Hey y'all, ready for TCPA and Microsoft's upcoming Office s/w? Bad news.

[Deja Q]

http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-6313-5081241.html?tag=crm - nice article on what the corporate FASCISTS have for us. Oh yeah, Fritz Hollings is a "Democrat" too, I'm not going to say another word about him. x(

Windows "rights" management and Office 2003 - from the King of binary fascists themselves, Microsoft: http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-6296-5081308.html?tag=crm

Be angry. Be very angry indeed.

But they're right, people will just allow it to happen.

What the fuck is the point of America and its constitution of corporations do nothing BUT do end-runs around FREEDOM? And the dipshit populace who'd rather bend over for them rather than support the competition, whose TCO is far lower in the first place?!?!?!

America is the land of freedom? Fuck the a-holes who say that because they are liars. Period. x( x( x(

[sujan]

1. use openoffice

the new version is out.

[Deja Q]

2. Or StarOffice 7...

I use SO 6. Am thinking of SO7 even though I heard they'd taken away a lot of features, but added PDF & Flash export support and made it run faster.

I already am fighting the power and am trying to convince my employer to do the same.

But I'm not going to remain silent on this. People have GOT to know this and have GOT to fight back.

Otherwise the Corzis (Corporate Nazis) will win.

[Don_G]

3. The More I Learn

The better the Mac Notebook looks. I just may get one and convert my current notebook to Linux.

[Deja Q]

4. Sounds like Apple won't be delving into TCPA and DRM...

Maybe Apple has a chance after all.

Wish they wouldn't keep their product's prices ridiculously high while underpowering the peripherals (a $3000 dual-G5 Mac comes with a mid-end ATi Radeon 9600 video card instead of a high-end 9800 one, that alone is a joke. When they advertise a high-end computer and give it the price of one, then a high-end computer is what I'm going to get. Not a goofy mix of high-end and mid-end. Not for $3000.)

Sorry, but we PC users are caught between a rock and a hard place. And, sadly, the corzis will win. ("corzi" is a corporate nazi, spread the word! :D )

[Zech Marquis]

6. you don't need to spend $3 grand for a great Mac

the 15 inch Powerbook starts at $1999, plus you can take it anyway and do just about anything you want. Plus, you can always get a BTO Mac the way you want it--don't need 2 processors, cool, what a Superdive and Bluetooth? Okay. now in general macs do cost more, BUT you won't be subject to the nonsense M$ is going to pull with Office 2003...

[Deja Q]

9. $2000 is still a lot when

The latest PC I built had cost $650 and probably performs similarly to that $2000 Mac. And it's a fairly high-end PC. (or was, 3 months ago.)

And if a $3000 Mac doesn't have 1GB of RAM and a high-end Radeon 9800 video card, how paltry is that $2000 model?

Again, Macs are way overpriced for what you get in return. Do the Motorola PowerPC processors REALLY cost that much?

With Linux, I won't get the nonsense that corzi entity Microsoft is pulling either. Even if I kept Winbloat, StarOffice 7 lacks the corzi fascist routine. ("corzi" = Corporate Nazi) Though, thanks to Herr Fritz, I may have no choice but to ditch the platform utterly. And we know Corporate America is going to love what the corzis are doing... It also will prevent whistleblowers from acting out. (America is becoming increasingly... evil - and I'm ashamed to even think it because I never thought it was possible, but that just dawned on me...)

[Atman]

10. You're nuts...where are you getting these prices?

1ghz G4 eMac is $799.

[Deja Q]

12. How much RAM? HD size? CPU type? Video? You don't want to read this...

I bet it has but 128MB RAM, 256MB if you're very lucky.

40GB HD

G4 CPU, now lower in price thanks to the G5 of which I was basing my prices on (macmall.com or any Mac e-seller usually spells out how much the new G5s cost)

Probably a low-end pathetic Radeon model that my GeForce 4600 could cremate.

I think I found your model: http://www.macreviewzone.com/html/reviews/guides/individual/03/emac/1ghz-super-may.shtml - there's a link from there, http://www.macobserver.com/article/2003/05/06.13.shtml . Both articles prove my quotes were indeed in the ballpark. Indeed, the Radeon 7500 is hardly better than the Radeon 64 VIVO which came out nearly 4 years ago, and that was in the time of the GeForce2 - long before the 4600 came out!

Let's compare:

My PC, for $600 (add $150 for a 19" monitor):

2.2GHz processor that compares to Intel Pentium 4 2.7GHz
1GB RAM
200MB hard drive w/8MB cache
GeForce 4600 video with 128MB graphics RAM
CD-RW drive (gee, did that Mac come with a writeable drive? NO, go figure.)

With Linux, my box simply screams at 1600x1200x32-bit, negating the need for a P4 3.2GHz or GeForce 5900FX Ultra or Radeon 9800. (and I recall being told that even on that $3000 high-end G5 Mac, adding a 512MB upgrade to the stock 512MB system would visibly improve performance... gee, even Windows XP can work within 512MB without needing another 512MB on top of it!)

