OK, ignoring the WHOOSH sound, LXDE is not quite as polished and doesn't have the eye candy people expect. Having said that, I have seem some pretty impressive desktops, but it all comes down to market share and the number of developers working on it...
I would say it did work during the Vista fail. Ubuntu jumped so much in popularity they hired gui designers to invent Unity...... Yeah I am kidding, but more people have heard of Linux now than ever before. I have even met random strangers of the Joe Sixpack level who are at least curious about this Lynucks thing....
I used to manage a computer store. Acer had the fastest turnaround of all the brands we sell. Maybe it is a US thing. And yes Acers are cheap like borsch. (unless you go for the Ferrari model) That is my point.
Chances are, laptops and desktops will adopt touch screens in a similar way they adopted sound cards and trackpads.
except sound cards and trackpads added functionality, and realistically had no downside. Touch screens add very little utility while they encourage fingerprints on the screen, and make your arms sore after a while (assuming a monitor on a desktop). Not sure how long consumers are going to be willing to pay more for non tablet touchscreens*
*OK, there may still be a very limited market for convertible laptops, but these exist now and are not selling in droves...
At the risk of looking like a fool in 5 years or so (a la nomad vs ipod) I really don't see tablets taking off from where they are now. I can see them being popular consumption devices, and I can see them working in a very limited way for a few specialized projects, but I do not see the death of the desktop coming anytime soon.
I can't pick out coffee brands, because a lot of them are crap. My coffee of choice (when I am not home*) is an americano (espresso + hot water, for those that don't know) from a couple of independent coffee shops. Starbucks, like McDonalds with their hamburgers, are more concerned with consistency than flavour.
*When at home I do have a couple of espresso machines, and, when I want more caffeine, a bodem. I grind my own beans that I buy from one of a few local roasters.
- Tablets are seen as a content consumption device that doesn't really work for Work or creating said content.
- People still want a "real" laptop/desktop and don't want to pay for a touch screen
- Windows 8 flops like a dead fish (yeah, I know it is a mixed metaphor, but it is kind of visual...)
- Developers, Developers, Developers start writing and porting software to Apple and then Linux, as they are the most desired platforms for a Desktop (Read not a tablet)
- Since Linux is easier to customize than Apple, power users start to use it
- Joe Sixpack sees power users using Linux
- And then gnome developers f**k it up more than it is now and everyone moves back to Windows 9
I have owned a couple of Acer laptops over the years and they were great bang for buck. They were cheap and broke down, but by then I wanted an upgrade anyway. Buying a higher end machine would have still been out of date, I would still want to update, and the resale value would not pay back the difference I initially paid...
Another anecdote: Years ago, an accountant came into my shop with a "dead computer". He had all his clients accounting records for the past 12 years on his hard drive and could not access anything. He did not have any backups, and if any of his clients were audited, he could be held liable to the point of facing jail time. One of my techs replaced the controller on the drive, copied all the data to a new drive and told this accountant about backing up data to dvd. The kicker was that when I offered to sell this accountant a spindle of discs, he said he could probably find them cheaper elsewhere.... PS, he did buy the spindle when I asked him point blank how long he was going to take looking for the best deal before he backed up his data...
I have used Windows from about 3.1 through 7. For my main computer (as well as my servers) I use Linux because I find it much less unfriendly than Microsoft's efforts. Office is even worse. Microsoft constantly insists that you do things their way. Now most people are used to the Microsoft way, and so find the freedom in Linux land uncomfortable, but once you realize that Linux has (mostly) been designed by USERS of the system (ignoring gnome3/unity now.....) things seem much easier. In other words, I can use my desktop the way *I* want.
except it isn't an OS they are familiar with, it is win8, which technically hasn't been released yet (most consumers are not going to download a pre-release version and..Gosh.. install it themsleves). The question really becomes, will consumers like the win8 interface better (yes it has to be better to overcome momentum) than iOS
A few days ago, a customer brought in their PC for repair. They told me that they had a very nasty virus that was holding their computer hostage and wouldn't stop unless they paid the creators $50. "Alright," I thought. "That's pretty standard."
But, soon enough, I found that I was overexerting myself trying to get rid of this virus. I had never seen a virus this bad before. Reformatting and using all of the usual software to try to remove the virus didn't help at all!
As a PC repair technician with 10+ years of experience, I was dumbfounded. I couldn't remove the virus, and to make matters worse, their gigabits were running slower than ever! I soon plummeted into a severe state of depression and anxiety.
