It seems my experience with Rogers in Pacific Canada is quite the opposite. Coverage is excellent, compared with other service providers in the area, such as Bell, Telus, or Fido, and apart from one slip-up with my plan, which was quickly corrected, the support has been great. I also seem to have chosen the provider that doesn't severely hamper their phones' bluetooth capabilities, as I can transfer files/contacts and use a headset with ease.
After reading to the end of your exceedingly long post, I feel obligated to point out that they HAVE (or had, as I learned from the wikipedia entry) what you describe at the end. They were called the Maquis, and they originally opposed a cardassian treaty or something (too lazy to read the whole entry). I quote from a quote on the wikipedia page:
"The trouble is Earth. On Earth there is no poverty, no crime, no war. You look out the window of Starfleet Headquarters and you see paradise. It's easy to be a saint in paradise, but the Maquis do not live in paradise. Out there in the demilitarized zone all the problems haven't been solved yet. Out there, there are no saints, just people - angry, scared, determined people who are going to do whatever it takes to survive, whether it meets with Federation approval or not" -- Benjamin Sisko
You mean Super Mario Bros.? As I recall, Mario Bros. had no side-scrolling of any kind, and was the same level repeated endlessly with some palette-swaping.
Anyone know if they've fixed softsubs in this version? I try to like VLC, I really do, but when I can't read half of what the characters are saying, and poor unicode support (finally fixed!) makes any unusual character unreadable anyways well... DirectVOBSub under windows is just so nice.
So, have they fixed 'em?
I always find it funny that nobody seems to be able to correctly design GUI's and provide just the right amount of abstraction for the end-user. Even apple has it's flaws, although they seem to be the closest to perfecting the formula.
Personally, I would take on the challenge myself, but I have neither the time nor the programming experience required to do so. This is also probably the case with everyone else who would claim to be able to make *nix usable.
The real trick is designing around user experience. Microsoft says this, but they're all talk. They need to take a good look at how people use computers, and where they expect buttons and other elements to be, and then make sure all applications conform to this specification.
For about two months, I used Ubuntu, and it was the best distro I've used. However, it failed on far too many levels, and I ended up switching back to windows because I could get a windows installation working in about 2 hours, whereas it took me 2 days to get Ubuntu the way I liked it. Here are some things I'd like to see changed in all Linux distros, before anyone should think about eye-candy:
1. Installation - everyone here has already said it, but yes, it really needs to be looked at. Microsoft's centralized msi installers are nice. Appfolders are even nicer. At the very least, have an installer download and install the required libraries before installing. I hate looking through a package manager trying to find all 13 packages that I need to install for app X to work. I hate looking on the internet for packages that aren't in the repositories even more.
2. File system - why are we still using 1980's UNIX standards? How about \Users, \Applications, and \System? Keep it simple! For reverse compatibility, just include the old file system inside the \System directory, and look there when \etc isn't found.
3. Settings - How about severely recommending that all major applications put their settings in the same place. Maybe \Users\User Name\.Configs\AppName? This would make it SO easy to find the ini or conf file when you really need it.
4. Hardware - There really needs to be a new system for installing and managing devices and drivers. How about a system that will prompt you for the driver files and copy them to the \System\Drivers folder when new hardware is plugged in/detected, rather than letting a manufacturer's installer do it. That way, it makes everything look clean and simple. If the manufacturer needs to move more files, install other applications, do so when the driver is loaded, or include them for easy access on the driver cd/website.
Once these changes are made, THEN we can worry about making it all look pretty.
You didn't have to do that. XP Upgrade disks will allow you to do a clean install provided it can verify your original media. You will only have to install first if Dell never gave you Windows ME or 98 disks when you first received the computer.
The same will probably be the case for Vista as well, unless they removed that feature for fear of piracy (ooh scary!).
Startup tabs are already available. Just add more homepages separated by semicolons.
