Uh, yea, about that... It's called government regulation, and can be done via a seperate meter for your car vs power for your house, the same way I have a meter for the water that goes into my lawn vs the water going into my house (and thus into the sewers which costs more).
Also keep in mind even conservative estimates are placing gas at over $6.00 per gallong by the end of 2010 and over $14 by 2020...
Um, barrier shattered....over 2 years ago by Toshiba. Li-tit batteries cost the same to make as Li-Ion, weigh withing 1%, are the same size, and can even be made in the same facility. They charge to 80% in 3-4 minutes, 100% in just double that. A new supercar unveiled today uses them as a power source. Toshiba expects to be making 100% li-tit and 0% li-Poly and Li-Ion within 5 years.
Combined with liquid engine supplemental power you can go over 600 miles on just 14 galons of gas, and that's just in the Chevy Volt. Change the engine out for a cyclic turbine, and replace the gas with WindFuels (see www.dotyenergy.com for info on that) and for $60/barrel with a cost that should only marginally increase with inflation (since it's from unlimited wind energy, not oil) and we can get close to 1000 miles on a 15 gallon tank (plus a full charge) that would cost about $40 to fill up.
Supercapacitors only help with acceleration speed, not efficiency, and can't be used as a reliable storage medium for a distance charge.
OK, so factor in the conversion, 35% on average for gas, 90+% for electric drive. So now, $3.61 cents in electricity is worth more than $7 in gas. Oh, and that's at current pump prices, which are expected to top $6.00 per gallon by the end of 2010, and be closer to $14/gallon by 2020.
That's a really big "Of Course" and a great big load of FUD to spread.
For the current leading best idea on alternative fuels, one without hype, sound economics, and more, check out www.dotyenergy.com or search for WindFuels.
1) use wind to make H2 (about 20% more efficnet use of wind than the complexity and cost of making phase synchronized grid power)
2) sequester CO2 from newly built coal plants (existing ones cost to much to refit, but over a 20-30 year ramp up of this fuel technology, most of them can be decomissioned on their existing expected life cycle)
3) combine CO2 and H2, with a bit of water, in a Doty Energy RWTS/RFTS plant and we can make any hydrocarbon you want.
4) pipeline fuel to use in cars (and eventually to replace coal in other plants, to handle paek and wan loads on the grid that solar and other wind can't keep up with)
5) sell the O2 given off by the WindFuels process
6) recycle 60% of the water used in the process at the RTFS plant, and suplement the rest with desalinated sea water.
Very green process. Coal CO2 gets used twice helping limit it's impact until we replace it with liquid fuel buring. unlimited energy, no impact on crops, and for about $60/bbl, half the current price of oil.
Fuel cells will never be reasonable. Even best case estimates at this point put fuel cell costs at 100K per vehicle, once the government subsidies fall away, without a MASSIVE leap in nanotechnology. Besides, H2 is NOT a viable option. (either too dangerous (liquid H2 fill ups) or too heavy, bulky, and expensive for on-demand fuel. (you know that BIG SUV they run around on H2? It's a 2 SEATER!...and NO, we can't make it much smaller... not for decades even with the best estimates.)
The future is in windfuels (www.dotyenergy.com).
Electric cars ARE viable, now, today. It's just a matter of vamping up production. The power grid? We can EASILY keep up with car demand added to the grid, since the average new car lasts 17 years on the road, and it will be 10 years before even a large percentage of new cars are electric (we've got 30-40 years to grow the grid, which is the same timeframe they ALREADY PROPOSED for the wind/water/solar/geothermal superconducting grid overhal, the first part of which came online in Long Island, NY in April this year.)
The Volt hybrid, on 14 galons of gas, goes 600 miles. Without gas, 60 miles. The average american drives 70 miles per day. At 60-80MPG, that means the AVERAGE person will get more than a MONTH on a fill up, assuming they charge at home nightly. If they also charge at work or on the run, it's possible we'll be talking about the gas SPOILING before you can use it all. (and charging on the run costs less, and is only a 3-5 minute inconvenience).
OK, first, the Volt is larger than the Prius, faster, has better acceleration, and will only cost a couple grand more, easily saved on the back end with infinite MPG on trips shorter than 60 miles, and at 60-80MPG when running on the engine. Electric costs are increasing, but at a fraction of the rate of oil, and electric power is renewable (or at least, the renewable portion is increasing, and can eventually be 100% of energy used).
The lack of electric cars on the market? mostly, we've been waiting for slightly better CPUs to run the car on, and improved energy to weight ratios in the batteries. Li-Ion by itself could have done this, if it wasn't for the potential of catistrofic cell collape (aka, battery explodes). Li-Polymer, and Li-Tit batteries just recently developed do not have this problem, and additional safteys with on-battery chip technology further improve saftey.
Also, 2-3 hours is no longer an issue. Li-Tit batteries charge to 80% in 3 minutes, 100% in less than 10. A simple 3 phase 400 amp connection is required (available at almost any auto shop). Don't believe the hype about how much the cable weights for these either, look at the cable on an electric welder; same cable...
Sure, at home, 3-4 hours will be the norm, 8-10 on 110 volt outlets. Of course, saince the car will have a gas backup, and can go 360 miles on 10 gallons of gas AFTER the battery dies, who cares? On a side note, if you popped for the upgrade to rapid charge at home, hooking up a 220 volt 100 AMP cable, you can actually run your HOUSE off of your CAR in the event of a power failure, without needing a generator, for 3-5 hours, or just your fridge and AC for about a day.
