I successfully upgraded a server from RH 4.2 to 5.1 long ago, and while it did have a few buglets, for the most part it worked.
I personally find that if you are changing from one major release to another major release you are normally better off doing a fresh install and recovery of data. For minor releases upgrades or updates are fine. Of course if you are doing this for a customer you sometimes don't have this luxury and if something goes wrong the customer is not very happy. I have seen major upgrades fail with enormous amount of time wasted escalating to customer support and them coming back to you with the recommendation that a fresh install and recovery is the best way forward. A definite case of "I told you so".
When I mentioned recovery of data, this could be tape/disk backup and recovery (could be many hours) or just a local volume manager recovery (minutes). BTW I am not just talking about Linux distributions I am talking about Unix distributions as well. Homework is essential before doing anything especially when you are doing an upgrade for a customer.
I originally started with Fedora 7 and have progressively updated over time to Fedora 10 and my experience has been very positive with all the distributions. There have been some glitches most notably KDE 4 (it's fine now) that came with Fedora 10 but then again you should expect this with Fedora.
Actually one of the packages that does get a mention in the article and no one here has commented on is "Presto" which utilises delta rpm's instead of whole packages to update the distribution. To the novice this does not mean all that much but if you have limited download capability (most of the world) then "Presto" is a huge improvement since what could be a 100MB or even 500MB package update, with delta rpm's the all over download could be anything from 50% (normally worst case) to 1% of the total package size. When I first put "Presto" on Fedora 10 with a "yum install presto" command it did not work since there wasn't any delta rpm's for Fedora 10. Now there is and it is impressive how much I save in downloading.
It must be noted that utilising delta rpm's is not really new since SuSE, Debian (delta packages) and even Redhat have been using them for a while now, however in the case of Fedora you always had to download the package and even then if you did not have an older version of Fedora the delta rpm repositories did not exist. This time with Fedora 11 "Presto" is installed by default.
I haven't had the nerve to try 10, though I've heard good things about it. Once bitten, twice shy, and all that.
Like any Linux/Unix upgrade, rebuild you always need to backup your original OS and data although you should be doing this already. Once you have a recoverable backup you have the option of doing an upgrade or a fresh install and possible data recovery. Personally I prefer a fresh install and recover my data but that's me. When I move to Fedora 11 (normally within a month of release) it takes me approx 5 hours, four of which is backup and recovery and most of the time I don't have much to do.
The above is a methodology I normally apply when I consult with customers. My attitude is once you decide you are going to upgrade or rebuild (preferred) there is no going back, although to keep the customer happy I can always recover if appropriate and still charge accordingly. Of course you have to do your homework first such as determining if the applications the customer has will work with the upgrade. If the applications don't work the vendor should advise on this and the proposed OS upgrade postponed until the vendor provides an application that will work.
One of the reasons why I like a fresh install over an upgrade is the fact that you are starting fresh and are not carrying over possible issues. This does take longer but IMHO it is worth it.
It was my impression that Fedora was primarily used by people seeking a "stable and low maintenance" RPM-based distro that they don't have to pay for.
What! you have to be kidding. Fedora is normally on the cutting edge of a Linux distributions, however most new features are reasonably tested before a Fedora distribution is mainstream released. Yes there will be some packages that could be unstable but many just work. I always recommend Fedora to those people who are willing to put up with some strangeness and also willing to learn. If you only want a Linux distribution that is stable then Fedora is not for you.
The main criticism on Linux is "It's not like Windows". Well that takes care of 99% of all critics so there is very little need for further criticism:)
Of course the counter to "It's not like Windows" is "What version of Windows?" and then go on to name them. Another good one is "and that is bad, why?". Watching the blank look on the critics face, priceless;)
Well if this site and this other site are any indication of how good this game is I think hammering nails in your head is a more fun experience. Still to be fair every person has their own idea of what is a fun game and what is not and from my perspective this game reminds me of the old NES game "Duck Hunt" which was IMHO great for about an hour or so before letting it gather dust until the next party, although after a while it gets too embarrassing to bring out:)
I wish TomTom had fought this; the FAT patents are utter nonsense. But patent fights are notoriously expensive, so I understand why TomTom did this instead.
In the long term, I hope that software patents get eliminated, but that will have to wait for another day.
Could not agree more, however the only way to get arround this would be to use a file-system like ext2 or ext3 which is very easy to do from a Linux machine onto an SD, MS, XD, MMC or any USB storage device. The problem here is not using ext2 or ext3 it is the ability of the Microsoft OS to actually read the device since Microsoft won't support this file-system preferring to dictate what file-systems they support with their OS. Coupled with this is the fact that many devices (eg. cameras) that take cards or even USB storage devices also cannot read ext2/3 file-systems.
To get a file-system like say ext2/3 supported would require a courageous effort on the part of manufacturers to demand this type of support and I personally don't think that will happen any time soon.
