In my experience, Dell gives my organization hardware lock-in for a specific model - for example, the Dell GX280s we ordered at the beginning of the year were identical to the ones we ordered at the end of the year. The exception would be hard drive brand, but I don't even get the same brand hard drives from one identical model Mac to another.
Besides, I can take a firewire drive with a Tiger install on it and boot everything from a G3 iMac to a DP 2 GHz G5 - OS X only loads the drivers it needs, so a few more wouldn't hurt. -Ryan
We've had good luck with the the 42xx and 43xx HP laser printers, especially the 4300s. Some of our 4300s are approacthing a million pages (we expect two million pages out of our printers before we retire them), and our problems have been limited to some defective fusers (replaced by HP under warranty), and excessive paper feed roller wear (also replaced by HP under warranty). They are fast printers (45 ppm for the 4300s, 200,000 pages a month) and offer duplexing. Downsides are you only get 8.5" by 14" or smaller paper into them, and they are around $999. Buuuuttt, if you need a reliable HP, it's your printer.
I'm not the first to notice this, but look at a white iMac mouse (or a picture of one), and then look at the picture (if you can find it not/.ed). Looks like someone photoshopped on a wheel from an iPod. I call shenanigans!
The article said: "But there was still $300 million of remaining debt, which we decided to hold to maturity." Doesn't this mean that they paid off the debt when it came due? I know there's tax advantages, but the debt was due, the way I read it...
We do see this problem with Apple flatscreens in the computer lab setting where I work, but there is a fairly simple solution. Turn off the flatscreen for a day or so, and the burn in goes away. The optical mice were too sensitive, and were turning off the screensavers every time someone sat down at a table. Don't know if this will fix the Dell laptops, but our Dell laptops (and Apple laptops) seem to be fine so far.
I've been fooling around with a mini-itx board for a while, and tried to fit it into an Apple IIc. It will fit, if you forego a cd/dvd drive, full size hard drive, and use a laptop-style power supply with an external AC/DC adaptor.
My current plans are to put it into a wood box I purchased at a local artsy fartsy store, which will have plenty of room for a slot loading DVD drive, but will still need a laptop hard drive and the smaller power supply. DivX player, here I come!
Even before I learned Qwerty my handwriting was atrocious. If it wasn't for learning how to type in elementary school, I'd probably be creating indecypherable codes for the Allies. Of course kids need to be able to write, but this article stinks of Luddites and FUD. Must be Bic and the other writing instrument monopolies banding together to stomp out computers - "Did you know that typing leads to poor grades and bad dental hygiene? Take away your kid's computer and give them a pen!"
If you look back to the fossil record, there were many fewer species around a couple of million years ago. There were regular mass extinctions, and that was that. So I must ask that even if humans kill off a species, does it "matter"? Granted, I don't believe it is a good thing to wipe out spotted owls or whatnot, but if there is only a few hundred of a species left, do they have that much impact on the environment? As someone else said, it is very egotistical to think that humans can have such an effect on the whole planet as to destroy it. If we wipe ourselves out, the Earth will probably just pick up with what species are left. The old joke about cockroaches ruling the planet in a couple million years comes to mind...
Being a poor college student, my laptop budget is next to nothing. I ended up with three IBM Thinkpad 701c's that turned into one working machine and a bunch of parts that paid for the whole mess when sold (thanks ebay!). Anyway, I've lugged the 701 all over the place, dropped it a couple of times, and had the cat sit on it (open and closed). Granted, it's a 486-75, but they can be upgraded if you have a steady hand and a soldering iron. Runs Linux, runs Win9x, can run with (not so heavy), ect.
I was intrigued by the article in c't, and so was my boss, so I tried it out with a Dell GX150. It works pretty well, but it took a long time to do, and I still have to tweak it some more. Still, reading slashdot on a machine that has no hard drive attached is pretty cool, and I don't have to worry about virii (hell, I don't even have to worry about saving anything!)
The best part was when I booted the cd on a slightly different GX150, and it "installed" some drivers, then asked me to reboot to activate the changes. "That's odd, this screen keeps popping up..." lol.
