I use Linux as my primary desktop at home. Even my 4 year old daughter uses Linux just fine.
The times when you need to really mess with things are much much fewer than the old days.
That's really good. As an OS X user, I would hate to see Linux die; because Apple would be in a world of hurt if it took all those Open Source projects with it.
But in your heart of hearts, you know what I mean.
Considering the vast majority of software is only on Windows, getting a Mac seems like it would generate a great deal of frustration. There's also the frustration of not being able to upgrade basic things like RAM because it's soldered to the fucking motherboard.
No thanks, I'll stick with a PC that costs less, performs better and runs what I want. If I ever need to kill some time, I'll dabble with MacOS in a VM.
Oh look. A Windows fanboy. How cute, and how increasingly rare.
Fine. I'm sure Apple will get along just fine without you. I think their stock performance relative to the rest of the Personal Computer industry (and in fact, in comparison to a lot of industries) would more than bear that out.
And as for the "vast majority of software" being "only on Windows", that gets less and less true with each passing year. And you will also find that most of the "Wintel" PC manufacturers are shifting to a non-upgradeable RAM configuration on their laptops and even some desktop systems.
Not sure where your "performs better" claim comes from. At this point, I think that the performance of specific examples of software titles is making more of a difference there than hardware, when the hardware is in the same ballpark (which it is) across the industry. And the comparison reviews I have read tend to support my position.
This is exactly right, I don't quite understand how people can still be so ignorant of the concept that "there is no such thing as a free lunch". How is it that people here are still surprised to find that out?
Apple's 'device' model is good, the hardware and software are integrated rather than separate things and it means the cost of the device is then used for both the hardware and software development.
Right.
And bringing it back around to the point of this Thread, that also means that Apple's business model (and I suppose Linux') is the only one that doesn't depend on eating the souls of its victims, er customers.
But the problem with Linux is that it's Linux; which means that it is forever doomed to be relegated to the server room and the workbenches of hobbyists. It very well may "run" the Internet; but it will never be "The Year of The Linux Desktop". Never.
This has been explained to the linux community with some frequency. They don't listen to the problems with wider adoption of their operating system and so we run into problems.
Even suggesting that there is any legitimacy to this position is derided which shuts down any possibility of meaningful communication.
I don't want every keystroke sent to the mothership.
The you'd better plan on migrating to OS X (or Linux if you don't have anything better to do than get your OS and applications working with your computer and all your peripherals).
It doesn't "need" the stylus at all, works just fine without it. The stylus is the phone's selling point- it includes a stylus and digitizer similar to a wacom tablet for drawing, handwriting etc.
Yeah, that sounds like some selling point for this phone [rolls eyes]
A nice thing about the windows community is that we do find these things fairly quickly and knee cap them... just Tonya Harding the shit out of them.:D
We'll see how this new model, which seems to be trying to emulate Apple in many respects, works for MS.
But the one respect they cannot/won't emulate is changing their business model to a hardware-based monetization, where they actually sell Microsoft-branded hardware, and take steps to prevent their OS from running on Third Party hardware. By the way, Apple doesn't really prevent their software from running on compatible third-party hardware, but doing so violates the terms of the EULA. But Microsoft would have to actually use "tools" such as "Secure Boot" to "more aggressively" enforce their EULA, simply because of the sheer numbers of Windows-compatible hardware out there.
Until they do that, Microsoft will forever be forced to pay for Windows by pimping-out the Users' personal data.
There simply is no other way, other than to charge OEMs an exorbitant licensing fee, which kinda flies in the face of "free", don'tcha think?
They should also provide a way to disable ALL communication with Microsoft's servers.
It's bad enough that Google tracks my every move with the help of my cell phone, I don't need Microsoft doing it on my pc too
So why can't you install a Firewall that has some decent OUTBOUND filtering? Or do they have Windows' Networking stack trussed-up in such a way that you would literally have to have a separate box doing the firewalling?