People DO want them. Patents, mostly, and a few technical hurdles were standing in the way. I WILL pay 30K for a car that gets the USD converted electrical equivolent of 150MPG average for my driving habits and takes 3 minutes to recharge.
Actually, the firmware loader is hardware. There is a part of that firmware that's loadable, but a hardware component actually gets things running in microcode first, and that's hard wired into the chipset and not configurable.
Hardware loads the firmware, firmware performs POST, then from that diagnostic information launches the boot loader which then performs the OS kernel unpack and load. This is a bit simplified, but accurate. EFI used a diferent hardware loader than BIOS, and bypassing that process, or tricking the OS into running on unsupported firmware, is a violation of the patent owned by he who designed the hardware (or the OS from the other perspective)
If you have a retail copy of XP, you can just re-use it... If you have an OEM copy, you can't, and thus $50 is a lot cheaper than a full license...
The OEM CD is however NOT tied to the hardware. In some cases, they distribute customized CDs which have more limited cabs files, but that is EASILY fixed by slipstreaming, or better yet, use nLite to do that plus pre-include your drivers, saving you the trouble next time you re-install.
Again, if you have OEM today, you MUST get a new copy. I did NOT suggest using an illegal license. If you're a business, $50, plus natively supported configurations are WELL worth the price (if they don't waive it, which when asked, they usually will, if you're a legitimate business and are buying more than 1 machine, sometimes even for just 1).
[Quote]Exactly which part of that is wrong? I'm talking about a laptop, I'd rather use a touchpad. A computer with only one mouse button shouldn't have right click menus. All of those mentioned methods rely on software to emulate a right click during certain actions, it doesn't usually work when the software is barfing.[/Quote] There is a 2 finger guesture that simulates right click, using only 1 hand, just 2 fingers. Also, almost every function in the right click menu has a keyboard shortcut. Also, the newer track pads DO have right click functionality.
Again, on the hosts file issue: If you're in there at all, you've done something wrong in your network... You should be using DNS, not hosts files. Also, simply editing/etc/hosts won't do any good until you change the hosts priority, since anything the mac finds in DNS will override what's in Hosts anyway. This is done for 1) security and 2) to teach bad admins what they're doing is wrong and that there's a better way. "normal" users don't even know what the fuck/etc/hosts is, so drop that arguement! The Gui front ent to/etc/hosts is called SimpleText... Same as it is in Linux and unix. Where did you find a hosts GUI in Windows by the way??? oh, and opening hosts from finder, you can edit it right IN the finder now, without even opening SimpleText... but I say again, if you're in the hosts file, WHY ARE YOU!?!?
Per folder views does stick in Vista, but there's not a way to propogate those chenges to subfolders easily. You can resel ALL folders to look like the one you're in, but not just a set of subdirectories of an existing subdirectory. Changing view status can be done a lot easier in Vista trhan XP, but only if you're using the new GUI, and leave the accessible buttons available. (most of the systems we run Vista on, that's been disabled).
As for mounting volumes in OS X, you're doin' it wrong is likely the issue. You need to use the comand line and use hard links, and not access the volume relationally. I do this all the time. It can be done. You simply have to make the OS pick the hard link, not the \\server\volume\...path or network drive icon.
Not designed to read/etc/hosts? Actually it is, it suppoprts 100% of TCP/IP. The problem is, like most true Unix OS, not linux OS, the hosts file is not the priority lookup in the NetInfo database. Apple did this because spyware adware, and nearly all redirect attacks use the hosts file. They simply assume that anyone who needs access to edit hosts operates a DNS server, and that server should hold priority, not a vulnerable OS. If you'ree even in the hosts file, my question to you is Why? You should not be if you're doin' it right... The windows hosts file not only "just works" for you, it also works for all the phishers and virus xers out there....
Typically, the "simple tasks" you're having trouble doing, that's because there's a better or more secure process you SHOULD be using instead, and they're trying to make you use it by making the "easy way" less easy. Same goes for browsing files... Why even use folder by folder views when you should be using sherlock, or the advanced finder system to locate files, and besides, anything you should be looking for should be in a predictable place, so really, how many folders could you really be talking about changing views for???
There's a lot of humanity I'd rather do without... Can we set up a socialized system where we can kick undesirables out? I'd support that!
Oops, you smoke crack, no healthcare for you!
Oops, you're 450 lbs, by your own choices, well if you're willing to accept a prescribed diet and excersize plan and work to getting below 30% body fat (quite a reasonable and flexible limit I think), we'll let you in, but get too far off that plan (with multiple warnings) and you'll have to either pay a premium to stay on it, or find supplemental private insurance...
Oops, you ride stunt motorcycles 50 feet in the air? Well, we'll cover you for diseases, but not your hobby related injuries...
oops, you got shot robbing a bank? Oh well, you're screwed.
unemployed, unmarried, and 3 kids already?...and you refused norplant or other birth control measures? We'll cover the birth, but you have to PAY IT BACK, here's a daycare service and a job, we'll dock your pay accordingly.