While I agree with the rest of your points, Anti-aliasing text and GIFs is nearly impossible. Text, for one, is already anti-aliased. Just turn on cleartype in windows. If you're on linux or mac, it should already be on anyways. GIFs are impossible to anti-alias as they are, since the transparency is strictly on or off. To anti-alias them, you would either need to change the GIF spec (to make it more like PNG), or run them through an algorithm that attempts to smooth them, and the result would look horrible. Even photoshop can't do this after a few hours of tinkering, the image looks like crap, and I end up just drawing over it by hand again.
In a very unusual move, my local Rogers Video (rental) store was pre-ordering them almost a week ago. I grabbed one of their funny little info-pamphlets, but didn't actually place an order. I might now though, just in case.
If Dell recycles an old product from a competitor, then, theoretically, it's a space for them to fill with their own product.
It's like those stupid car dealerships offering to make the last 3 payments on a competitor's lease, so they can get you into one of their cars faster.
Well, that's what the fax modem does, esentially. Convert digital to analog and back again. It would be easy as pie to rig one of these up, and the phone line would probably be lossier than an mp3, so the resulting quality would actually look rather nice. I've always been tempted to do this with a video signal too... record a movie onto my ipod nano in mp3 format, then play it back using nothing but the ipod. Sure, the quality would suck, but it would be fun to try.
From what I remember, firewall sucked anyways.
That sounds like a matter of numbers. I'll bet if you only managed 65 windows machines, you would have far fewer problems, simply because there are less of them. On the flipside, if you had 3000 linux machines, you might have even more problems with them then you are having with your windows machines now.
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I really want some of whatever those IBM engineers were smoking when they came up with that name. I was actually hesitant to google it. Here's the gist of it: http://faculty.lacitycollege.edu/colantrs/golfball .html
It seems my experience with Rogers in Pacific Canada is quite the opposite. Coverage is excellent, compared with other service providers in the area, such as Bell, Telus, or Fido, and apart from one slip-up with my plan, which was quickly corrected, the support has been great. I also seem to have chosen the provider that doesn't severely hamper their phones' bluetooth capabilities, as I can transfer files/contacts and use a headset with ease.
After reading to the end of your exceedingly long post, I feel obligated to point out that they HAVE (or had, as I learned from the wikipedia entry) what you describe at the end. They were called the Maquis, and they originally opposed a cardassian treaty or something (too lazy to read the whole entry). I quote from a quote on the wikipedia page:
"The trouble is Earth. On Earth there is no poverty, no crime, no war. You look out the window of Starfleet Headquarters and you see paradise. It's easy to be a saint in paradise, but the Maquis do not live in paradise. Out there in the demilitarized zone all the problems haven't been solved yet. Out there, there are no saints, just people - angry, scared, determined people who are going to do whatever it takes to survive, whether it meets with Federation approval or not" -- Benjamin Sisko
You mean Super Mario Bros.? As I recall, Mario Bros. had no side-scrolling of any kind, and was the same level repeated endlessly with some palette-swaping.
In Japan, I hear, Wii Sports is a separate purchase and people are paying good money for it. They get WiiPlay as a pack-in instead.
Anyone know if they've fixed softsubs in this version? I try to like VLC, I really do, but when I can't read half of what the characters are saying, and poor unicode support (finally fixed!) makes any unusual character unreadable anyways well... DirectVOBSub under windows is just so nice. So, have they fixed 'em?
a cracker could crack no amount of crackberries since a cracker can't crack crackberries. at least, not yet.
How can implications be fearful? Oh, you meant fearsome...
I guess MP3 player owners really are thieves after all.
I always find it funny that nobody seems to be able to correctly design GUI's and provide just the right amount of abstraction for the end-user. Even apple has it's flaws, although they seem to be the closest to perfecting the formula. Personally, I would take on the challenge myself, but I have neither the time nor the programming experience required to do so. This is also probably the case with everyone else who would claim to be able to make *nix usable. The real trick is designing around user experience. Microsoft says this, but they're all talk. They need to take a good look at how people use computers, and where they expect buttons and other elements to be, and then make sure all applications conform to this specification.
You have offended ALL my super senses. By god, I can TASTE the air around you. It's like bacon gone bad. Credit where credit is due
We apologize again for the continued shortage of LEGO blocks. Those responsible for sacking the people who have just been sacked, have been sacked.