A design can be bad by virtue of not taking into account typical use cases. While I don't think I'd put the stylus in the wrong way I could easily see a kid or a non tech savvy person doing it. And if it happens then the design should save the user from a catastrophic error such as the damage or destruction of their phone.
e.g. Nintendo manages this feat in the DS / 3DS by having a square profile at the top of the stylus. Put the DS stylus in the wrong way and it won't fit. It shouldn't be any harder for Samsung to solve - taper the stylus or make the non writing end a little larger than the shaft so it can't be inserted the wrong way around.
Putting the pen in backwards can also be done intentionally - they go into a holder and you need to eject it to use it again. Sometimes you're just switching between doing a lot of tapping to a lot of writing, and it's handy to put the pen away temporarily. For these cases, I put the pen in backwards - they generally get stuck halfway in so instead of fiddling with getting it ejected, I just grab the end sticking out (especially since some ejection mechanisms don't push the stylus out far enough so it's a tough grab).
It's surprising how many stylus based devices this works on and how handy it is not having to futz with getting the pen out.
Now, the pen isn't locked into position, but if you're switching between stylus and other control inputs, it beats holding it the entire time.
Or, you could just use a device that doesn't require a stupid stylus.
Most users are not dumb. Most users simply assume that the worst thing to happen when inserting the wrong way is for it to not work. The only dumb ones are the designers/engineers who didn't take into account completely normal human behavior and expectations.
Exactly this -- they need to release a new pen design that is impossible to insert in the "wrong" way (quick fix is to broaden the end, but the pen won't sit flush to the casing) OR it needs to not break when the pen is inserted the "wrong" way. I put "wrong" in quotes, because the current design does not prevent inserting the pen backwards (so both ways are "correct").
Or they can just sharpen the point of the stylus to a greater extent, so that pain/blood keeps the user from inserting the pen "backwards". At least more than once.;-)
This is a perfect example of over-engineering; designing something for flash rather than functionality. It reminds me of the Tesla and people getting locked out of their cars because someone thought it would be a good idea to have retracting door handles (complete with all the moving parts that can break down).
What is wrong with a simple slot for the pen? Why do you need an ejection mechanism? All that does is add unnecessary parts and over complicate the design.
No. It is a perfect example of UNDER-engineering.
If the stylus-holder and/or stylus was engineered (and TESTED!) correctly/thoroughly, they would have caught this error in the prototype phase. While I understand what you are saying about "over-engineering", that is actually a false canard.
was going to buy a tablet, I never knew, just had a use for one and upon investigation, nu uh, I ain't that stupid.
Yes, actually you are.
I use my nearly 5 year old iPad 2 about 7-10 hours per day, every day, and I have yet to notice any drop in battery life. WIth modern Lithium Polymer batteries and a reasonable charging system (albeit not always present in cheapie mobile devices), you can expect many, many recharge cycles.
Hey, don't feel bad! I was trying to figure out what a Table (prounounced "Tab-lay") was, until I made my brain get rid of the (faked) Accent Aigu off of the end...
One could ask the same of you, macs4all. Always coming to Apple's defense. Why?
The answer is simple: I have enjoyed using Apple's products for many decades; and considering the horseshit lies and over-the-top innuendos regarding Apple products and policies that are propagated by a certain group of Slashdotters, I feel that it is somewhat important to attempt to correct those lies and innuendos whenever I encounter them.
Is Apple perfect? Fuck no! But they do at least TRY to do the right thing, and to actually listen to their users, and that, my friend, is a rarity among businesses.
Oh yeah, and they do build some of the best-in-class computers, phones, portable music players and tablets on the market. They may not have the most number of ports and geegaws; but what they have works, and works very well, and works seamlessly with their software. Which again, is a rarity. And then their are their software products. I believe that, by and large, they do a bangup job on their OSes, and most of their other software offerings. And they have also offered many unique and improved technologies as Open Source Projects, and have also kept things like CUPS as Open Source, when they could have just given a big middle-finger to Linux when they purchased same.
