The N900, IMO, demonstrates what a smartphone should be like. Sure, it's not perfect, but it had an open OS that was very easily extended. I got an Android tablet this year, and I was appalled at how limited it was - I couldn't even compile code on it. Suffice to say, it now runs Kubuntu.
For those discussing the increased cost, I'm currently on a $10/month plan which includes 300 MB of data (which is far more than I need). But then, I live in an actual first world country with decent competition in the telco sector (Aus).
(I'm also looking forward to the release of Kubuntu Mobile, which uses the N900 as a reference model. Since Maemo/Meego is now a dead end, I'm hoping it'll become of the mobile OS of choice for Linux users.)
FWIW the single biggest factor they found which correlated to failure was heat. If your drive runs hot then expect trouble.
Or if the drive it sits next to runs hot. One of my drives crashed because it was sitting between two other drives, and the combined heat was too much for it. Since then I've moved them around so there's more space between them and added a fan, but the system still overheats when doing backups.
Raid10 is in my future. When the drive prices return to "normal" that is.
That's going to be fun. Putting aside that most cases aren't big enough to hold that many drives, you can also run into heating issues. I have 5 drives in mine (not RAID though), and the system tends to overheat when I'm doing backups or anything else that's I/O intensive.
A four-year degree at an in-state school should not cost more than $15-20,000 including fees. If you went $60k into debt for school, consider that a $40-45k math lesson. Teach your kids that one at home so they don't have to pay for it again.
That's not just a math lesson, it's a demonstration of why your system needs an overhaul. I live in Australia, and all undergraduate degrees are subsidized by the government if you're a citizen or permanent resident. The most expensive degrees (e.g. law, med) are $12K / year, while others are as low as $8K. (I think engineering is about $10K, though I could be wrong). The student loans are also provided by the government, have no interest charged on them (though they are indexed to compensate for inflation), and repayments aren't required until your income crosses a threshold.
I have a very good friend who has dual citizenship for Australia and the US. She is extremely intelligent, has a GPA of 4.0 and she's doing her double degree in biomedical science and ECSE engineering here because it's far more economical. The plural of anecdote is not data, but that's a pretty obvious example of how you're missing out on STEM graduates.
Agreed - this is one of the reasons I went to KDE after Ubuntu went to Unity. The other being that it is currently more customizable than Gnome 3 and Unity, while still having a fair bit of eye candy.
Looking @ it it looks like it could do a good job giving any challenger to Android or iOS a run for their money, should anyone want a tablet platform w/ a differentiating but competitive interface. There is no way I'd have used such an interface for my desktop, but I can certainly see myself using it on a tablet.
There's also a version of Kubuntu targeted at mobile devices (i.e. phones) in the works. I imagine that's one of the things prompting the work on Plasma Active.
What mythical president is it that will slash emissions by 20% + whatever increase there has been between 2005 and whatever year the reductions will start?
The sacrificial lamb. Consider the situation in Australia - Gillard (the PM) is going to push through an emissions trading scheme. She is widely considered a terrible PM, and is likely only being kept around in order to do so. Once the next election comes around she'll get kicked out, but the mess of tax breaks which are intertwined with the ETS will make it very difficult to remove.
Not exactly so. CyanogenMod is what it says it is, a MOD aka Modding. CM7 use same Linux operating system what those OEM's offers unless they can compile Linux with correct drivers. And as Linux OS is GPLv2 OEM needs to release code for it so Community at least sees how they have modified it, even that they offer drivers only as binary blobs.
Switching from OEM Android to CM7 isn't same thing as installing a another operating system. That would be if someone would install Windows Phone 7.5 to replace Android or if someone could manage to swap Linux operating system to CE operating system in Android.
The fact is, people have got taste with Android that they can flash a custom Android to their phone. Removing all the OEM bundled applications and get Android to be slimmer and more bug free and then install wanted applications afterwards.
My point was that it takes a similar amount of effort and ability, and that the people who use CyanogenMod are the same ones who are likely to install a different OS. Admittedly, it's more analogous to switching from Ubuntu (Unity) to Ubuntu (Gnome 3).
And who dreams that at somepoint we could buy a empty phone and then install to it a wanted software system by sticking a MicroSD card in or choosing a version in store what comes such as preinstalled? That is a dream... Not even Microsoft want that to happen on PC side, so why it would want that happend on mobile devices?
I don't think anyone expects that to happen. But what I do see happening is that installing a new OS will be as easy as plugging it into your PC and flashing the new OS, similar to how installing a new desktop OS is as easy as booting from an installation disc.