What is bizarre is the fact that it is very easy to create a FAT32 file-system on just about any Linux platform yet you actually have to download software to a MS Windows (Win2000 on) machine to do this. This reinforces my impression that Microsoft expects everyone to do as they dictate and they don't even care about FAT32 except as a means of using it as a bargaining chip.
From my personal experience I have always preferred KDE over Gnome but with my own laptop I have always allowed a choice for my wife and kids. For many years KDE was preferred although my youngest son liked Gnome.
When I installed Fedora 10 it came with KDE 4.0 and that was a shock. For my wife the change was too radical and I quickly switched her to Gnome. I knew KDE would improve over time however what forced me to change to Gnome was the fact that switching users was impossible at the time. For a while Gnome worked quite well but I wasn't that happy with it since it always felt "old school" but usuable, however KDE at the time was painful to use.
When KDE 4.2 came out to it was much more stable and had the features I was happy with so I quickly switched back and have been happy with it since. To me the new KDE 4,2 while different to KDE 3.5 is IMHO much more interesting and fun to work with than Gnome, however my wife is yet to make the switch back since she is much more conservative. My youngest son is still quite happy with Gnome.
From the article the following quote is very relevent.
You can see the differences in the current states of the two desktops from the reviews. Reviews about KDE are not always positive, but they are about large issues and shifts in the desktop paradigm. Reading them, you cannot help but come away with the impression that KDE developers are headed in a definite direction, even if you disagree with some or all of the details.
How does cloud computing solve the CPU-GPU bandwidth issues of modern games? Gamers still want to see the game, and at ultra high rez & IQ.
You mean like the Nintendo Wii?
I think he means High Definition 1280x720 (720p) and 1920x1080 (1080p) that the PS3 and Xbox360 are capable of not the Standard definition of 720x480 (NTSC) or 720x576 (PAL) the Wii is only capable of:)
So really I don't see lag as a real objection to this. I don't see bandwidth as a huge problem going forward either... lots of people already have fiber going to their house these days.
For those people who have ADSL, fibre or even cable can you answer the following:
Is your download capability unlimited if not what is your limit?
Does your ISP throttle your service after a certain threshold is reached? If so what is your throttle speed?
If you have a download cap do you pay for any excess? If so how much?
What is your average network speed during peak periods.
What is your average network speed during off peak periods?
What does your service cost?
Do you pay for this service or does someone else?
If you can honestly say your ISP provides a high speed, high bandwidth network connection with totally unrestricted download capability for a low cost that you actually pay for then you are extremely lucky because most of world does not have this and will not even come close to this ideal (this is subjective) for many years to come.
What I find really weird is that on Windows, the default paper size is always "letter", when most people use A4.
In the United States, just about everyone uses "US Letter" (8.5 in. × 11 in., or 216 × 279 mm), and not "A4" (210 × 297 mm), which means that oftentimes on Linux, you have to remember to switch from A4 to Letter. In other words, there isn't really a sensible default for everyone.
Simple solution. If you live in a country that uses the metric system (most of the world) then use "A4". If you live in a country that still uses the Imperial System (the USA and a few other countries that are slowly converting to metric) then stick to "Letter".
why pay X amount of dollars for microsoft-windows when you can get Linux for FREE!
In many ways I do agree with you, however in the majority of cases when people buy a pre made PC the OS that is installed is at the moment Windows Vista (usually Home something). If they want Windows XP they sometimes have to pay to get it installed. If that user wants Linux and installs a distribution they have still paid the "Microsoft Tax" although you can get a reimbursement but for those few that go down this path the money you get back is fairly minimal.
Unfortunately most people don't know about Linux although this does depend which country they live in and even those who do (note I am speaking about non technical people) would not be willing to upgrade to a Linux distribution because they perceive that "Windows" is "good enough". It does not matter if if you point out all the free and even the none free applications that are available for Linux because many people don't have a problem with software piracy and feel entitled to free propriety software which is strange since these same people would find it incomprehensible to steal a newspaper.
Actually I don't think Microsoft gets why people pay more money for a Mac. If you look at any Mac the quality that goes into the hardware and it's presentation is much better than that of a similarly priced PC. This is not to say the performance of the Mac is better it is just that many people who buy Mac's do like the quality and they do like the simple windowing interface. Basically IMHO Mac's are great application machines while PC's are more general purpose so the choice is depends on the buyer preferences.
If the top end of Mac's were gold and diamond encrusted and cost hundreds of thousands of US dollars there will still be people who will still buy them. Why not it is their money. The impression I get from Microsoft is they appear to be like a spoiled rich kid who really can't come to terms with the fact that some people may prefer something different to what they offer even if the product they are buying is more expensive.
March Madness is here and NCAA.com is streaming all of the games over the internet for free. The downside is they are using Microsoft technologies to do so
Has anyone asked if the games play on under MS Windows or as they are known "Games for Windows"? If this is the case then for the Linux user assuming you could download the game you would have to use a MS Windows emulator such as Wine. I think the average Linux user should ask if they are really that interested in playing these games since it is not native to Linux but even if you could download it you have to ask the question do I like sport games? Some people do some people don't.
