There is nothing stopping Apple from licensing that patent. However, the grandparent also mentioned Linux. If Microsoft (through Novell or one of their other partners) tries to sneak this code into the kernel, there's nothing preventing a distro from compiling a kernel without the spyware code and redistributing it.
How do you figure that? Would you rather spend money training one pilot and have him or her run three or four drones, or spend money training three or four pilots to run three or four drones?
I get the comment about it being safer — having one pilot/drone certainly reduces the risk for error, but the comment about cost is pretty far off base.
So 800% is a bit extreme. What about 50% then? Or 25%? Even a moderate increase in the rate will net Verizon significant profit, while not significantly impacting their user base. And, if they don't have to open up to competitors, Verizon can slowly crank up rates, netting huge profits for themselves without spooking the users.
Definitely not. That distinction, in my opinion, belongs to fusion power. We were first told that fusion was the future in the '50s, with the invention of the hydrogen bomb. At that time, fusion was said to be twenty years off. Well, its been twenty years off for the last half-century, with no breakthrough yet.
Not if it's a Dell - those licenses are tied to the motherboard. Motherboard dies,
The grandparent was speaking about ordering machines in a business environment, where you already have a site license. In that case, you don't need to order new media, you just use the media and site license you already own.
1) After December XP not available for sale (volumne license folks may be exempt)
Why would you be purchasing new XP licenses. If one of your machines dies, you can use its license on the next machine. At worst, you'd have to call Microsoft and explain. If you have a volume license, you don't even need to call MS, you just install XP on the new box.
2) Drivers for the new hardware you buy may not work on anything prior to vista.
That's not going to happen for a long time. Heck, most of the hardware I come across still has support for Windows 2000. I've even seen stuff in Best Buy with support for Windows 98. In fact, driver issues usually result from upgrading too early (before adequate manufacturer support) rather than too late.
Both Azureus and Limewire, again the two 'flagship' Java apps I've used to a large degree, are much laggier and perform much worse than native applications, at least on OS X. Period. That Java criticism from 1999 still applies today in 2007, and until it's fixed I don't expect that to change.
Azureus and Limewire are slow because of Azureus's and Limewire's code, not Java's. You cannot criticize the behavior of an entire programming environment based on the performance of two applications alone.
Or maybe they're just bad on OS X and good on every other platform.
Java is fine for CLI/Server apps, but for desktop apps it doesn't have a native look-and-feel on any platform, and it lacks integration with the OS.
That is a concern I'm willing to acknowledge. Desktop Java apps often look jarringly dissimilar from the native OS look & feel.
(And notice I didn't even mention that they're molasses-slow.)
1999 called, and they want their Java criticism back. Besides, its not like C# will be any faster. Both C# and Java are JIT compiled languages that are run inside a virtual machine (JVM for Java vs..Net CLR for C#).
As far as getting swing to work, its just a simple matter of putting "import javax.swing.*;" at the beginning of your class.
Also, you can configure a central directory for your 3rd party classes by setting up the CLASSPATH variable in your OS.
And, as far as simplicity goes, I've found that the complexity of Java and.Net to be similar. Its just that you may be more familiar looking around MSDN rather than Sun's own Javadoc. Frankly, both Java and.Net are large, complex, enterprise grade programming platforms, and are usually overkill for smaller, one-off projects.
I recall reading that what Koreans wanted most out of Starcraft II was more Starcraft with better graphics.
And if you look at the previews of Starcraft 2, that's exactly what they seem to be getting. Its fine by me, though. Starcraft was one of the best balanced strategy games out there.
We are far more productive just sticking to one set of code for one platform, because there are no good languages out there that work for any platform.
Excuse me for being naive, but why not Java? Its not like Java carries any performance penalty as compared to C# - both are JIT compiled languages that are run by a VM. Java has excellent developer tools as well: both Eclipse and Netbeans have matured as IDEs.
then it is up to us, as the consumer, to stand up and show anti-neutral ISPs that we have a voice and a choice.