No offense, but raising taxes on gas and smokes has already proved to be a failure. The economy is so good that people who can afford big SUV's can pay almost any price for gas. Who you hurt is the poorest segment of the population who can only afford $500 and $1000 cars. Those cars usually produce the most polution and use the most gas. Until someone can come up with a viable solution that will keep these people mobile (they need to get to work/school/day care too!), increasing the penalties will only hurt the people who can least afford to be hurt. And taxing tobacco has been a horrible failure. Smokers arn't going to stop smoking because the price goes up; they'll just drive to Canada or down south, where the prices are cheaper, or steal cigs.
I wonder how many other companies will start offering similar services now that HavenCo has taken the first step. There are large amounts of oil rigs floating around, and while not all of them are in international waters, just having the security the isolation provides might be enough. Didn't Disney or some booze company buy an island in the Pacific too? That might be a viable option as well...owning actual land gives you a very solid claim on sovereignty!
True dat...I don't know how they would deal with that. Possibly some type of foam inside the heat sink (would prevent sloshing of stuff too). I think short of upside down, the hot water vapor would still tend to move away from the processor...hmm hmm hmm...
Water vapor makes good sense. This is exactly how cars work. Do you think that water/antifreeze in your radiator would stay liquid if you opened the cap on the expressway? Heck, if you opened it in your driveway after driving, you would witness "water vapor cooling" your skin as it cooked it.
Anyway, what it probably does is use the hot stuff rises principal. They used this in the Model T Fords. No water pumps on those babies; they didn't need em. They don't need them on these laptops either. All you have to do is put your radiator physically above the processor, and the hot vapor will rise into the radiator or whatever disipator they are using, then condense and sink back to the processor to repeat.
The distro has been available for a while, but only as a downloadable package. As for Linux use at U of M, well,/everyone/ uses Linux in their departments. From mail servers for the Chem department to VR system controllers. When we did Linux Day at U of M, we (computer geeks that worked for U of M, for the most part) were trying to spread Linux to the students. We recieved so much support from U of M because of how much they use Linux for everything. On a related note, Linux Day was an unqualified sucess; we gave out a few thousand copies of red hat, star office, and many other CDs and stickers and such.
I've been playing in the CAVE enviroment here at the University of Michigan for about three years...a bunch of my friends program VR stuff for it. It's nothing new, and the technology implemented in it is decidedly old skool. It is a very 'open' setup, as Quake and several other things have been ported to it. In fact, even a Palm Pilot can be used to control it. The setup consists of four projectors, putting images on three walls and the floor. Users wear LCD shutter glasses, and the main user holds a wand that has a couple of buttons on it. The main user also has a head tracker on he/she/it's shutter glasses. It is a decidedly cool setup, but could use many improvements.
-Ryan
The story of my life: "What the hell am I doing here?"
I have the same bag as GeorgeH, and I too find it a great carrier of laptops. Also, the floppy disk pouches hold minidiscs. The bag even has a pouch that seems to be designed to hold a minidisc player the size of a sharp 702/722. It survived a trip to DefCon 7 and other crazy road trips with no ill effects, other than a broken clip that was easily fixed with a $0.50 replacment from a camping store. It is also pretty darn water proof, and comfortable to wear.
Ryan - Stop censorship befo&IPUHhuunu*he/j((J"#Ejr'ead
Hmm, now what if I had to accelerate on an expressway to get out of an accident? Guess I'm dead meat, if I'm driving at the speed limit. It's interesting to note that, in the U.S. at least, the recent increases in the speed limit all over the country have actually led to/less/ deaths than in previous years. By as much as 2.5%! Granted, statistics can vary from year to year, but this still indicates increasing the speed limit or driving faster than the speed limit does not mean "hundreds of motorists will be condemed to a firey death" (from the Department of Transportation). Plus, there is the Big Brother factor. I get paranoid when I think of people tracking my cell phone, never mind my car! Finally, the cost is an issue. 200 pounds a car? That's about 300-350 U.S., plus instalation. Who wants to pay that much to have their fredom taken away?!?!?
That's just my $0.02 on the issue, one that is close to my heart.
