Posts by spegru 370 publicly visible posts • joined 24 Dec 2007
The reason that MS is under this regulatory focus where others (ubuntu, apple etc) are not is because they do not have 90% or so market share.
That's what happens in democratic countries: If you get too big, you get regulated - just like BT in the UK. It's about extending choice.
Windows beat Amiga, BBC Micro, Sinclair, Dragon et al (and indeed Apple) in the same way as VHS beat Betamax ie by ease of compatibility & availability.
However that was 20 years ago - before the INTERNET
Thanks to the internet, everything is compatible (I'm focussing on mass market stuff like office email and browsing)
It's also responsible for the recovery of Apple (remember the first pre-ipod iMac? what does the 'i' stand for?)
So now 'those who know' are faced with a wall of ignorance about the alternatives as described so well in the article.
However that wall is coming down. It'll take a while perhaps, but it'll be led by corporations and governments seeking to save cash
It's ironic that the writer picked the Blue E as his theme. IE is probably the weakest link in the chain (or brick in the wall) right now. Like the other 20%, I never use it - even on windows.
Like all seemingly unassailable empires, MS Windows will be overthrown - I predict within 5-10 years
spegru
PS. I am no programmer or command line expert - I have been working WITH (not on) my Ubuntu PC all day today. It gets the job done and is fully compatible with all the office systems I use
While just as in the tone of the article there will be alot of cynicism about cost reductions anything that opens up the powers that be to open source has to be good
With so many other governments doing the same, you might say 'it's about time!'
But it does go beyond this specific announcement - the announcement could also have an effect on other corporate and gov initiatives.
Who knows it could even filter into EDUCATION!
That would be something....................
That the range was so short under track conditions
Nor that the motor overheated
Doesnt mean the thing is no good for the real world
However for all the expectations of electric car bashing they did show that the lap time was about the same as a 911GT3 and that on tyres chosen 'for rolling resistance, not grip'
One little point was that JC complained about noise! This is basically an elise, so what's the main difference? of course the missing engine noise, that makes the wind noise more noticeable.
Mind you that price really is crazy
How much for that fuel cell car I wonder
If you've seen these nice blue so easy to use, acer thingies piled high in PC world Comet, Tesco (yes Tesco!) then you wont be surprised esp at around £179. Now that is an SCC!
On the other hand I'm amazed at the HP2133. Much more expensive at ~£330 at PCWorld Comet etc, albeit with a more sophisticated look and a *very* nice keyboard. However SuSE SLED10 Linux OS is total pants, and the battery life is not great. (Dont get me wrong - i've got one, but then I'm a bit of a hacker)
While I'm all for open standards and have alot of sympathy for .doc not being acceptable - it does seem *very* harsh to fail these kids GCSEs because of it - unless it was a basic requirement of the submission of course.......
Then again the teaching standard of so called IT Lessons in UK schools is undoubtedly CR*P and doesn't seem to cover document/file standards/formats at all!
Proper Keyboards
Capability to run much bigger screen or a full external screen
Office software
WiFi
Skype - yes that's a Killer app
USB ports
Proper browser
etc
etc
Yes there's a threat but it's not from smartphones - it's from bigger laptops and (spit) win xp
spegru
In fact many submarine cables, especially the long ones going to the US (that tend to go out of cornwall - so at least they got that right) have things called repeaters in them - to boost the optical signal every 80km or so.
The older ones of these were regenerated - meaning extracting the signal from the optical fibre, and then retransmitting it optically.
So if they were attacking an old cable with this type of repeater, rather than the cable itself, there is just a chance they could achieve something, by hacking into the signal payload.
In theory this could allow access to an internet router in the UK. However, whether they would achieve anything more this way than by attacking from a cyber cafe is highly questionable because the likely out come of such an attack is to crash the router concerned - and of course there are hundreds of them in the UK's internet - resilience is the whole point of it when it was originally engineered by the US military.
Really I do annoy myself sometimes with the things I happen to know.
No good for enjoyment of shows like this ........ sigh
Is it written already?
For goodness sake, please take account of the comments made above that are largely the same as for episode 1.
Avoid command line stuff and concentrate on real world usage such as OpenOffice, 3g dongle modems.
After that how about explaining the concept of repositories?
Cloud computing misses a huge range of possibilities
118 comments at time of writing on this. Where's the IT angle?!?!
Shows that people are very interested in this matter - Why if people dont care?
Interesting again since Dawkins' ad seems to advise people not to care.
The fundamental point that he seems to assume is that Religion is a problem. I'm pretty sure, having read some of his work that this is one of his main motivations.
What he doesnt seem to realise is that it's not really religion as such that has caused wars/ inquisitions etc over the centuries, it's Human Nature: which is to fight for your own group/tribe against others for power & resources such as land/oil/food etc
If anything religions in their pure sense seem to moderate against such problems - so it's nice to see such interest.
It's hijacking of religions by those in power that cause most problems.
So how does this ad help anyone?
Not at all I would say and it certainly won't brighten anyones day, that's for sure
Mine's the one with the Aerosol can in the pocket!