My computer has 4 USB 1.1/2.0 ports AND available drive bays for expansion, too. I like the freedom that expandability offers.

I won't call you nuts despite it all though, as I'm really a nice guy. :-)

[Atman]

14. How's the warranty?

The problem is, you keep comparing build-it-yourself with one of the most prestigous brands in the industry. You cannot get a feature for feature brand name pc and the preloaded suite of software for significantly less than a Mac.

You can spend all the time in the world cruising swap meets and cobbling together parts from Circuit City. Or you can plunk down your VISA card, take the machine out of the box, press the ON switch, and start ripping cds, using your digital camera, etc, etc, immediately.

Believe it or not, a lot of people like that.

Remember, this is the cheapo model. Not bad for Apple quality, and perfectly suitable for virtually anything you'd want to do. I am typing this from an old iMac 400 DV (G3) with 768 mb ram, an 80gig hd and OSX. I currently have running Photoshop, Illustrator, GoLive, Safari, IE, Mail, iTunes and Sherlock, and it never crashes. I paid about $1500 for it over three years ago. It has never been into the shop or needed any kind of repairs. I simply don't care about games...the kids have their own computers (my son, btw, bought an old tower G3 on e-bay for $100 and put a 1g G4 in it, 4 firewire and 4 USB 2 ports, new hd, and the latest version of OSX...the whole thing cost him under $500), and a PS2 and a Gamecube.

Different needs, I guess.

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/70302/wo/fs4NnFhlfFlt2mJCGRo1RGJB8ck/0.0.7.1.0.5.13.0.1.1.3.0.7.5.1.1.0

[Zech Marquis]

19. go tot he Apple Store man

you can find refub emacs for like $649, and they have a much better pacjage than most PCS.I don't know where you're geting these prices from man, but you're way off the mark.

[Atman]

11. You can run Linux on a Mac

No reason not to switch. The price thing is totally bogus. Completely. It has been debunked a million times. Feature for feature, any name brand PC is almost exactly the same price as a comparably priced Mac.

[Deja Q]

13. Cop-out, you're not going to like this either...

Where has it been debunked?

And I will still argue that a high-end computer should contain all high-end components and NOT have lower-end components in it. For $3000, that high-end G5 should have 1GB RAM and a Radeon 9800. No less. That is NOT bogus and how do you debunk giving a customer what's worth the price?

Here's a brand-name PC: http://www2.warehouse.com/product.asp?pf_id=CP21468&blind=no&BCID=13857262

$1740.

Also note the specs - similar to the higher-end $3000 G5. Has 512MB RAM and *gasp* a Radeon 9600.

And IBM typically costs more than Dell or HP/Compaq.

Sorry, I can't believe that "any name brand PC is almost exactly the same price as a comparably priced Mac."

Here's the G5 I keep whining on about, compare features and price: http://www2.warehouse.com/product.asp?pf%5Fid=CPU1875&cat=mac&blind=

Comparing the two, the big difference is that the IBM lacks a DVD-R drive. Ooooh, they cost $150. $150+$1740<$3000. Oh yeah, the IBM has 128MB of video RAM whereas that Mac has but 64MB!

If we added SCSI components to that IBM and make it a server, then it would probably cost $3000. But that poor Mac has *gasp* IDE components (okay, it's serial ATA- I'll give you some credit, but it still isn't SCSI - my favorite standard...)

[Atman]

15. Check the specs on the G5

There is nothing on the consumer market that compares. Nothing.

I think you miss what the G5 is all about. It is a true 64 bit system.

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/70302/wo/fs4NnFhlfFlt2mJCGRo1RGJB8ck/2.0.7.1.0.5.21.1.2.1.2.0.0.1.0

[Zech Marquis]

20. SCSI?!

Man, you're way, way behind. Pro users have Firewire based drives an stuff now...it seems liek you're just venting your anger at Apple, when you should be venting it at M$. AND i the G5 is still mch much--and I cna undertsand your point there--you can STILl get a Power Mac G4 and add the 9800 card. Gez! Do your homework next time, will ya? :eyes:

[madfloridian]

5. Thank our Democrats for the CBDTPA as well....internet

http://www.politechbot.com/docs/cbdtpa/hollings.s2048.032102.html

Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act".

Mr. HOLLINGS (for himself, Mr. STEVENS, Mr. INOUYE, Mr. BREAUX, Mr. NELSON of Florida, and Mrs. FEINSTEIN) introduced the following bill, which was read twice and referred to the Committee.....

Good and scary reading. I think if one of the clauses is carried to the ultimate.....you would not be able to tape a show from a pay site in your own home. I can not find the quote now, and I am not sure how far this has gone. It was to be incorporated into HDTVs I believe. The last I could find anything on this, it was in committee, but they keep changing the name and dragging it out again.

I would love to know more about this. This is just in case you get to thinking our Democrats are not obligated to the corporations.