Oh, come on...take a look at the new Honda S2000...2.0 litres, 240 HP-at the back wheels! Plastic maybe, but that six speed manual is like a rifle bolt. And we were giving M3s, Boxters, and Audi TTs a run for their money. I personally did my fastest lap at Waterford racetrack in that S2000. And don't forget the Preludes, with four wheel steering. How cool is that?
IMHO, cars and computers are very similar in that they both are complex systems running on simple pricipals. Computers, ones and zeros, switches on or off. Cars, it's fire, one of the oldest techs, used to move things. Anyway, my Dad and I work on cars and sell many of them. We do have a bunch that we keep for fun. Our current project: a 1973 BMW 3.0CS (black of course). Beautiful car, a geek's dream with all the power options, leather, and, of course, a stick shift. It kinda looks like the old Batmobile...
After meeting bits of cDc at DefCon 7 (Us: Hey G. Ratte, we heard BO2k is going to be open source... G.Ratte: Open Sores! Ahhhhhh! {runs out of room yelling}) and seeing the BO2k presentation, I must say that you guys are crazy. Yup, crazy-pants. But BO2k is an extrodinary sys admin tool (tunneling throgh ssh makes me weep with joy) and the T-files are...interesting. Keep up the good work!
Hmm, interesting article. But most of the Geeks I see using (at University of Michigan, so it may be a very small population sample) either are drinking (beer or vodka) or smoking weed. But then again, there are some club kid geeks who use E... You gotta remember that while geeks are a subculture (of sorts), there is still a lot of variation inside the group. Some people will abuse, some won't use at all, and some will use a bit.
I picked up a pair of iGlasses about a year ago at a flea market of all places. The person selling them had no clue what they were, so I picked them up cheep. I was supprised to see them being remarketed as "new." The resolution is good for TV and such, and passable for Quake and Duke3D (on low rez). I have had lots of fun with them (hampsterdance in your FACE!), but I wouldn't pay $200 or whatever for them new. My advice: Find them used.
Slashdot Mirror
In my experience, Dell gives my organization hardware lock-in for a specific model - for example, the Dell GX280s we ordered at the beginning of the year were identical to the ones we ordered at the end of the year. The exception would be hard drive brand, but I don't even get the same brand hard drives from one identical model Mac to another.
Besides, I can take a firewire drive with a Tiger install on it and boot everything from a G3 iMac to a DP 2 GHz G5 - OS X only loads the drivers it needs, so a few more wouldn't hurt. -Ryan
We've had good luck with the the 42xx and 43xx HP laser printers, especially the 4300s. Some of our 4300s are approacthing a million pages (we expect two million pages out of our printers before we retire them), and our problems have been limited to some defective fusers (replaced by HP under warranty), and excessive paper feed roller wear (also replaced by HP under warranty). They are fast printers (45 ppm for the 4300s, 200,000 pages a month) and offer duplexing. Downsides are you only get 8.5" by 14" or smaller paper into them, and they are around $999. Buuuuttt, if you need a reliable HP, it's your printer.
-Ryan
I'm not the first to notice this, but look at a white iMac mouse (or a picture of one), and then look at the picture (if you can find it not /.ed). Looks like someone photoshopped on a wheel from an iPod. I call shenanigans!
-Ryan
I wonder if he gets spam about discounted copies of XP?
The article said: "But there was still $300 million of remaining debt, which we decided to hold to maturity." Doesn't this mean that they paid off the debt when it came due? I know there's tax advantages, but the debt was due, the way I read it...
-Ryan
We do see this problem with Apple flatscreens in the computer lab setting where I work, but there is a fairly simple solution. Turn off the flatscreen for a day or so, and the burn in goes away. The optical mice were too sensitive, and were turning off the screensavers every time someone sat down at a table. Don't know if this will fix the Dell laptops, but our Dell laptops (and Apple laptops) seem to be fine so far.
-Ryan
I've been fooling around with a mini-itx board for a while, and tried to fit it into an Apple IIc. It will fit, if you forego a cd/dvd drive, full size hard drive, and use a laptop-style power supply with an external AC/DC adaptor.
My current plans are to put it into a wood box I purchased at a local artsy fartsy store, which will have plenty of room for a slot loading DVD drive, but will still need a laptop hard drive and the smaller power supply. DivX player, here I come!