Strikes me that netbooks appeal to two main user types.
1. Linux fans and hackers with a high degree of expertise and above all INTEREST in getting things just-so
2. Simple users who are happy to use them just as they cam ie as Appliances
Other types of mid range users who want to install applications etc as they do in windows (ie just click setup.exe) and for them to 'just work', may be frustrated.
This article although well intentioned is likely to put such people off, by diving straight into command line incantations. The next installment needs to focus on what can be done out of the box and move gradually towards introducing the principles of Linux such as package managers & repositories, together with some well explained examples, such as connecting to 3G dongles and installing Skype (on the Acer). A key thing could be to explain the capabilities of Linux and similarities to other OSs.
Command line? Not in a newbie guide surely.
I saw one of these in CPW in Chicester recently - it was running Ubuntu Linux!
I assume it was not a one off so here's an option that appears to be less publicised?
On the Linux compatibility side, considering a fully functional OpenOffice, skype etc etc there is no problem with compatibility for the things you want - but compatibility with crapware & viruses plus the consequent need for performance sapping antivirus software is something I can easily do without!
The disapointing things for me were the absence of webcam and the fact that the build quality appeared worse and any other netbook/scc that I've seen. Oh yes and the battery life is poor
Lot's of people seem to think these SCCs should be a impulse purchase. Sub 200 would be nice but whay should they bother if they can get sales at 270 ish?
Consider the alternatives: Sony Viao etc are all way more than that and often more expensive than ordinary laptops
The way these are bing pushed in incredible.
Acer Aspire One at the front entrance of PC World
Elonex One 10" with Ubuntu from free at Carphone
amazing
for all the concerns about MS dumping XP licences to make the (announced) price of windows versions the same or even cheaper than Linux (esp eeepc), in the real world Linux is consistently cheaper - even for the eeepc. And when push comes to shove at the bottom end tiddlers, there is no contest.
BTW I looked at the £169 Maplin minipc. Pretty good actually - although lacking a VGA port so no use for presentations
What I want to know is the size of the windows tax.
Up to now there has been talk of 12 vs 20G Flash making the prtice the same.
Now though, we seem to have a 1000H which is the same spec with either OS
BTW yes I agree the apparently silly wide range is to use up components and/or cope with the atom shortage
My choice? 901 or maybe 1000H with linux!
It's got a heck of alot to do with MS
What this shows is that cheap devices sell, even without windows, which many (including me even though I am a linux fan) have thought to be a problem for mass sales.
It also shows that Vista was a mistake, in many ways - but especially including the expensive hardware requirement.
Sorry you didn't give your Linux eee much of a chance, but I bet over 95% of 701s are still running Linux.
When you get bunged up with viruses or the workload of antvirus software, give it another chance. I'm sure you still have the restore CD!
I was struck by Dave's comment about comparisons with PCs of 5yrs ago.
I've done loads of windows rescue rebuilds in my time.
People are always amazed how much faster they run just after a fresh rebuild, even an old machine.
But guess what, after a few months, its back down to a snail's pace.
Why? A combination of crapware & dodgy games (being installed for and/or by kids) and ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE.
Another prediction: Piles of unused XP Netbooks in cupboards/ebay etc because they have become unusable and the owners have gone back to a 'proper' laptop.
Machines like these NEED Linux - precisely BECAUSE there is less of this stuff and (arguably) no need for antivirus sw - to keep running like they did out of the box
A steal. And that's for the 80G XP version.
Pity about the tiddly 2200 mAh battery but still good value.
Looks much nicer than the eee900 I saw a few weeks ago
The question is can I buy the XP version and simply upgrade it to Linux?
I understand that the MSI Linux is SuSE Linux - but probably a tweaked version for drivers etc. I suppose it should be possible to get hold of a copy of MSI SuSE OS installation disc.
Anyway nice to see the race to the bottom has started
Asus, Acer,and now Advent (all the As?)
There will be some price movement. I expect the similar spec eee901 will now have to be about the same price or they wont sell any.
............and then MSFT will come under pressure again
Predictions: 9inch Netbooks (any make) for around £250 and eee701 either dropped or selling for around £175 by the run up to next Christmas.
Thanks to AC who mentioned CCL - they have a complete model price list: http://www.cclonline.com/product-listings.asp?category_id=740
Looks like Acer didnt manage to pull the same MS deal as Asus becuase there you can see the exact same hardware with Linux and with Windows.
£50 difference on £250 - so MStax is about 20%
hmmm
I was surprised to find no mentions of size or price but a quick google found this:
"ASUS made no comment on the Eee Monitor's price or configuration, but reports from earlier in the year suggest a 19 to 21-inch screen size, built-in TV tuner and a starting pricing of around $500. Apple's iMac starts at $1199." on http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/007065.html
From what i have read this makes the device too big for XP, so it will have to be Linux, esp at that price!
I agree with Pete that the size of these devices is critical. The A4 paperback is a good measure but I do think the User Interface could go a little smaller, what with backlighting. On the other hand a typical phone screen is definitely too small.