All well and good he wants to "save money" and re-use existing hardware, but changing an OS is going to mean a LOT of time, testing, and likely new software. The cost of this will FAR out shadow the costs of a new piece of compatible hardware...
Of course, before you can ask what OS to run, we might want to know what applications it's being used for... and why exactly would an application appliance be powered off? this obviously isn't a database that gets regular attention, or any kind of security device, backup system, or other management system. so...
I'm assuming we're talking about legacy apps here then. In that case, I'm CERTAIN you have idle space and CPU time on existing servers. Throw a VM in there, and use that. When idle (hibernate, wake on LAN) it should use no more energy that the host would be when idle by itself, and if that host is a machine that DOES have to be on 24/7, then you're effectively using 0 additional power. It will wake on LAN in 15-30 seconds, maybe faster, and can auto hibernate again when idle. Simple, clean, and as a bonus, you can move the old hardware to your DR or testing lab.
You're not looking in the right places. First, automator can do almost anything for you, if you simply give it a bit of effort. Underneath the GUI, there's a whole array of flat text files for configuring just about eery option in the OS. The comand line is wonderful to use if you know unix comands OR Applescript.
You've used windows for a decade, and read hundreds of forum posts and help files for it. You know it well. That does NOT mean that bacause you can't figoue out on your own how to do an advanced task in a Mac that it's can't be done! Read some Mac forums, learn Korn Shell, learn Linux, understand the file system, read a few "unleashed" or "exposed" books covering in depth advanced features.
If you gave Mac half the detailed attention for 2-3 years that you gave windows for the last 10, you'd not be making this argument.
If you want all the options youi can get to all live in the GUI, the Mac would be a cluttered and unusable as windows. The GUI is for streamlining tasks, not for pro usage. If you don't like it, turn in your geek card.
1) have you ever really liked the mouse that came with your PC? I never have... Always bought a better one. Also, new macs mostly come with a 2 button mouse now from what I understand (mightymouse detects right/left clicks, track pads use a 2 finger click instead of one for right click)
2) remembering per-folder views is actually a FEATURE, one I WISH I could get in Vista! It's a PAIN IN THE ASS for it to keep reverting to diferent modes when I want certain folders viewed certain ways, and there's no 1-2 click way to set them in Vista or XP. At least in Mac, there's a keyboard shortcut for changing it. If you really feel like it, you can get simple scripts online people made for doing routine repetitive tasks like resetting folders online quick and easy.
3) You can back up to network locations, but you have to mount the disk first...
4) I've not tried the migration tool (did it manually instead), but I hear there's a network enabling patch or utility out there somewhere that does it. Mac to Mac migration is pretty much a snap with or without a tool. PC to mac migration? I'd never try that... It just sounds like a bad idea!
If diving into the registry is what it takes to fix an issue, and you don't think enabling root to be able to edit/etc/hosts is a problem, I don;t know what to say. The Mac is a Linux system. Almost every single thing that can be configured in in a text file! No special tools needed, no language to read, heck, most of it is even commented for convenience.
Just because it;s different, and after 2 years you're still not used to it, doesn't mean it's wrong, and just because you didn't find a way, or didn't like it, doesn't mean there isn't one.
OS X isn't perfect, but overall, c'mon, just look at the satisfaction ratings. Also feel free to google for an online blog series called "Mad as Hell" where an IT security director looked in depth at the issues, and TCO of macs instead of PCs in a large corporate network...
Hate to say it, but I've even had problems with a clean Mac install. In one case, it was a bad HDD (of which Apple's installer gives no clues other than it lockes up, and since there was no physical power button on that mat, it mean't pulling the plug out). In another case (and as I've found is common with HP all-in-ones and macs) printer drivers are a pain in the ass, especially if you have more than 1 printer and more than 1 user.
Apple's OS is very stable (not as stable as most Linux distros though) and pretty. Once you get used to their caveats and icons (untrain windows from the brain) it's actually HIGHLY productive and logical. It's still not perfect, and I often prefer Linux.
Vista is an improvement, but even less of it is logical, and some of the things they changed seem like they did just because (add/remove becomes programs and features? WHY!?) They fixed some issues, added a bunch more, and in general just refuse to acknowledge that breaking ALL backward compatability might actually be better than only breaking some, and leaving ambiguity. Sooner of later, Windows must die. The better the competition looks, the less likely Microsoft will survive the switch (Apple almost didn't)
Buy a Dell model that supports XP pre-loaded, DON'T choose the upsell, use your existing XP licence from the machine you're replacing and load it yourself...
For a home user with a bit of knowledge, combined with Dell support if you can speak with an Indian accent, and you can get it done. For a business, given the value of time, well worth the upgrade, and they're going to have to pop for a business licence anyway (of course, if you're talking about a large rollout, I'd like you to meet my friend SMS...)
If you're really that far out, guess what, it sux, sattelite is your only option. If there's no existing buried cable within 30KM of your location, it also sucks, or if the terrain won't accomodate it.
