Actually, the Jewish people have been at war with everyone from day one, in later years settling down a bit and narrowing it to a smaller group

Sanford and Son in Mongolian?

That just goes to show that no backup system is 'fool' proof. sighs

An awesome point that can't be overstated. Well, probably not anyway. There are modems, converters, terminal servers and several other ways to use a serial port on important hardware. Out of band management is one of the best reasons for ever using it. The dial up modem as fall back to access servers has not been replaced yet. I imagine that there are a few reading these posts that know serial backup saved their bacon more than once.

I was not trying to shame you, only put a perspective on the situation. The original poster spoke of having a warning time which should be taken into consideration given the number of other people who WILLINGLY put other drivers/passengers at risk.

"Your attempt to shame me with guilt through my personal behavior be fails because in all of these instances I a) choose to participate in these actions and b) still have reasonable control of both my faculties and the vehicle. "

Isn't that reasoning something along the lines of why/how drunk drivers get behind the wheel? Recent studies show using a pda or phone make you less safe than someone mildly inebriated. Many places in the USA now make it illegal to use your mobile device in school zones for just this reason.

Do you think it would be fair to revoke a driving license for two or three infractions of the no pda/phone while driving law? At that point, it's rather obvious that the driver cannot modify their behavior, or has no control of it, isn't it?

The truth is that there are FAR too many drivers on the road who should not be for one reason or another. Eliminating one very small group based in irrational judgments is not how to fix the problem. It truly is not a case of 'we just need to restrict this group and the problem will go away'. The problem is not one set of drivers or one set of medical conditions, it's the transportation system on the whole. If we don't think of how and why it should be fixed, then slowly we begin to screw over larger and larger parts of the public. This is counterproductive, and wasteful of resources in the long term.

If I got hit by someone having a seizure, it would make more sense than being hit by someone who was texting a friend at the time. Not everyone knows they are prone to getting seizures, EVERY time you text while driving you put other drivers at risk voluntarily. Why shouldn't you be penalized instantly as well?

The original post has a point, a valid point. There is an inequity in how things are done and society as a whole does nothing to prevent this, and in fact promotes it. This is not good for our society. period. That's what I'm saying. The original poster may indeed be someone that really shouldn't be driving, but what he is saying is there is a problem, and he is right.

I'm going to guess you never use your pda/phone while driving? That you never have a conversation with another passenger while driving? That you never have the music too loud while driving? That you never drink a beverage or eat anything while driving? that you never allow passengers in your vehicle that might distract you? That you never operate a motor vehicle while suffering the affects of a cold?

To single out one small group of people and say they are dangerous is to completely ignore the huge impact that blonde hair makes... kidding aside, there are millions of dangerous drivers on the roads of North America who can not be medically denied a driving license, but who otherwise should be denied the privilege of driving just because they are reckless. I'm not saying I want a head on with someone having a seizure, but to single that problem out and not also fairly suggest that there are a great many people who should not be driving along with him is wrong.

The simple fact is that North America is not designed such that driving is a privilege. It is a necessity, for most people outside large metropolitan areas. I live in a large metro area and outside of the main downtown areas, it's practically impossible to use public transport unless you combine it with some driving of your own. I like public transport, it's just not feasible here to use it only.

That means that there will be millions of drivers driving who a) really don't need to be and/or b) who really shouldn't be. Until you address the initial issue, subjugating some drivers to an unfair situation is really not in the spirit if American freedoms.

On topic: while having a camera sit and record license plates is no more intrusive on a public road than someone physically standing there doing so, recording my travels is tantamount to stopping all travelers and asking for their papers. Such an activity is clearly not within the bounds, intent, or scope of the Constitution. Operating a motor vehicle may be believed to not be a right, but traveling unfettered by having to produce your papers is. There are those who believe that licensing for drivers and for motor vehicles is contrary to standing law, and there is room for the argument as some folk to drive unlicensed vehicles without an operator's permit. Unfettered travel within the borders is a right.

Thanks, am checking hardware lists to see if I can get one working... just for fun

"Special needs" is not a slur against you or anyone who happens to be disabled. You do point out that you have special needs or requirements for your computer.

-- "I needed a computer that could be packed into its box very quickly, was easy to transport, could run Windows, __could run OS X__ and had a large LCD screen. The iMac fit that niche perfectly. I put a bigger HD in it recently, but it is otherwise the same machine I bought in 2006. Best £1100 I ever spent....."

Having such specific special or non-generic (you choose) needs for your computer qualifies you in the category of people who genuinely want and need the expense of an Apple computer. I don't think I've ever spent more than about 1/3 that much on decent computers, but I tend to 'like' building my own.