That's when I found Ubuntu. I went to ubuntu's website, ran a free scan, and the virus simply vanished from their computer this minuteness. I couldn't believe how fast their gigabits were running afterwards just from using ubuntu!
My customer's response? "ubuntu is outstanding! My computer is running faster than ever! ubuntu totally cleaned up my system and increased my speed!"
My thoughts: ubuntu came through with flying colors where no one else could! I love ubuntu!
The fact that such an experienced PC repair technician is recommending ubuntu should be more than enough to convince you that it is high-quality software.
If you're having computer problems, then as an experienced PC repair technician, I wholeheartedly recommend using ubuntu. Your gigabits and speed will be overclocking and running at maximum efficiency!
But, in my experience, even if you're not having any visible problems, you could still be infected. So get ubuntu and run a scan this minuteness so you'll be overclocking with the rest of us!
1) conversations were not recorded, only monitored. Or at least a court ordered warrant is needed to record conversations 2) only trained and qualified personnel can hear conversations. ie, no rent-a-cops 3) no tax dollars are used to maintain the system. OK, that is impossible, so let's say a very limited and monitored budget 4) bidding for hardware is open and public (no inside deals) 5) And the big one, they (the powers that be) can prove that this will improve the safety of more people than spending the same budget on say driver education, or cancer research, or hell, even poisonous lollipops....
Of course as a Canadian I really have no say in this.....
Your "deal-breaker" is a feature for many "normal" users
I would give you your argument for an imac, or a regular macbook, but the "PRO" version is, I would guess, aimed at pro's. These are people (ignoring the few who buy one for status reasons) who will use their laptop for work. As a photographer, I constantly upgrade my laptop and desktop ram and hard drive. I buy a machine that will work for me now, and is within my budget, then, as requirements change (new camera, more bloated software **cough**Photoshop**cough**) I incrementally upgrade.
And your other analogies break down too. There are damn few cars that require more than basic tools to replace an engine, hell, find me a car that doesn't have a hood that opens up for access to said engine. It is actually part of the building code that all plumbing (read sinks, toilets, hot water tanks, etc) have easily accessed shutoff valves TO MAKE WORK ON THEM EASIER.
No, Apple screwed up on this one. The sad thing is that their fans will probably buy macbooks anyway.
Last year I was managing a big box store (Until Office Depot pulled out of Canada) and I was surprised at the number of people who had at least heard of Linux (more specifically Ubuntu) I think Linux is getting more mainstream than many people realize. It still is a way behind Apple, but I remember a few years ago when Apple was considered a dead end, and it would never gain market share beyond artists and designers. Microsoft may not be quaking in their boots, but they are well aware of Linux.
I could add the "Fitness World" chain. They run KDE on the desktop, not sure what distro though... They are not a big multi-national, but I know they have quite a few outlets, at least on the west coast of BC
Very sad state of affairs. I have managed commission sales forces, and I would come down on anyone who did the hard sell. You are right, it pisses off customers, it increases returns, it demoralizes staff.... Why does it seem like the worst businesses are the most successful?*
*actually I don't believe that. Good businesses are very successful, but it is harder. Bad businesses are good enough, and it is much easier in the short term to gain a quick market share, go bankrupt/change your name, and start over.. And there we get to it... We have created a system where short term gains are rewarded more than long term investments. This will be the fall of our current economic system.
Patents were (depending on who you talk to) either designed to provide a financial incentive to innovate, or to bring trade secrets into the public domain once they expire. In neither of these cases does selling of the patents make any sense. There is a problem of what happens to patents when a company folds. Maybe the patent should go straight into the public domain at that point. I know there are a lot of obvious issues with this solution, but I still feel that patents should not be transferable.
If you look in the upper right, you will notice there is no model release, therefore, anyone using this photo takes the risk of being sued by anyone in the photo. For a news photo, or other generic use, fair use may apply, but this photo would NOT be used in a commercial or promotional context.
Slashdot Mirror
OK, ignoring the WHOOSH sound, LXDE is not quite as polished and doesn't have the eye candy people expect. Having said that, I have seem some pretty impressive desktops, but it all comes down to market share and the number of developers working on it...
I would say it did work during the Vista fail. Ubuntu jumped so much in popularity they hired gui designers to invent Unity......
Yeah I am kidding, but more people have heard of Linux now than ever before. I have even met random strangers of the Joe Sixpack level who are at least curious about this Lynucks thing....