Basically like it or not Microsoft really commands the game market on PC's although it never ceases to amaze me that there are many millions of Linux users in the world and most likely as many as some of the consoles on the market today and yet these consoles have hundreds of games available for them. To me it seems that most PC games developers don't seem to care for the millions of Linux users which does actually translate to lost sales. If a company was brave enough to make native games for Linux they could also make a good deal of money as well. Of course they could loose as well but that is the chance you take and this equally applies to MS Windows and console games as well. If consoles are anything to go by then one to five million game sales (depends on the game) can actually make a profit and there are enough Linux users in the world to support this.
At the moment there does not appear to be many innovative game developers, most are quite happy to bring out instalments 2, 3, 4, 5 etc of a so called franchise. You know who I am talking about. I know this type of approach makes money and in some respects I can't blame the developer since they are in the business of making money so in many respects it is the buyers fault for being happy with this. Some franchises can be well worth waiting for but many are really just an add on and an incremental add on at that still it appears many people like this.
Finishing my console rant, my attitude to Linux gaming is if a game company can't make a native Linux game then they have just lost a possible customer. The loss of one customer is nothing and why should any company care, but millions? IMHO these companies are either drinking the Microsoft cool-aid or they are being subtlety threatened. Quickly puts back on anti Microsoft tinfoil hat:)
My guess is that Fenner Investments isn't even looking to win the suit. They probably just want Nintendo and MS to pony up some settlement money.
That is why they are called "Patent Trolls". If more companies stood up to them these Trolls would just fade away, however most companies don't have the money to get patents invalidated so they pay up what is to all intensive purposes extortion money which unfortunately strengthens the patent in the eyes of the law (called precedent).
Patent Trolls usually start off attacking a company that is small and since the company can't afford any long drawn out litigation it pays what to them is affordable amount of money to make the Troll go away. This is great from the Troll's perspective so they go after more higher profile companies with a now much stronger patent always being careful not to attack those who can fight until they have strengthened their patent before the law.
Nasty but that's how the law can be made to work for the Troll. Fortunately this case was given the boot but I would not be surprised if the Troll bounced back with a slightly stronger patent and the fun continues again. In the long term it is the consumer who pays for this ridicules pantomime.
There is genuine patent litigation, however it only takes a few Troll's to bring the whole patent system into disrepute. Of course it does not help when you have countries that recognise software patents which IMHO are really patenting mathematical constructs and some simple electronic circuits that any second year University student would find obvious but that is an argument for another day.
The choice of a sound system depends on many factors and one of the most important factor is how it sounds to your ears. It is rather pointless getting an expensive sound system if your hearing is limited yet many people do just this.
I have a very nice 7.1 sound system which cost me close to AU$2000.00 (equivalent to US$0.9 to A$1 at the time) and I will admit that when I play a Blu-ray movie the sound is impressive for everyone who is listening. Unfortunately when I listen to my son's Logitech Z5500 sound system (AU$300) playing the same movie via his PC Blu-ray player/burner (under US$160.00) my sound system is wanting in comparison. I think the reason is his sound system has THX and a slightly better woofer than mine. Basically my son paid much less than me but then again he did not go for a really cheap sound system, he did his homework before purchasing. Still his system does not have the overall functionality of my system.
I also have Sennheiser wireless headphones which are excellent sounding compared to cheap headphones which I find very nice for watching TV and playing games without disturbing everyone else. One of the features of my headphones is they wrap around my ears (ie. ear muffs) which are very comfortable for me (a little hot in summer though) yet others would find them uncomfortable. On a personal note I cannot stand earphones which press against my ears yet others love that style, as for ear buds I can wear the thin ones but have to be very careful of the volume. Again this is what I like and while some may agree with me others wouldn't.
The choice of a sound systems is personal which can be a big issue within a family and between friends, especially if the one who is making the purchase has poorer hearing. To cater for everyone in a family a reasonable sound system is well worth the money but you need everyone to listen and agree to it first. Paying for an expensive sound system may be justified for an Audiophile but most people don't need to. Of course cheap is just that "cheap", you get what you pay for.
redhat too, they just signed a deal with MS for virtualization.
Talk about not reading the article. One of the articles is here . For those who don't want to read the article, the deal was for Microsoft to certify Redhat Linux under Microsoft's visualisation software and for Redhat to certify some of Microsoft's OS's under Redhat's Linux visualisation software. This is nothing like the deal that Microsoft and Novel entered into and Redhat is not selling out.
Most Linux distributions have a package manager and installing is so easy. You even have the option of using a full GUI or for MS Windows people the "command line". After all we can't let MS Windows people know that there is an installer GUI for Linux they might get upset:)
Aisleriot is 100% better than MS Solitaire when it doesn't crash X!
It could be a GFX driver issue, I haven't bothered to troubleshoot it yet.
If this is the case you have a problem, I never have had X11 crash on me although on rare occasions I have had some applications freeze. Xkill is great for this.
