Recent Posts
Documentation is the least of their problems.-MrCrispy (November 29, 2008, 02:32 AM)
Linux is not well designed. Its a hodge podge of competing design philosophies with no coherent vision, no standardized API's on which other developers can build apps, and a new project starting every week which tries to fix the failed efforts of the previous ones. Note I am not talking of the kernel, which IS decent, but all the user level subsystems such as video, sound, the filesystem etc.-MrCrispy (November 29, 2008, 02:32 AM)
For your normal user, there is little reason not to run Windows. More apps, easier to use, faster or just as fast (KDE and Gnome are just as fat and bloated as Windows counterparts)
and for most people, Windows will come for free.
For developers, there's even less reason - Windows dev tools, docs and support are leagues apart.
Quite funny - but I think it's a bit unfair to tar Honeywell as trying to pull off this goofy stunt - the computer was a legit Honeywell computer (that I imagine sold quite a few more than 0 units).-mwb1100 (November 28, 2008, 09:55 PM)
Honeywell's Kitchen Computer remembered
The $62,550 machine no one bought
By Austin Modine
Posted in Odds and Sods, 27th November 2008 04:52 GMT
Let us first ponder: We've discussed several important computers in this erratically-released column. Many of these units, along their notable triumphs, come with a fair share of faults – be it a 23-pound frame on a supposedly portable PC, or the occasional electromagnetic pulse on start-up that destroys all storage tapes in the area. You can't make lemonade without some lemons.
But none, to this reporter's knowledge, sold a total of zero units. That's because hitting the big goose egg so squarely is actually rather difficult. Everyone has a mother, after all. A computer that no fool on Earth would purchase requires machinery so decadent and impractical, so awash up in the dream that super-science will simplify our lives, that it could only arrive in a Neiman-Marcus holiday catalog.
And so we explore the Honeywell Kitchen Computer. Made exclusively for the housewife that has everything but tangible proof her husband is a clueless jackass.
Honeywell H316 Pedestal AKA "Kitchen Computer"
Released: 1969
Price: $10,600
CPU: 0.6MHz
Memory: 4KB, expandable to 16K
Display: Binary lights
Special Features: Built-in cutting board
It's the waste-of-effort of analyzing a well understood trend that irritates me.
The simple fact that articles like this exist, if you will.
Windows is installed on zillions of workstations. Why? Because it's always been that way. When will it change? When something tremendously better compels us to switch. Until then, analyzing why everyone runs Windows when "better" operating systems exist seems like wankery.-Ralf Maximus (November 27, 2008, 07:50 AM)
Until that time, articles like this just piss me off.-Ralf Maximus (November 27, 2008, 07:00 AM)
OK, I had a look-see and it looks like speakerplans.com has more about designing folded-horn bass cabs than anything.
Should be great for what you're planning, 40Hz.-Edvard (November 26, 2008, 03:56 PM)
Teach Computer Science without a computer!
http://csunplugged.com/
Computer Science Unplugged is a collection of activities designed to teach the fundamentals of computer science without requiring a computer. Because they're independent of any particular hardware or software, Unplugged activities can be used anywhere, and the ideas they contain will never go out of date. Unplugged activities have been trialed and refined over 15 years in classrooms and out-of-school programmes around the world.
And it's free!
You can download Unplugged activities as individual PDF files from their pages on this site, or download a teachers' version of the collection as a single file. But it's worth browsing this site. You'll find supplementary material for each activity: videos, links, photos, feedback, curiosities and more. We're also working on online games, competitions, links to curricula, and new material. Printed versions of the Unplugged material are available for purchase, and proceeds from sales are put back into the project.
...old man is obviously living in the dinosaur age of business, I think? :p-Paul Keith (November 26, 2008, 04:35 PM)
Not only is it a valid concern, but it's a business model.
This is one of the reasons why people like me are extremely reluctant to use these (often) free web services.. the prospect of them closing up shop and leaving you and your data in limbo seems quite high -- and it seems like it's often part of the business model.
Basically a company creates a web service and get as many people using it as possible by keeping it free. [as a side note, make sure to call it "In Beta" forever so no one can complain about anything] They don't worry about profits yet. Then at some point they say we have all these users, now is there a way to make a profit on it -- via advertising or whatever. If not, then just close up shop and move on. And the user is out of luck.-mouser (November 25, 2008, 05:37 AM)
in the past i would have done what zaine said and unplug the other drives. i'd just become over confident by how well everything else had worked with the GAG loader, etc.-nudone (November 26, 2008, 04:51 AM)
If you want to try something a little more up-to-date interface-wise than GAG, you could try XOSL.-4wd (November 26, 2008, 02:30 PM)
Can't really think of a good reason why your disk would be nuked, though... sounds weird. Btw, never do "in place" recovery if you can avoid it, the best solution is always to restore files to another partition. The best recovery software I've found so far has been GetDataBack. It's slow, but it's been able to recovery pretty well.-f0dder (November 25, 2008, 04:46 PM)
If it helps, I can thoroughly recommend GetDataBack (NTFS/FAT).
It recovered all files off of a 320GB HDD in about 2 hours after a format in which the single partition on the HDD was described as "unrecognised filesystem" by the system, ie. all the partition info had disappeared.-4wd (November 25, 2008, 04:48 PM)
EDIT: Dang It! f0dder beat me-4wd (November 25, 2008, 04:48 PM)
Do people drug their cats for these videos, or are all those animals just that batshit insane?-f0dder (November 25, 2008, 02:06 PM)
Not all of them. Just most of them.-Deozaan (November 25, 2008, 02:13 PM)
On a sort of related note... I tried to install Ubuntu on a partition last night (have C for programs, D for data and created a newie for Ubuntu)
During the install, the "partitioner" fired up, showed me I diagram which looked to me like C, D were to be left alone and the diag had the word "Ubuntu" next to the 3rd partition.
Imaging my surprise when I didn't have my XP C drive or data D drive anymore. Wouldn't it be simple for the install routione to say in plain english "hey, you're about to lose XP and a data partition"?-tsaint (November 25, 2008, 03:29 PM)
it also just reaffirms my recommendation to stay away from dual booting / multibooting loaders.-mouser (November 25, 2008, 02:42 PM)
Perhaps Clonezilla is up to the job? Never used it myself, though.-f0dder (November 24, 2008, 09:47 PM)
Windows SteadyState in Action
Depending on the purpose and requirements of your shared computers, different features and configuration options of Windows SteadyState prove particularly valuable. Click the scenario below that most closely matches your situation.
In the classroom
Classrooms and computer labs can offer groups of users a consistent and reliable computer learning environment more efficiently, while increasing the productivity of the teaching staff.
In an Internet café
Internet cafés, kiosks, and other businesses offering commercial access to shared computers can help increase customer satisfaction while reducing computer down time, administrative costs, and total cost of ownership.
At the library
Libraries and community technology centers can help protect computers against tampering cost effectively. They can customize shared user profiles to meet the needs of different patrons.
At home
Parents can use Windows SteadyState on a household computer to let their children share it without causing harm or accessing inappropriate sites on the Internet.
Other uses for Windows SteadyState
Anyone whose work involves repeatedly installing and uninstalling programs on a computer can make good use of Windows SteadyState. Software testers are a good example. If disk protection is on when they install a new program, any problems the program causes won't become permanent. Even a complete uninstall of a faulty program is only a reboot away.