Several hundred grand for fiber at 30K? I've got an airport here that laid 4 miles of fiber run (with multiple bundles in each run for redundancy, nearly 28 total miles of fiber), and they had to cut through concrete to put it in the ground across almost every foot of the runs, including across runways which caused major logistical headaches getting it done. Total installation was under 100K. (most of the labor was their own, instead of paying $75/hr for contractors)
Urban fiber runs are the most expensive, costing upwards of 500K - 1 million per mile, but a lot of that is due to access limits, permits, conduit sharing fees, and complications of underground deployment in urban areas. Suburbs and pole mounted fiber can be 200-400K per mile. Along rural highways, with few crossroads to deal with, and using quick and simple dig and drop installation, without the worry of cutting anyone elses lines, underground gas, etc, cheap. You can do 1/4 per day typically. Most of the cost of laying fiber is in the labor, and in the leased conduit/pole access.
Again, out that far into the deep north, hey, they chose that type of business, and that location. difficult and expensive communication simply comes with it.
Is there a phone there? Unless they have NO access to hardline at all, no cell towers, only Satelite for TV and SatCom for phones, then there is a buried line within 30KM of their location, and to that line can be installed a noc, and in that noc can be installed a fiber to analog interconnect, which can carry up to 100Mbit signals.
If not, then 30K for a low-latency sattelite it is. You want to open a business in the middle of fucking nowhere, that's part of your operational cost...
Actually, you don't need the notice published ON the box, only a statement indicating there is an agreement binding, and where to locate a free copy. The EULA is publised on Apple's site, and can be ordered in print form by calling a 1-800 number. The Store will NOT take the package back opened, but Apple will, as long as the inner-box EULA sticker is still unbroken. It clearly sais so RIGHT ON THE STICKER.
The backbone doesn't have to stop there, just pass there. Sureley there is a road connecting that town to others. down that road somewhere is a telecommunications hub and a fiber drop. One only needs to get the provider to build a node to connect to and lease you fiber access.
If you REALLY can't get the level of service you require, and it's impacting your business, then ROI and simple sense dictate you should either move said business, or change your requirements for service expectations.
Unless you're talking about working in remote arctic areas, say for research purposes or for access to burined resources, then you should have, within reason, access to proper services, it;s just a matter of getting someone to do the work and spend the money to hook it up, and if you're within 30KM of a medium sized town, major road, or highway, it should be able to be done for well under 30K (less if multiple companies can share the connection)
If you're further out, then low latency dedicated satellite may be your only option. Keep in mind, feeds like that are not only expensive to buy, but the bandwidth fees are ridiculous!
i get the impression from the original article that they're in a mildly populated area, not some remote outpost...
well, since the construction of that firmware is a proprietary technology, patented by a group of companies (Intel, Apple, and a couple of others), you would require permission from them to licence that chip technology in order to do that. Not going to happen....
It's not Apple's firmware you're circumventing, but a core component of the Intel Board, for which Apple is currently the only OS that has native (and approved) support for, aside from a small open source linux distro or two that also garnered permission.
Many of the drivers in use are Aplle's own, not provided by intel or other manufacturers. Were you to find a legal way of avoiding EFI without a DMCA or reverse engineering violation, and could you provide all your own drivers for hardware that apple wrote their own for, you might be able to slip by legally, but you still have to worry about the fact that an EULA is a binding legal contract (until otherwise shot down in court, for which it has faced many battles and not yet lost.
Yes, it only applies to the parts, and can to those directly connected to it. Transmission failure would still be able to be warrantied if your new radio fried the car's power system.
Installing Apple's OS on BIOS based hardware is a technological limitation, that requires cracking code to make work. This is both a legal and physical limitation.
BIOS and EFI are hardware (firmware) differences, not software or DRM. they do not use TPM chips anymore.
An EULA is a licence contract between 2 parties. It is clearly spelled out, presented both before and after the sale, able to be declined without penalty within given terms (do not open to refuse licence). Further more, it HAS been held in court that a licencing body may, at it's own discretion, require the return of said licence or contract for use at will.
You are NOT buying the software. The software is provided BY the licence, not the other way around. You may keep the physical media, but the software is considered a seperate entity, and the use of it can be revolked. this is no different from the DMV, or a credit card company. You PAID a fee to get it, but you do NOT own it, (it says so on the back of your drives license and credit card both) you are only LICENSED to USE it, under their strict rules that you are legally bound to as soon as you accept said license, and can be ordered to return it, without refund, for any violation of its permissible applications.
The grant of an EULA is backed by the US Code of Commerce, a document backed by the direct power of the US constitution, and the commerce department of the united states. they DO have the power to enforce it, and the rules for the creation of a license and what can and can't be included in one are deeply rooted in this piece of legislation.
undoing the EULA would castrate the power of multiple government agencies, and wreak havock on the software and services sections of business. The ramifications of undoing licence use and trade restrictions by simply stating that software becomes an individual piece of property on purchase will cost the US BILLIONS in trade.
Keep in mind, (if it works the way I see it) if you get your way, then we're no longer legally liable to FIX what's broken with what you bought (only to fix what didn't work as advertised on the day it was advertised), we'd only be liable to return it to original working order. If someone hacked your software, we'd not be responsible or liable for it anymore! It would be like requiring car companies to replace your engine because it won;t run E85, even though it wasn't originally speced out to.
I will concede, you can get a 15" performance PC for a good bit less than Apple's 15" pro. The 17", not so much a difference. The iMac and Power Mac are cheaper than the competition. Nobody really competes with the mini in terms of performance in that form factor. The classic macbooks are very competitive for the features and performance they include, and ALL of them can run Windows through bootcamp or parallells (or both).