It would demand that OEM's really understands that hardware system and software system ain't same thing and that if hardware gets broken, you need to fix it by warranty if software has nothing to do with it (like button brokes physically or MicroUSB plug gets broken).
This is legally required in many jurisdictions - warranties cannot be voided by modifications which are not related to the fault.
The main problem right now is that each kernel must be specific to the device, since each one is wired differently and there aren't any standards (in use) for enumerating the various chips available (e.g. bluetooth, GPU, etc.).
This is actually a huge problem for installing alternative OSs. Most of the drivers are closed source, and there is no incentive for the manufacturers to release or open them. It's actually the other way round. Manufacturers benefit more by keeping other OSs out, so for that to happen, there would have to be some sort of paradigm shift in the market.
Closed source drivers aren't too much of a problem on Android, since the binary blobs can be loaded in the same way, and are only an issue if they don't work as expected. Most of the problems seem to come from the fact that Android does things differently (e.g. no X server), which means that those drivers have to be rewritten to work with GNU Linux.
Exactly how do manufacturers (believe that they) benefit by keeping out other OSs? Not releasing the source of the drivers seems more related to a lack of incentives, since that requires additional effort on their part (e.g. figuring out the licensing issues), unlike locking a bootloader and changing the key every so often.
For those who weren't aware, the KDE project is also working on a version of Kubuntu for mobiles.
IMO, we're approaching the point where mobile devices will be like PCs - you can install whatever OS you want on them. Right now the closest thing is people replacing Android with CyanogenMod; even though Cyanogen is effectively an Android derivative, the popularity of doing so demonstrates that alternative mobile OSs can be relatively successful even if not included by OEMs. The main problem right now is that each kernel must be specific to the device, since each one is wired differently and there aren't any standards (in use) for enumerating the various chips available (e.g. bluetooth, GPU, etc.).
I predict that this will be resolved sometime within the next 15 years (probably the next 5-10), as ARM becomes increasingly popular on the desktop/server.
I have Kubuntu running on my Transformer, and if there's one thing I've learned, is this: the best device is the one you have a working kernel for. If it's an x86 tablet, you're in the clear. If it's ARM, then the vast majority of your problems will be related to getting various drivers/etc. implemented. Don't assume that the Android kernel can just be used as is - Android does a lot of stuff differently (e.g. no X server), which means getting the hardware to work with GNU Linux takes a fair bit of work. (Presumably Meego ARM tablets [do those even exist?] have kernels that can be used without any need for such changes.) So unless you have the ability and time to do this, make sure there's a reasonable amount of development going on for that device.
All that said, Ubuntu on the Transformer does work rather well once you have it installed and configured to your liking. Admittedly, it is rather obviously the result of a lot of reverse engineering (i.e. hardware support improves a bit once every few months), but it works rather well.
All very well, but I get the feeling that the things that most people would be "freed up to do" in those circumstances are likely to include starving and becoming homeless.
It *should* of course be used to create a basic income for everyone in order to allow us to pursue higher things, but I'll bet you it won't.
It will, just not in countries which think socialism is the same as communism.
It does. I have one of the original TF101s, and Ubuntu runs relatively well on it, though it's worth noting the kernel port is still in development. The Transformer (Prime) has a full keyboard, so if you're buying it as a laptop replacement, just dual boot Ubuntu. If you only have the tablet half, then you might want to go with Gnome 3. Android is rather limited, so I can guarantee you'll get frustrated with it the moment you want to do anything non-trivial.
Here's a quick summary of what's working so far:
repartitioning requires a closed source tool (an alternative is allegedly in the works)
wifi (requires closed source driver)
touchpad and touchscreen (no gestures yet)
battery meter
hardware acceleration is experimental
uboot (a bootloader capable of providing a menu) is experimental
Admittedly, it's a work in progress, but if you want an ARM tablet which runs GNU/Linux* then I'd say the TF is your best bet. It's also worth noting that all the ARM devices (or at least ones using the Tegra series chips) use different GPIOs for the peripherals, which means that the kernel is device specific. Consequently, if you're planning to run GNU/Linux on it you're going to want one with a strong developer following.
* I don't normally bother with the pedantry, but the distinction is very relevant here. Android is Linux; it uses a GPLed derivative of the kernel, which is why it didn't take long to get Ubuntu running on it (once the partitioning tool, nvflash, was available). Ubuntu is GNU/Linux; it has grep, sed, CUPS, OpenOffice, X, and everything else you want.