So yeah, I think that Apple gets maligned far too much in these pages, and, considering their products and their track record, actually deserves a little defending.
Oh and unlike YOU, Mr. COWARD, at least I have the balls to stick my Karma on the line (something I have regretted more than once!). BIG DIFFERENCE!
With the exception of outdated drivers and little to no support from Apple fixing them and forcing WIndows 8 on newer macs.
If the drivers are so outdated and horrible, then why does review after review claim that Windows performance (pick your version) is stellar on Macs?
And are you talking about Boot Camp not supporting earlier versions of Windows? I was sad when they stopped supporting XP, too; but it is understandable from a Support point-of-view.
And like every other (or almost every other) PC manufacturer immediately drops driver support for the previous version of Windows when the new one comes out... It's just the way things are in the whole PC industry.
Do you really think that Apple wants to move Windows users forward to a new Windows version? That's nonsensical. I would suspect that it's more like, just like everyone else, Apple relies on "reference designs" for the basis of their Drivers (especially the Windows Drivers), and when they update their hardware designs, they can't find compatible driver-models for earlier versions of Windows, any more than anyone else can. Think about it.
Yes, the Best Windows machines are Macs. This has been the case for a looong time. Not only are they less expensive for the lifetime of ownership, longer lives, more powerful, more fully featured but as a bonus you get to use the MacOSX and better integration with iOS. Total win.
Slashdot Mirror
I use Linux as my primary desktop at home. Even my 4 year old daughter uses Linux just fine. The times when you need to really mess with things are much much fewer than the old days.
That's really good. As an OS X user, I would hate to see Linux die; because Apple would be in a world of hurt if it took all those Open Source projects with it.
But in your heart of hearts, you know what I mean.
Considering the vast majority of software is only on Windows, getting a Mac seems like it would generate a great deal of frustration. There's also the frustration of not being able to upgrade basic things like RAM because it's soldered to the fucking motherboard.
No thanks, I'll stick with a PC that costs less, performs better and runs what I want. If I ever need to kill some time, I'll dabble with MacOS in a VM.
Oh look. A Windows fanboy. How cute, and how increasingly rare.
Fine. I'm sure Apple will get along just fine without you. I think their stock performance relative to the rest of the Personal Computer industry (and in fact, in comparison to a lot of industries) would more than bear that out.
And as for the "vast majority of software" being "only on Windows", that gets less and less true with each passing year. And you will also find that most of the "Wintel" PC manufacturers are shifting to a non-upgradeable RAM configuration on their laptops and even some desktop systems.
Not sure where your "performs better" claim comes from. At this point, I think that the performance of specific examples of software titles is making more of a difference there than hardware, when the hardware is in the same ballpark (which it is) across the industry. And the comparison reviews I have read tend to support my position.
If people are going to switch away from Windows then they are going to go to OSX long before GNU/Linux.
We are in complete agreement, and I'd love to subscribe to your Newsletter.
This is exactly right, I don't quite understand how people can still be so ignorant of the concept that "there is no such thing as a free lunch". How is it that people here are still surprised to find that out?
Apple's 'device' model is good, the hardware and software are integrated rather than separate things and it means the cost of the device is then used for both the hardware and software development.
Right.
And bringing it back around to the point of this Thread, that also means that Apple's business model (and I suppose Linux') is the only one that doesn't depend on eating the souls of its victims, er customers.
But the problem with Linux is that it's Linux; which means that it is forever doomed to be relegated to the server room and the workbenches of hobbyists. It very well may "run" the Internet; but it will never be "The Year of The Linux Desktop". Never.
This has been explained to the linux community with some frequency. They don't listen to the problems with wider adoption of their operating system and so we run into problems.
Even suggesting that there is any legitimacy to this position is derided which shuts down any possibility of meaningful communication.
