Of course a seven-year-old on a locked down computer wont be able to do any harm. Kids that age aren't into the sites (porn, illegal downloads, etc.) that are notorious for viruses and spyware. Not to mention that the kid's using a machine secured by parental controls and is most likely on a limited account. Wake me up when the average teenager can safely use Windows with an administrator account and no extra security software installed.
This will still involve port forwarding, and probably wont be forcing itself on a user, so it will be nearly invisible and impossible to configure for the average user. Enough said...
What lack of compatability are you talking about? Last time I checked, all my hardware worked flawlessly in Kubuntu, and all the software meets my needs. OpenOffice can handle Microsoft Office documents when I come across one, Gaim takes care of all my instant messaging needs, and so on. I can do everything I did with Windows in a Linux system, and even more (awesome stuff like SSH, greater customization, etc.). I don't see why Flash should be a barrier preventing me from doing what I want in Linux. There's absolutely no reason to use it in an online store. Games and videos are fine being in Flash (I've had no trouble with Google Video and Youtube for example, and if I did it wouldn't be a big deal.), but I shouldn't be shut out of a store just because they decided to use some non-standard product in designing and delivering it, especially when a plain text alternative would work just as well.
What about us poor Linux users? Adobe's finally picking up the slack, but it was a while we were stuck with Flash 7 (an we still are unless you're up to testing Flash 9 Beta). I can't imagine what it's like using an even less common operating system, like BSD. Not to mention that there's no good reason to use Flash when plain text will work in almost all cases...
I think he may have been referring to just Catholics, not all Christians. I'm not really sure of all the numbers though, and I don't feel like looking them up.
Just install Firefox, OpenOffice, Gaim, and similar open-source and cross-platform software for them. That way, when Firefox renders a web page "incorrectly," when OpenOffice borks the formatting in a Word document, or when Gaim doesn't let them make the hideous profile they want to have, they have other programs like Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office, and AIM to fall back on, and they'll still be able to install new software and hardware with ease. Pretty soon, they might realize that the programs you gave them can do everything that they need. Then, and only then, are they ready to switch from Windows to Linux. Even if they don't make it that far, at least you've gotten them to understand that there are alternatives to the crap that Microsoft tries to shove down their throats.
Naturally, the teen audience this is intended to reach is not going to go near the game except as a joke.
All of you might not realize it, but more teens will see this then you think. Of course, they won't be doing it for fun, but it will probably at least make them think twice when they're talking online to someone that they don't know.
Do you see any browsers other than Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, and Safari becoming much more popular? If so, what advantages do they have that would cause that? If not, what disadvantages do they have holding them back? (I'm looking for some specific examples here.)
As a KDE user, I've come to love Konqueror, mainly because of its great KDE integration. That being said, are there any plans for Firefox to become more integrated with operating systems and/or desktop environments? If so, what operating systems and/or desktop environments are they, and how would Firefox be integrated?
You wouldn't even need to write a program to do all that. You could use a simple VNC server in combination with a keylogger and be able to keep track of EVERYTHING going on on the computer. I'm sure somebody might suggest using some kind of key-based verification to avoid this, but that doesn't stop somebody from lifting the key off you thumb drive, CD, floppy disk, external hard drive, or whatever other external storage device you use you have. simply put, don't do ANYTHING on a computer other than your own without expecting to be spied on.
You can't even compare this to an entry-level PC! It's worthless and hardly a wonder tht it's free.
Just look at the specs:
Intel 852 GM
6 USB 2.0 Ports
512 MB RAM
512 MB Flash Memory
That Intel card is a decent graphics card, good enough for web browsing, and 6 USB ports are great. 512 MB of RAM is pretty good, but only 512 MB of storage space (with the flash memory)? I'm assuming this won't have a hard drive, considering that it's free and there's no mention of one. You can't even install Ubuntu (or similar) on this! All you'll get is a stripped down KDE or GNOME environment with Firefox/Konqueror and Kopete/Gaim (I'm assuming so much at least). You couldn't even have space for documents. Sure, there are USB ports, but flash drives aren't good enough for bulk storage, and external hard drives are just bulky. I know this is meant as a web browsing tool, and nothing more. Worse yet if that the second anyone has an issue with this, they'll most likely blame Linux. You would never see Windows on a PC like this, so people would just assume that Linux is just a step behind Windows. This is far from the free computer everyone has been expecting.
I also have an IBM R52 laptop and I run Ubuntu 5.04 and once in a great while everything just freezes and I have to do a hard reboot. Hopefully this problem will be fixed in newer version of Ubuntu.
I hope you realize that they're have been two new Ubuntu releases since 5.04, and that the next one is scheduled for next month.
Drivers, the software that lets XP communicate with hardware components, can still lock up the system.
I think that any true Slashdotter (if that's even a word) knows what drivers are and that they can cause OS crashes. Do we need to restate the obvious? Why not give a little more information on the article?
That's hardly true at all. Just look at this page (http://kde.org/support/) from kde.org. It lists many ways to contribute to KDE, including giving donations, contributing artwork, promoting KDE, finding and reporting bugs, documenting and translating programs, and more. That doesn't involve anything overly-technical for your average user; it mostly only takes some time and dedication.
It's a perfectly good analogy. Sure, you may be right that brakes are more important than an operating system, but that's the whole idea of an analogy. Here's a quick definition of analogy for you: an agreement or likeness between things in some circumstances or effects, when the things are otherwise entirely different.
Why do you say that? They can head over to WalMart and buy a new replacement copy of XP Home for only about $100.
