It's one day a year - if you really can't go that long without your slashdot fix and really can't take a joke, then maybe you have larger problems than "OMG!!! PONIES!!!"
Looks like it's more than just one day... There is such a thing as flogging a dead horse... I believe we've passed that point quite some time ago...
I had the same problem. I have never had a properly working Superdrive in either my mac mini or g4 powerbook. For around 3 months, every time I called Apple to try and lodge an issue on it I kept getting sent articles on how to burn CDs.
The problem isn't that I don't know how to burn CDs, but more to the fact that the damn drive firmware is screwed.
I got so frustrated at trying to get onto someone with a clue at Apple that I started up http://superdrive.crc.id.au/ with a hope that SOMEBODY has a clue within Apple.
Long story short, my warranty is about to expire and I'm yet to have this problem resolved - a whole 12 months later. I don't call this excellent customer service. I call it a half-baked product that has had it's faults ignored hoping that they go away.
It's kind of odd for one of the most important devices in a computer to be the only moving one (And therefore the most susceptible to damage, especially in laptops).
Of course the other most important device that still moves in your laptop will be the fan to stop those energy efficient CPUs from melting out of the case, through the table and burning your leg.
When the Chinese government eventually DOES shut them down, I hope they don't expect much coverage in the Western media.
But it also makes you wonder if reporters these days actually have reliable sources - and if they even bother to verify them. I'm tipping this is a classic example of a big "NO" on both accounts.
Whose company products in all my years of computer maintenance have overall caused me more problems than all the malware/viruses they were supposed to be fighting. Thanks for the heads up!
You can say that again. Where I'm working now, "Are you using Norton Internet Security or Anti-Virus?" is about question number 2 on the process for troubleshooting email problem calls. The first one is "What is your email address?". It's a 50/50 decision on if I'd rather taken on the virus/trojan world.......
If Apple wants to sell a product then they need someone to sell it to and as long as software consumers continue to accept these "no rights but those we allow" stance currently offered by Apple and other software companies they will continue to make money. So I say, why stand for it?
You have to be kidding right? Would you rather everybody gives everything away and nobody ever makes any money? Sure, it'd be nice - but be realistic - it will never happen. If Apple didn't make any money, it wouldn't be making any hardware, software, or just about anything else... What would be the drive to create anything?
Any business that doesn't make money, won't be around for long. I personally like OSX and would like to have it in the future. This being the case, I pay for it. If I didn't, and neither did anyone else, there wouldn't be a future for OSX. Surely you don't want every company in existance to be in that situation?
WiFi does not use "public spectrum." It falls under part 15 rules and therefore uses spectrum that is allocated to licensed users, at extremely low power, with the understanding that it must not cause interference and must accept any interference. In other words, your WiFi router has no more right to transmit on that channel than your neighbor's microwave oven has.
Actually, it's under a class license, which means the devices themselves need to pass certification to be operated in that band. It is known widely as public spectrum because it is the device that is certified for mass production that anyone can go and buy.
As a licensed user of several of the WiFi channels I can transmit at 1500 watts over an entire city, if necessary to establish communication, and can interfere with any unlicensed WiFi routers on my channel with impunity. Not only that, if any of those routers are interfering with my signal, they are legally required to shut down or at least change channel.
Wrong. I think you'll find that in that part of the band, the limit is MUCH less than 1500 watts. I can't recall the exact figures, but from memory, if it's over 200W transmitter power, then you need special permission. I do believe that the 2.4Ghz section of spectrum is much lower due to the potential risks at that particular band. Your request to run this kind of power (1500W) in that area would be denied. They are also not legally required to shut down their service. You can just ask nicely. You have just as much responsibility to not cause interference as they do.
Think that's unfair? The designers of WiFi were aware of those requirements when they first selected the frequencies. Luckily for all you unlicensed users of WiFi, most of us hams are nice guys who like WiFi for our own networks, and are excited about the availability of cheap hardware for using that part of the spectrum.
Wow. Nice to know you like to blow you're own trumpet and I love the sound of breaking a power trip. WiFi users are not required to be licensed - the equipment is as mentioned earlier. Don't make it sound like you're doing people a favour here - all I see is a snobby HAM operator blowing his horn.
I live down the block, and I use that band for high power transmissions. I have a 10,000 watt transmitter that I use to get my data all over the city.
That's ok, you can use your 10,000 watt transmitter - because you won't be around for very long - especially if you use that kinda power on 2.4Ghz.
The fun thing about these 'power games' is that for 2 way communications, BOTH sides need to reach each other. this means you'll need 2 x 10,000 watt transmitters.... and good luck getting a power supply for one of them... quick maths... 10,000 watts @ 13.8v (assume car battery!) = 724 Amps at 100% efficiency... RF stages are usually about 40-60% efficient - so add 50% for loss gives you just over a 1000 Amps @ 13.8v
So, if you can carry that thing around to get back to your base station on the fringe areas, then I've love to see it - although Darwin would probably take care of you before the RF would...