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Uh, yea, about that... It's called government regulation, and can be done via a seperate meter for your car vs power for your house, the same way I have a meter for the water that goes into my lawn vs the water going into my house (and thus into the sewers which costs more).
Also keep in mind even conservative estimates are placing gas at over $6.00 per gallong by the end of 2010 and over $14 by 2020...
Um, barrier shattered. ...over 2 years ago by Toshiba. Li-tit batteries cost the same to make as Li-Ion, weigh withing 1%, are the same size, and can even be made in the same facility. They charge to 80% in 3-4 minutes, 100% in just double that. A new supercar unveiled today uses them as a power source. Toshiba expects to be making 100% li-tit and 0% li-Poly and Li-Ion within 5 years.
Combined with liquid engine supplemental power you can go over 600 miles on just 14 galons of gas, and that's just in the Chevy Volt. Change the engine out for a cyclic turbine, and replace the gas with WindFuels (see www.dotyenergy.com for info on that) and for $60/barrel with a cost that should only marginally increase with inflation (since it's from unlimited wind energy, not oil) and we can get close to 1000 miles on a 15 gallon tank (plus a full charge) that would cost about $40 to fill up.
Supercapacitors only help with acceleration speed, not efficiency, and can't be used as a reliable storage medium for a distance charge.
OK, so factor in the conversion, 35% on average for gas, 90+% for electric drive. So now, $3.61 cents in electricity is worth more than $7 in gas. Oh, and that's at current pump prices, which are expected to top $6.00 per gallon by the end of 2010, and be closer to $14/gallon by 2020.
That's a really big "Of Course" and a great big load of FUD to spread.
For the current leading best idea on alternative fuels, one without hype, sound economics, and more, check out www.dotyenergy.com or search for WindFuels.
1) use wind to make H2 (about 20% more efficnet use of wind than the complexity and cost of making phase synchronized grid power)
2) sequester CO2 from newly built coal plants (existing ones cost to much to refit, but over a 20-30 year ramp up of this fuel technology, most of them can be decomissioned on their existing expected life cycle)
3) combine CO2 and H2, with a bit of water, in a Doty Energy RWTS/RFTS plant and we can make any hydrocarbon you want.
4) pipeline fuel to use in cars (and eventually to replace coal in other plants, to handle paek and wan loads on the grid that solar and other wind can't keep up with)
5) sell the O2 given off by the WindFuels process
6) recycle 60% of the water used in the process at the RTFS plant, and suplement the rest with desalinated sea water.
Very green process. Coal CO2 gets used twice helping limit it's impact until we replace it with liquid fuel buring. unlimited energy, no impact on crops, and for about $60/bbl, half the current price of oil.
Fuel cells will never be reasonable. Even best case estimates at this point put fuel cell costs at 100K per vehicle, once the government subsidies fall away, without a MASSIVE leap in nanotechnology. Besides, H2 is NOT a viable option. (either too dangerous (liquid H2 fill ups) or too heavy, bulky, and expensive for on-demand fuel. (you know that BIG SUV they run around on H2? It's a 2 SEATER! ...and NO, we can't make it much smaller... not for decades even with the best estimates.)
The future is in windfuels (www.dotyenergy.com).
Electric cars ARE viable, now, today. It's just a matter of vamping up production. The power grid? We can EASILY keep up with car demand added to the grid, since the average new car lasts 17 years on the road, and it will be 10 years before even a large percentage of new cars are electric (we've got 30-40 years to grow the grid, which is the same timeframe they ALREADY PROPOSED for the wind/water/solar/geothermal superconducting grid overhal, the first part of which came online in Long Island, NY in April this year.)
The Volt hybrid, on 14 galons of gas, goes 600 miles. Without gas, 60 miles. The average american drives 70 miles per day. At 60-80MPG, that means the AVERAGE person will get more than a MONTH on a fill up, assuming they charge at home nightly. If they also charge at work or on the run, it's possible we'll be talking about the gas SPOILING before you can use it all. (and charging on the run costs less, and is only a 3-5 minute inconvenience).
OK, first, the Volt is larger than the Prius, faster, has better acceleration, and will only cost a couple grand more, easily saved on the back end with infinite MPG on trips shorter than 60 miles, and at 60-80MPG when running on the engine. Electric costs are increasing, but at a fraction of the rate of oil, and electric power is renewable (or at least, the renewable portion is increasing, and can eventually be 100% of energy used).
The lack of electric cars on the market? mostly, we've been waiting for slightly better CPUs to run the car on, and improved energy to weight ratios in the batteries. Li-Ion by itself could have done this, if it wasn't for the potential of catistrofic cell collape (aka, battery explodes). Li-Polymer, and Li-Tit batteries just recently developed do not have this problem, and additional safteys with on-battery chip technology further improve saftey.
Also, 2-3 hours is no longer an issue. Li-Tit batteries charge to 80% in 3 minutes, 100% in less than 10. A simple 3 phase 400 amp connection is required (available at almost any auto shop). Don't believe the hype about how much the cable weights for these either, look at the cable on an electric welder; same cable...
Sure, at home, 3-4 hours will be the norm, 8-10 on 110 volt outlets. Of course, saince the car will have a gas backup, and can go 360 miles on 10 gallons of gas AFTER the battery dies, who cares? On a side note, if you popped for the upgrade to rapid charge at home, hooking up a 220 volt 100 AMP cable, you can actually run your HOUSE off of your CAR in the event of a power failure, without needing a generator, for 3-5 hours, or just your fridge and AC for about a day.
