Apple users have access to PCalc on both OS X and iOS, which is the best "traditional-style" calculator app I've found, and it has RPN support. It's a freemium calculator; basic functionality is there, as well as standard "scientific calculator" features (and basic RPN, but no visual stack), but you have to pay a dollar here and there to unlock everything.
Now for an aside. I first learned of RPN in an algorithms class I took a while back, and never saw the purpose for it beyond novelty use. However, a couple weeks ago, I decided to give it a fair shot. I find that I actually like it quite a bit, but the odd thing is I can't articulate why. So I ask: Why do you, Slashdot users, like RPN?
Yes, smartphones are capable of everything a calculator can do, and more. However, what I find perplexing is that, no matter how many calculator apps I try, I can't find one that I actually prefer over my old TI-83 Plus. Here are a few edges it has over calculator apps I've tried:
1. Battery life. 2. Physical keys. 3. Variable support. Even the best apps I've tried don't let you store many variables, or as easily. 4. Stupid easy and fast scripting abilities.
There are also some subjective intangibles, familiarity being a big one. I also like that there are no distractions with a dedicated calculator. The only thing I want that it doesn't have is RPN support, but I can always buy an HP-50g if I really need it (I don't).
Is it? I don't have a Facebook account. I don't "tweet" (though I do have a Twitter account for the sole purpose of following the Curiosity rover account). I don't even allow Microsoft, Google, and Apple to collect anonymous usage statistics. I take my privacy seriously, but I'm also realistic about what does and what does not constitute an invasion of the same.
Key to my decision of "surrendering" this (unimportant) data is the fact that the service wouldn't work without it.
I use an app/service called MapMyRide that, well, maps my bike rides. It's a useful way for plotting out routes, keeping track of speed and training progress, rough estimate of calories burned, etc. Yes, I could manually keep track of this information, but the app is more useful, and it gives me route ideas based on other peoples' data (which isn't shared unless you tell it to share).
My question is: In what way does giving Google, MapMyRide, or a different service access to my bike ride data hurt me in any way? How does it put me at risk--for anything? We're not talking sensitive information here. I don't want ridiculous hypothetical situations, like "crazy guy finds people to murder by looking at bike route data", I want something I should actually be concerned about. Defending your privacy is all well and good, but there are also times where it doesn't matter.
I actually had to use the restore code last night--it didn't work. The restore code itself worked, but battle.net still said the authenticator code was wrong. It was fairly trivial to get them to remove the authenticator (enter a code sent via SMS), but by then I had "too many login attempts" and had to wait a few hours. Frustrating.
Also, I doubt your dedicated heaters are lower-energy than your computer. Even those compact heaters for 10€ are usually 2kW or more, and so are hair dryers.
Yeah, shortly after posting, I looked up space heaters--much more energy than my system (which isn't a slouch at 1kW). Thanks.
So is the PC just an inefficient heater, then? Even my aluminum case is cold to the touch. If I didn't have so many fans (10 in total), would it make the room hotter?
I'm asking because I often see it claimed that PCs make great space heaters, but in my experience, this one plain doesn't. Under full load, it should draw quite a bit of power, but it outputs much, much less heat than lower-energy dedicated space heaters. I'm tempted to find my Kill-A-Watt and see what it says.
Now to expose my woeful lack of understanding of the topic!
Is it even apples to apples with electric heaters? I'm not sure how much power my PC is currently drawing, but its exhaust isn't particularly warm--in fact, it feels perceptively cooler than the ambient temperature. I have no doubt there's a sort of "wind chill" factor going on (it's not a magic PC, so far as I know), but it seems like a damned inefficient heating appliance all the same, especially if I consider space heaters I've used in the past.
And most things listed seemed to be described with a voice of "Look at how awesome this could've been if those idiot consumers would've only realized it!".
