Unless you can somehow prove that without Microsoft there would have been no computer industry, then your argument holds no water. In fact it is worse than that; unless you can prove that without Microsoft there wouldn't actually have been a BIGGER industry, employing MORE people and serving MORE end users, you argument falls completely on its face. One need only look at the pricing history of Windows to see that the OS, which originally was a small portion of the cost of entry for end users, has now become a major part of the cost of entry to many users, especially in the third world. And lest we forget, "incompetent competitors" are not the only ones to blame for this state of affairs.
But anyway, back to the topic at hand. I think we both agree that at the moment, usability for most people is equated to having a Windows look and feel. The real challenge to the Linux community will be to get to a point where Linux's usability can be judged independently of whether or not it looks or works like Windows. This is something Apple has been quite successful at.
CBC is more than just radio-ONE. There is also Radio-TWO on FM that is 90% classical, but also has some great indie shows on the weekend. There is also the less well known Radio-THREE, which doesn't actually have a channel. It is basically a web site (albeit a nice one) combined with a radio show on Radio-TWO. Speaking of web sites, CBC also runs Just Concerts with lots of cool streams and NewMusicCanada.
Whine all you want about government funded media, but I would take the CBC over the pablum that "Clear Channel" puts out any day.
Increasing stock value was part of it, but part of it as also to introduce a huge amount of fear into the marketplace over the use of Linux. That is, in my opinion, why both Microsoft and Sun were so willing to buy such expensive "licenses" for stuff they didn't even need.
IBM has clout no doubt, but it will be critical to see how the new G5 Macs perform, as they are the most publically visible implementation of the IBM processor line.
Sorry, but I have to disagree. I recently converted a car port to a covered garage and I used primarily imperial measurements, but I still had to deal with all sorts of fractional measurements for everything. The fact is you get used to is, just as you would with metric.
I can find plenty of horror stories about the US medical system as well. The fact is, both systems have their benefits and their drawbacks, but overall Canada's "social" medical system is no worse, but not really any better, than the private US system.
Don't Get Sick. Or if you do, come south of the border and pay for a doctor in cash. You'll get better service faster than waiting for the Canadian national health service to get around to you.
Myth. That is simply not true. Canada's health care system is no worse, but also no better than that of the USA.
I can't speak for everyone, but I get paid more than my counter parts in the USA (and I can compare directly, as I am in a services company with employees in the US too). My income taxes are about equal, although sales taxes are higher. Finally, our health care is no worse or better than that in the USA, and costs half as much per person to run.
That's why I always follow the rule that says if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Anyone who invests in the stock market should keep this in mind before they throw money at companies like SCO and BreX.
The IBM Toronto Lab employs nearly 10% of the total worldwide IBM software developer population. Considering how small Canada's population is, this means that the average Canadian developer is more valuable than the average American developer.
And what do you get for the hassle and the cost? Quite a bit. The BBC makes some good stuff, and if nothing else it serves as an excellent foreign relations tool. Besides, I don't get BBC channels over here in Canada for free, I have to pay for them as specialty channels on my satellite dish, and pay I do. I would imagine some part of that fee goes back to Mother England.
I have a 400 disc CD changer at home that is now gathering dust, but from about 1996 through to 2000 it did one thing and one thing only, and that is play part of my CD collection in random mode. Lots and lots of my friends had the same kind of hardware, too. In fact, the first peice of independent commercial software I wrote was a database GUI specifically to control these types of CD jukeboxes.
Cairo. Originally expected in 1995 or 96. NEVER SHIPPED. Longhorn, if it ever ships with all the features claimed, will be "Cairo", onlyabout 20 years late. Amazingly, Microsoft on a bi-annual basis re-announces Cairo with a new name, pushes the date back and users fall for it every time.
Where has the US gone to a country and told them to go against their laws.
Quick example, US objections to Canada relaxing the (to date) useless and expensive marijuana laws. Here's a quote from US drug czar John Walters:
"We're going to have to clamp down even stronger on our border if you liberalize and contribute to what we consider a drug tourism problem [...] I don't want to get to the point where we're calling for a boycott of Canadian products."
Canada should have the right to make our own drug laws without having to answer to trade actions on the part of the USA, no?
Here's a screenshot of a CTWM desktop from 1998 with "multiple scaled desktops" ala Apple Expose (clunkly looking I know, but look at the window titled "WorkSpaceManager"). This feature of the CTWM virtual desktop functionality has been part of CTWM since about 1996, I believe. The virtual desktops have been there since about 92. Also, according to one article I read, this feature in CTWM was inspired by an HP window manager that came before it called "VUEwm", presumably in the late 80's.