-Ryan
Even before I learned Qwerty my handwriting was atrocious. If it wasn't for learning how to type in elementary school, I'd probably be creating indecypherable codes for the Allies. Of course kids need to be able to write, but this article stinks of Luddites and FUD. Must be Bic and the other writing instrument monopolies banding together to stomp out computers - "Did you know that typing leads to poor grades and bad dental hygiene? Take away your kid's computer and give them a pen!"
Oh, and my spelling sucks too.
-Ryan
If you look back to the fossil record, there were many fewer species around a couple of million years ago. There were regular mass extinctions, and that was that. So I must ask that even if humans kill off a species, does it "matter"? Granted, I don't believe it is a good thing to wipe out spotted owls or whatnot, but if there is only a few hundred of a species left, do they have that much impact on the environment? As someone else said, it is very egotistical to think that humans can have such an effect on the whole planet as to destroy it. If we wipe ourselves out, the Earth will probably just pick up with what species are left. The old joke about cockroaches ruling the planet in a couple million years comes to mind...
-Ryan
Being a poor college student, my laptop budget is next to nothing. I ended up with three IBM Thinkpad 701c's that turned into one working machine and a bunch of parts that paid for the whole mess when sold (thanks ebay!). Anyway, I've lugged the 701 all over the place, dropped it a couple of times, and had the cat sit on it (open and closed). Granted, it's a 486-75, but they can be upgraded if you have a steady hand and a soldering iron. Runs Linux, runs Win9x, can run with (not so heavy), ect.
Dig it,
Ryan
I was intrigued by the article in c't, and so was my boss, so I tried it out with a Dell GX150. It works pretty well, but it took a long time to do, and I still have to tweak it some more. Still, reading slashdot on a machine that has no hard drive attached is pretty cool, and I don't have to worry about virii (hell, I don't even have to worry about saving anything!)
The best part was when I booted the cd on a slightly different GX150, and it "installed" some drivers, then asked me to reboot to activate the changes. "That's odd, this screen keeps popping up..." lol.
-Ryan
No offense, but raising taxes on gas and smokes has already proved to be a failure. The economy is so good that people who can afford big SUV's can pay almost any price for gas. Who you hurt is the poorest segment of the population who can only afford $500 and $1000 cars. Those cars usually produce the most polution and use the most gas. Until someone can come up with a viable solution that will keep these people mobile (they need to get to work/school/day care too!), increasing the penalties will only hurt the people who can least afford to be hurt. And taxing tobacco has been a horrible failure. Smokers arn't going to stop smoking because the price goes up; they'll just drive to Canada or down south, where the prices are cheaper, or steal cigs.
-Ryan
I wonder how many other companies will start offering similar services now that HavenCo has taken the first step. There are large amounts of oil rigs floating around, and while not all of them are in international waters, just having the security the isolation provides might be enough. Didn't Disney or some booze company buy an island in the Pacific too? That might be a viable option as well...owning actual land gives you a very solid claim on sovereignty!
True dat...I don't know how they would deal with that. Possibly some type of foam inside the heat sink (would prevent sloshing of stuff too). I think short of upside down, the hot water vapor would still tend to move away from the processor...hmm hmm hmm...
-Ryan
Water vapor makes good sense. This is exactly how cars work. Do you think that water/antifreeze in your radiator would stay liquid if you opened the cap on the expressway? Heck, if you opened it in your driveway after driving, you would witness "water vapor cooling" your skin as it cooked it.
Anyway, what it probably does is use the hot stuff rises principal. They used this in the Model T Fords. No water pumps on those babies; they didn't need em. They don't need them on these laptops either. All you have to do is put your radiator physically above the processor, and the hot vapor will rise into the radiator or whatever disipator they are using, then condense and sink back to the processor to repeat.
Dig it,
Ryan
The distro has been available for a while, but only as a downloadable package. As for Linux use at U of M, well, /everyone/ uses Linux in their departments. From mail servers for the Chem department to VR system controllers. When we did Linux Day at U of M, we (computer geeks that worked for U of M, for the most part) were trying to spread Linux to the students. We recieved so much support from U of M because of how much they use Linux for everything. On a related note, Linux Day was an unqualified sucess; we gave out a few thousand copies of red hat, star office, and many other CDs and stickers and such.