I see no evidence of that attitude. Here's a summary from the article's actual content:
1. QuickTake Camera: Panned because it was so low res. 2. Cards App: No fawning, just noting that it's an odd and unpopular service. 3. FaceTime: Critical of Apple for not opening it like they said they would. 4. iPod Hi-Fi: They say it's real nice, but way overpriced (and bulky). 5. Texas Hold-Em: "Solid Poker App" that Apple stopped updating and removed. 6. iPod Socks: Completely baffling. 7. Bluetooth Headset: "sounded 'like a bowl of Rice Krispies sprinkled with crystal meth for your ear[...]" 8. Ping: Could have been "amazing", but "half-baked" and limited to iTunes vs. the browser, and no Facebook 9. Rokr: "Bad phone and even worse media player"
Now, I don't think the article is particularly interesting. The summary does point out that not all of Apple's failures are recent, which is why this article focuses on new items; after all, everyone already knows about the Pippin. Is there an RDF going on? No, but maybe there's a meta-RDF--one that makes you think there's a Jobs RDF in place when there really isn't.
"as far ahead as possible from the competition" implies that competition is there, which means Apple isn't first. Apple's strength is to find new, developing markets, and make something that blows everyone else out of the water.
Actually, you can import macros and profiles from the hard drive or a network drive. It won't automatically sync to that file, but at least the functionality is there.
Offering a remote storage account for config files as part of buying the device would have made me think they were actually forward thinking.
Oh Jesus Christ, it just asked me to update right after posting that. Now I can test if reboots are really required.
*waiting*
Okay, it told me I needed to restart. Clicked "no thanks". That closed me out of Synapse completely, so I reopened the application, and it seems to work just fine. Guess it was a lot less pushy about restarting than I was thinking, though it can still be fairly pesky with those update reminders.
I'm not sure if it's actually necessary to reboot, but it's pretty dang pesky about it--enough so that I give in or just hold off on updating for a few days (during which time two more updates come out, I'm sure).
Oh, it gets even worse with the Harmony remotes. Have two of them? Well, you can't register two remotes to the same account--not and have them control different equipment, that is. No, Logitech forced me to set up two accounts in order to control my two remotes. This was a year ago; hopefully they realized how idiotic that was.
What if you have multiple computers, each of which has the same mouse? With the cloud configuration option, all changes are propagated immediately, unlike settings stored locally on the mouse.
I love my Razer Naga mouse. It gives you loads more control on MMOs, in particular, and being able to give it custom programming and macros for each app I use is a real nice plus.
Well, the cloud solution lets you have multiple mice all automatically use the same settings without toting around SD cards or adding expense and bulk to the mice themselves.
I use Razer Synapse. I was really annoyed at having to use it at first, but the next day when I moved my Naga mouse over to a different system, I saw how useful it was. My only complaint now is that updates for the software are quite frequent, and require reboots, which is pretty obnoxious.
I prefer Windows 8 to Windows 7 on the desktop. I've talked about it before, but what it comes down to is better organization (opinion), better search integration (opinion), native USB 3, better task manager, better multi-monitor support, synchronization of settings between computers, better notification system, better file-type association handling, better implementation of "previous versions", faster startup, and the ability to natively and easily create custom install images (actually, does 7 have this?).
It's a nice upgrade for only $40, and I didn't even need to prove I owned Windows 7 (I do; but the system 8 is running on only had the Win8 RP installed). On the other hand, the Metro stuff is pretty pointless on a desktop/laptop, with what I feel are two exceptions: Kindle app and Netflix app.
Slashdot Mirror
Apple users have access to PCalc on both OS X and iOS, which is the best "traditional-style" calculator app I've found, and it has RPN support. It's a freemium calculator; basic functionality is there, as well as standard "scientific calculator" features (and basic RPN, but no visual stack), but you have to pay a dollar here and there to unlock everything.
