What about "C"?? You can get the Watcom compiler and "code away" in "C" for free. Basic was ok in that it let "non programmers" program, but frankly, in terms of "coding" It really was a rather limited interpreted language.....not unlike (but far inferior to) scripted languages like Javascript and others. IMHO Microsoft "bastardized" the term BASIC as a programming language with its many "kit bashes" of the language and misuse of the name. Same as "C#" just a marketing attempt to hitch your wagon onto a industry standard and give it credibility with the "masses" while hiding the fact it is a Java CLONE. BASIC was written in 1968, and was a "1st / 2nd generation language, any attempts to update have it miming "C" and similar languages, therefore ceasing to be BASIC and becoming something else.

Bieeanda, IF NOT FOR OUR CORRUPT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND elected mis-spenders, we'd have the flying cars (they do exist) as well as many of the other predictions. I resent not having the tech that was discussed when I was a kid, and all of us still driving computerized Model "A"s. Nothing wrong with the Model A, but frankly our cars differs very little from the overall design of almost a century ago. Softer seats, mp3 players, but same basic design. This flies in the face of reason. For some perspective, the '57 Chevy and the SR-71 Blackbird were designed at about the same time. The '57 Chevy is an antique car, the SR-71 purportedly the fastest plane we have ever had. The ONLY reason we know of the SR-71's existence (actually the designator was RS-71) was a "slip" by then President Johnson leaking the name by mistake at a press conference and "SPELLING IT WRONG"!! Also the name Reconnaissance Surveillance implies that there were other (Combat?) versions of the same aircraft, which have never been seen publicly. The SR-71 differs so much fundamentally from commercial plane that side by side on the ground they look as similar as apples and oranges. Willing suspension of disbelief aide, what has ALL the tax money that has been spent for the past 50 years gone for???? I suspect there ARE many innovations sitting somewhere because they are: a.) Are extremely cheap, durable, and last for a long time b.) Would offer the public freedom from oil and government control, and c.) Have the capacity to improve the quality of life without government assistance. I have become very cynical in this respect as I do believe that as a society we are being controlled and kept at a "maintenance level” not allowed to experience fundamental change in technology or advancement by a bloated bureaucracy that feeds on it's own incompetence.

One would think that with a model like that (similar to the libraries at Alexandria or Constantinople) that a single destructive event (caused by nature or vandals) could destroy all of the books. I would suggest regional storehouses of books with multiple copies of same at all locations with accompanying "soft copy" in the form of extremely durable optical storage, engraved metal sheets, or some other long lived substance. In this way, no natural or man made event could destroy all written knowledge. One EMP event (i.e. Atom bomb exploded in the atmosphere above the continent, extreme solar flare or extrasolar event (Cosmic Ray Burst) etc. can render much of our electronic infrastructure inert) including ebooks. All written knowledge would be lost without the "storehouses". I'd say stock a lot of incandescent bulbs in there too!

Well, after airlines, Obama and Air force One, and Lady Gaga (talking of course), we do have things like Paintball guns, fire extinguishers, and ocean life (yes covering 75 percent of the planet. Phytoplankton (emit oxygen) Zooplankton (emit CO2), both greatly outnumber humans and are one of the main ingredients in CRUDE OIL (after being "processed" by the mantle after being swallows in to the subduction zones at the plate boundaries. so, our war on CO2 must begin with destroying all sea life. As the Plankton are the root of this food tree,snuff them out, and eventually now more CO2 Gas, (except the bloviating politicians). thsi doesn't count the amounts of CO2 directly emitted by these creatures every second of every day. Just a thought.

This guy is a complete moron. The idea is stupid, and frankly suprised the FAA would allow such a atrocity to be in US Airspace. (Then again, they let Southwest Airlines fly)....almost the same idea, people hanging onto a wing with jet engines strapped to it......cabin optional. This has GOT to be the STUPIDEST application of OZONE depleting gas I have seen. Why not fire the moron from a cannon, same aerodynamics involved there. (frankly I don't believe in Ozone layer depletion, that was a nod to our lib buddies. Not a must with the setup, just an example of how truly impractical and stupid this concept is. Not even worthy of an honorable mention X-Prize, those have to accomplish something. All this guy is doing is a prolonged attempt at a Darwin Award. We are stupider as a race for allowing morons like this to pursue stupidity on this scale, and to promote it with coverage. He is a Human version of Wile E. Coyote. what a joke. And before you comment and say I am jealous, I have developed many bleeding edge designs in many fields. Trust me, This is a joke. Next thing you know the guy will strap himself ot a rocket and be "rocket man"....."WOW look at me....I am rocket MORON".....

