Linked by Thom Holwerda on Mon 9th Jan 2012 13:30 UTC, submitted by davidiwharper
Somewhere in 2001, I bought a computer magazine which came with a Linux CD. I had heard of Linux before, but while we did have broadband back then and was technically capable of downloading a Linux distribution, this method was far easier. This was my first foray into Linux - it was Mandrake. Now, though, it seems the curtain has really dropped for the French Linux company.
Thread beginning with comment 502940
To view parent comment, click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To view parent comment, click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
Member since:2008-10-23
OK, I'll grant you that Ubuntu is focused on the desktop, for now. However, 3 *buntus + mint = 0.5 distros. *buntus are 99% dependent on Debian. If Debian were to close its doors, then you loose all the *buntus and Mint. Also Ubuntu is not contributing a lot. They do Unity and other specific stuff but it isn't very useful outside Ubuntu. Post a bug in Launchpad an you will see that 90% of the time they will answer 'upstream bug' (read: debian will fix it). On the other hand, Mandriva works to improve the desktop with the community. If/when Mandriva dies, I doubt all the employees will go work at Red Hat on desktop stuff. Red Hat doesn't employ much people in Brazil and Russia. I believe there is more chance that those people will be working for hedge funds and oil companies. That would be a major blow to free software in general. But those guys will be fighting to save their company like they did in the last 10 years and I'll support any way I can.
News
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/17/13 17:58 UTC
"The Internet is one of the most transformative technologies of our lifetimes. But for 2 out of every 3 people on earth, a fast, affordable Internet connection is still out of reach. And this is far from being a solved problem. There are many terrestrial challenges to Internet connectivity - jungles, archipelagos, mountains. There are also major cost challenges. Right now, for example, in most of the countries in the southern hemisphere, the cost of an Internet connection is more than a month's income. Solving these problems isn't simply a question of time: it requires looking at the problem of access from new angles. So today we're unveiling our latest moonshot from Google[x]: balloon-powered Internet access." Insane.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/17/13 17:52 UTC
"MineAssemble is a tiny bootable Minecraft clone written partly in x86 assembly. I made it first and foremost because a university assignment required me to implement a game in assembly for a computer systems course. Because I had never implemented anything more complex than a 'Hello World' bootloader before, I decided I wanted to learn about writing my own kernel code at the same time. Note that the goal of this project was not to write highly efficient hand-optimized assembly code, but rather to have fun and write code that balances readability and speed. This is primarily accomplished by proper commenting and consistent code structuring." Just cool.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/14/13 21:03 UTC
Jon Rubinstein, former CEO of Palm: "Well, I'm not sure I would have sold the company to HP. That's for sure. Talk about a waste. Not that I had any choice because when you sell a company you don't get to decide that. Obviously, the board and shareholders decide that. If we had known they were just going to shut it down and never really give it a chance to flourish, what would have been the point of selling the company? I think the deal we had with Verizon really hurt us, but who knew that at the time? These things are all hindsight."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/14/13 20:46 UTC
"And so it is with Dell's Alienware X51 R2, a small form factor gaming PC in console digs. It's shaped similar to Microsoft's Xbox 360 Slim, and though it's slightly larger than either a 360 or PlayStation 3, the X51 R2 would be right at home in a living room setting nestled next to a large screen TV. Indeed, it's adept at running Steam's Big Picture mode, and if your primary objective is to play games in the living room, go ahead and consider the X51 R2 a hybrid game console." This is obviously not the only machine like this - still, these are very valid console alternatives even for those that don't like being hunched over with a cramped WASD-claw. Also, PC gamers among us: could you get away with the $699 model for gaming?