Now for an aside. I first learned of RPN in an algorithms class I took a while back, and never saw the purpose for it beyond novelty use. However, a couple weeks ago, I decided to give it a fair shot. I find that I actually like it quite a bit, but the odd thing is I can't articulate why. So I ask: Why do you, Slashdot users, like RPN?
Yes, smartphones are capable of everything a calculator can do, and more. However, what I find perplexing is that, no matter how many calculator apps I try, I can't find one that I actually prefer over my old TI-83 Plus. Here are a few edges it has over calculator apps I've tried:
1. Battery life.
2. Physical keys.
3. Variable support. Even the best apps I've tried don't let you store many variables, or as easily.
4. Stupid easy and fast scripting abilities.
There are also some subjective intangibles, familiarity being a big one. I also like that there are no distractions with a dedicated calculator. The only thing I want that it doesn't have is RPN support, but I can always buy an HP-50g if I really need it (I don't).
Is it? I don't have a Facebook account. I don't "tweet" (though I do have a Twitter account for the sole purpose of following the Curiosity rover account). I don't even allow Microsoft, Google, and Apple to collect anonymous usage statistics. I take my privacy seriously, but I'm also realistic about what does and what does not constitute an invasion of the same.
Key to my decision of "surrendering" this (unimportant) data is the fact that the service wouldn't work without it.
I use an app/service called MapMyRide that, well, maps my bike rides. It's a useful way for plotting out routes, keeping track of speed and training progress, rough estimate of calories burned, etc. Yes, I could manually keep track of this information, but the app is more useful, and it gives me route ideas based on other peoples' data (which isn't shared unless you tell it to share).
My question is: In what way does giving Google, MapMyRide, or a different service access to my bike ride data hurt me in any way? How does it put me at risk--for anything? We're not talking sensitive information here. I don't want ridiculous hypothetical situations, like "crazy guy finds people to murder by looking at bike route data", I want something I should actually be concerned about. Defending your privacy is all well and good, but there are also times where it doesn't matter.
I actually had to use the restore code last night--it didn't work. The restore code itself worked, but battle.net still said the authenticator code was wrong. It was fairly trivial to get them to remove the authenticator (enter a code sent via SMS), but by then I had "too many login attempts" and had to wait a few hours. Frustrating.
Also, I doubt your dedicated heaters are lower-energy than your computer. Even those compact heaters for 10€ are usually 2kW or more, and so are hair dryers.
Yeah, shortly after posting, I looked up space heaters--much more energy than my system (which isn't a slouch at 1kW). Thanks.
So is the PC just an inefficient heater, then? Even my aluminum case is cold to the touch. If I didn't have so many fans (10 in total), would it make the room hotter?
I'm asking because I often see it claimed that PCs make great space heaters, but in my experience, this one plain doesn't. Under full load, it should draw quite a bit of power, but it outputs much, much less heat than lower-energy dedicated space heaters. I'm tempted to find my Kill-A-Watt and see what it says.
Now to expose my woeful lack of understanding of the topic!
Is it even apples to apples with electric heaters? I'm not sure how much power my PC is currently drawing, but its exhaust isn't particularly warm--in fact, it feels perceptively cooler than the ambient temperature. I have no doubt there's a sort of "wind chill" factor going on (it's not a magic PC, so far as I know), but it seems like a damned inefficient heating appliance all the same, especially if I consider space heaters I've used in the past.
Is it true with Windows, even (anymore, at least)? Windows 7 is faster than Vista, and 8 is equal to or faster than Windows 7 in most cases. See: http://www.techspot.com/review/561-windows8-vs-windows7/page2.html
According to Engadget, PCMark 7 has a bug that causes Windows 8 to score lower than it should.
I like Windows 8, but I don't know anyone who's ever heard of a Surface tablet, much less wants to ditch their iPad for one.
This is obnoxious enough to have me considering replacing my Harmony remotes. Anyone have recommendations?
And most things listed seemed to be described with a voice of "Look at how awesome this could've been if those idiot consumers would've only realized it!".