If you installed your Linux distribution then you may have installed over fifty games, especially if you install KDE 4.2. I know these games are not like the latest "games for Windows" but there are much more interesting games than what MS Windows gives you with it's basic install.
If you like retro games you can easily install native Linux emulators like Mame, NES, SNES and Sega Master System and Megadrive/Genius and most of the ROMS play just as well as the original game machines with the added advantage of being able to have your choice of controller. Of course you can also do the same with MS Windows.
If you want you can install Wine on most Linux distributions and play many slightly older "games for windows" although you may have to do some tweaking.
In the case of the French police I am quite sure there would be little if any games installed and the root password would be on a need to know basis. This still won't stop a normal user installing a game it just means the game is installed in the users home directory which is much more secure then allowing root or sudo to install non approved software in a system file-system.
The problem is, though, that drawing 20A/110V will heat up your wiring twice as much as drawing 10A/220V (assuming the same resistance), thus wasting twice as much to transmission losses. Also, the voltage fluctuations you'll see due to changing power demands are twice as large. So higher voltage == better.
Err No! Power dissipation in transmission cable is basically dependent on the impedance of the cable which is a function of mains frequency, capacitance to ground, resistance and inductance of the cable. Over long distances power lines at 60 Hz will be more lossy compared to 50 Hz however sometimes you want to have the cable warmer than the surrounding air especially if you want to prevent ice build up which in the colder part of the USA and Canada can actually save considerable amounts of money in overall maintenance. The problem you have is once you have decided on a mains frequency your whole county is stuck with it.
There are advantages and disadvantages when comparing 50 Hz to 60 Hz it just depends on what you are doing with it. As for power line voltages most transmission voltages are fairly standard world wide due to practicality. A course in power transmission lines can answer many questions but don't expect it to be easy.
You Americans and your crazy low voltage power lines! Here in Australia, most wall outlets are rated (I believe) at 10 amps maximum, which equates to roughly 2kW. By a strange coincidence most kettles, vacuum cleaners etc. are roughly 2kW in power (and are sold by power output, not just amperage).
It depends on the house. My house has a 20 A 240 V rating with a 10 A 240 V rating for the lights. Newer houses (well those from the 1970's on) can have two or more wall outlet isolation at the fuse box so if one set of wall outlets trip their fuse the wall outlets on the other fuse continue to work. Too bad if your TV and stereo are on the set of outlets that have tripped their fuse.
Actually many houses have separate power lines for heavier current drawing devices such as ovens, air conditioners and even bathroom heating lamps it really depends on what the electrician who wired the house was asked to do.
The highest rating power for most single phase devices or standard mains household appliances in Australia is 2400 Watts. This is so earlier built houses aren't exceeding the basic standard of 240 V 10 A.
Actually if you live in an older house that has rubber sheathed electrical cable get the cable replaced because over time this type of cable can go brittle or in some cases turns to liquid rubber. Note this is not just Australia this is world wide so people should be aware of this.
But not everyone WANTS to learn how to use apt. Most people want to turn it on, click an icon, and have something install. Not have to add a repository, update the package listings, install it, etc.
All modern Linux distros have GUI installers/updaters all you have to do is click on the icon and the updates happen automatically. You do have to think about what you want to install though. You can if you want have updates automatically installed if you wish so you don't have to think about it. The only difference between a Linux GUI updater and a Microsoft only updater is the icon and that the Linux updater will update and even install more products than Microsoft's offering.
The biggest hurdle for a user moving from a Microsoft environment to Linux is getting over the fact that Linux is not like Microsoft Windows, unfortunately when I hear "Oh it's not like Microsoft" my immediate reply is "Why do you want it to be like MS Windows?" or if I am feeling sarcastic "Which version of MS Windows isn't it like?" and rattle off the names of all the Microsoft Windows versions. If the user keeps harping on about Microsoft then I suggest they don't have the skills to handle Linux and should stick with a Microsoft solution then walk away.
Writing for a clueless user and telling them how to do that only works for non-lazy clueless users. Which are somewhat rare. Most clueless people are clueless from laziness.
I could not agree more. Actually you really have to keep the "clueless person" away from the command line otherwise they may be a candidate for a Darwin award after their brain explodes;-)
One of the reasons for getting Foxtel (Australia) was to avoid adverts. Now we get almost the same number of adverts that the free to air channels get. I have found that the best way of watching a show is to record it and then skip through the adverts when you watch the program via your recorder. My HDD recorder can do time shift however you still have to delay watching the program you are interested in by 5 to 10 minutes to be sure you can skip the adverts. Of course this doesn't help if the program you want to watch next is on a different channel. I am aware (we get enough adverts) that I can get a dual channel HD add-on to Foxtel but you have to draw the line somewhere.
Personally I am thinking of getting rid of Foxtel and just going back to Free to Air TV which is now starting to offer Digital and HD. If I did get a nice dual channel HD HDD DVD recorder (There is some confusion on this in Australia so I am holding off) and a good Digital TV antenna I would be saving money after 10 months. There are some programs I would miss (not that many though) but I can live with that. Now if only I can convince my wife.
