Posts by John Bailey

Re: Does

Nope.. I'm afraid its just you. I suggest you bring your own lube. Supple Steve is a bit forgetful these days.

Mine's the one with the the Fedora 18 install disk on the pocket.

"I'm pretty sure these are the sorts of OEMs who would rather not receive loads of support issues from Linux newbies complaining about XYZ not working."

To which the tech support Muppet replies..

"I'm sorry sir, we only support the originally installed OS on your machine". End of call. No further action necessary. Problem solved.

"The whole "designed for Windows" sticker regime seems to suggest that is their thinking."

Is that like Vista capable?

Re: Fantastic

"Now - how do I convince my finance director (wife) that this is an essential house purchase? :-)"

Option 1. Find something she is interested in, and tell her how you can print them for her.

Option 2. Go to one of the printing services and get her a little personalised printed thing.

Option 3. Count her shoes, and promise to never count them again, in return for permission to get a printer "for the family"..

Re: What did I just read? @Irongut

Not easier.

More proactive. Which is what open source is all about.

It's like the people who buy locked down Amazon tablets because they think they are getting a fantastic deal with a lower price subsidised tab and the ability to hack a proper version of Android on it.

Not understanding that what they are really doing, is encouraging the sales of locked down company owned gear that will keep getting harder to hack as the years go by. When they could pay a few quid more for an ordinary tablet, or get one a few months later, and have the same power, but with an untarnished OS, and a wallet vote for user access..

It's about making choices. Not about making the easy choice.

Canonical is trying to monetise Ubuntu.. Not a problem. I wish them all the luck in the world. I really honestly have nothing against Ubuntu.

Canonical is trying to isolate Ubuntu users.. Problem.

Different desktop.. Slightly different file structure. Soon, more and more paid software that will be non transferable across OSs..

The question to ask yourself is..

Are you the frog that has noticed the funny metal puddle getting a little too toasty, or are you the one holding onto that frog's leg, because it isn't that hot yet.

Personally, I've had more than enough lockin products. So I go out of my way to avoid them these days.

Re: PR

No..

But there is no guilt, so less need for counselling once one gets rescued.

Re: Rhyming slang

No.. Nominative determinism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nominative_determinism

Re: Further details emerge:

Gasp..

You mean it could have been a criminal genius?

Re: ...and they last for XXX years...

CFLs regularly last years for me. But then I have a nice stable power supply, and they tend to be on or off for long periods. Constant switching tends to be not so good for them, and obviously they do not react well to dimming.

My kitchen fluorescent tubes have lasted 5+ years each.

I have 3 incandescent bulbs left in my home. All in places where they will be on for minutes tops.

So the companies that cut their throats by selling long lasting light sources seem to be quite common.

Re: US vs other countries

"My theory is people who actively choose a smartphone mostly choose iPhone"

And mine is that iFanboys are desperately grasping at straws as Apple inevitably head back to niche status.

Never mind sweetie.. Just say that market share is meaningless. And tell us again about Apple's market cap..

Not quite.

11% of survey respondents said they were interested in doing some missionary work to the stats.

Apple fanboys, when presented with an Apple product will talk it up no end. Despite having absolutely no use what so ever for it.

It mentioned an Apple something, so maximum positive response hat on.

It has to be a bargain. A thing of this amazing quality for this price.. Only twice what one would normally pay for a standalone unit as a plug in module that kind of works on an iThingy.

I saw people who had only the vaguest idea what an oscilloscope is, defend an over priced USB scope that was so low sensitivity, that it was near useless, trying desperately to compare it with several grand state of the art units that practically serve pizza to the user while they are working.

I actually saw them trying to use the stock "but this is an <insert thing> for ordinary people, not geeks". canned response. FOR AN OSCILLOSCOPE!!!

Re: I will have to revise my numbers as well.

Nope.. Just realists. Sorry to inform you .. Any criticism can not be countered with an accusation of fanboys or haters. Some things are just crap.