I see no evidence of that attitude. Here's a summary from the article's actual content:
1. QuickTake Camera: Panned because it was so low res.
2. Cards App: No fawning, just noting that it's an odd and unpopular service.
3. FaceTime: Critical of Apple for not opening it like they said they would.
4. iPod Hi-Fi: They say it's real nice, but way overpriced (and bulky).
5. Texas Hold-Em: "Solid Poker App" that Apple stopped updating and removed.
6. iPod Socks: Completely baffling.
7. Bluetooth Headset: "sounded 'like a bowl of Rice Krispies sprinkled with crystal meth for your ear[...]"
8. Ping: Could have been "amazing", but "half-baked" and limited to iTunes vs. the browser, and no Facebook
9. Rokr: "Bad phone and even worse media player"
Now, I don't think the article is particularly interesting. The summary does point out that not all of Apple's failures are recent, which is why this article focuses on new items; after all, everyone already knows about the Pippin. Is there an RDF going on? No, but maybe there's a meta-RDF--one that makes you think there's a Jobs RDF in place when there really isn't.
"as far ahead as possible from the competition" implies that competition is there, which means Apple isn't first. Apple's strength is to find new, developing markets, and make something that blows everyone else out of the water.
Actually, you can import macros and profiles from the hard drive or a network drive. It won't automatically sync to that file, but at least the functionality is there.
Offering a remote storage account for config files as part of buying the device would have made me think they were actually forward thinking.
How is that different from their current system?
Oh Jesus Christ, it just asked me to update right after posting that. Now I can test if reboots are really required.
*waiting*
Okay, it told me I needed to restart. Clicked "no thanks". That closed me out of Synapse completely, so I reopened the application, and it seems to work just fine. Guess it was a lot less pushy about restarting than I was thinking, though it can still be fairly pesky with those update reminders.
I'm not sure if it's actually necessary to reboot, but it's pretty dang pesky about it--enough so that I give in or just hold off on updating for a few days (during which time two more updates come out, I'm sure).
I was looking at this earlier today. If my Naga craps out like the parent's, then I may have to get one.
Oh, it gets even worse with the Harmony remotes. Have two of them? Well, you can't register two remotes to the same account--not and have them control different equipment, that is. No, Logitech forced me to set up two accounts in order to control my two remotes. This was a year ago; hopefully they realized how idiotic that was.
What if you have multiple computers, each of which has the same mouse? With the cloud configuration option, all changes are propagated immediately, unlike settings stored locally on the mouse.
I love my Razer Naga mouse. It gives you loads more control on MMOs, in particular, and being able to give it custom programming and macros for each app I use is a real nice plus.
Well, the cloud solution lets you have multiple mice all automatically use the same settings without toting around SD cards or adding expense and bulk to the mice themselves.
I use Razer Synapse. I was really annoyed at having to use it at first, but the next day when I moved my Naga mouse over to a different system, I saw how useful it was. My only complaint now is that updates for the software are quite frequent, and require reboots, which is pretty obnoxious.
It's always had ads, but I'll agree it's a whole lot worse these days, and you make a good point.
You must not know many people.
I prefer Windows 8 to Windows 7 on the desktop. I've talked about it before, but what it comes down to is better organization (opinion), better search integration (opinion), native USB 3, better task manager, better multi-monitor support, synchronization of settings between computers, better notification system, better file-type association handling, better implementation of "previous versions", faster startup, and the ability to natively and easily create custom install images (actually, does 7 have this?).
It's a nice upgrade for only $40, and I didn't even need to prove I owned Windows 7 (I do; but the system 8 is running on only had the Win8 RP installed). On the other hand, the Metro stuff is pretty pointless on a desktop/laptop, with what I feel are two exceptions: Kindle app and Netflix app.
Apple apps don't have any ads, even bundled apps. Will they eventually go there? Well, they do have a patent for that...