Slashdot Mirror
I successfully upgraded a server from RH 4.2 to 5.1 long ago, and while it did have a few buglets, for the most part it worked.
I personally find that if you are changing from one major release to another major release you are normally better off doing a fresh install and recovery of data. For minor releases upgrades or updates are fine. Of course if you are doing this for a customer you sometimes don't have this luxury and if something goes wrong the customer is not very happy. I have seen major upgrades fail with enormous amount of time wasted escalating to customer support and them coming back to you with the recommendation that a fresh install and recovery is the best way forward. A definite case of "I told you so".
When I mentioned recovery of data, this could be tape/disk backup and recovery (could be many hours) or just a local volume manager recovery (minutes). BTW I am not just talking about Linux distributions I am talking about Unix distributions as well. Homework is essential before doing anything especially when you are doing an upgrade for a customer.
Actually one of the packages that does get a mention in the article and no one here has commented on is "Presto" which utilises delta rpm's instead of whole packages to update the distribution. To the novice this does not mean all that much but if you have limited download capability (most of the world) then "Presto" is a huge improvement since what could be a 100MB or even 500MB package update, with delta rpm's the all over download could be anything from 50% (normally worst case) to 1% of the total package size. When I first put "Presto" on Fedora 10 with a "yum install presto" command it did not work since there wasn't any delta rpm's for Fedora 10. Now there is and it is impressive how much I save in downloading.
It must be noted that utilising delta rpm's is not really new since SuSE, Debian (delta packages) and even Redhat have been using them for a while now, however in the case of Fedora you always had to download the package and even then if you did not have an older version of Fedora the delta rpm repositories did not exist. This time with Fedora 11 "Presto" is installed by default.
I haven't had the nerve to try 10, though I've heard good things about it. Once bitten, twice shy, and all that.
Like any Linux/Unix upgrade, rebuild you always need to backup your original OS and data although you should be doing this already. Once you have a recoverable backup you have the option of doing an upgrade or a fresh install and possible data recovery. Personally I prefer a fresh install and recover my data but that's me. When I move to Fedora 11 (normally within a month of release) it takes me approx 5 hours, four of which is backup and recovery and most of the time I don't have much to do.
The above is a methodology I normally apply when I consult with customers. My attitude is once you decide you are going to upgrade or rebuild (preferred) there is no going back, although to keep the customer happy I can always recover if appropriate and still charge accordingly. Of course you have to do your homework first such as determining if the applications the customer has will work with the upgrade. If the applications don't work the vendor should advise on this and the proposed OS upgrade postponed until the vendor provides an application that will work.
One of the reasons why I like a fresh install over an upgrade is the fact that you are starting fresh and are not carrying over possible issues. This does take longer but IMHO it is worth it.
It was my impression that Fedora was primarily used by people seeking a "stable and low maintenance" RPM-based distro that they don't have to pay for.
What! you have to be kidding. Fedora is normally on the cutting edge of a Linux distributions, however most new features are reasonably tested before a Fedora distribution is mainstream released. Yes there will be some packages that could be unstable but many just work. I always recommend Fedora to those people who are willing to put up with some strangeness and also willing to learn. If you only want a Linux distribution that is stable then Fedora is not for you.
Linux has driver issues!!
The main criticism on Linux is "It's not like Windows". Well that takes care of 99% of all critics so there is very little need for further criticism :)
;)
Of course the counter to "It's not like Windows" is "What version of Windows?" and then go on to name them. Another good one is "and that is bad, why?". Watching the blank look on the critics face, priceless
Come on it's April the second already :)
Chicken Shoot for the Wii
Well if this site and this other site are any indication of how good this game is I think hammering nails in your head is a more fun experience. Still to be fair every person has their own idea of what is a fun game and what is not and from my perspective this game reminds me of the old NES game "Duck Hunt" which was IMHO great for about an hour or so before letting it gather dust until the next party, although after a while it gets too embarrassing to bring out :)
I wish TomTom had fought this; the FAT patents are utter nonsense. But patent fights are notoriously expensive, so I understand why TomTom did this instead. In the long term, I hope that software patents get eliminated, but that will have to wait for another day.
Could not agree more, however the only way to get arround this would be to use a file-system like ext2 or ext3 which is very easy to do from a Linux machine onto an SD, MS, XD, MMC or any USB storage device. The problem here is not using ext2 or ext3 it is the ability of the Microsoft OS to actually read the device since Microsoft won't support this file-system preferring to dictate what file-systems they support with their OS. Coupled with this is the fact that many devices (eg. cameras) that take cards or even USB storage devices also cannot read ext2/3 file-systems.
To get a file-system like say ext2/3 supported would require a courageous effort on the part of manufacturers to demand this type of support and I personally don't think that will happen any time soon.