I used to manage a computer store. Acer had the fastest turnaround of all the brands we sell. Maybe it is a US thing.
And yes Acers are cheap like borsch. (unless you go for the Ferrari model) That is my point.
compared to what? A Latte?
Chances are, laptops and desktops will adopt touch screens in a similar way they adopted sound cards and trackpads.
except sound cards and trackpads added functionality, and realistically had no downside. Touch screens add very little utility while they encourage fingerprints on the screen, and make your arms sore after a while (assuming a monitor on a desktop). Not sure how long consumers are going to be willing to pay more for non tablet touchscreens*
*OK, there may still be a very limited market for convertible laptops, but these exist now and are not selling in droves...
At the risk of looking like a fool in 5 years or so (a la nomad vs ipod) I really don't see tablets taking off from where they are now. I can see them being popular consumption devices, and I can see them working in a very limited way for a few specialized projects, but I do not see the death of the desktop coming anytime soon.
I can't pick out coffee brands, because a lot of them are crap.
My coffee of choice (when I am not home*) is an americano (espresso + hot water, for those that don't know) from a couple of independent coffee shops. Starbucks, like McDonalds with their hamburgers, are more concerned with consistency than flavour.
*When at home I do have a couple of espresso machines, and, when I want more caffeine, a bodem. I grind my own beans that I buy from one of a few local roasters.
How about this scenario....
- Tablets are seen as a content consumption device that doesn't really work for Work or creating said content.
- People still want a "real" laptop/desktop and don't want to pay for a touch screen
- Windows 8 flops like a dead fish (yeah, I know it is a mixed metaphor, but it is kind of visual...)
- Developers, Developers, Developers start writing and porting software to Apple and then Linux, as they are the most desired platforms for a Desktop (Read not a tablet)
- Since Linux is easier to customize than Apple, power users start to use it
- Joe Sixpack sees power users using Linux
- And then gnome developers f**k it up more than it is now and everyone moves back to Windows 9
I have owned a couple of Acer laptops over the years and they were great bang for buck. They were cheap and broke down, but by then I wanted an upgrade anyway. Buying a higher end machine would have still been out of date, I would still want to update, and the resale value would not pay back the difference I initially paid...
Halp me Slashdot, I need to get rid of spam....
ok, I'll bite, why is OneNote such a killer app? I haven't used it too much, as I am a Linux Luser, but from what I have seen it is just a local wiki.
and to the mods, no I am not trolling, I have wondered about OneNote for years, and have talked a lot of people out of it... What am I doing wrong?
Another anecdote:
Years ago, an accountant came into my shop with a "dead computer". He had all his clients accounting records for the past 12 years on his hard drive and could not access anything. He did not have any backups, and if any of his clients were audited, he could be held liable to the point of facing jail time. One of my techs replaced the controller on the drive, copied all the data to a new drive and told this accountant about backing up data to dvd.
The kicker was that when I offered to sell this accountant a spindle of discs, he said he could probably find them cheaper elsewhere....
PS, he did buy the spindle when I asked him point blank how long he was going to take looking for the best deal before he backed up his data...
I have used Windows from about 3.1 through 7. For my main computer (as well as my servers) I use Linux because I find it much less unfriendly than Microsoft's efforts. Office is even worse. Microsoft constantly insists that you do things their way. Now most people are used to the Microsoft way, and so find the freedom in Linux land uncomfortable, but once you realize that Linux has (mostly) been designed by USERS of the system (ignoring gnome3/unity now.....) things seem much easier. In other words, I can use my desktop the way *I* want.
How about crowd sourcing? Have a wiki style interface where anyone could add subtitles..... oh, uh ...nevermind...
so you have a very detailed image of film grain?
except it isn't an OS they are familiar with, it is win8, which technically hasn't been released yet (most consumers are not going to download a pre-release version and ..Gosh.. install it themsleves).
The question really becomes, will consumers like the win8 interface better (yes it has to be better to overcome momentum) than iOS
A few days ago, a customer brought in their PC for repair. They told me that they had a very nasty virus that was holding their computer hostage and wouldn't stop unless they paid the creators $50. "Alright," I thought. "That's pretty standard."
But, soon enough, I found that I was overexerting myself trying to get rid of this virus. I had never seen a virus this bad before. Reformatting and using all of the usual software to try to remove the virus didn't help at all!