Ahhh, but with Vista, you can instal drivers for setup on either a USB stick, USB floppy, traditional floppy, or a CD. Probably overdue - but progress.
It's interesting that nearly EVERY comment is about Australia being founded by criminals. Do they teach nothing more than that in other places around the world?
What about the fact that it's the country (a government department no less!) that invented 802.11g?
What about the fact that a hell of a lot of healthcare stuff is started in Australia?
I remember reading something a while ago about the bionic ear was an Australian invention, and probably a ton of other stuff...
And the free space loss is higher with a higher frequency. So you get less distance for the same amount of power - and it's less efficient to create the same amount of power.
Costs are still the main problem however, as if you want to do anything serious, you need to avoid coax at 5Ghz as the loss is large. This means if you need to put the equipment seperate from the antenna, you'll need to use a 5Ghz waveguide. These are not cheap.
So you want something with radio and antenna built into one - which means something custom made. Custom made = expensive.
What we do with these units is to use custom firmware distro based on OpenWRT for our community wireless network. These units act as a captive portal, and when you login with your username and password, you get a defined level of access with that system.
Slashdot Mirror
At least he gets a reply from Apple!
I just get told to get bent when I'm reporting a fault with my equipment. I'd be happy to get Apple to fix my SuperDrives.
Telling people with faulty equipment to get bent? Evil? Check on both accounts.
If this pans out, it's one huge way to give MS the finger...
Does anyone have a link to the patent? This could be very interesting - especially given the wide-spread distribution of the Xbox 360...
Not every company will (without hesitation) own up to its mistakes and be generous enough to offer repairs.
So then why am I still waiting 12 months later for them to fix my damn superdrive?
Finally, back to the old green color... more comfortable.
Yeah - but it will take a while for the retina burn to recover...
Can someone tell Zonk that April fools day only lasts for one day?
Posted by Zonk on 7:39 2nd April, 2006
It's one day a year - if you really can't go that long without your slashdot fix and really can't take a joke, then maybe you have larger problems than "OMG!!! PONIES!!!"
Looks like it's more than just one day... There is such a thing as flogging a dead horse... I believe we've passed that point quite some time ago...
I had the same problem. I have never had a properly working Superdrive in either my mac mini or g4 powerbook. For around 3 months, every time I called Apple to try and lodge an issue on it I kept getting sent articles on how to burn CDs.
The problem isn't that I don't know how to burn CDs, but more to the fact that the damn drive firmware is screwed.
I got so frustrated at trying to get onto someone with a clue at Apple that I started up http://superdrive.crc.id.au/ with a hope that SOMEBODY has a clue within Apple.
Long story short, my warranty is about to expire and I'm yet to have this problem resolved - a whole 12 months later. I don't call this excellent customer service. I call it a half-baked product that has had it's faults ignored hoping that they go away.
Best customer service? Tell that to my 11 month old unresolved Apple TAC case...
http://superdrive.crc.id.au/ for the full rundown....
Your entire post seems to be "spin" to me
Seems? I've seen less spin in a crowded laundry.
It's kind of odd for one of the most important devices in a computer to be the only moving one (And therefore the most susceptible to damage, especially in laptops).
Of course the other most important device that still moves in your laptop will be the fan to stop those energy efficient CPUs from melting out of the case, through the table and burning your leg.
When the Chinese government eventually DOES shut them down, I hope they don't expect much coverage in the Western media.
But it also makes you wonder if reporters these days actually have reliable sources - and if they even bother to verify them. I'm tipping this is a classic example of a big "NO" on both accounts.
I wonder how much other news is in this catagory?
Whose company products in all my years of computer maintenance have overall caused me more problems than all the malware/viruses they were supposed to be fighting. Thanks for the heads up!
You can say that again. Where I'm working now, "Are you using Norton Internet Security or Anti-Virus?" is about question number 2 on the process for troubleshooting email problem calls. The first one is "What is your email address?". It's a 50/50 decision on if I'd rather taken on the virus/trojan world.......
Woah, they even got the might dot! My quip down the bottom was System going down in 5 minutes.
Nice work!
by the late Fereydoon Batmanghelidj M.D.
Does he introduce himself by saying, "I'm Batman!...ghelidj" ?
I don't think he'll be introducing himself to anyone anytime soon....
If Apple wants to sell a product then they need someone to sell it to and as long as software consumers continue to accept these "no rights but those we allow" stance currently offered by Apple and other software companies they will continue to make money. So I say, why stand for it?