People DO want them. Patents, mostly, and a few technical hurdles were standing in the way. I WILL pay 30K for a car that gets the USD converted electrical equivolent of 150MPG average for my driving habits and takes 3 minutes to recharge.
DO RESEARCH BEFORE SPREADING FUD NEXT TIME!
Actually, the firmware loader is hardware. There is a part of that firmware that's loadable, but a hardware component actually gets things running in microcode first, and that's hard wired into the chipset and not configurable.
Hardware loads the firmware, firmware performs POST, then from that diagnostic information launches the boot loader which then performs the OS kernel unpack and load. This is a bit simplified, but accurate. EFI used a diferent hardware loader than BIOS, and bypassing that process, or tricking the OS into running on unsupported firmware, is a violation of the patent owned by he who designed the hardware (or the OS from the other perspective)
If you have a retail copy of XP, you can just re-use it... If you have an OEM copy, you can't, and thus $50 is a lot cheaper than a full license...
The OEM CD is however NOT tied to the hardware. In some cases, they distribute customized CDs which have more limited cabs files, but that is EASILY fixed by slipstreaming, or better yet, use nLite to do that plus pre-include your drivers, saving you the trouble next time you re-install.
Again, if you have OEM today, you MUST get a new copy. I did NOT suggest using an illegal license. If you're a business, $50, plus natively supported configurations are WELL worth the price (if they don't waive it, which when asked, they usually will, if you're a legitimate business and are buying more than 1 machine, sometimes even for just 1).
[Quote]Exactly which part of that is wrong? I'm talking about a laptop, I'd rather use a touchpad. A computer with only one mouse button shouldn't have right click menus. All of those mentioned methods rely on software to emulate a right click during certain actions, it doesn't usually work when the software is barfing.[/Quote] There is a 2 finger guesture that simulates right click, using only 1 hand, just 2 fingers. Also, almost every function in the right click menu has a keyboard shortcut. Also, the newer track pads DO have right click functionality.
Again, on the hosts file issue: If you're in there at all, you've done something wrong in your network... You should be using DNS, not hosts files. Also, simply editing /etc/hosts won't do any good until you change the hosts priority, since anything the mac finds in DNS will override what's in Hosts anyway. This is done for 1) security and 2) to teach bad admins what they're doing is wrong and that there's a better way. "normal" users don't even know what the fuck /etc/hosts is, so drop that arguement! The Gui front ent to /etc/hosts is called SimpleText... Same as it is in Linux and unix. Where did you find a hosts GUI in Windows by the way??? oh, and opening hosts from finder, you can edit it right IN the finder now, without even opening SimpleText... but I say again, if you're in the hosts file, WHY ARE YOU!?!?
Per folder views does stick in Vista, but there's not a way to propogate those chenges to subfolders easily. You can resel ALL folders to look like the one you're in, but not just a set of subdirectories of an existing subdirectory. Changing view status can be done a lot easier in Vista trhan XP, but only if you're using the new GUI, and leave the accessible buttons available. (most of the systems we run Vista on, that's been disabled).
As for mounting volumes in OS X, you're doin' it wrong is likely the issue. You need to use the comand line and use hard links, and not access the volume relationally. I do this all the time. It can be done. You simply have to make the OS pick the hard link, not the \\server\volume\...path or network drive icon.
Not designed to read /etc/hosts? Actually it is, it suppoprts 100% of TCP/IP. The problem is, like most true Unix OS, not linux OS, the hosts file is not the priority lookup in the NetInfo database. Apple did this because spyware adware, and nearly all redirect attacks use the hosts file. They simply assume that anyone who needs access to edit hosts operates a DNS server, and that server should hold priority, not a vulnerable OS. If you'ree even in the hosts file, my question to you is Why? You should not be if you're doin' it right... The windows hosts file not only "just works" for you, it also works for all the phishers and virus xers out there....
Typically, the "simple tasks" you're having trouble doing, that's because there's a better or more secure process you SHOULD be using instead, and they're trying to make you use it by making the "easy way" less easy. Same goes for browsing files... Why even use folder by folder views when you should be using sherlock, or the advanced finder system to locate files, and besides, anything you should be looking for should be in a predictable place, so really, how many folders could you really be talking about changing views for???
There's a lot of humanity I'd rather do without... Can we set up a socialized system where we can kick undesirables out? I'd support that!
Oops, you smoke crack, no healthcare for you!
Oops, you're 450 lbs, by your own choices, well if you're willing to accept a prescribed diet and excersize plan and work to getting below 30% body fat (quite a reasonable and flexible limit I think), we'll let you in, but get too far off that plan (with multiple warnings) and you'll have to either pay a premium to stay on it, or find supplemental private insurance...
Oops, you ride stunt motorcycles 50 feet in the air? Well, we'll cover you for diseases, but not your hobby related injuries...
oops, you got shot robbing a bank? Oh well, you're screwed.
unemployed, unmarried, and 3 kids already? ...and you refused norplant or other birth control measures? We'll cover the birth, but you have to PAY IT BACK, here's a daycare service and a job, we'll dock your pay accordingly.