What is bizarre is the fact that it is very easy to create a FAT32 file-system on just about any Linux platform yet you actually have to download software to a MS Windows (Win2000 on) machine to do this. This reinforces my impression that Microsoft expects everyone to do as they dictate and they don't even care about FAT32 except as a means of using it as a bargaining chip.
From my personal experience I have always preferred KDE over Gnome but with my own laptop I have always allowed a choice for my wife and kids. For many years KDE was preferred although my youngest son liked Gnome.
When I installed Fedora 10 it came with KDE 4.0 and that was a shock. For my wife the change was too radical and I quickly switched her to Gnome. I knew KDE would improve over time however what forced me to change to Gnome was the fact that switching users was impossible at the time. For a while Gnome worked quite well but I wasn't that happy with it since it always felt "old school" but usuable, however KDE at the time was painful to use.
When KDE 4.2 came out to it was much more stable and had the features I was happy with so I quickly switched back and have been happy with it since. To me the new KDE 4,2 while different to KDE 3.5 is IMHO much more interesting and fun to work with than Gnome, however my wife is yet to make the switch back since she is much more conservative. My youngest son is still quite happy with Gnome.
From the article the following quote is very relevent.
You can see the differences in the current states of the two desktops from the reviews. Reviews about KDE are not always positive, but they are about large issues and shifts in the desktop paradigm. Reading them, you cannot help but come away with the impression that KDE developers are headed in a definite direction, even if you disagree with some or all of the details.
At least we have the choice.
How does cloud computing solve the CPU-GPU bandwidth issues of modern games? Gamers still want to see the game, and at ultra high rez & IQ.
You mean like the Nintendo Wii?
I think he means High Definition 1280x720 (720p) and 1920x1080 (1080p) that the PS3 and Xbox360 are capable of not the Standard definition of 720x480 (NTSC) or 720x576 (PAL) the Wii is only capable of :)
So really I don't see lag as a real objection to this. I don't see bandwidth as a huge problem going forward either... lots of people already have fiber going to their house these days.
For those people who have ADSL, fibre or even cable can you answer the following:
If you can honestly say your ISP provides a high speed, high bandwidth network connection with totally unrestricted download capability for a low cost that you actually pay for then you are extremely lucky because most of world does not have this and will not even come close to this ideal (this is subjective) for many years to come.
What I find really weird is that on Windows, the default paper size is always "letter", when most people use A4.
In the United States, just about everyone uses "US Letter" (8.5 in. × 11 in., or 216 × 279 mm), and not "A4" (210 × 297 mm), which means that oftentimes on Linux, you have to remember to switch from A4 to Letter. In other words, there isn't really a sensible default for everyone.
Simple solution. If you live in a country that uses the metric system (most of the world) then use "A4". If you live in a country that still uses the Imperial System (the USA and a few other countries that are slowly converting to metric) then stick to "Letter".
why pay X amount of dollars for microsoft-windows when you can get Linux for FREE!
In many ways I do agree with you, however in the majority of cases when people buy a pre made PC the OS that is installed is at the moment Windows Vista (usually Home something). If they want Windows XP they sometimes have to pay to get it installed. If that user wants Linux and installs a distribution they have still paid the "Microsoft Tax" although you can get a reimbursement but for those few that go down this path the money you get back is fairly minimal.
Unfortunately most people don't know about Linux although this does depend which country they live in and even those who do (note I am speaking about non technical people) would not be willing to upgrade to a Linux distribution because they perceive that "Windows" is "good enough". It does not matter if if you point out all the free and even the none free applications that are available for Linux because many people don't have a problem with software piracy and feel entitled to free propriety software which is strange since these same people would find it incomprehensible to steal a newspaper.
Actually I don't think Microsoft gets why people pay more money for a Mac. If you look at any Mac the quality that goes into the hardware and it's presentation is much better than that of a similarly priced PC. This is not to say the performance of the Mac is better it is just that many people who buy Mac's do like the quality and they do like the simple windowing interface. Basically IMHO Mac's are great application machines while PC's are more general purpose so the choice is depends on the buyer preferences.
If the top end of Mac's were gold and diamond encrusted and cost hundreds of thousands of US dollars there will still be people who will still buy them. Why not it is their money. The impression I get from Microsoft is they appear to be like a spoiled rich kid who really can't come to terms with the fact that some people may prefer something different to what they offer even if the product they are buying is more expensive.
March Madness is here and NCAA.com is streaming all of the games over the internet for free. The downside is they are using Microsoft technologies to do so
Has anyone asked if the games play on under MS Windows or as they are known "Games for Windows"? If this is the case then for the Linux user assuming you could download the game you would have to use a MS Windows emulator such as Wine. I think the average Linux user should ask if they are really that interested in playing these games since it is not native to Linux but even if you could download it you have to ask the question do I like sport games? Some people do some people don't.