As a PC repair technician with 10+ years of experience, I was dumbfounded. I couldn't remove the virus, and to make matters worse, their gigabits were running slower than ever! I soon plummeted into a severe state of depression and anxiety.
That's when I found Ubuntu. I went to ubuntu's website, ran a free scan, and the virus simply vanished from their computer this minuteness. I couldn't believe how fast their gigabits were running afterwards just from using ubuntu!
My customer's response? "ubuntu is outstanding! My computer is running faster than ever! ubuntu totally cleaned up my system and increased my speed!"
My thoughts: ubuntu came through with flying colors where no one else could! I love ubuntu!
The fact that such an experienced PC repair technician is recommending ubuntu should be more than enough to convince you that it is high-quality software.
If you're having computer problems, then as an experienced PC repair technician, I wholeheartedly recommend using ubuntu. Your gigabits and speed will be overclocking and running at maximum efficiency!
But, in my experience, even if you're not having any visible problems, you could still be infected. So get ubuntu and run a scan this minuteness so you'll be overclocking with the rest of us!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhnLk3gviWY&feature=related">Watch their commercial!
ubuntu: For a Cleaner, Safer PC.
If this is true, then Thank you. I was starting to get a bit paranoid and wondering if all those tinfoil hat people had it right all along...
I agree this would be a good idea IF:
1) conversations were not recorded, only monitored. Or at least a court ordered warrant is needed to record conversations
2) only trained and qualified personnel can hear conversations. ie, no rent-a-cops
3) no tax dollars are used to maintain the system. OK, that is impossible, so let's say a very limited and monitored budget
4) bidding for hardware is open and public (no inside deals)
5) And the big one, they (the powers that be) can prove that this will improve the safety of more people than spending the same budget on say driver education, or cancer research, or hell, even poisonous lollipops....
Of course as a Canadian I really have no say in this.....
Your "deal-breaker" is a feature for many "normal" users
I would give you your argument for an imac, or a regular macbook, but the "PRO" version is, I would guess, aimed at pro's. These are people (ignoring the few who buy one for status reasons) who will use their laptop for work.
As a photographer, I constantly upgrade my laptop and desktop ram and hard drive. I buy a machine that will work for me now, and is within my budget, then, as requirements change (new camera, more bloated software **cough**Photoshop**cough**) I incrementally upgrade.
And your other analogies break down too. There are damn few cars that require more than basic tools to replace an engine, hell, find me a car that doesn't have a hood that opens up for access to said engine. It is actually part of the building code that all plumbing (read sinks, toilets, hot water tanks, etc) have easily accessed shutoff valves TO MAKE WORK ON THEM EASIER.
No, Apple screwed up on this one. The sad thing is that their fans will probably buy macbooks anyway.
Last year I was managing a big box store (Until Office Depot pulled out of Canada) and I was surprised at the number of people who had at least heard of Linux (more specifically Ubuntu) I think Linux is getting more mainstream than many people realize. It still is a way behind Apple, but I remember a few years ago when Apple was considered a dead end, and it would never gain market share beyond artists and designers.
Microsoft may not be quaking in their boots, but they are well aware of Linux.
I could add the "Fitness World" chain. They run KDE on the desktop, not sure what distro though...
They are not a big multi-national, but I know they have quite a few outlets, at least on the west coast of BC
Very sad state of affairs. I have managed commission sales forces, and I would come down on anyone who did the hard sell. You are right, it pisses off customers, it increases returns, it demoralizes staff....
Why does it seem like the worst businesses are the most successful?*
*actually I don't believe that. Good businesses are very successful, but it is harder. Bad businesses are good enough, and it is much easier in the short term to gain a quick market share, go bankrupt/change your name, and start over.. And there we get to it... We have created a system where short term gains are rewarded more than long term investments. This will be the fall of our current economic system.
Why can patents be bought or sold?
Patents were (depending on who you talk to) either designed to provide a financial incentive to innovate, or to bring trade secrets into the public domain once they expire. In neither of these cases does selling of the patents make any sense.
There is a problem of what happens to patents when a company folds. Maybe the patent should go straight into the public domain at that point. I know there are a lot of obvious issues with this solution, but I still feel that patents should not be transferable.
If you look in the upper right, you will notice there is no model release, therefore, anyone using this photo takes the risk of being sued by anyone in the photo. For a news photo, or other generic use, fair use may apply, but this photo would NOT be used in a commercial or promotional context.