That option doesn't sound so great when next-generation Windows Vista is just around the corner. Most people don't even realize that operating systems besides Windows even exist. So yes, they are pretty much locked in to Vista.
Slashdot Mirror
Whoosh...
1. Sue copyright infringers
2. Sue customers
3. Sue salesmen
4. ???
5. PROFIT!!
There were only 36 votes... pay at least some attention here...
Of course a seven-year-old on a locked down computer wont be able to do any harm. Kids that age aren't into the sites (porn, illegal downloads, etc.) that are notorious for viruses and spyware. Not to mention that the kid's using a machine secured by parental controls and is most likely on a limited account. Wake me up when the average teenager can safely use Windows with an administrator account and no extra security software installed.
This will still involve port forwarding, and probably wont be forcing itself on a user, so it will be nearly invisible and impossible to configure for the average user. Enough said...
What lack of compatability are you talking about? Last time I checked, all my hardware worked flawlessly in Kubuntu, and all the software meets my needs. OpenOffice can handle Microsoft Office documents when I come across one, Gaim takes care of all my instant messaging needs, and so on. I can do everything I did with Windows in a Linux system, and even more (awesome stuff like SSH, greater customization, etc.). I don't see why Flash should be a barrier preventing me from doing what I want in Linux. There's absolutely no reason to use it in an online store. Games and videos are fine being in Flash (I've had no trouble with Google Video and Youtube for example, and if I did it wouldn't be a big deal.), but I shouldn't be shut out of a store just because they decided to use some non-standard product in designing and delivering it, especially when a plain text alternative would work just as well.
Normal stores aren't accessible unless you can have transportation, but the ADA still applies to them. It's the same idea with online stores.
What about us poor Linux users? Adobe's finally picking up the slack, but it was a while we were stuck with Flash 7 (an we still are unless you're up to testing Flash 9 Beta). I can't imagine what it's like using an even less common operating system, like BSD. Not to mention that there's no good reason to use Flash when plain text will work in almost all cases...
I think he may have been referring to just Catholics, not all Christians. I'm not really sure of all the numbers though, and I don't feel like looking them up.
Just install Firefox, OpenOffice, Gaim, and similar open-source and cross-platform software for them. That way, when Firefox renders a web page "incorrectly," when OpenOffice borks the formatting in a Word document, or when Gaim doesn't let them make the hideous profile they want to have, they have other programs like Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office, and AIM to fall back on, and they'll still be able to install new software and hardware with ease. Pretty soon, they might realize that the programs you gave them can do everything that they need. Then, and only then, are they ready to switch from Windows to Linux. Even if they don't make it that far, at least you've gotten them to understand that there are alternatives to the crap that Microsoft tries to shove down their throats.
I think you're forgetting something here.
Do you see any browsers other than Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, and Safari becoming much more popular? If so, what advantages do they have that would cause that? If not, what disadvantages do they have holding them back? (I'm looking for some specific examples here.)
As a KDE user, I've come to love Konqueror, mainly because of its great KDE integration. That being said, are there any plans for Firefox to become more integrated with operating systems and/or desktop environments? If so, what operating systems and/or desktop environments are they, and how would Firefox be integrated?
You wouldn't even need to write a program to do all that. You could use a simple VNC server in combination with a keylogger and be able to keep track of EVERYTHING going on on the computer. I'm sure somebody might suggest using some kind of key-based verification to avoid this, but that doesn't stop somebody from lifting the key off you thumb drive, CD, floppy disk, external hard drive, or whatever other external storage device you use you have. simply put, don't do ANYTHING on a computer other than your own without expecting to be spied on.
In all honesty, don't you think that, somewhere along the line, some spammer has written a program that can make sense of e-mails written like that?
- Open Office version 2.0.3
- Firefox Web Browser Version 1.5
- Thunderbird Mail Version 1.5
Of course it also includes a trial of WinRAR, but it is progress.WMware Server is free (as in beer, not freedom). VMware Workstation is not. That's why.
- Intel 852 GM
- 6 USB 2.0 Ports
- 512 MB RAM
- 512 MB Flash Memory
That Intel card is a decent graphics card, good enough for web browsing, and 6 USB ports are great. 512 MB of RAM is pretty good, but only 512 MB of storage space (with the flash memory)? I'm assuming this won't have a hard drive, considering that it's free and there's no mention of one. You can't even install Ubuntu (or similar) on this! All you'll get is a stripped down KDE or GNOME environment with Firefox/Konqueror and Kopete/Gaim (I'm assuming so much at least). You couldn't even have space for documents. Sure, there are USB ports, but flash drives aren't good enough for bulk storage, and external hard drives are just bulky. I know this is meant as a web browsing tool, and nothing more. Worse yet if that the second anyone has an issue with this, they'll most likely blame Linux. You would never see Windows on a PC like this, so people would just assume that Linux is just a step behind Windows. This is far from the free computer everyone has been expecting.That's hardly true at all. Just look at this page (http://kde.org/support/) from kde.org. It lists many ways to contribute to KDE, including giving donations, contributing artwork, promoting KDE, finding and reporting bugs, documenting and translating programs, and more. That doesn't involve anything overly-technical for your average user; it mostly only takes some time and dedication.
It's a perfectly good analogy. Sure, you may be right that brakes are more important than an operating system, but that's the whole idea of an analogy. Here's a quick definition of analogy for you: an agreement or likeness between things in some circumstances or effects, when the things are otherwise entirely different.