I have a Nokia 770, which has a screen about half the size of a paperback and in fact I find it quite easy on the eye - esp if brought up close.
This brings me to the eee and XP.
What many have missed is that not only do (proper) eeepcs run linux, but they also have a customised easy to use UI with great big icons and tabs of related application types. easier to use than most PCs
XP (or even the enhanced desktop of the eee) have a standard PC-like appearance where even though the screen is bigger, it is still more difficult to use.
If we go smaller then this is going to be an even bigger problem
So XP will not suffice on these tiddlers and customised UIs are needed.
Not sure that a car is the best place for these - at least in the driver's seat (!), but the concept of a WIFI hotspot connected to a 3G mobile connection seems quite compelling. will certainly stop the extortionate rates charged in hotels and airports. i can even imagine a cottage industry popping up. Rent a wifi from just about anywhere!
In cars? well at least it will keep the kids quiet!
Dumping in this context is giving away at very low price and likely below cost, specifically to undermine competition.
see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumping_(pricing_policy)
In many case this is illegal although the problem with software is that you can argue the cost is zero. Still the EU has done some good work so it seems reasonable to suggest they should look at the price charged for XP on these devices
My understanding was that M$FT was willing to supply cut priced XP for devices with a screen below 10". Since there is no screen on this then they must be paying full price.
On a box that needs to cost below £200, that will be enough to kill it.
Can you imagine how pc world would sell this?
Cut down PC at say £250 plus a screen at say £150 - all in £400
Looks pretty silly next to a laptop................
On the other hand linux version at say £170 screen at £150 - all in at £320. A bit different!
Umm yes.....£200 (mistyped on a full size keyboard)
I would still be surprised if the Acer One comes in as advertised/reviewed at £200.
Of course price is not necessarily directly related to cost. So I'm guessing that to some extent these devices are being priced in comparison with those titchy Sony Vaios that normally cost ~£800 - against which even £329 is a real bargin. However right now, small and convenient though they may be, they are not sexy enough for that.
So I expect the prices to come down over the next six months as this segment heats up with more competition.
spegru ................ currently enjoying my 701 on a £10 month 3G dongle (Huawei e220) at Schipol airport
On the Asus eeepc website: http://eeepc.asus.com/global/news06032008.htm
Shows specs for Eee PC 1000, Eee PC 1000H & Eee PC 901
Interesting that the H in 1000H seems not to mean XP Home version, as I saw somewhere. It seems to mean Hard Disk - because it has a hard disk but you can get it with Linux too
The odd thing for me though is why make a 8.9" and a 10" - it's almost the same!
Another thing on size: I saw an 900 with XP in PC world the other day. What surprised me was that to start with I didnt notice it had a bigger screen than my 701! - reason being the XP icons were so small!!
So the Linux simple GUI seems to have distinct advantages for these devices.
Pricewise I have to say that a 900 at £329 looked prtty silly next to a full size budget laptop also at £329! The eee is not a style icon like a Sony Vaio or even an Acer One so I cant see them shifting many at that price - needs to be sub £300 for me - for any of these 'Netbooks'
I must be one of the few that bought a Psion Series 7 (that I later upgraded to be a Netbook)
It's amazing even now how effective the design still is and also how similar it is to the eeepc. Funny enough though, the screen of the netbook is bigger than the eeepc 701 the keybord is a bit better and the battery life is better too. Instant on too.
Much less capability than the eeepc of course (there has been alot of progress since 1999 when I bought my Series 7) but Psion really showed the way to go.
If only they could have stayed the course...............
So I'd like to recommend 'Netbook' as the generic name for these devices - in honour of their British forbear!
regards
spegru
PS. When will someone make an even smaller device to replace the pocket sized Psion Series 5 !?
It's been obvious to me at least, that MS would revive XP to fend off Linux.
It will probably work to some extent for a while too.
However MS has serious problems as this concept affects Office too.
Do you think that people will be happy to pay 200 for Office on their Small Cheap PC? I don't think so. So either MS undermnes its own business or they give the business to Openoffice.org
Then there is the fact that XP is old old old. So either they continue to develop it (undermining Vista) or the new Linuxes such as Ubuntu will steal the market from MS anyway.
MS are in a Catch 22 position, and the only way is down.
Opensource will win this market - but it will take a few years
MS needs to diversify to survive in the medium/long term - and they probably need to adopt opensource themselves
It's been obvious to me at least that M$FT will try to defend itself by a) continuing with XP and b) trying to buy off makers like ASUS with givaway windows prices for this type of device.
It's interesting that the PC makers are rushing into this space - presumably this is because there is profit in it!
Part of that is hardware, but a major thrust seems to be linux itself - normally a major cost component of any PC.
Of course M$FT has very deep profits, but does anyone think it credible that they will give away XP licences to the whole market?
Nope - I dont think so - the shareholders wouldnt have it.
So it looks increasingly likely that Linux will have this market sewn up.....and in a year or two that will spread into larger desktop machines too.
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