You have to be kidding right? Would you rather everybody gives everything away and nobody ever makes any money? Sure, it'd be nice - but be realistic - it will never happen. If Apple didn't make any money, it wouldn't be making any hardware, software, or just about anything else... What would be the drive to create anything?
Any business that doesn't make money, won't be around for long. I personally like OSX and would like to have it in the future. This being the case, I pay for it. If I didn't, and neither did anyone else, there wouldn't be a future for OSX. Surely you don't want every company in existance to be in that situation?
WiFi does not use "public spectrum." It falls under part 15 rules and therefore uses spectrum that is allocated to licensed users, at extremely low power, with the understanding that it must not cause interference and must accept any interference. In other words, your WiFi router has no more right to transmit on that channel than your neighbor's microwave oven has.
Actually, it's under a class license, which means the devices themselves need to pass certification to be operated in that band. It is known widely as public spectrum because it is the device that is certified for mass production that anyone can go and buy.
As a licensed user of several of the WiFi channels I can transmit at 1500 watts over an entire city, if necessary to establish communication, and can interfere with any unlicensed WiFi routers on my channel with impunity. Not only that, if any of those routers are interfering with my signal, they are legally required to shut down or at least change channel.
Wrong. I think you'll find that in that part of the band, the limit is MUCH less than 1500 watts. I can't recall the exact figures, but from memory, if it's over 200W transmitter power, then you need special permission. I do believe that the 2.4Ghz section of spectrum is much lower due to the potential risks at that particular band. Your request to run this kind of power (1500W) in that area would be denied. They are also not legally required to shut down their service. You can just ask nicely. You have just as much responsibility to not cause interference as they do.
Think that's unfair? The designers of WiFi were aware of those requirements when they first selected the frequencies. Luckily for all you unlicensed users of WiFi, most of us hams are nice guys who like WiFi for our own networks, and are excited about the availability of cheap hardware for using that part of the spectrum.
Wow. Nice to know you like to blow you're own trumpet and I love the sound of breaking a power trip. WiFi users are not required to be licensed - the equipment is as mentioned earlier. Don't make it sound like you're doing people a favour here - all I see is a snobby HAM operator blowing his horn.
I live down the block, and I use that band for high power transmissions. I have a 10,000 watt transmitter that I use to get my data all over the city.
That's ok, you can use your 10,000 watt transmitter - because you won't be around for very long - especially if you use that kinda power on 2.4Ghz.
The fun thing about these 'power games' is that for 2 way communications, BOTH sides need to reach each other. this means you'll need 2 x 10,000 watt transmitters.... and good luck getting a power supply for one of them... quick maths... 10,000 watts @ 13.8v (assume car battery!) = 724 Amps at 100% efficiency... RF stages are usually about 40-60% efficient - so add 50% for loss gives you just over a 1000 Amps @ 13.8v
So, if you can carry that thing around to get back to your base station on the fringe areas, then I've love to see it - although Darwin would probably take care of you before the RF would...
Ahhh, but with Vista, you can instal drivers for setup on either a USB stick, USB floppy, traditional floppy, or a CD. Probably overdue - but progress.
This is also a feature on the upcoming Vista release from MS...
It's interesting that nearly EVERY comment is about Australia being founded by criminals. Do they teach nothing more than that in other places around the world?
What about the fact that it's the country (a government department no less!) that invented 802.11g?
What about the fact that a hell of a lot of healthcare stuff is started in Australia?
I remember reading something a while ago about the bionic ear was an Australian invention, and probably a ton of other stuff...
Sounds to me like the unique serial number thing that was available in Intel P2/P3 chips....
Whatever happened to those?
Maybe this is just me, but I've never understood why people need "turnkey solutions" for things like these.
Yeah, because it's not like this is a well used 'feature' in Windows Domains in just about every large company...
And the free space loss is higher with a higher frequency. So you get less distance for the same amount of power - and it's less efficient to create the same amount of power.
Costs are still the main problem however, as if you want to do anything serious, you need to avoid coax at 5Ghz as the loss is large. This means if you need to put the equipment seperate from the antenna, you'll need to use a 5Ghz waveguide. These are not cheap.
So you want something with radio and antenna built into one - which means something custom made. Custom made = expensive.
What we do with these units is to use custom firmware distro based on OpenWRT for our community wireless network. These units act as a captive portal, and when you login with your username and password, you get a defined level of access with that system.
s sRouterProject
It's all part of the Melbourne Wireless Router Project (MWRP) and is detailed more at:
http://melbourne.wireless.org.au/wiki/?MelbWirele
We currently use it in a number of places, and it can be used in both PC based systems, and the WRT54G APs. This is a great move for us by Linksys.
Changed one pixel and this is all I got is a lousy tshirt?