Windows tablets offer very very little that other already established tablet OSs don't.

Name three things that a Surface can do that an Android or an iPad tablet can not (excluding the obvious "run Windows", or "run Windows store apps"). Important things. Not corner cases that might sell a few units to a couple of corporate buyers who have just been bought an expensive lunch.

The ARM one does not run x86 software. the Intel one will, but with a touch interface, low power, low storage, and a smaller screen than one is used to.

Android undercuts them. Apple out poses them. What market do they have left exactly for a not particularly practical device that is quite expensive?

Re: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

No it isn't.

Theft is still the act of taking something without the owner's permission with the INTENT to PERMANENTLY DEPRIVE them of the benefits of the item. Intent is a vital part of criminal law. Intent is the difference between negligence, manslaughter, and murder.

Copyright infringment is not theft. Nor a criminal offence for that matter. Still wrong, but still not theft, no matter how blue your face gets, and how many times you say it.

Infringement is what is being discussed here. So please skip the emotional daily mail crap. It isn't the law's fault infringement is not as emotive a word as stealing.

And actually, you are accidentally correct. According to UK law at least, you described taking and driving away. Not theft of a car. Because the intent to deprive is next to impossible to prove.

Take a car, and bring it back, not theft. Not legal either, so you will still be up in front of the beak, but not for theft.

Re: Good stuff.

Well done him. And I'll bet he had to argue with his fitter to have the cosmetic covering left off. It's a problem we amputees face every time we get a new limb made. Prosthetics companies are so fixated on emulating the organic, they can't really comprehend the concept of us being quite happy to appear a bit robotic, or surreal.

Seriously though. Given a choice between say a carbon fibre shell, and mannequin pink plastic, which finish would you prefer on a prosthetic limb.

Re: Stupid, stupid move.

"Do you think Google would be any better? of course not. They're being investigated for monopoly abuse."

Actually.. Yes.

In the past, when they have been found to be in the wrong, unlike Microsoft with it's epic EU case, or Apple with it's various hissy fits, Google actually obeys the court, and stops doing what ever it was caught doing. And doesn't spend the next few years in endless appeals.

They are being investigated for anti competitive behaviour.. Key word being "INVESTIGATED". Not have been found guilty.

Someone made a complaint, the competition commission and others are charged with deciding if there is any merit tot he accusation. And if sufficient misconduct is found.. then they will be taken to task over it. If not, case never brought.

Re: But...

Yep.. Pretty much SOP.

Funny how the county court paperwork showing up makes people very reasonable all of a sudden.

Re: FFS - Does anyone know how to do math?

Shh.. Someone will explain laps to him in a minute.

Re: Colour

Charge then with contempt of court, and extract penalties directly from their bank accounts.

Stop them selling magical products until they stop mucking about.

Close down the Apple stores.

You seem to imagine that courts are somehow powerless. American?

Re: so...

"The snapper here should probably have sued the library but hey it's Apple (or rather their Ad Agency) who has used it so lets sue Apple and get some free publicity."

No..

The snapper should sue the GUILTY party. The ones who did something wrong.

The objective here is to get the artist fairly compensated for their work. Compensation paid by the person or organisation that used the image without permission. Not to find an arrangement of references, anecdotes of limited relevance, and omission of fact that make Apple look like the injured party.

Re: Lightweights!

"I queued outside my own house for 5 months waiting for my Raspberry Pi to arrive. I didn't get free coffee off any journalists and my neighbours said I was a fucking idiot.

I showed them though."

You ordered from RS didn't you.

Re: Customer satisfaction......

Apparently most of those that rant about Android don't own or have never owned an Android.

Now that's telling.....

Re: patents = profits

You do on the American one. I saw some guy trying to market his revolutionary paper cups, and the toilet buddy. A pipe with a funnel to avoid bathroom aiming mishaps.

Come to think of it.. I think it was all 94%ers.