Agreed. I think 2-Wire does a lot of things right. Initial connection to a factory default router automatically initiates a setup process, which IIRC, will not give you internet access until completed. This process also forces you to change the default password, and, again IIRC, has the default wireless security set as WEP. Though, it has been a very long time since I set one up (they tend to last quite a long time, too); I may not be remembering things quite right.

They also tend to be smart enough to "notice" when you do things that the typical joe sixpack user would not do, like connect other routers up behind them, and it does some somewhat smart things in automatically configuring itself to handle those situations properly.

Of all the routers that I've used, I'd have to say that 2-Wire are currently my favorite, and Linksys are currently my most hated.

What you've said doesn't invalidate my point. I was just explaining that the parent was incorrect in his assumption that brakes are always stronger than the engine. This is simply not true, due to a variety of reasons, one of which could be some sort of computer control system. For instance, like you've said, ABS kicks in, and for some reason fails. If the throttle is wide open (due to your foot being on the pedal or mechanical/computer malfunction; it doesn't matter which), and some component of the braking system is faulty or fails, it is unlikely that you will be able to stop the car by braking alone.

1) Not if the brakes are bad, installed improperly, or computer controlled. All ABS brakes have some sort of computer control system. If it's the same system that controls the throttle... well, there you have it.

2) Agreed, but in a front wheel drive car, unless the wire is stretched from overuse or designed to do otherwise, the rear wheels should at least lock (or near lock) to some extent.

3) SHOULD, yes. DOES, not necessarily. Transmission inputs can be computer controlled as well, especially in automatic transmission vehicles.

Eyes wide, mouth vomiting is not what that looks like.

Welcome to arguing with people who argue simply for the sake of the argument. What you say could be 100% true and infallible, but they will always come up with some ridiculous scenario that makes you wrong, usually involving quantum physics, space/time continuum, parallel universes, or completely contradictory statements to your point. You will never be right, no matter how hard you try. There's always a "but, if...". Good luck.

Except that the Chinese government would be perfectly happy to be cut off from the rest of the Internet. If we cut them off, they can just blame it on the US and claim they've done nothing to censor anything. You'd be giving them exactly what they wanted.

I agree with this, but would also add to it that a good driver doesn't cause others to collide with things either. For instance, I may be able to handle my car perfectly well at 80mph on the highway, but if I can't do it without adversely affecting the other drivers on the road, then I am not a "good" driver. However, if I can zoom down the highway at 80mph, not cause people to panic, swerve out of my way, not hit anything, and still be courteous to others who wish to drive the speed limit, then one might consider me to be a "good" driver.

The other problem I've found with NFS is that in a lot of them, the rubberbanding turns into physics defying cheating by the computer at some point, like being able to take a hairpin turn at 190 MPH in a Honda Civic, without hitting any walls, skidding, or even slowing down. The computer should not be able to break the limits of the game in order to catch back up. Sure, let them drive a perfect lap, but the limits of their car shouldn't be increased. If my car is fully upgraded, and I'm hitting max speed on a straightaway, the computer shouldn't be able to pass me driving the same car like I'm sitting still.

The title is "Choosing a Personal Printer For the Long Haul", so I assume he's wanting a consumer level printer, not a workhorse intended for an office setting. I do agree, though, that HP's business level printers are some of the better ones you can get.

I've had terrible luck with HP printers. It seems like they're only recognized properly about 1/3 of the time, and if I do get a computer to recognize it, it will randomly stop recognizing it at some point in the future. Not to mention the terrible software that it seems is pretty much required in order for the damn things to work. I don't think I should have to install software at this day and age to be able to use a damn printer.

I'll second this. They generally don't require any software to work properly either. Just plug it in, and it's good to go.

I second this. I hate programmers that use inheritance and polymorphism simply for the sake of using it. For the love of God, if you don't actually need it, or if it doesn't make everything simpler, don't use it!

However, depending on how the spaghetti code has been done, it can be just as annoying. If they're using GOTOs at all, or returning from functions in odd places that aren't obvious, it's not fun to debug, but I'd still prefer this to overengineering.

If they've combined overengineering with spaghetti code, it takes all my strength to keep from stabbing them in the face.

I also love people that use clever ways of causing functions to get called automagically. Like using the get/set of a property to call some method that's only slightly related to that property, but also does something incredibly important for the functionality of whatever class that property is in.

This place: http://focusdesigns.com/ has a working version that you can buy today, apparently. It's also more than twice as fast at 10 MPH.

Actually, a lot of people have done this before. Just google "self balancing unicycle" or "powered unicycle".

I see a lot of people commenting on how this is a bad idea because the case is the most reusable piece of a computer. While that may be true, how many people do you think actually reuse the case of their computer when they upgrade? I'd be willing to bet that most Joe Sixpack type consumers simply replace the entire machine when they're ready to upgrade. Sure, the /. crowd may upgrade parts until they can upgrade no more, and finally replace the entire guts, but do we realistically think that grandma is going to do the same? No, she'll buy an entirely new computer, and throw her current one out.

Don't get me wrong, I think a cardboard case is a terrible idea. There are just so many things that can go wrong (fire, water, instability due to vibrations, etc, etc). I just think that saying it's a terrible idea because a normal case can be reused isn't an entirely realistic argument.