Whether it is society's (a majority's) opinion on what is reasonable, or a judge's, "reasonable" is still subjective. No matter what test they use, the definition will probably remain subjective.
It may be useful at times, but I think "it's ripe for abuse" depending on the situation.
Under that approach, it's impossible to have truly subjective test. I meant subjective only in comparison to the objective test. Besides, if you can't trust the judges in a common law system to apply the test in a just and equitable manner, then you have bigger problems than defamation law.
We already have one. The term 'reasonable person' is a term of art used in law to indicate that an objective test should be applied. It's ambiguous because it's usually used to deal with unanticipated situations. In practice, this means that you usually need a court to decide what is reasonable, if the parties can't agree on it.
The subjective equivalent is 'a reasonable person in the position of X', which considers the knowledge and idiosyncrasies of X but still requires them to have acted reasonably. That one is typically only used where the other party knew X personally.
What if the nature of the allegation was such that they were still at risk, or that it was personally embarrassing to them? e.g. victims of rape and domestic violence
Certainly, reasonableness is important and I doubt a reasonable person would consider an anonymous posting on a forum to be convincing, but to allow all anonymous allegations would be a system ripe for abuse.
Universities don't discover drugs. They discover mechanisms. Drug companies make drugs that work on those mechanisms. I suppose, if the Aussie taxpayers really did finance all of Gardasil, they ought to be intelligent enough to extract some pretty damned good fees for the US patent rights. If they can charge much more, but don't pay more, then what kind of chumps are running AU? Sure as hell not the CSIRO guys who went after Buffalo.
Probably the kind that care more about saving lives and recouping their costs than n figure profits.
The plan has been rejected by all the major Australian content organizations. They're still waiting for the iiNet v AFACT High Court judgment, since it will have a significant impact on the playing field.
Slashdot Mirror
The N900, IMO, demonstrates what a smartphone should be like. Sure, it's not perfect, but it had an open OS that was very easily extended. I got an Android tablet this year, and I was appalled at how limited it was - I couldn't even compile code on it. Suffice to say, it now runs Kubuntu.
For those discussing the increased cost, I'm currently on a $10/month plan which includes 300 MB of data (which is far more than I need). But then, I live in an actual first world country with decent competition in the telco sector (Aus).
(I'm also looking forward to the release of Kubuntu Mobile, which uses the N900 as a reference model. Since Maemo/Meego is now a dead end, I'm hoping it'll become of the mobile OS of choice for Linux users.)
I tried KDE4, and quickly longed for Unity 2D...or death...whichever came first.
What's so bad about KDE? I tried it after seeing Gnome3, and I honestly prefer it to Gnome2.
The troll part was in reference to 'bubblegum'. Last I checked, PINs are numeric.
FWIW the single biggest factor they found which correlated to failure was heat. If your drive runs hot then expect trouble.
Or if the drive it sits next to runs hot. One of my drives crashed because it was sitting between two other drives, and the combined heat was too much for it. Since then I've moved them around so there's more space between them and added a fan, but the system still overheats when doing backups.
Raid10 is in my future. When the drive prices return to "normal" that is.
That's going to be fun. Putting aside that most cases aren't big enough to hold that many drives, you can also run into heating issues. I have 5 drives in mine (not RAID though), and the system tends to overheat when I'm doing backups or anything else that's I/O intensive.
This is a troll - Australian ATMs use 4 digit PINs. (Don't know if longer ones are supported.)
But it's the most important part of the OS. It's only because the kernel is open sourced that running Ubuntu on the same hardware is even possible.
It is not at all uncommon for potential employers to investigate prospective employees' credit scores.
How the hell do employers even justify that? A job isn't dependant on your finances, it's the other way around.
( Applies to US ... other countries, maybe, maybe not )
Not in Australia - I have a ANZ-Visa debit card, and the same protections apply as for credit cards.
A four-year degree at an in-state school should not cost more than $15-20,000 including fees. If you went $60k into debt for school, consider that a $40-45k math lesson. Teach your kids that one at home so they don't have to pay for it again.
That's not just a math lesson, it's a demonstration of why your system needs an overhaul. I live in Australia, and all undergraduate degrees are subsidized by the government if you're a citizen or permanent resident. The most expensive degrees (e.g. law, med) are $12K / year, while others are as low as $8K. (I think engineering is about $10K, though I could be wrong). The student loans are also provided by the government, have no interest charged on them (though they are indexed to compensate for inflation), and repayments aren't required until your income crosses a threshold.