All well and good he wants to "save money" and re-use existing hardware, but changing an OS is going to mean a LOT of time, testing, and likely new software. The cost of this will FAR out shadow the costs of a new piece of compatible hardware...
Of course, before you can ask what OS to run, we might want to know what applications it's being used for... and why exactly would an application appliance be powered off? this obviously isn't a database that gets regular attention, or any kind of security device, backup system, or other management system. so...
I'm assuming we're talking about legacy apps here then. In that case, I'm CERTAIN you have idle space and CPU time on existing servers. Throw a VM in there, and use that. When idle (hibernate, wake on LAN) it should use no more energy that the host would be when idle by itself, and if that host is a machine that DOES have to be on 24/7, then you're effectively using 0 additional power. It will wake on LAN in 15-30 seconds, maybe faster, and can auto hibernate again when idle. Simple, clean, and as a bonus, you can move the old hardware to your DR or testing lab.
You're not looking in the right places. First, automator can do almost anything for you, if you simply give it a bit of effort. Underneath the GUI, there's a whole array of flat text files for configuring just about eery option in the OS. The comand line is wonderful to use if you know unix comands OR Applescript.
You've used windows for a decade, and read hundreds of forum posts and help files for it. You know it well. That does NOT mean that bacause you can't figoue out on your own how to do an advanced task in a Mac that it's can't be done! Read some Mac forums, learn Korn Shell, learn Linux, understand the file system, read a few "unleashed" or "exposed" books covering in depth advanced features.
If you gave Mac half the detailed attention for 2-3 years that you gave windows for the last 10, you'd not be making this argument.
If you want all the options youi can get to all live in the GUI, the Mac would be a cluttered and unusable as windows. The GUI is for streamlining tasks, not for pro usage. If you don't like it, turn in your geek card.
1) have you ever really liked the mouse that came with your PC? I never have... Always bought a better one. Also, new macs mostly come with a 2 button mouse now from what I understand (mightymouse detects right/left clicks, track pads use a 2 finger click instead of one for right click)
2) remembering per-folder views is actually a FEATURE, one I WISH I could get in Vista! It's a PAIN IN THE ASS for it to keep reverting to diferent modes when I want certain folders viewed certain ways, and there's no 1-2 click way to set them in Vista or XP. At least in Mac, there's a keyboard shortcut for changing it. If you really feel like it, you can get simple scripts online people made for doing routine repetitive tasks like resetting folders online quick and easy.
3) You can back up to network locations, but you have to mount the disk first...
4) I've not tried the migration tool (did it manually instead), but I hear there's a network enabling patch or utility out there somewhere that does it. Mac to Mac migration is pretty much a snap with or without a tool. PC to mac migration? I'd never try that... It just sounds like a bad idea!
If diving into the registry is what it takes to fix an issue, and you don't think enabling root to be able to edit /etc/hosts is a problem, I don;t know what to say. The Mac is a Linux system. Almost every single thing that can be configured in in a text file! No special tools needed, no language to read, heck, most of it is even commented for convenience.
Just because it;s different, and after 2 years you're still not used to it, doesn't mean it's wrong, and just because you didn't find a way, or didn't like it, doesn't mean there isn't one.
OS X isn't perfect, but overall, c'mon, just look at the satisfaction ratings. Also feel free to google for an online blog series called "Mad as Hell" where an IT security director looked in depth at the issues, and TCO of macs instead of PCs in a large corporate network...
Hate to say it, but I've even had problems with a clean Mac install. In one case, it was a bad HDD (of which Apple's installer gives no clues other than it lockes up, and since there was no physical power button on that mat, it mean't pulling the plug out). In another case (and as I've found is common with HP all-in-ones and macs) printer drivers are a pain in the ass, especially if you have more than 1 printer and more than 1 user.
Apple's OS is very stable (not as stable as most Linux distros though) and pretty. Once you get used to their caveats and icons (untrain windows from the brain) it's actually HIGHLY productive and logical. It's still not perfect, and I often prefer Linux.
Vista is an improvement, but even less of it is logical, and some of the things they changed seem like they did just because (add/remove becomes programs and features? WHY!?) They fixed some issues, added a bunch more, and in general just refuse to acknowledge that breaking ALL backward compatability might actually be better than only breaking some, and leaving ambiguity. Sooner of later, Windows must die. The better the competition looks, the less likely Microsoft will survive the switch (Apple almost didn't)
Buy a Dell model that supports XP pre-loaded, DON'T choose the upsell, use your existing XP licence from the machine you're replacing and load it yourself...
For a home user with a bit of knowledge, combined with Dell support if you can speak with an Indian accent, and you can get it done. For a business, given the value of time, well worth the upgrade, and they're going to have to pop for a business licence anyway (of course, if you're talking about a large rollout, I'd like you to meet my friend SMS...)
If you're really that far out, guess what, it sux, sattelite is your only option. If there's no existing buried cable within 30KM of your location, it also sucks, or if the terrain won't accomodate it.