And how exactly am I supposed to do that? Where I live, I have exactly 2 choices for high-speed internet: Verizon (ADSL) and Comcast (Cable). Neither supports network neutrality. Short of moving, is there anything I can do?
Switching to a neutral provider may be an option on the coasts, but here in middle America (Minnesota), its a bit more difficult than it appears.
Microsoft is forever expanding into new markets because Windows and Office aren't the "revenue streams" they used to be, and eventually they will be trying to get money from people using Linux.
If they really wanted revenue from Linux users they would come out with Office for Linux. However, that's not what they want. The want to keep businesses locked into using Windows on the desktop and the server, hence the flood of patent litigation threats. This is just the latest iteration in their campaign to spread fear, uncertainty, and doubt.
First they claimed that Linux was unreliable. Then they claimed that it was insecure. Now they're claiming that it allows for intellectual property violations. This isn't a change in strategy, just an adjustment in tactics. Their long term goal is still to scare businesses away from Linux.
I agree that our health care system could be improved. However, Michael Moore's proposal - go to a single payer system - is not the answer. In Canada, one of the systems highlighted by his film, there are cases where people have an easier time getting hip replacement surgeries for their pet dogs than for themselves. You see, pets are allowed to have private insurance. People are not.
In my opinion, the main reason our health care costs are skyrocketing is because of our unhealthy lifestyles. America is the most obese nation in the world. We are obese because people follow unhealthy dietary and exercise habits. Right now, unhealthy eating habits and poor exercise habits are externalities. People can have these habits, but insurance companies pay the costs. Until we find a way to make people pay for the costs of their poor choices while maintaining coverage for legitimate accidents, health care costs will continue to increase.
However, 2000 doesn't "phone home" to Microsoft. Apparently, when you try to install XP with a Vista license, it complains, and doesn't let you activate online. You then have to call Microsoft and get that individual license validated for XP. Now Microsoft is allowing you to validate batches of Vista licenses for XP, so you can downgrade across hundreds of computers without having to call Microsoft for each individual box.
I'm surprised that PopCap hasn't gone for securing some kind of software patent on their puzzle games. Granted, the patent may not be particularly valid, given that there's very little new content in the puzzle gaming world, however, the existence of the patent would certainly be enough to scare off other small developers.
The most obvious flaw is that the policy has failed to provide even that level of competition.
No, the most obvious flaw is that you can call a 2-competitor field a "market". Even if the competitors don't explicitly collaborate, there's still no pressure for them to actively lower prices or improve service substantially. It'll be like Pepsi vs. Coke, but worse.
Oddly enough, with D-Link cards I've noticed that the third party connection software (D-Link Connection Manager) often works better than the Windows wireless network manager.
[quote]I know for certain that when I work late, I don't have full support from staff at my company.[/quote]
Your company doesn't expect you to work on company issues beyond the hours that you've committed to. Students, on the other hand, *are* expected to work outside of class. Moreover, now professors have taken into account the 24/7 availability of the internet, and so have compressed assignment schedules to take that into account. Assignments which previously would be given 1 to 1.5 weeks in advance are often now given less than a week in advance, as students are *expected* to have information at their fingertips.
And when, pray tell, have you needed more than 4 digits of accuracy? Unless you're designing to *very* close tolerances, being accurate to 1 part in 10,000 is fine.
True, but my point still stands. The fact is, the business owner isn't nearly as accountable to his employees as he is to his customers. If the customers start demanding that contract employees who have access to sensitive areas be RFID tagged, there isn't much the employees can do about it.
You're only looking at the supply side. What about the demand side? Nearly every company that provides cleaning or janitorial services advertises that they have mandatory drug tests. They're not penalized by the market because their customers demand these tests as a measure of trustworthiness.
What is preventing me from using the same argument to support RFID implantation? After all, this sort of thing could prevent many social engineering attacks. No more dressing up as a janitor or exterminator to gain access to the physical premises. You'd have to have the necessary chip implanted in you as well. A contractor could very well require RFID implantation and then market the benefits to his customers, saying that the employees have "unforgeable" identification.
The reason there are fewer traffic accidents in Jamaica is because there are fewer cars.