I have a very good friend who has dual citizenship for Australia and the US. She is extremely intelligent, has a GPA of 4.0 and she's doing her double degree in biomedical science and ECSE engineering here because it's far more economical. The plural of anecdote is not data, but that's a pretty obvious example of how you're missing out on STEM graduates.
Agreed - this is one of the reasons I went to KDE after Ubuntu went to Unity. The other being that it is currently more customizable than Gnome 3 and Unity, while still having a fair bit of eye candy.
Looking @ it it looks like it could do a good job giving any challenger to Android or iOS a run for their money, should anyone want a tablet platform w/ a differentiating but competitive interface. There is no way I'd have used such an interface for my desktop, but I can certainly see myself using it on a tablet.
There's also a version of Kubuntu targeted at mobile devices (i.e. phones) in the works. I imagine that's one of the things prompting the work on Plasma Active.
What mythical president is it that will slash emissions by 20% + whatever increase there has been between 2005 and whatever year the reductions will start?
The sacrificial lamb. Consider the situation in Australia - Gillard (the PM) is going to push through an emissions trading scheme. She is widely considered a terrible PM, and is likely only being kept around in order to do so. Once the next election comes around she'll get kicked out, but the mess of tax breaks which are intertwined with the ETS will make it very difficult to remove.
Not exactly so. CyanogenMod is what it says it is, a MOD aka Modding. CM7 use same Linux operating system what those OEM's offers unless they can compile Linux with correct drivers. And as Linux OS is GPLv2 OEM needs to release code for it so Community at least sees how they have modified it, even that they offer drivers only as binary blobs.
Switching from OEM Android to CM7 isn't same thing as installing a another operating system. That would be if someone would install Windows Phone 7.5 to replace Android or if someone could manage to swap Linux operating system to CE operating system in Android.
The fact is, people have got taste with Android that they can flash a custom Android to their phone. Removing all the OEM bundled applications and get Android to be slimmer and more bug free and then install wanted applications afterwards.
My point was that it takes a similar amount of effort and ability, and that the people who use CyanogenMod are the same ones who are likely to install a different OS. Admittedly, it's more analogous to switching from Ubuntu (Unity) to Ubuntu (Gnome 3).
And who dreams that at somepoint we could buy a empty phone and then install to it a wanted software system by sticking a MicroSD card in or choosing a version in store what comes such as preinstalled? That is a dream... Not even Microsoft want that to happen on PC side, so why it would want that happend on mobile devices?
I don't think anyone expects that to happen. But what I do see happening is that installing a new OS will be as easy as plugging it into your PC and flashing the new OS, similar to how installing a new desktop OS is as easy as booting from an installation disc.
It would demand that OEM's really understands that hardware system and software system ain't same thing and that if hardware gets broken, you need to fix it by warranty if software has nothing to do with it (like button brokes physically or MicroUSB plug gets broken).
This is legally required in many jurisdictions - warranties cannot be voided by modifications which are not related to the fault.
GNU Linux was the closest term I could think of for referring to any of the 'conventional' Linux distros like Debian. Do you know of a better term?
The main problem right now is that each kernel must be specific to the device, since each one is wired differently and there aren't any standards (in use) for enumerating the various chips available (e.g. bluetooth, GPU, etc.).
This is actually a huge problem for installing alternative OSs. Most of the drivers are closed source, and there is no incentive for the manufacturers to release or open them. It's actually the other way round. Manufacturers benefit more by keeping other OSs out, so for that to happen, there would have to be some sort of paradigm shift in the market.
Closed source drivers aren't too much of a problem on Android, since the binary blobs can be loaded in the same way, and are only an issue if they don't work as expected. Most of the problems seem to come from the fact that Android does things differently (e.g. no X server), which means that those drivers have to be rewritten to work with GNU Linux.
Exactly how do manufacturers (believe that they) benefit by keeping out other OSs? Not releasing the source of the drivers seems more related to a lack of incentives, since that requires additional effort on their part (e.g. figuring out the licensing issues), unlike locking a bootloader and changing the key every so often.
For those who weren't aware, the KDE project is also working on a version of Kubuntu for mobiles.
IMO, we're approaching the point where mobile devices will be like PCs - you can install whatever OS you want on them. Right now the closest thing is people replacing Android with CyanogenMod; even though Cyanogen is effectively an Android derivative, the popularity of doing so demonstrates that alternative mobile OSs can be relatively successful even if not included by OEMs. The main problem right now is that each kernel must be specific to the device, since each one is wired differently and there aren't any standards (in use) for enumerating the various chips available (e.g. bluetooth, GPU, etc.).