Groklaw just posted a text version of the SCO response to IBM's discovery request. Here's a link to the original PDF.
This document describes SCO's case (or lack thereof) in more detail than any other piece of info so far. Lots of stuff for the Linux community to pick apart. Most especially a description of the "millions of lines of code" that they claim they own.
Slashdot Mirror
But anyway, back to the topic at hand. I think we both agree that at the moment, usability for most people is equated to having a Windows look and feel. The real challenge to the Linux community will be to get to a point where Linux's usability can be judged independently of whether or not it looks or works like Windows. This is something Apple has been quite successful at.
Whine all you want about government funded media, but I would take the CBC over the pablum that "Clear Channel" puts out any day.
Increasing stock value was part of it, but part of it as also to introduce a huge amount of fear into the marketplace over the use of Linux. That is, in my opinion, why both Microsoft and Sun were so willing to buy such expensive "licenses" for stuff they didn't even need.
IBM has clout no doubt, but it will be critical to see how the new G5 Macs perform, as they are the most publically visible implementation of the IBM processor line.
What else would you print SCO, Enron, and Northern Telecom stocks on?
Sorry, but I have to disagree. I recently converted a car port to a covered garage and I used primarily imperial measurements, but I still had to deal with all sorts of fractional measurements for everything. The fact is you get used to is, just as you would with metric.
I got lots more interesting links where those came from.
I didn't say it was better. I said it was "no better, but no worse".
Just be sure to leave a fake name and address when they ask...
500,000 people in the US go bankrupt every year due to medical costs, thats nearly 2% of the total Canadian population every year!
Myth. That is simply not true. Canada's health care system is no worse, but also no better than that of the USA.
I can't speak for everyone, but I get paid more than my counter parts in the USA (and I can compare directly, as I am in a services company with employees in the US too). My income taxes are about equal, although sales taxes are higher. Finally, our health care is no worse or better than that in the USA, and costs half as much per person to run.
They already have.
That's why I always follow the rule that says if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Anyone who invests in the stock market should keep this in mind before they throw money at companies like SCO and BreX.
The IBM Toronto Lab employs nearly 10% of the total worldwide IBM software developer population. Considering how small Canada's population is, this means that the average Canadian developer is more valuable than the average American developer.
And what do you get for the hassle and the cost? Quite a bit. The BBC makes some good stuff, and if nothing else it serves as an excellent foreign relations tool. Besides, I don't get BBC channels over here in Canada for free, I have to pay for them as specialty channels on my satellite dish, and pay I do. I would imagine some part of that fee goes back to Mother England.
Yeah, and if anyone is an expert at capitalism, it's the Russians!
How about the Activestate IDE, Komodo?
I have a 400 disc CD changer at home that is now gathering dust, but from about 1996 through to 2000 it did one thing and one thing only, and that is play part of my CD collection in random mode. Lots and lots of my friends had the same kind of hardware, too. In fact, the first peice of independent commercial software I wrote was a database GUI specifically to control these types of CD jukeboxes.
Cairo. Originally expected in 1995 or 96. NEVER SHIPPED. Longhorn, if it ever ships with all the features claimed, will be "Cairo", onlyabout 20 years late. Amazingly, Microsoft on a bi-annual basis re-announces Cairo with a new name, pushes the date back and users fall for it every time.
Quick example, US objections to Canada relaxing the (to date) useless and expensive marijuana laws. Here's a quote from US drug czar John Walters:
"We're going to have to clamp down even stronger on our border if you liberalize and contribute to what we consider a drug tourism problem [...] I don't want to get to the point where we're calling for a boycott of Canadian products."
Canada should have the right to make our own drug laws without having to answer to trade actions on the part of the USA, no?
Yay! Operating System competition! ISn't it wonderful!
Next up: purchasing a license to sit.
Here's a screenshot of a CTWM desktop from 1998 with "multiple scaled desktops" ala Apple Expose (clunkly looking I know, but look at the window titled "WorkSpaceManager"). This feature of the CTWM virtual desktop functionality has been part of CTWM since about 1996, I believe. The virtual desktops have been there since about 92. Also, according to one article I read, this feature in CTWM was inspired by an HP window manager that came before it called "VUEwm", presumably in the late 80's.
I don't know when FVWM came out, but I've been doing virtual desktops first on Solaris and then on Linux using CTWM since at least 1992.
This document describes SCO's case (or lack thereof) in more detail than any other piece of info so far. Lots of stuff for the Linux community to pick apart. Most especially a description of the "millions of lines of code" that they claim they own.