Several hundred grand for fiber at 30K? I've got an airport here that laid 4 miles of fiber run (with multiple bundles in each run for redundancy, nearly 28 total miles of fiber), and they had to cut through concrete to put it in the ground across almost every foot of the runs, including across runways which caused major logistical headaches getting it done. Total installation was under 100K. (most of the labor was their own, instead of paying $75/hr for contractors)
Urban fiber runs are the most expensive, costing upwards of 500K - 1 million per mile, but a lot of that is due to access limits, permits, conduit sharing fees, and complications of underground deployment in urban areas. Suburbs and pole mounted fiber can be 200-400K per mile. Along rural highways, with few crossroads to deal with, and using quick and simple dig and drop installation, without the worry of cutting anyone elses lines, underground gas, etc, cheap. You can do 1/4 per day typically. Most of the cost of laying fiber is in the labor, and in the leased conduit/pole access.
Again, out that far into the deep north, hey, they chose that type of business, and that location. difficult and expensive communication simply comes with it.
Is there a phone there? Unless they have NO access to hardline at all, no cell towers, only Satelite for TV and SatCom for phones, then there is a buried line within 30KM of their location, and to that line can be installed a noc, and in that noc can be installed a fiber to analog interconnect, which can carry up to 100Mbit signals.
If not, then 30K for a low-latency sattelite it is. You want to open a business in the middle of fucking nowhere, that's part of your operational cost...
Actually, you don't need the notice published ON the box, only a statement indicating there is an agreement binding, and where to locate a free copy. The EULA is publised on Apple's site, and can be ordered in print form by calling a 1-800 number. The Store will NOT take the package back opened, but Apple will, as long as the inner-box EULA sticker is still unbroken. It clearly sais so RIGHT ON THE STICKER.
The backbone doesn't have to stop there, just pass there. Sureley there is a road connecting that town to others. down that road somewhere is a telecommunications hub and a fiber drop. One only needs to get the provider to build a node to connect to and lease you fiber access.
If you REALLY can't get the level of service you require, and it's impacting your business, then ROI and simple sense dictate you should either move said business, or change your requirements for service expectations.
Unless you're talking about working in remote arctic areas, say for research purposes or for access to burined resources, then you should have, within reason, access to proper services, it;s just a matter of getting someone to do the work and spend the money to hook it up, and if you're within 30KM of a medium sized town, major road, or highway, it should be able to be done for well under 30K (less if multiple companies can share the connection)
If you're further out, then low latency dedicated satellite may be your only option. Keep in mind, feeds like that are not only expensive to buy, but the bandwidth fees are ridiculous!
i get the impression from the original article that they're in a mildly populated area, not some remote outpost...
well, since the construction of that firmware is a proprietary technology, patented by a group of companies (Intel, Apple, and a couple of others), you would require permission from them to licence that chip technology in order to do that. Not going to happen....
It's not Apple's firmware you're circumventing, but a core component of the Intel Board, for which Apple is currently the only OS that has native (and approved) support for, aside from a small open source linux distro or two that also garnered permission.
Many of the drivers in use are Aplle's own, not provided by intel or other manufacturers. Were you to find a legal way of avoiding EFI without a DMCA or reverse engineering violation, and could you provide all your own drivers for hardware that apple wrote their own for, you might be able to slip by legally, but you still have to worry about the fact that an EULA is a binding legal contract (until otherwise shot down in court, for which it has faced many battles and not yet lost.
Yes, it only applies to the parts, and can to those directly connected to it. Transmission failure would still be able to be warrantied if your new radio fried the car's power system.
Installing Apple's OS on BIOS based hardware is a technological limitation, that requires cracking code to make work. This is both a legal and physical limitation.
BIOS and EFI are hardware (firmware) differences, not software or DRM. they do not use TPM chips anymore.
An EULA is a licence contract between 2 parties. It is clearly spelled out, presented both before and after the sale, able to be declined without penalty within given terms (do not open to refuse licence). Further more, it HAS been held in court that a licencing body may, at it's own discretion, require the return of said licence or contract for use at will.
You are NOT buying the software. The software is provided BY the licence, not the other way around. You may keep the physical media, but the software is considered a seperate entity, and the use of it can be revolked. this is no different from the DMV, or a credit card company. You PAID a fee to get it, but you do NOT own it, (it says so on the back of your drives license and credit card both) you are only LICENSED to USE it, under their strict rules that you are legally bound to as soon as you accept said license, and can be ordered to return it, without refund, for any violation of its permissible applications.
The grant of an EULA is backed by the US Code of Commerce, a document backed by the direct power of the US constitution, and the commerce department of the united states. they DO have the power to enforce it, and the rules for the creation of a license and what can and can't be included in one are deeply rooted in this piece of legislation.
undoing the EULA would castrate the power of multiple government agencies, and wreak havock on the software and services sections of business. The ramifications of undoing licence use and trade restrictions by simply stating that software becomes an individual piece of property on purchase will cost the US BILLIONS in trade.
Keep in mind, (if it works the way I see it) if you get your way, then we're no longer legally liable to FIX what's broken with what you bought (only to fix what didn't work as advertised on the day it was advertised), we'd only be liable to return it to original working order. If someone hacked your software, we'd not be responsible or liable for it anymore! It would be like requiring car companies to replace your engine because it won;t run E85, even though it wasn't originally speced out to.
I will concede, you can get a 15" performance PC for a good bit less than Apple's 15" pro. The 17", not so much a difference. The iMac and Power Mac are cheaper than the competition. Nobody really competes with the mini in terms of performance in that form factor. The classic macbooks are very competitive for the features and performance they include, and ALL of them can run Windows through bootcamp or parallells (or both).