[Deja Q]

8. No mention of Biden? But it's very frightning,

How can any Democrat support what amounts to pure fascism?

And, yes, it is to be integrated into HDTVs and the older ones may not be able to be upgraded.

No more taping of TV for future watching regardless of station was what I'd heard elsewhere; obviously they want everybody to buy the DVD releases when they come out for - how much again? (Some shows are at a fair price, like "All in the Family". Under $25 for a full season is great. "I Spy" was another TV series for a GREAT Price ($roughly $11 for a 4 episode disc and then came the box sets which were like 40% cheaper in the end.). But others like "Six Feet Under", any of the Star Trek franchises, etc, are sheer ripoffs.

My friend in California who's big into tv taping and such doesn't believe it's going to happen because there will be a loud public outcry. But do note that VCRs are going the way of the dodo so soon your collections will be utterly worthless to own. He's bright, but he doesn't see how vile the corzis are...

Gee, we had VCRs since 1980. Corporate America Nazis (the "corzis", spread the word) fought saying it would destroy their industry. They were wrong then, they've not been harmed. So why are they getting fascist on our asses when they know they're wrong? CONTROL and GREED. I taped Star Trek - the sci-fi special edition and still bought 50% of the DVDs despite the bloated price (but before they ramped up the price to an appalling $20 per volume!!!)

[NJCher]

7. I'm chewing nails

This is horrible beyond belief!


Cher

[ramapo]

16. These will be the good ole days

Someday you'll look back fondly on the freedom that we now enjoy with our computers and VCRs.

I still run W98 and don't plan on upgrading. I still have many legacy ISA cards so I need to keep this old box running. If I had to, I'd go Linux with StarOffice. I will never go to a new MS release.

[NJCher]

17. same here

Before XP I was always a sucker for buying the latest stuff. No more.


Cher

[Don_G]

18. The Mac G5 Sounds Better And Better

I shelled out 4K for my latest Dell Notebook, had problems and got no less than 8 people from Dell/India and Microshaft/India trying to understand the problem enough to refer me somewhere else...each and every time!!!

What about a good Windows Emulator for Linux and the Mac? The only game I have is Micro$haft's Links golf game and I find it far superior to anything else I've seen so far.

[Atman]

22. I have Win2000 Pro on my old G3

and it runs fine for everything but games. They tell you that right up front...it is not for action games. It will still play them, but it more like having an older pc. Unfortunately or fortunately, as the case may be, Microsoft bought out Connectix, who made Virtual PC. I don't know it they'll try to put all their validation crap in the new version.

And, btw, it is real Windows. You get the reals disks, real books, the whole package. You can have Windows and OSX running at the same time and drag and drop files between them...it converts them on the fly. The emulator is more an processor emulator. Once you have Windows running in full-screen mode, there is absolutely no difference...you have pc. Just press the hot key and you can switch to a windowed mode, or show the Mac toolbar.

From what I hear, on a G5, the speed equals a mid-level P4, perfectly adequate for all but heavy game play.

[Interrobang]

21. Those in the know are turning into Stuckists

I like this sort of s-of-c essay by Andrew Orlowski at the Reg:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/26740.html

I'm a bit of an Internet Stuckist myself, being as I am mostly on the wrong side of the Digital Divide tracks (crappy hardware, no broadband connection, and now -- *no job!*), and I figure that as soon as it becomes impractical for me to keep using the MS OS I have now (the only reason this machine isn't a dual boot is because it's *so bad* I'd feel dirty putting a *real OS* on it) because nothing as early as 98 is supported anymore, I'll switch over completely to Linux. Even two years ago when I was in TO, RH ran fast fast on my (even then antiquated) former system, a 350 mHzer built for me by a very proficient whiteboxer.

(Back story: Most people in this area at least do NOT buy their computers from Future Shop, Dell, or Gateway. They go to the guy who was recommended to them by so-and-so, and he puts together a system for them from components, usually to order, sometimes not, and then Buddy or Missis takes it out of its box at home, plugs it in, and goes. There are, I'm told by my American fiance, about three times as many whiteboxers here as there are in a US city of comparable size.)

I'm especially concerned about these US laws, because I can't do anything about them, and do you *really* think the fabs'll do one set of chips for the US market, and one set for the rest of North America? We non-US citizens'll be forced by the hardware to comply with the laws of a foreign country, laws which we can't really do much about. As a creator of large amounts of IP myself, I worry about this. Suppose I find one of my old stories on a disk somewhere, copy it over to a new format, clean it up, re-write it, and then want to submit it somewhere? What if the Fritz chip in my machine decides that I can't send that Word doc to someone else, because I copied it from somewhere, therefore I don't "own" it, even though it's my work and I want to send it to some magazine somewhere to be published? That would fuck me up! So I'm concerned.

Let me just say that if the Betamax case were going down right now, none of us ever would have so much as *heard* of a "videotape," ever. Bleah.