While it doesn't always go this way, often simple things like the User Experience of a business gives an indication of the ethos behind a whole lot of the processes and systems they are using. To wit, compare the US Arrivals card that all "aliens" need to use upon arrival into the US, with the one from Australia. A clear 1970s look-and-feel versus something from this millenium.
We installed a wireless link to my mother-in-law's place. We haven't done so yet, but the intention is to have some form of fileserver for backup there. We should expect around 4GB an hour transfer rate.
With the increasing complexity of network devices - switches, routers, load-balancers, firewalls, the expectancy of a functional terminal console puts a good design constraint on system developers. If they have to provide the ability within a 80x24 terminal funtionality to configure, operate and maintain a such a device it is a good thing. A good management is useful in providing an overview of the configuration and helps provide linkage to the management of components.
A serial terminal console is good because:-
* It enforces the designer to limit the presentation of management information to the 80x24 screen (possibly using pages), and often with a 9600bps data rate. My view is if they can't do it properly in a console they have not though well enough about management. Too often GUIs for management tend to hide important configuration parameters away. * A terminal console allows easy copy-and-paste and script munging of configurations to ensure consistent deployment. GUIs don't allow such duplication of configurations very well. * It allows simple out of band management through the use of a terminal server connecting multiple consoles. Such a simple management connection provides am always available management window in a network down situation. (Assuming this is deployed properly). You can also manage the risk well if management can ONLY be done by serial (preventing the management network inadvertently being connected to a production network. * While standarardisation of the physical port (male or female DB9 or RJ45) and host type (DTE or DCE) and even hardware handshaking is right royal pain. At least it is usual possible to determine it after a minimum number of tries. But essential it is pretty straightforward to implement. * While a USB connection sounds good, I would only prefer it if it was guaranteed to be a zero driver installation.
yellowTAB doesn't intend to compete with Microsoft but offers an alternative for those wanting to run a second operating system.
It sounds to me they admit defeat before they have started. I think any Linux/Mac user would want to eventually only have to run one OS - running Windows as well is a necessary evil for some of us.
I have had to enter the US around 5 times in the last 10 years or so. Every time I visit I cannot fail to believe they still use this form for entry - I-94 .
This form looks like something typeset in the 50's. When I compare this to the type of forms we have used in Australia since at least the late 80's (ie post Mac and Windows) I can't imagine why they still use such archaic designs. On every flight I made there were many people making the same mistake as I did. With a short surname , you almost feel compelled to write your date of birth on the top line. And you don't want to present an incorrectly completed form to the US customs dudes!!
Compare this with the Aussie form - Incoming Passenger Card. It is clear, readable and unlikely to cause errors due to comprehension or legibility.
(And I won't mention the US paper currency)
There is a clear conservatism in the US when it comes to form design - apart from the angst it causes US visitors - it may have cost lives on 9/11
Old News! Broadcom announced similar in May '99
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I have a friend who is interested in analysing some ideas for a vehicle suspension system. Anybody know of anything that would allow we to draw the mechanical system and have it "run" in a simulated environment? ( A bit like the old Xspringies but something that I can actually put real numbers in)
I'm afraid that I'd have to disagree. I have moved from Digital into Compaq, and I believe that the company has good and great intentions. Compaq is a juggernaut that is difficult to turn on a dime. Where moving from being focused on shipping PCs to delivering a a total end-to-end solution.
All of the large IT companies need to demonstrate that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Compaq is trying its darndest to develop solutions that meet enterprise needs, horizontally and vertically. We will be using both best-of-breed inhouse and partner-developed solutions meet this end. See Next Generation Networks Infrastructure for example (http://www.compaq.com/services/ngni). And I believe that the merger of C, T and D is going right on track.
Unfortunately for Eckhard, the shareholders didn't believe we were moving quick enough. Watch this space for the likes of HP, IBM et. al.
BTW, I'm no PHB or suit, just an employee with a job to do!
I've been doing Tcl/Tk programming with my son (8yo), for over a year now. I think it is great because to get instant gratification. Bringing up the "wish" shell and entering the single line "button.b -text "Hello,World" , pops up a GUI native button that you can press. Adding simple "-command" using ".b configure" call-backs brings it to life. Anything a little more complicated can be created in text script.
Tcl/Tk is a real language that is multi-platform and with a lot of real-world support.
We even wrote a small shoot-em-up space invaders type game that my son has learnt to modify.
Send me an email if you want the code. Tcl/Tk can be downloaded from http://www.scriptics.com
If Toshiba is like Compaq, they will also include diagnostics tools on the hard disk. (On Compaq Armada's hitting F10 boots to a 15M DOS partition that contains various utilities to configure CMOS settings and the like). Even though this may not using a Windows OS, it does use DOS and hence is probably licencable software.