As such... don't ask questions you can't handle the answers to. https://youtu.be/9FnO3igOkOk?t... ;-D
You're preachin' to the choir, man!
Take a look at my Username. Think I don't have some experience around here with the Linux Police?
I don't want every keystroke sent to the mothership.
The you'd better plan on migrating to OS X (or Linux if you don't have anything better to do than get your OS and applications working with your computer and all your peripherals).
It doesn't "need" the stylus at all, works just fine without it. The stylus is the phone's selling point- it includes a stylus and digitizer similar to a wacom tablet for drawing, handwriting etc.
Yeah, that sounds like some selling point for this phone [rolls eyes]
A nice thing about the windows community is that we do find these things fairly quickly and knee cap them... just Tonya Harding the shit out of them. :D
Why?
Even Apple who requires you to use their own premium-priced hardware for OSX outpaces the free GNU/Linux by a significant margin.
Apple is only "premium-priced" if you value your time and frustration-index at zero.
Now is the time to learn OS X
FTFY.
We'll see how this new model, which seems to be trying to emulate Apple in many respects, works for MS.
But the one respect they cannot/won't emulate is changing their business model to a hardware-based monetization, where they actually sell Microsoft-branded hardware, and take steps to prevent their OS from running on Third Party hardware. By the way, Apple doesn't really prevent their software from running on compatible third-party hardware, but doing so violates the terms of the EULA. But Microsoft would have to actually use "tools" such as "Secure Boot" to "more aggressively" enforce their EULA, simply because of the sheer numbers of Windows-compatible hardware out there.
.
Until they do that, Microsoft will forever be forced to pay for Windows by pimping-out the Users' personal data
There simply is no other way, other than to charge OEMs an exorbitant licensing fee, which kinda flies in the face of "free", don'tcha think?
They should also provide a way to disable ALL communication with Microsoft's servers. It's bad enough that Google tracks my every move with the help of my cell phone, I don't need Microsoft doing it on my pc too
So why can't you install a Firewall that has some decent OUTBOUND filtering? Or do they have Windows' Networking stack trussed-up in such a way that you would literally have to have a separate box doing the firewalling?
And suddenly, since Apple's introduction of iPhone, everyone seems to have gone stupid and needs to re-solve the same problems.
Actually, Apple neatly solved the whole problem in 2007 by doing away with the need for an ignorant stylus altogether.
Everyone else is trying to solve yesterday's problems.
Putting the pen in backwards can also be done intentionally - they go into a holder and you need to eject it to use it again. Sometimes you're just switching between doing a lot of tapping to a lot of writing, and it's handy to put the pen away temporarily. For these cases, I put the pen in backwards - they generally get stuck halfway in so instead of fiddling with getting it ejected, I just grab the end sticking out (especially since some ejection mechanisms don't push the stylus out far enough so it's a tough grab).
It's surprising how many stylus based devices this works on and how handy it is not having to futz with getting the pen out.
Now, the pen isn't locked into position, but if you're switching between stylus and other control inputs, it beats holding it the entire time.
Or, you could just use a device that doesn't require a stupid stylus.
Most users are not dumb. Most users simply assume that the worst thing to happen when inserting the wrong way is for it to not work. The only dumb ones are the designers/engineers who didn't take into account completely normal human behavior and expectations.
Exactly.
Exactly this -- they need to release a new pen design that is impossible to insert in the "wrong" way (quick fix is to broaden the end, but the pen won't sit flush to the casing) OR it needs to not break when the pen is inserted the "wrong" way. I put "wrong" in quotes, because the current design does not prevent inserting the pen backwards (so both ways are "correct").
Or they can just sharpen the point of the stylus to a greater extent, so that pain/blood keeps the user from inserting the pen "backwards". At least more than once. ;-)
This is a perfect example of over-engineering; designing something for flash rather than functionality. It reminds me of the Tesla and people getting locked out of their cars because someone thought it would be a good idea to have retracting door handles (complete with all the moving parts that can break down).