:)
Basically like it or not Microsoft really commands the game market on PC's although it never ceases to amaze me that there are many millions of Linux users in the world and most likely as many as some of the consoles on the market today and yet these consoles have hundreds of games available for them. To me it seems that most PC games developers don't seem to care for the millions of Linux users which does actually translate to lost sales. If a company was brave enough to make native games for Linux they could also make a good deal of money as well. Of course they could loose as well but that is the chance you take and this equally applies to MS Windows and console games as well. If consoles are anything to go by then one to five million game sales (depends on the game) can actually make a profit and there are enough Linux users in the world to support this.
At the moment there does not appear to be many innovative game developers, most are quite happy to bring out instalments 2, 3, 4, 5 etc of a so called franchise. You know who I am talking about. I know this type of approach makes money and in some respects I can't blame the developer since they are in the business of making money so in many respects it is the buyers fault for being happy with this. Some franchises can be well worth waiting for but many are really just an add on and an incremental add on at that still it appears many people like this.
Finishing my console rant, my attitude to Linux gaming is if a game company can't make a native Linux game then they have just lost a possible customer. The loss of one customer is nothing and why should any company care, but millions? IMHO these companies are either drinking the Microsoft cool-aid or they are being subtlety threatened. Quickly puts back on anti Microsoft tinfoil hat
My guess is that Fenner Investments isn't even looking to win the suit. They probably just want Nintendo and MS to pony up some settlement money.
That is why they are called "Patent Trolls". If more companies stood up to them these Trolls would just fade away, however most companies don't have the money to get patents invalidated so they pay up what is to all intensive purposes extortion money which unfortunately strengthens the patent in the eyes of the law (called precedent).
Patent Trolls usually start off attacking a company that is small and since the company can't afford any long drawn out litigation it pays what to them is affordable amount of money to make the Troll go away. This is great from the Troll's perspective so they go after more higher profile companies with a now much stronger patent always being careful not to attack those who can fight until they have strengthened their patent before the law.
Nasty but that's how the law can be made to work for the Troll. Fortunately this case was given the boot but I would not be surprised if the Troll bounced back with a slightly stronger patent and the fun continues again. In the long term it is the consumer who pays for this ridicules pantomime.
There is genuine patent litigation, however it only takes a few Troll's to bring the whole patent system into disrepute. Of course it does not help when you have countries that recognise software patents which IMHO are really patenting mathematical constructs and some simple electronic circuits that any second year University student would find obvious but that is an argument for another day.
The choice of a sound system depends on many factors and one of the most important factor is how it sounds to your ears. It is rather pointless getting an expensive sound system if your hearing is limited yet many people do just this.
I have a very nice 7.1 sound system which cost me close to AU$2000.00 (equivalent to US$0.9 to A$1 at the time) and I will admit that when I play a Blu-ray movie the sound is impressive for everyone who is listening. Unfortunately when I listen to my son's Logitech Z5500 sound system (AU$300) playing the same movie via his PC Blu-ray player/burner (under US$160.00) my sound system is wanting in comparison. I think the reason is his sound system has THX and a slightly better woofer than mine. Basically my son paid much less than me but then again he did not go for a really cheap sound system, he did his homework before purchasing. Still his system does not have the overall functionality of my system.
I also have Sennheiser wireless headphones which are excellent sounding compared to cheap headphones which I find very nice for watching TV and playing games without disturbing everyone else. One of the features of my headphones is they wrap around my ears (ie. ear muffs) which are very comfortable for me (a little hot in summer though) yet others would find them uncomfortable. On a personal note I cannot stand earphones which press against my ears yet others love that style, as for ear buds I can wear the thin ones but have to be very careful of the volume. Again this is what I like and while some may agree with me others wouldn't.
The choice of a sound systems is personal which can be a big issue within a family and between friends, especially if the one who is making the purchase has poorer hearing. To cater for everyone in a family a reasonable sound system is well worth the money but you need everyone to listen and agree to it first. Paying for an expensive sound system may be justified for an Audiophile but most people don't need to. Of course cheap is just that "cheap", you get what you pay for.
redhat too, they just signed a deal with MS for virtualization.
Talk about not reading the article. One of the articles is here . For those who don't want to read the article, the deal was for Microsoft to certify Redhat Linux under Microsoft's visualisation software and for Redhat to certify some of Microsoft's OS's under Redhat's Linux visualisation software. This is nothing like the deal that Microsoft and Novel entered into and Redhat is not selling out.
Who buys Linux in an economy like this?
Who buys Linux period!
Ok you can buy the media and support, but Linux distributions are free.
Most Linux distributions have a package manager and installing is so easy. You even have the option of using a full GUI or for MS Windows people the "command line". After all we can't let MS Windows people know that there is an installer GUI for Linux they might get upset :)
Aisleriot is 100% better than MS Solitaire when it doesn't crash X! It could be a GFX driver issue, I haven't bothered to troubleshoot it yet.
If this is the case you have a problem, I never have had X11 crash on me although on rare occasions I have had some applications freeze. Xkill is great for this.
If you installed your Linux distribution then you may have installed over fifty games, especially if you install KDE 4.2. I know these games are not like the latest "games for Windows" but there are much more interesting games than what MS Windows gives you with it's basic install.
