Billions? I think you exaggerate a bit, don't you?

As someone else pointed out in here, some comics just are worth holding in hand because they don't look as good on a monitor.

now if I could just get a broilled edition, then I'd be all set. :)

the author of that comic did something outside the box and it profited him greatly. now if the music and movie industries would realize the same market and offer their wares for a lot less, they would sell more, alienate a lot less and still profit.

OMG. I always knew the clinton administration was like a circus full of clowns. or perhaps they were keystone cops. who knows?

hmmmm.
its a little more involved than that. I use a mac here and had instant accessibility from the OS without having to spend an$1,000 (hello freedom scientific!). In fact, any devices for the disabled (no matter the disability) can cost anywhere from 4 to 100 times what the standard consumer electronic equivalent can (like a $400.00 microwave that talks when the same unit that doesn't costs less than $80 at your local wal*mart). That $200.00 PDA can cost the blind person about $1,200 with the modifications made to a standard PDA (about $20.00 in parts and a few changes in the onboard software).
The above is primarily why the disabled are seeing benefits (even if unintended) from devices like the iPad and other display devices (at substantially lower costs). The above is also why most state governments go broke trying to help their disabled clients.
I happen to be blind. I paid just under $1,000 for my mac. what I would have spent on a comparable windows machine? $1,000 for the computer, $250 for the windows OS, $1,000 for the text to speech software (windoweyes or jaws). frankly, my mac is a better deal. now i I can find a braille display that won't cost me a years worth of my fixed income in one shot ($6,000)!.

hello everyone.

I agree that GUI's are nice eye candy and can visually organize a space. but... they are not blind friendly.

I still use cli for editing scripts and modifying system settings (including editing configuration files for custom settings). I don't see a lot of this in GUI interfaces (I use orca under gnome and believe me, a lot of options for settings in some system settings are simply not there). in OS X, I have also found that knowing how to modify settings on the CLI is a very powerful skill to have. anyone that thinks the GUI is the only way to go is severely limiting what they can really do.

how many of you can setup a true firewall script in linux using strictly a few guy tools and have it do some really powerful stuff? I know of perhaps 2 apps that might give you something approaching what you can create using VI in a command line. its the same with a lot of other deep level items in Linux (and OS X as well).

even though I am speaking from the P.O.V of a blind person, the same holds true for everyone. having a command line ability to make/modify/create scripts, documents and configuration files is definitely a useful (and powerful) alternative that should not be discounted.

Since dell either doesn't seem to care or has decided not to act (because its cheaper), I have a suggestion. STOP BUYING DELL PRODUCTS! if enough people do this, it will get their attention in a way they can't avoid.

I agree with "too busy" it seems even the poorest of us just don't care if we get ripped for $40.00 or so. I fix a lot of machines in my spare time here in phoenix and it seems no matter how i say it, my clients won't listen and always go back to trying some new thing (like "clean my pc").

Frankly, I am tired of offering advice when no one listens. just take their money, give them back a working machine and await the next call.

The problem here is this: even if its his own property, committing an act of Denial of Service across the
network against it still means that you have committed a crime (DDOS requires network resources in between
and those services might not be able to handle the load). regardless of actual "right of possession, committing
a crime to retrieve stolen goods is still a crime.

I forgot about that. yeah, if an insurance carrier can get the item back *cheaper* than buying new,
you bet they'll do what it takes.

That is the last thing you should ever do for a number of reasons. DDOS violates the computer crimes act here in the US (and using an illegal method to regain your property is never a good idea as you will end up in court charged with a crime yourself).

Filing a claim in your local state court is not all that expensive (and with the help of the local free law association, you might actually get it done properly).

One rule to remember when going up the 'food chain" at your University: always be nice. explain your situation in a clear and logical form and request that they help you. if they can't, get referred further up the chain. you will eventually get to someone who can say yes or take action (usually at the university presidents level). also, do follow up with the local police and send a certified letter to the local FBI office asking for help (send a fax and an e-mail as well). If you need to, get the local news media involved (beauracracies don't like negative public exposure). In all these cases, BE NICE! Stick to the point and don't embellish.

The more of a paper trail you can establish, the better your chances of regaining your property expeditiously.

That isn't just a teenager who wants something.
She's willing to STEAL it to have it because she can't (or won't) pay for it.

Talk about a lack of ethics. I wonder if her parents even know about this?