etc?)
Too bad the Dell techs only replace the hardware and enough software to make sure it work. Which means that if your hard disk dies, they would just format and load on io.sys and the other core DOS files.
Company policy, in many cases. When I was a contractor tech, I would spend more time helping a customer since it was the right thing to do. After I was hired as an employee tech, though, my time was no longer my own and bare-minimum service was de rigeur if I wanted to stay employed. Sad.
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Speaking of microwatts -- I was diagnosing a PIC program once, and was trying to find out why it wouldn't reset when the power was cut. It was just going into suspend mode, and picking right up where it left off. Turns out my finger was resting on the switch contacts, and the megohm or so of resistance across the contacts was enough to keep the PIC (a 12F683) powered up but paused. Amazing.
PIC microcontrollers in particular. Not only do you know exactly what the chip will do, but since it's programming on a reasonably small scale, you can have complete control -- right down to the actual bits -- of everything on the chip. Small, efficient, fast -- and with a bit more effort, you can do a quick mathematical proof that the software is airtight.
I realize this is completely impractical on a level of an operating system -- but TFA is right; if we could put a little less emphasis on having the shiny new gadget right now (and I know, I'm as bad as anyone), we could have much more reliable software. Do enough people want it that badly? Maybe not.
No no no -- in Frobozz Russia, (Scenic) Vista runs on Zork!
Yes, but can it play mp3s loaded in via the USB drive? In other words, can I take a folder with mp3 (and maybe m3u) files, drag it across to the new drive letter, and have it play on the Nano -- with iTunes nowhere in sight? TFM specifically says it can't do this.
I'd be very interested in a simple app that could make it work like this (if one exists).
The ability to work as a USB drive in addition to playing music is nice -- but not tying the two together is IMHO kind of like just Duct-taping a flash drive to an mp3 player.
Not the Finder -- but same concept. When you can buy mp3 players for $40 or so that you can use and load just like a USB drive, why do you need iTunes to manage loading your mp3s? Just drag the folders across and go.
...and the ability to "sync my music library"? Please, folks. 120+GB isn't gonna fit onto a Nano.
...those are my thoughts upon finally encountering an iPod Nano up close and personal. Nice touch-sensitive clickwheel, but why Apple couldn't just make it work like a USB drive? The menu system would work well for folder-based playback. This reliance on iTunes (which is very invasive) ruins an otherwise excellent product.
Actually, these are the games I play now (at 33) and have played since we first got a PC, back in '83 or so. YMMV, like I said -- not everyone's taste is the same as mine.
(Google for any that aren't familiar. None of these would qualify as "twitch" games, though some do take some coordination. At 44, I would think you'd be good to go for at least another 20-30 years with any of these...)
None of them involve the whole if-it-moves-shoot-it thing. Maybe that's your cup of tea, but if not...
Flight Simulator.
Syberia.
Chess.
Ballance (rare, but fun).
MS Train Simulator.
Civilization (or FreeCiv).
Zork (sometimes the imagination is better than any graphics).
Right, but it sets an upper limit for the RF energy per cm^2, given a power rating and distance from the transmitter. (I'm sure you know this, though.)
Sounds like the grandmother needs the schooling at least as much as the kids. I suggest starting with a list of RF-producing devices, then move on to the inverse square law...
>If ITER is successful, a commercial reactor could be built by 2040.
>Funny, I seem to remember fusion researchers from Livermore in the 70s say
>that commercial power was 20 years away...
--------
2006: Fusion power estimated to be 34 years away
1976: Fusion power estimated to be 20 years away
Assuming a linear fit from these two data points and solving y=mx+b for M and B...
34=m*2006+b
20=m*1976+b
Subtracting, I get:
14=m*30; therefore m == 14/30 == 7/15.
Substituting back in and solving for B, I get:
34=(7/15)*2006+b; 34=(14042/15)+b; b=34-(14042/15);
b=(510/15)-(14042/15); b=~-902.1333.
Therefore, solving for zero-distance:
0 = (7/15)X - 902.1333; 902.1333 = (7/15)*x;
x = ~1933.14286
Therefore, we achieved fusion power on February 21, 1933. QED.
Energy efficiency...
...
Project named Fusion...
Please tell me Pons and Fleischmann aren't behind this?
K-D-E ... and ... L-A-M-P /
keep on running in perfect harmony...
This seems to underscore Microsoft's focus on flashiness over function, to me. I would hope that far more development would go into security, efficiency, and reliability. Adding new and exciting sounds is pretty far down the list of what would make me want to run out and buy a new OS. Especially since we've had the ability customize the sound scheme since what, Windows 3.0?
...it's undoubtedly good for them, but how many of them will *want* it?
Generally, anywhere from just one (running Flight Sim X) to an average of three or four (surfing, email client in the background, etc) to perhaps a dozen. Generally, once the taskbar grows its own scroll widget, it's time to clean for me.
That's what he meant, no?
Um, IIRC, that only works if you post using the account that did the moderation.
Kudos for being the first-ever-documented AC-with-a-conscience, though!
You don't have to reply directly -- just posting anything to the thread will kill it, so go ahead.
So can the WMP-inspired interface be made to go away, and the interface made to look like a real Windows app (with the menu bar, and IE6-style controls etc?)
I think I'll stick to Firefox, thanks.
...code searches *you*!
Zork nostalgia, anyone?
"it's given lots of flashlights to people interested in exploring dark corners."
They say sunshine is the best disinfectant. More eyeballs can fix problems as well as exploit them.
No,no, no -- that's what NetFlix / Blockbuster are for.
(That, and your trusty DVD+-R...)
Too bad the Dell techs only replace the hardware and enough software to make sure it work. Which means that if your hard disk dies, they would just format and load on io.sys and the other core DOS files. Company policy, in many cases. When I was a contractor tech, I would spend more time helping a customer since it was the right thing to do. After I was hired as an employee tech, though, my time was no longer my own and bare-minimum service was de rigeur if I wanted to stay employed. Sad.
Thank you! You have just made an IT dinosaur very very happy!