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While it doesn't always go this way, often simple things like the User Experience of a business gives an indication of the ethos behind a whole lot of the processes and systems they are using. To wit, compare the US Arrivals card that all "aliens" need to use upon arrival into the US, with the one from Australia. A clear 1970s look-and-feel versus something from this millenium.
http://www.immihelp.com/visas/sample-i94-form.pdf
http://www.immi.gov.au/managing-australias-borders/border-security/travel/passenger-cards/_pdf/english-ipc-sample.pdf
Photos of wireless link
We installed a wireless link to my mother-in-law's place. We haven't done so yet, but the intention is to have some form of fileserver for backup there. We should expect around 4GB an hour transfer rate.
https://plus.google.com/photos/103933303525261507105/albums/5692174876583065521
With the increasing complexity of network devices - switches, routers, load-balancers, firewalls, the expectancy of a functional terminal console puts a good design constraint on system developers. If they have to provide the ability within a 80x24 terminal funtionality to configure, operate and maintain a such a device it is a good thing. A good management is useful in providing an overview of the configuration and helps provide linkage to the management of components.
A serial terminal console is good because:-
* It enforces the designer to limit the presentation of management information to the 80x24 screen (possibly using pages), and often with a 9600bps data rate. My view is if they can't do it properly in a console they have not though well enough about management. Too often GUIs for management tend to hide important configuration parameters away.
* A terminal console allows easy copy-and-paste and script munging of configurations to ensure consistent deployment. GUIs don't allow such duplication of configurations very well.
* It allows simple out of band management through the use of a terminal server connecting multiple consoles. Such a simple management connection provides am always available management window in a network down situation. (Assuming this is deployed properly). You can also manage the risk well if management can ONLY be done by serial (preventing the management network inadvertently being connected to a production network.
* While standarardisation of the physical port (male or female DB9 or RJ45) and host type (DTE or DCE) and even hardware handshaking is right royal pain. At least it is usual possible to determine it after a minimum number of tries. But essential it is pretty straightforward to implement.
* While a USB connection sounds good, I would only prefer it if it was guaranteed to be a zero driver installation.
I have had to enter the US around 5 times in the last 10 years or so. Every time I visit I cannot fail to believe they still use this form for entry - I-94 . This form looks like something typeset in the 50's. When I compare this to the type of forms we have used in Australia since at least the late 80's (ie post Mac and Windows) I can't imagine why they still use such archaic designs. On every flight I made there were many people making the same mistake as I did. With a short surname , you almost feel compelled to write your date of birth on the top line. And you don't want to present an incorrectly completed form to the US customs dudes!! Compare this with the Aussie form - Incoming Passenger Card. It is clear, readable and unlikely to cause errors due to comprehension or legibility. (And I won't mention the US paper currency) There is a clear conservatism in the US when it comes to form design - apart from the angst it causes US visitors - it may have cost lives on 9/11
http://www.broadcom.com/docs/PR990511.html
I have a friend who is interested in analysing some ideas for a vehicle suspension system. Anybody know of anything that would allow we to draw the mechanical system and have it "run" in a simulated environment? ( A bit like the old Xspringies but something that I can actually put real numbers in)
I'm afraid that I'd have to disagree. I have moved from Digital into Compaq, and I believe that the company has good and great intentions. Compaq is a juggernaut that is difficult to turn on a dime. Where moving from being focused on shipping PCs to delivering a a total end-to-end solution.
All of the large IT companies need to demonstrate that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Compaq is trying its darndest to develop solutions that meet enterprise needs, horizontally and vertically. We will be using both best-of-breed inhouse and partner-developed solutions meet this end. See Next Generation Networks Infrastructure for example (http://www.compaq.com/services/ngni). And I believe that the merger of C, T and D is going right on track.
Unfortunately for Eckhard, the shareholders didn't believe we were moving quick enough. Watch this space for the likes of HP, IBM et. al.
BTW, I'm no PHB or suit, just an employee with a job to do!
I've been doing Tcl/Tk programming with my son (8yo), for over a year now. I think it is great because to get instant gratification. Bringing up the "wish" shell and entering the single line .b -text "Hello,World" , pops up a GUI native button that you can press. Adding simple "-command" using ".b configure" call-backs brings it to life. Anything a little more complicated can be created in text script.
"button
Tcl/Tk is a real language that is multi-platform and with a lot of real-world support.
We even wrote a small shoot-em-up space invaders type game that my son has learnt to modify.
Send me an email if you want the code. Tcl/Tk can be downloaded from http://www.scriptics.com
If Toshiba is like Compaq, they will also include diagnostics tools on the hard disk. (On Compaq Armada's hitting F10 boots to a 15M DOS partition that contains various utilities to configure CMOS settings and the like). Even though this may not using a Windows OS, it does use DOS and hence is probably licencable software.
Are you prepared to lose the diagnostics as well?