-Ryan
I've been playing in the CAVE enviroment here at the University of Michigan for about three years...a bunch of my friends program VR stuff for it. It's nothing new, and the technology implemented in it is decidedly old skool. It is a very 'open' setup, as Quake and several other things have been ported to it. In fact, even a Palm Pilot can be used to control it. The setup consists of four projectors, putting images on three walls and the floor. Users wear LCD shutter glasses, and the main user holds a wand that has a couple of buttons on it. The main user also has a head tracker on he/she/it's shutter glasses. It is a decidedly cool setup, but could use many improvements.
-Ryan
The story of my life: "What the hell am I doing here?"
I have the same bag as GeorgeH, and I too find it a great carrier of laptops. Also, the floppy disk pouches hold minidiscs. The bag even has a pouch that seems to be designed to hold a minidisc player the size of a sharp 702/722. It survived a trip to DefCon 7 and other crazy road trips with no ill effects, other than a broken clip that was easily fixed with a $0.50 replacment from a camping store. It is also pretty darn water proof, and comfortable to wear.
Ryan
-
Stop censorship befo&IPUHhuunu*he/j((J"#Ejr'ead
Hmm, now what if I had to accelerate on an expressway to get out of an accident? Guess I'm dead meat, if I'm driving at the speed limit. It's interesting to note that, in the U.S. at least, the recent increases in the speed limit all over the country have actually led to /less/ deaths than in previous years. By as much as 2.5%! Granted, statistics can vary from year to year, but this still indicates increasing the speed limit or driving faster than the speed limit does not mean "hundreds of motorists will be condemed to a firey death" (from the Department of Transportation).
Plus, there is the Big Brother factor. I get paranoid when I think of people tracking my cell phone, never mind my car!
Finally, the cost is an issue. 200 pounds a car? That's about 300-350 U.S., plus instalation. Who wants to pay that much to have their fredom taken away?!?!?
That's just my $0.02 on the issue, one that is close to my heart.
-Ryan
Oh, come on...take a look at the new Honda S2000...2.0 litres, 240 HP-at the back wheels! Plastic maybe, but that six speed manual is like a rifle bolt. And we were giving M3s, Boxters, and Audi TTs a run for their money. I personally did my fastest lap at Waterford racetrack in that S2000. And don't forget the Preludes, with four wheel steering. How cool is that?
And I'm a BMW guy...
IMHO, cars and computers are very similar in that they both are complex systems running on simple pricipals. Computers, ones and zeros, switches on or off. Cars, it's fire, one of the oldest techs, used to move things. Anyway, my Dad and I work on cars and sell many of them. We do have a bunch that we keep for fun. Our current project: a 1973 BMW 3.0CS (black of course). Beautiful car, a geek's dream with all the power options, leather, and, of course, a stick shift. It kinda looks like the old Batmobile...
After meeting bits of cDc at DefCon 7
(Us: Hey G. Ratte, we heard BO2k is going to be open source...
G.Ratte: Open Sores! Ahhhhhh! {runs out of room yelling})
and seeing the BO2k presentation, I must say that you guys are crazy. Yup, crazy-pants. But BO2k is an extrodinary sys admin tool (tunneling throgh ssh makes me weep with joy) and the T-files are...interesting. Keep up the good work!
Hmm, interesting article. But most of the Geeks I see using (at University of Michigan, so it may be a very small population sample) either are drinking (beer or vodka) or smoking weed. But then again, there are some club kid geeks who use E...
You gotta remember that while geeks are a subculture (of sorts), there is still a lot of variation inside the group. Some people will abuse, some won't use at all, and some will use a bit.
I picked up a pair of iGlasses about a year ago at a flea market of all places. The person selling them had no clue what they were, so I picked them up cheep. I was supprised to see them being remarketed as "new." The resolution is good for TV and such, and passable for Quake and Duke3D (on low rez). I have had lots of fun with them (hampsterdance in your FACE!), but I wouldn't pay $200 or whatever for them new. My advice: Find them used.