What is wrong with a simple slot for the pen? Why do you need an ejection mechanism? All that does is add unnecessary parts and over complicate the design.
No. It is a perfect example of UNDER-engineering.
If the stylus-holder and/or stylus was engineered (and TESTED!) correctly/thoroughly, they would have caught this error in the prototype phase. While I understand what you are saying about "over-engineering", that is actually a false canard.
was going to buy a tablet, I never knew, just had a use for one and upon investigation, nu uh, I ain't that stupid.
Yes, actually you are.
I use my nearly 5 year old iPad 2 about 7-10 hours per day, every day, and I have yet to notice any drop in battery life. WIth modern Lithium Polymer batteries and a reasonable charging system (albeit not always present in cheapie mobile devices), you can expect many, many recharge cycles.
My first thought: "ablet?"
Oh, you meant the other end.
I am not a smart man.
Hey, don't feel bad! I was trying to figure out what a Table (prounounced "Tab-lay") was, until I made my brain get rid of the (faked) Accent Aigu off of the end...
The 7" nexus has more pixels. This 18" screen works out to 122ppi, which is abysmal for any modern hardware, and only fit for a cheap TV.
That's Samsung for ya.
It is bigger than some of the laptops.
It is bigger than almost all of the laptops.
FTFY.
Because it is. Hipster fanboys can say things like this a million times, but it remains funny.
Or is it nervous laughter on your part; because, deep down, you know it's true?
One could ask the same of you, macs4all. Always coming to Apple's defense. Why?
The answer is simple: I have enjoyed using Apple's products for many decades; and considering the horseshit lies and over-the-top innuendos regarding Apple products and policies that are propagated by a certain group of Slashdotters, I feel that it is somewhat important to attempt to correct those lies and innuendos whenever I encounter them.
Is Apple perfect? Fuck no! But they do at least TRY to do the right thing, and to actually listen to their users, and that, my friend, is a rarity among businesses.
Oh yeah, and they do build some of the best-in-class computers, phones, portable music players and tablets on the market. They may not have the most number of ports and geegaws; but what they have works, and works very well, and works seamlessly with their software. Which again, is a rarity. And then their are their software products. I believe that, by and large, they do a bangup job on their OSes, and most of their other software offerings. And they have also offered many unique and improved technologies as Open Source Projects, and have also kept things like CUPS as Open Source, when they could have just given a big middle-finger to Linux when they purchased same.
So yeah, I think that Apple gets maligned far too much in these pages, and, considering their products and their track record, actually deserves a little defending.
Oh and unlike YOU, Mr. COWARD, at least I have the balls to stick my Karma on the line (something I have regretted more than once!). BIG DIFFERENCE!
With the exception of outdated drivers and little to no support from Apple fixing them and forcing WIndows 8 on newer macs.
If the drivers are so outdated and horrible, then why does review after review claim that Windows performance (pick your version) is stellar on Macs?
And are you talking about Boot Camp not supporting earlier versions of Windows? I was sad when they stopped supporting XP, too; but it is understandable from a Support point-of-view. And like every other (or almost every other) PC manufacturer immediately drops driver support for the previous version of Windows when the new one comes out... It's just the way things are in the whole PC industry.
Do you really think that Apple wants to move Windows users forward to a new Windows version? That's nonsensical. I would suspect that it's more like, just like everyone else, Apple relies on "reference designs" for the basis of their Drivers (especially the Windows Drivers), and when they update their hardware designs, they can't find compatible driver-models for earlier versions of Windows, any more than anyone else can. Think about it.
Yes, the Best Windows machines are Macs. This has been the case for a looong time. Not only are they less expensive for the lifetime of ownership, longer lives, more powerful, more fully featured but as a bonus you get to use the MacOSX and better integration with iOS. Total win.
Why is the Parent modded "Funny"?