Well, since the modules can be classified by rules and the rules incorporated into an expert system, then I claim I can create a "virtual programming factory" which replaces the thousands of ".net programmers" with a 7x24 computer program which essentially does the same thing. You type in requirements, the software does the rest. And before you comment, YES this is possible and YES it has been done. .net is for assembly line programming, not innovation. .net is suited to countries like 3d world where we offload the daily grind and innovate here in the USA. that is why Senor Gates has been dumping code, OSes and money into India, China, and practically any other place he can. .NET is assembly like programming, pure microsoft pap, and it is not coding, it is assembling. No offense, but that is my opinion

I disagree, in that OO is for people who are effectively assembly line workers cranking out code and paid by the hour. It is not possible to build truly dynamic, high performance, innovative solutions using OO code. OO is a way to keep the "average programmer" from having to write code (deal with memory mgmt, pointers, etc. Gaining the power of "C" without understanding the language. Really, assembly line OO (C++ C#) versus Innovative "C". No comparison

I am all for things like "objects" for non programmers to create code with, but those modules should have solid code behind them, and until we have true quantum or parallel computing, object oriented code is not ever going to be optimized. Processors still process sequentially, so the code to run properly and to understand good coding should be taught that way. This is similar to the CompTIA A++ cert dropping the need to know DOS to get the cert. If you even BUY the idea that "certs are good", dropping DOS from a diagnostic standpoint is ludicrous. I know people with the “whole boatload” of Microsoft Certs who could not find their way out of a paper box. And have the customer skills to match. C++ is a bastardization of the “C” language and always will be. It rides on the solid reputation of “C” as does “C#” and any other derivative. When the I/O and basic tenants of a language are changed, then it is no longer the language. Call the language something else like “D” “C"s predecessors were “A” and “B” at Bell Labs. If these “NEW AND BETTER “ solutions truly are, then give them a new name and let them survive or fail with them.

Falzer, You miss the point, this IS NEWS, BIG NEWS!! Someone standing up to the 800ton elephant in the room. .NET is a "retread" of Microsoft's attempts to capitalize the internet int heir image. Open source, or at least Consortium development is the likely to the future. Do you think Gates gave 4 Billion to India for FUN? He is indoctrinating the "new economies" of the world with Microsoft solutions. A man states his opinion and is immediately vilified. Can you give 5 legitimate reasons why .NET is superior to any other technology? Let me save you some typing....I bet you cannot. It is personal preference.. something Microsoft does not want to give you.

I agree, wholeheartedly. Microsoft embraces innovation (as long as it is theirs) Like I was once told about (pre Obama) General Motors....Microsoft is a Bank that happens to sell Software. Every innovation they have was either bought, co-opted, or outright stolen from someone else. While elements of their technology do have merit, I would be content to see their cor products function without nearly daily "security updates" (truly an indicator that the cor product ins flawed). Open source is the wave of the future. Microsoft is big now, but it is a staggering giant, too encumbered by corporate infrastructure, dividends, and shareholders.

Company based on lies and extortion, as well as slander, FUD, monopolies, ridiculous and perhaps illegal trade practices (dumping product to gain market share), patent infringement, etc. shipping jobs wholesale overseas when the government her does not capitulate to their legal demands. Overseas corporate offices, overcharging for defective softweare, slander, liable, and who knows what else. All in all the American dream (if you are Barrack Obama).

I had access to nearly all of the comm platforms we used, and most required multi level access to get in (outer door, inner door) These rooms were very convenient for "off the record" discussions when it ws concerning info that not everyone should hear, or regarded sensitive information. To sanitize an op center is to remove its effectiveness. We have to stop allowing the MBA types to dictate what a dev or system center is all about.

At least they tried, and you gotta admit that playing in a browser is way cooler than a VT-52 or VT-100 terminal (kind of miss the turbine like fan noise though, kind of like you were in a ship. I remember a couple of monitors without fans that we had in college, had to remove the cover slightly and have a fan blowing on them to keep cool (tektronix I think).

M$ will keep having trouble until their "boilerplates" are made from good American steel rather than the shoddy and communist Chinese crap. Windows is such a crap pile that you can actually compost your garden with it. Trouble is all plants fertilized by Windows are subject to GATES EULA and you can't eat them unless you have a valid license.