If fewer signs and regulations mean fewer deaths, then why do poorly regulated countries have a higher death rate (fatalities per 100,000) as compared with highly regulated countries?
Southeast Asia had the highest number of traffic deaths in 2000, with 435,000. Africa and the Middle East had the highest rates per 100,000 people.
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There is nothing stopping Apple from licensing that patent. However, the grandparent also mentioned Linux. If Microsoft (through Novell or one of their other partners) tries to sneak this code into the kernel, there's nothing preventing a distro from compiling a kernel without the spyware code and redistributing it.
How do you figure that? Would you rather spend money training one pilot and have him or her run three or four drones, or spend money training three or four pilots to run three or four drones?
I get the comment about it being safer — having one pilot/drone certainly reduces the risk for error, but the comment about cost is pretty far off base.
So 800% is a bit extreme. What about 50% then? Or 25%? Even a moderate increase in the rate will net Verizon significant profit, while not significantly impacting their user base. And, if they don't have to open up to competitors, Verizon can slowly crank up rates, netting huge profits for themselves without spooking the users.
If there's a record, it surely belongs to Linux.
Definitely not. That distinction, in my opinion, belongs to fusion power. We were first told that fusion was the future in the '50s, with the invention of the hydrogen bomb. At that time, fusion was said to be twenty years off. Well, its been twenty years off for the last half-century, with no breakthrough yet.
Not if it's a Dell - those licenses are tied to the motherboard. Motherboard dies,
The grandparent was speaking about ordering machines in a business environment, where you already have a site license. In that case, you don't need to order new media, you just use the media and site license you already own.
Why would you be purchasing new XP licenses. If one of your machines dies, you can use its license on the next machine. At worst, you'd have to call Microsoft and explain. If you have a volume license, you don't even need to call MS, you just install XP on the new box.
That's not going to happen for a long time. Heck, most of the hardware I come across still has support for Windows 2000. I've even seen stuff in Best Buy with support for Windows 98. In fact, driver issues usually result from upgrading too early (before adequate manufacturer support) rather than too late.
By the time Microsoft stops supporting XP, the costs for hardware will probably have dropped to the point where Vista capable hardware is affordable.
Azureus and Limewire are slow because of Azureus's and Limewire's code, not Java's. You cannot criticize the behavior of an entire programming environment based on the performance of two applications alone.
I don't own a Mac, so I can't say.
That is a concern I'm willing to acknowledge. Desktop Java apps often look jarringly dissimilar from the native OS look & feel.
1999 called, and they want their Java criticism back. Besides, its not like C# will be any faster. Both C# and Java are JIT compiled languages that are run inside a virtual machine (JVM for Java vs. .Net CLR for C#).
As far as getting swing to work, its just a simple matter of putting "import javax.swing.*;" at the beginning of your class.
Also, you can configure a central directory for your 3rd party classes by setting up the CLASSPATH variable in your OS.
And, as far as simplicity goes, I've found that the complexity of Java and .Net to be similar. Its just that you may be more familiar looking around MSDN rather than Sun's own Javadoc. Frankly, both Java and .Net are large, complex, enterprise grade programming platforms, and are usually overkill for smaller, one-off projects.
And if you look at the previews of Starcraft 2, that's exactly what they seem to be getting. Its fine by me, though. Starcraft was one of the best balanced strategy games out there.
We are far more productive just sticking to one set of code for one platform, because there are no good languages out there that work for any platform.
Excuse me for being naive, but why not Java? Its not like Java carries any performance penalty as compared to C# - both are JIT compiled languages that are run by a VM. Java has excellent developer tools as well: both Eclipse and Netbeans have matured as IDEs.
And how exactly am I supposed to do that? Where I live, I have exactly 2 choices for high-speed internet: Verizon (ADSL) and Comcast (Cable). Neither supports network neutrality. Short of moving, is there anything I can do?
Switching to a neutral provider may be an option on the coasts, but here in middle America (Minnesota), its a bit more difficult than it appears.