If you like retro games you can easily install native Linux emulators like Mame, NES, SNES and Sega Master System and Megadrive/Genius and most of the ROMS play just as well as the original game machines with the added advantage of being able to have your choice of controller. Of course you can also do the same with MS Windows.
If you want you can install Wine on most Linux distributions and play many slightly older "games for windows" although you may have to do some tweaking.
In the case of the French police I am quite sure there would be little if any games installed and the root password would be on a need to know basis. This still won't stop a normal user installing a game it just means the game is installed in the users home directory which is much more secure then allowing root or sudo to install non approved software in a system file-system.
The problem is, though, that drawing 20A/110V will heat up your wiring twice as much as drawing 10A/220V (assuming the same resistance), thus wasting twice as much to transmission losses. Also, the voltage fluctuations you'll see due to changing power demands are twice as large. So higher voltage == better.
Err No! Power dissipation in transmission cable is basically dependent on the impedance of the cable which is a function of mains frequency, capacitance to ground, resistance and inductance of the cable. Over long distances power lines at 60 Hz will be more lossy compared to 50 Hz however sometimes you want to have the cable warmer than the surrounding air especially if you want to prevent ice build up which in the colder part of the USA and Canada can actually save considerable amounts of money in overall maintenance. The problem you have is once you have decided on a mains frequency your whole county is stuck with it.
There are advantages and disadvantages when comparing 50 Hz to 60 Hz it just depends on what you are doing with it. As for power line voltages most transmission voltages are fairly standard world wide due to practicality. A course in power transmission lines can answer many questions but don't expect it to be easy.
You Americans and your crazy low voltage power lines! Here in Australia, most wall outlets are rated (I believe) at 10 amps maximum, which equates to roughly 2kW. By a strange coincidence most kettles, vacuum cleaners etc. are roughly 2kW in power (and are sold by power output, not just amperage).
It depends on the house. My house has a 20 A 240 V rating with a 10 A 240 V rating for the lights. Newer houses (well those from the 1970's on) can have two or more wall outlet isolation at the fuse box so if one set of wall outlets trip their fuse the wall outlets on the other fuse continue to work. Too bad if your TV and stereo are on the set of outlets that have tripped their fuse.
Actually many houses have separate power lines for heavier current drawing devices such as ovens, air conditioners and even bathroom heating lamps it really depends on what the electrician who wired the house was asked to do.
The highest rating power for most single phase devices or standard mains household appliances in Australia is 2400 Watts. This is so earlier built houses aren't exceeding the basic standard of 240 V 10 A.
Actually if you live in an older house that has rubber sheathed electrical cable get the cable replaced because over time this type of cable can go brittle or in some cases turns to liquid rubber. Note this is not just Australia this is world wide so people should be aware of this.
But not everyone WANTS to learn how to use apt. Most people want to turn it on, click an icon, and have something install. Not have to add a repository, update the package listings, install it, etc.
All modern Linux distros have GUI installers/updaters all you have to do is click on the icon and the updates happen automatically. You do have to think about what you want to install though. You can if you want have updates automatically installed if you wish so you don't have to think about it. The only difference between a Linux GUI updater and a Microsoft only updater is the icon and that the Linux updater will update and even install more products than Microsoft's offering.
The biggest hurdle for a user moving from a Microsoft environment to Linux is getting over the fact that Linux is not like Microsoft Windows, unfortunately when I hear "Oh it's not like Microsoft" my immediate reply is "Why do you want it to be like MS Windows?" or if I am feeling sarcastic "Which version of MS Windows isn't it like?" and rattle off the names of all the Microsoft Windows versions. If the user keeps harping on about Microsoft then I suggest they don't have the skills to handle Linux and should stick with a Microsoft solution then walk away.
Writing for a clueless user and telling them how to do that only works for non-lazy clueless users. Which are somewhat rare. Most clueless people are clueless from laziness.
I could not agree more. Actually you really have to keep the "clueless person" away from the command line otherwise they may be a candidate for a Darwin award after their brain explodes ;-)
One of the reasons for getting Foxtel (Australia) was to avoid adverts. Now we get almost the same number of adverts that the free to air channels get. I have found that the best way of watching a show is to record it and then skip through the adverts when you watch the program via your recorder. My HDD recorder can do time shift however you still have to delay watching the program you are interested in by 5 to 10 minutes to be sure you can skip the adverts. Of course this doesn't help if the program you want to watch next is on a different channel. I am aware (we get enough adverts) that I can get a dual channel HD add-on to Foxtel but you have to draw the line somewhere.
Personally I am thinking of getting rid of Foxtel and just going back to Free to Air TV which is now starting to offer Digital and HD. If I did get a nice dual channel HD HDD DVD recorder (There is some confusion on this in Australia so I am holding off) and a good Digital TV antenna I would be saving money after 10 months. There are some programs I would miss (not that many though) but I can live with that. Now if only I can convince my wife.