I predict that this will be resolved sometime within the next 15 years (probably the next 5-10), as ARM becomes increasingly popular on the desktop/server.
I have Kubuntu running on my Transformer, and if there's one thing I've learned, is this: the best device is the one you have a working kernel for.
If it's an x86 tablet, you're in the clear. If it's ARM, then the vast majority of your problems will be related to getting various drivers/etc. implemented. Don't assume that the Android kernel can just be used as is - Android does a lot of stuff differently (e.g. no X server), which means getting the hardware to work with GNU Linux takes a fair bit of work. (Presumably Meego ARM tablets [do those even exist?] have kernels that can be used without any need for such changes.) So unless you have the ability and time to do this, make sure there's a reasonable amount of development going on for that device.
All that said, Ubuntu on the Transformer does work rather well once you have it installed and configured to your liking. Admittedly, it is rather obviously the result of a lot of reverse engineering (i.e. hardware support improves a bit once every few months), but it works rather well.
All very well, but I get the feeling that the things that most people would be "freed up to do" in those circumstances are likely to include starving and becoming homeless.
It *should* of course be used to create a basic income for everyone in order to allow us to pursue higher things, but I'll bet you it won't.
It will, just not in countries which think socialism is the same as communism.
It does. I have one of the original TF101s, and Ubuntu runs relatively well on it, though it's worth noting the kernel port is still in development.
The Transformer (Prime) has a full keyboard, so if you're buying it as a laptop replacement, just dual boot Ubuntu. If you only have the tablet half, then you might want to go with Gnome 3. Android is rather limited, so I can guarantee you'll get frustrated with it the moment you want to do anything non-trivial.
Here's a quick summary of what's working so far:
More info
Admittedly, it's a work in progress, but if you want an ARM tablet which runs GNU/Linux* then I'd say the TF is your best bet. It's also worth noting that all the ARM devices (or at least ones using the Tegra series chips) use different GPIOs for the peripherals, which means that the kernel is device specific. Consequently, if you're planning to run GNU/Linux on it you're going to want one with a strong developer following.
* I don't normally bother with the pedantry, but the distinction is very relevant here. Android is Linux; it uses a GPLed derivative of the kernel, which is why it didn't take long to get Ubuntu running on it (once the partitioning tool, nvflash, was available). Ubuntu is GNU/Linux; it has grep, sed, CUPS, OpenOffice, X, and everything else you want.
KDE has has a tablet style interface since before Unity/Gnome 3, it's just disabled by default.
Whether it is society's (a majority's) opinion on what is reasonable, or a judge's, "reasonable" is still subjective. No matter what test they use, the definition will probably remain subjective.
It may be useful at times, but I think "it's ripe for abuse" depending on the situation.
Under that approach, it's impossible to have truly subjective test. I meant subjective only in comparison to the objective test.
Besides, if you can't trust the judges in a common law system to apply the test in a just and equitable manner, then you have bigger problems than defamation law.
We already have one. The term 'reasonable person' is a term of art used in law to indicate that an objective test should be applied. It's ambiguous because it's usually used to deal with unanticipated situations. In practice, this means that you usually need a court to decide what is reasonable, if the parties can't agree on it.
The subjective equivalent is 'a reasonable person in the position of X', which considers the knowledge and idiosyncrasies of X but still requires them to have acted reasonably. That one is typically only used where the other party knew X personally.
What if the nature of the allegation was such that they were still at risk, or that it was personally embarrassing to them? e.g. victims of rape and domestic violence
Certainly, reasonableness is important and I doubt a reasonable person would consider an anonymous posting on a forum to be convincing, but to allow all anonymous allegations would be a system ripe for abuse.
Universities don't discover drugs. They discover mechanisms. Drug companies make drugs that work on those mechanisms. I suppose, if the Aussie taxpayers really did finance all of Gardasil, they ought to be intelligent enough to extract some pretty damned good fees for the US patent rights. If they can charge much more, but don't pay more, then what kind of chumps are running AU? Sure as hell not the CSIRO guys who went after Buffalo.
Probably the kind that care more about saving lives and recouping their costs than n figure profits.
The plan has been rejected by all the major Australian content organizations. They're still waiting for the iiNet v AFACT High Court judgment, since it will have a significant impact on the playing field.
http://delimiter.com.au/2011/11/29/bugger-off-content-industry-tells-isps-on-piracy/ (There are some more related articles on the site)