These traits that you point out aren't necessarily C++ problems. Yeah...some people get carried away with Russian-doll like hierarchies of C++ - but some people don't. Similarly there's no reason for C++ to have much of an memory overhead compared to C. If you use virtual functions you might get a tiny performance hit and memory hit but plenty of C code uses tables of pointers to functions. I think the problems you're seeing are due to the way programmers who like bloat are drawn to C++ rather than being a C++ problem inherently.
...you used to be able to get games on EPROM. To execure the game you just did a SYS ???? where ???? was the address of the code in the ROM. No need to boot a program off disk (which took an eternity those days). Nobody had any clue it was there as it was tucked away in an unobtrusive part of the memory. Nobody could accidentally stumble on it. I think it even returned your screen to its previous state as soon as it quit.
Last time I checked people were writing faster readable code in C++ than in C.
A smart C++ programmer can use template metaprogramming in a library like Blitz++ to automatically build code optimised for the job. To write the equivalent code in C is possible but it's much more laborious and harder to maintain.
There are good reasons not to use C++. Performance isn't one of them.
If you have no right to give away your employer's CPU time, you can't download a filesharing application anyway
Many employers are happy to allow employees a limited amount of time for recreational use. Employees don't have a right but it may be tolerated. However that privilege may not extend to granting complete strangers use of your CPU.
It may turn out that I legitimately need to obtain a file for my work duties and that the easiest way to obtain it is by using Kazaa.
Well what do you know? After using the PowerBook fine for the last 24 hours the first time I open it after posting that comment it fails to wake from sleep. Problem not fixed after all. Crap!
I have 512Mb RAM. A pretty vanilla setup. I've reinstalled OSX once in an attempt to fix the problems. Here are some things that cause lockups for me:
1. My finger slips while selecting something from the GUI and I quickly select two things in a row (or something like that). GUI locks up. 2. Closing and reopening the case. Not long after a reboot it comes back instantly. After an hour or two it takes between 20 seconds and never coming back. Frequently never comes back if I leave the PowerBook on but unattended - I guess because it goes into standby mode and has the same problem. 3. I've had one kernel panic for absolutely no apparent reason. 4. I've had to reboot because it denied I had an Airport card. (I do!) It mysteriously was there on reboot. 5. Getting a DVD or CD back out often entails a reboot. Frequently the Finder or the OS simply fails to notice a disk has been inserted (this is a frequently reported issue on may web sites). And last time I tried playing a VOB file from HD (which the latest DVD player says it can do) it completely locked the machine up.
Lots of dumb things can lock it up too. I wanted to use pppoe. Accidentally I had the modem selected in the Internet Connection dialogue when I asked it to make a connection. I immediately changed to ethernet and tried to make a connection. I guess the shock of making a ppp connection through two different devices simultaneously was too much of a shock for the system. Anyway - it locked up of course. Another dumb thing that can make it lock up is launching an application during a software update. I'm not so worried about these latter problems but I'm still not impressed.
It's one crash after another for a wide variety of reasons.
The only thing I can think of is the Microsoft Intellimouse drivers. Maybe some stuff (point 2 I'm hoping) will improve now I've removed them...
I've always enjoyed using Unix for its reliability. When Apple make an OS that doesn't need rebooting 5 times a day then they might get a few more converts from other Unices. Well, that's my experience with 10.1.3 on a PowerBook. As it is my PowerBook is OK to use as a toy but for the heavy duty kind of use that I usually put Unix workstations to I'll keep well away.
Humans have spent the last 5000 years trying to perfect the art of making their text look nice whether it's carved inside pyramids or displayed on an LCD screen. What is it with some people happy to work in the most unaesthetic environments?
I played with Mozilla a few times but I found it hideous. Chimera looks truly beautiful by comparison. The rendering speed is quite tolerable - even though it's using the planet's slowest 2D API - Quartz.
but don't disrespect a classic film because of it.
We can dis Lucas, Campbell and whoever else we want while still resepcting the original movie. They're not incompatible. Seeing as the whole Campbell thing ws a scam to boost the 'credibility' of the movie it seems only fair to shoot it down. Let us have our fun doing that. We still like the movie.
I was beginning to think I was the only person in the world who thinks he was a charlatan. With a single sweep of his pen he gathers up myths as diverse as the New Testament and those retold in native Australian rites of passage finding connections as likely as the connection between communism and strawberries (I mean they're both red right?). Anyone can play that game. It's trivial. But once he'd managed to sell himself as a guru to magazines and TV stations he was unstoppable. Anyone who wanted to bring an air of respectability to their work could just quote him and if they had enough influence he'd reciprocate and quote you back in a celebration of the ancient art of mutual back-slapping.
If you've never read any mythology before then Campbell is interesting because of the breadth of his knowledge and the number of enticing references to sprinkles throughout his work. But don't, for God's sake, take any of his interpretation in the least bit seriously.
...are all very well. But what I'm waiting for is wireless power. I don't need to put my Palm in its cradle to sync it now - but I still need to recharge it in the cradle. I can only last 4 hours on the batteries I have for my laptop. When someone finds a way to distribute power wirelessly then come back and tell me you've found something interesting.
There are already a few devices that can be powered by RF - eg. security and ID tags. How long before we can run our PDAs this way?
As long as Saddamm loves his children more than he hates me
What makes you think he does? You know Golda Meir's line: "The only way we eliminate war is to love our children more than we hate our enemies". Ie. it hasn't happened yet.