Here are some links for the un-registered.
Before
After
For about two months, I used Ubuntu, and it was the best distro I've used. However, it failed on far too many levels, and I ended up switching back to windows because I could get a windows installation working in about 2 hours, whereas it took me 2 days to get Ubuntu the way I liked it. Here are some things I'd like to see changed in all Linux distros, before anyone should think about eye-candy:
1. Installation - everyone here has already said it, but yes, it really needs to be looked at. Microsoft's centralized msi installers are nice. Appfolders are even nicer. At the very least, have an installer download and install the required libraries before installing. I hate looking through a package manager trying to find all 13 packages that I need to install for app X to work. I hate looking on the internet for packages that aren't in the repositories even more.
2. File system - why are we still using 1980's UNIX standards? How about \Users, \Applications, and \System? Keep it simple! For reverse compatibility, just include the old file system inside the \System directory, and look there when \etc isn't found.
3. Settings - How about severely recommending that all major applications put their settings in the same place. Maybe \Users\User Name\.Configs\AppName? This would make it SO easy to find the ini or conf file when you really need it.
4. Hardware - There really needs to be a new system for installing and managing devices and drivers. How about a system that will prompt you for the driver files and copy them to the \System\Drivers folder when new hardware is plugged in/detected, rather than letting a manufacturer's installer do it. That way, it makes everything look clean and simple. If the manufacturer needs to move more files, install other applications, do so when the driver is loaded, or include them for easy access on the driver cd/website.
Once these changes are made, THEN we can worry about making it all look pretty.
WWIII. It happened while we watched.
If you had taken the time to RTFA, it was Hemmingway, and the inspiration for the whole thing.
And it was "For sale: baby shoes, never worn."
You didn't have to do that. XP Upgrade disks will allow you to do a clean install provided it can verify your original media. You will only have to install first if Dell never gave you Windows ME or 98 disks when you first received the computer.
The same will probably be the case for Vista as well, unless they removed that feature for fear of piracy (ooh scary!).
Works for my online bank site.
But besides that, wouldn't storing usernames and passwords for secure websites be a bad idea? I'm pretty sure that's why it doesn't do it for you.
Startup tabs are already available. Just add more homepages separated by semicolons.
While I agree with the rest of your points, Anti-aliasing text and GIFs is nearly impossible. Text, for one, is already anti-aliased. Just turn on cleartype in windows. If you're on linux or mac, it should already be on anyways. GIFs are impossible to anti-alias as they are, since the transparency is strictly on or off. To anti-alias them, you would either need to change the GIF spec (to make it more like PNG), or run them through an algorithm that attempts to smooth them, and the result would look horrible. Even photoshop can't do this after a few hours of tinkering, the image looks like crap, and I end up just drawing over it by hand again.
In a very unusual move, my local Rogers Video (rental) store was pre-ordering them almost a week ago. I grabbed one of their funny little info-pamphlets, but didn't actually place an order. I might now though, just in case.
If Dell recycles an old product from a competitor, then, theoretically, it's a space for them to fill with their own product.
It's like those stupid car dealerships offering to make the last 3 payments on a competitor's lease, so they can get you into one of their cars faster.
Well, that's what the fax modem does, esentially. Convert digital to analog and back again. It would be easy as pie to rig one of these up, and the phone line would probably be lossier than an mp3, so the resulting quality would actually look rather nice. I've always been tempted to do this with a video signal too... record a movie onto my ipod nano in mp3 format, then play it back using nothing but the ipod. Sure, the quality would suck, but it would be fun to try. From what I remember, firewall sucked anyways.
My apologies, but that one really bugs me. "Accepted" is the word.
That sounds like a matter of numbers. I'll bet if you only managed 65 windows machines, you would have far fewer problems, simply because there are less of them. On the flipside, if you had 3000 linux machines, you might have even more problems with them then you are having with your windows machines now.
You shouldn't have explained it.
Let those who get it, get it, and those who don't aren't worth it.