Microsoft is forever expanding into new markets because Windows and Office aren't the "revenue streams" they used to be, and eventually they will be trying to get money from people using Linux.
If they really wanted revenue from Linux users they would come out with Office for Linux. However, that's not what they want. The want to keep businesses locked into using Windows on the desktop and the server, hence the flood of patent litigation threats. This is just the latest iteration in their campaign to spread fear, uncertainty, and doubt.
First they claimed that Linux was unreliable. Then they claimed that it was insecure. Now they're claiming that it allows for intellectual property violations. This isn't a change in strategy, just an adjustment in tactics. Their long term goal is still to scare businesses away from Linux.
Just a little searching on Google and Amazon netted me the following two titles:
The resources for understanding the Linux kernel are out there, you just have to have the motivation and interest to look for them.
I agree that our health care system could be improved. However, Michael Moore's proposal - go to a single payer system - is not the answer. In Canada, one of the systems highlighted by his film, there are cases where people have an easier time getting hip replacement surgeries for their pet dogs than for themselves. You see, pets are allowed to have private insurance. People are not.
In my opinion, the main reason our health care costs are skyrocketing is because of our unhealthy lifestyles. America is the most obese nation in the world. We are obese because people follow unhealthy dietary and exercise habits. Right now, unhealthy eating habits and poor exercise habits are externalities. People can have these habits, but insurance companies pay the costs. Until we find a way to make people pay for the costs of their poor choices while maintaining coverage for legitimate accidents, health care costs will continue to increase.
However, 2000 doesn't "phone home" to Microsoft. Apparently, when you try to install XP with a Vista license, it complains, and doesn't let you activate online. You then have to call Microsoft and get that individual license validated for XP. Now Microsoft is allowing you to validate batches of Vista licenses for XP, so you can downgrade across hundreds of computers without having to call Microsoft for each individual box.
I'm surprised that PopCap hasn't gone for securing some kind of software patent on their puzzle games. Granted, the patent may not be particularly valid, given that there's very little new content in the puzzle gaming world, however, the existence of the patent would certainly be enough to scare off other small developers.
No, the most obvious flaw is that you can call a 2-competitor field a "market". Even if the competitors don't explicitly collaborate, there's still no pressure for them to actively lower prices or improve service substantially. It'll be like Pepsi vs. Coke, but worse.
Oddly enough, with D-Link cards I've noticed that the third party connection software (D-Link Connection Manager) often works better than the Windows wireless network manager.
[quote]I know for certain that when I work late, I don't have full support from staff at my company.[/quote]
Your company doesn't expect you to work on company issues beyond the hours that you've committed to. Students, on the other hand, *are* expected to work outside of class. Moreover, now professors have taken into account the 24/7 availability of the internet, and so have compressed assignment schedules to take that into account. Assignments which previously would be given 1 to 1.5 weeks in advance are often now given less than a week in advance, as students are *expected* to have information at their fingertips.
And when, pray tell, have you needed more than 4 digits of accuracy? Unless you're designing to *very* close tolerances, being accurate to 1 part in 10,000 is fine.
True, but my point still stands. The fact is, the business owner isn't nearly as accountable to his employees as he is to his customers. If the customers start demanding that contract employees who have access to sensitive areas be RFID tagged, there isn't much the employees can do about it.
You're only looking at the supply side. What about the demand side? Nearly every company that provides cleaning or janitorial services advertises that they have mandatory drug tests. They're not penalized by the market because their customers demand these tests as a measure of trustworthiness.
What is preventing me from using the same argument to support RFID implantation? After all, this sort of thing could prevent many social engineering attacks. No more dressing up as a janitor or exterminator to gain access to the physical premises. You'd have to have the necessary chip implanted in you as well. A contractor could very well require RFID implantation and then market the benefits to his customers, saying that the employees have "unforgeable" identification.
The reason there are fewer traffic accidents in Jamaica is because there are fewer cars.
If fewer signs and regulations mean fewer deaths, then why do poorly regulated countries have a higher death rate (fatalities per 100,000) as compared with highly regulated countries?
Source: Associated Press