The likelihood that the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra (FTA) is false is so small, notwithstanding what you say about drunkenness, that it's more likely that you don't understand English. In fact it's more likely that your understanding of English is so poor that you've said the opposite of what you mean by accident rather than that FTA is false. Given these odds it's probably better to keep quiet than spout stuff about how FTA could be false don't you think?
Slashdot Mirror
...pppoe and wireless so it can be used as a wireless DSL router/gateway.
These traits that you point out aren't necessarily C++ problems. Yeah...some people get carried away with Russian-doll like hierarchies of C++ - but some people don't. Similarly there's no reason for C++ to have much of an memory overhead compared to C. If you use virtual functions you might get a tiny performance hit and memory hit but plenty of C code uses tables of pointers to functions. I think the problems you're seeing are due to the way programmers who like bloat are drawn to C++ rather than being a C++ problem inherently.
...you used to be able to get games on EPROM. To execure the game you just did a SYS ???? where ???? was the address of the code in the ROM. No need to boot a program off disk (which took an eternity those days). Nobody had any clue it was there as it was tucked away in an unobtrusive part of the memory. Nobody could accidentally stumble on it. I think it even returned your screen to its previous state as soon as it quit.
Er...but you don't keep it. You use hired guards called the police to help you keep it.
I guess now you're going to tell me you don't need the police because you have enough guns to defend yourself...
A smart C++ programmer can use template metaprogramming in a library like Blitz++ to automatically build code optimised for the job. To write the equivalent code in C is possible but it's much more laborious and harder to maintain.
There are good reasons not to use C++. Performance isn't one of them.
That's a bit like posting a story on
The computer I use at work belongs to my employer. I have no rights to offer its use to another company. IANAL, but presumably
so it seems to me that both Brilliant and my employer would have good cases against me.
Would a lawyer care to comment?
Well what do you know? After using the PowerBook fine for the last 24 hours the first time I open it after posting that comment it fails to wake from sleep. Problem not fixed after all. Crap!
Well it's been stable for 24 hours now. It looks like those damn Microsoft Intellimouse drivers were the source of the main problem!
1. My finger slips while selecting something from the GUI and I quickly select two things in a row (or something like that). GUI locks up.
2. Closing and reopening the case. Not long after a reboot it comes back instantly. After an hour or two it takes between 20 seconds and never coming back. Frequently never comes back if I leave the PowerBook on but unattended - I guess because it goes into standby mode and has the same problem.
3. I've had one kernel panic for absolutely no apparent reason.
4. I've had to reboot because it denied I had an Airport card. (I do!) It mysteriously was there on reboot.
5. Getting a DVD or CD back out often entails a reboot. Frequently the Finder or the OS simply fails to notice a disk has been inserted (this is a frequently reported issue on may web sites). And last time I tried playing a VOB file from HD (which the latest DVD player says it can do) it completely locked the machine up.
Lots of dumb things can lock it up too. I wanted to use pppoe. Accidentally I had the modem selected in the Internet Connection dialogue when I asked it to make a connection. I immediately changed to ethernet and tried to make a connection. I guess the shock of making a ppp connection through two different devices simultaneously was too much of a shock for the system. Anyway - it locked up of course. Another dumb thing that can make it lock up is launching an application during a software update. I'm not so worried about these latter problems but I'm still not impressed.
It's one crash after another for a wide variety of reasons.
The only thing I can think of is the Microsoft Intellimouse drivers. Maybe some stuff (point 2 I'm hoping) will improve now I've removed them...
...released on DVD? That and 'Them' are the great ant movies with Phase IV sounding a little too like this current story for comfort.
I've always enjoyed using Unix for its reliability. When Apple make an OS that doesn't need rebooting 5 times a day then they might get a few more converts from other Unices. Well, that's my experience with 10.1.3 on a PowerBook. As it is my PowerBook is OK to use as a toy but for the heavy duty kind of use that I usually put Unix workstations to I'll keep well away.
Humans have spent the last 5000 years trying to perfect the art of making their text look nice whether it's carved inside pyramids or displayed on an LCD screen. What is it with some people happy to work in the most unaesthetic environments?
Even better - buy your wife/partner/roommate/neighbour earplus.
I played with Mozilla a few times but I found it hideous. Chimera looks truly beautiful by comparison. The rendering speed is quite tolerable - even though it's using the planet's slowest 2D API - Quartz.
...any more
We can dis Lucas, Campbell and whoever else we want while still resepcting the original movie. They're not incompatible. Seeing as the whole Campbell thing ws a scam to boost the 'credibility' of the movie it seems only fair to shoot it down. Let us have our fun doing that. We still like the movie.
If you've never read any mythology before then Campbell is interesting because of the breadth of his knowledge and the number of enticing references to sprinkles throughout his work. But don't, for God's sake, take any of his interpretation in the least bit seriously.
There are already a few devices that can be powered by RF - eg. security and ID tags. How long before we can run our PDAs this way?
Why not? Here's a book on the subject.
What makes you think he does? You know Golda Meir's line: "The only way we eliminate war is to
love our children more than we hate our enemies". Ie. it hasn't happened yet.
Iraq has a cretin amount of civilization. Doesn't that worry you?
The likelihood that the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra (FTA) is false is so small, notwithstanding what you say about drunkenness, that it's more likely that you don't understand English. In fact it's more likely that your understanding of English is so poor that you've said the opposite of what you mean by accident rather than that FTA is false. Given these odds it's probably better to keep quiet than spout stuff about how FTA could be false don't you think?