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/14/13 17:32 UTC
From Bloomberg: "Microsoft, the world's largest software company, provides intelligence agencies with information about bugs in its popular software before it publicly releases a fix, according to two people familiar with the process. That information can be used to protect government computers and to access the computers of terrorists or military foes." The lid has officially been blown off.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/14/13 11:39 UTC
"The key takeaway we've reached (after two less than 24 hours playing with the iOS 7 Beta release) is this - every App must consider even basic updates to its UI to survive in a post-iOS 6 world." Great. Telling developers to update their entire application - user interface and behaviour alike - to target a look and behaviour that isn't final yet. Seems like potential for a lot of wasted work here.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/14/13 11:32 UTC
"Overall the app is really basic, and designed for on the go editing. Microsoft says it's not planning to create an iPad version, noting that tablet users can utilize the Office Web Apps instead. We'd like to see some additional options for editing, including more clear options for text formatting and the ability to insert and change images, but it's a solid attempt for something you're only really going to use for editing in emergencies." A resounding meh can be heard from all over the world.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/13/13 19:39 UTC
"Today, most people are using modern browsers that support the majority of the latest web technologies. Better yet, the usage of legacy browsers is declining significantly and newer browsers stay up to date automatically, which means the leading edge has become mainstream. Given these factors we've decided to retire Chrome Frame, and will cease support and updates for the product in January 2014." Eh.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/13/13 14:45 UTC
The Next Web: "First of all, many of the new icons were primarily designed by members of Apple's marketing and communications department, not the app design teams. From what we've heard, SVP of Design Jony Ive (also now Apple's head of Human Interaction) brought the print and web marketing design team in to set the look and color palette of the stock app icons. They then handed those off to the app design teams who did their own work on the 'interiors', with those palettes as a guide. We've also been hearing that there wasn't a whole lot of communication between the various teams behind say, Mail and Safari. And that there were multiple teams inside each group that were competing with various designs, leading to what some see as inconsistencies in icon design. Those may well be hammered out in days ahead." What. Reminds me of how Microsoft does (used to do?) things.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/13/13 11:43 UTC
"The German Parliament, the Bundestag, has introduced a joint motion against software patents. The resolution urges the German government to take steps to limit the granting of patents on computer programs. In the resolution, the Parliament says that patents on software restrict developers from exercising their copyright privileges, including the right to distribute their programs as Free Software. They promote the creation of monopolies in the software market, and hurt innovation and job creation." After New Zealand, we now have one of the most powerful economies in the world moving to ban software patents for all the reasons smart people have been outlining for years. also: "The government should also push to ensure that software is covered by copyright alone, and that patent offices (including the European Patent Office) stop granting patents on software." Germany is not a country the EU can ignore. Very good news, this.More News »
Sponsored Links
Member since:
2005-07-24
Ah, but now my interest in the topic has been piqued. BTW, your percentage of posts in this thread has now increased from 22% (9/40) when I first checked, to 30% (15/55). Sorry. As much as you'd like that to be 100%, you can't have everything.
In fact, it seems you're having to counter quite a number of people who feel that (the French equivalent of) chapter 7 might be for the best in this case.
BTW, I'm not emotional about Mac OS. In fact, I've never used it. Not my bailiwick. But I know enough about it to appreciate its quality.
I find it odd that you would claim that Ubuntu is not primarily focused upon the desktop. Well, one could make a plausible argument that it is moving more in the direction of appliances. Which is as good an opening as any to point out the diversity within the *buntu family of distros.
I spent a few months using Lubuntu, very recently. Excellent desktop. Certainly not for smart phones or appliances. Xubuntu, as well. Though it has been a year or so since I have used it. I'd choose either of them before submitting to a KDE 'experience'. But there's Kubuntu, as well.
So there you have it. 3 *buntu distros + Mint which are focused upon the desktop, even if you don't think Ubuntu/Unity is. (My desktop is perfectly fine without being "rethought from the ground up".)
Look. If you choose a distro which is perpetually teetering on the brink of disaster, you are always going to be living in fear.
My Gnome 2.2.28 desktop sits upon a bedrock foundation of 4 organizations for at least another 6 years: Red Hat, Inc, CentOS, Fermilab, and CERN. And that's worth more than a whole slew of unnecessary control panel apps and wizards.
Look. I'm sorry your favorite distro is dying. But it's time to move on. That's how life works.
-Steve