I drive what looks like the progeny of a soccermom van and a small suv. The deal was a good one and over 5 years, a better proposition than other used vehicles. So, evaluating needs (special and not) or requirements then finding the most suitable tool for the job is how to do things. The halo effect that Apple has should not be in the mix. You sir, found a genuine requirement for the expense. Many people who buy iStuff do not have that, they buy because of the halo and coolness status.

I'm not even trying to imply that there is no special niche for Apple products, only that they are not head and shoulders above the competition. Each has it's benefits and detractions, problems and good points. If you simply want the coolness and are willing to spend the cash for it, Apple is ready to take it from you.

As an aside, I think Windows is a great OS, till you connect a network card. It's stable, usable, even fun... till you put that network card in.

If I could get Apple OS running on some hardware I can afford or have already, I'd use it. I'm skittish about having to spend money to do things I can do just as well without spending money for. I find it a silly proposition. If I got a job which required it, that's justification. The lock-in function of Apple products is a deterrent for me. Spending money on something that will be difficult to make it compatible with the rest of my 'stuff'.

More expensive, lock-in, compatibility issues... ruins any coolness effect for me, no matter how capable it is, or how easy to use. The recent app store changes re-affirm for me my decision to avoid Apple products wholesale. Not that I'm into pr0n, but I really don't want that sort of control over my device use being in the hands of a corporation, no matter how cool that corporation might seem.

Yes, I do think you have been duped, tricked, or confused by marketing hype. Your point is? I did not say all, every, or always. The Apple products do meet the special needs of some users better than any other product. I'm just saying that the market covering that situation is very very small. If it's the only tool that will help you accomplish your special needs job, by all means, use it. If all you need is to look up recipes and do your taxes, it's not a value option. BTW, Mac OS is *nix, but with a GUI on top. A very expensive GUI that needs very expensive hardware. While a nice clean used Honda works for many people you can feel free to buy a Lamborghini. Many people will be impressed. You'll know who I am because I'll be laughing as I walk away when you're showing it off.

There are those of us who think that you are not only correct, but that is what we should be attempting to do with AI. The most brilliant outcomes of human activity seem to be based on decision making that was not pragmatic, but irrational. True AI must be capable of this to be the I part. The human brain is not a perfect system, and it is the imperfections that make for the stuff which give us advancements. For the most part, mimicking humans is attempting to fail. You only have to ask a few questions to see this is true: why is she dating him? Why did they buy a house that is so expensive? Why did they do this or that? Why did so many people vote to enact that law? and so on. Humans are not, on the whole, rational. True AI would also not be rational.

I've seen this argument before. Lets throw in a car analogy. When you go to the go-kart track, those things just work, right? What good would it be if you had to work on it to get it going.

Well, Apple products just work, I'll give you that. They are more expensive, and come with DRM, but they work. You never have to spend time figuring out how to get them to do what they are supposed to do... unless you don't use other Apple products. Apparently it's my day to rant about Apple. You seem certain that Apple is better than other products of the same ilk, yet you denigrate them on flash and features. You are sold on Apple products, not because each product meets your needs exactly, but because you believe in the Apple brand. Good for you. Please don't let my unworthy opinion stop you from spending your cash on iStuff. By all means, go spend some at an Apple store immediately. While you're spending it, ask yourself if you are getting real value for dollar, or just buying what everyone else tells you is a good thing. Yes, I just asked you to evaluate your buying choices on technical merit and value. That takes a bit of effort and if it's too much work, just forget about it and go buy an iWhatever and be done with it.

No, I don't think my opinion is the only one that counts. If you are an iPerson, yes, I do think you have been sucked into the hype or are drinking the koolaid. Apple makes computing devices. They truly are no better or no worse than dozens of other products. For any given user they may be more useful to their needs, but they are just computing devices. They happen to come packaged with restrictions as well as features. Hope you didn't like pR0n on your iPhone. If you want your tech daddy looking after you, and trust them to give you only the features you are mature enough to deal with, by all means, be an iPerson. Otherwise, there are plenty of other devices out there to serve your needs. Some of them are technically better than the iStuff. But you go ahead and get the iWhatever since you 'know' its superior to anything else. My opinion should never get in your way. Go out an buy some iStuff today for god's sake. It's your money, spend it how you like. Set it on fire for all I care. Oh, and when you need a car, don't buy a sensible used Honda, by all means, overspend, go get a Lamborghini because it's the best you can get. When people see you driving that they will know you are 'somebody' and not just a smuck with a car. Please, use the same buying sense on cars and houses that you use on tech gear. I bet you have a 128 port router at home too, why bother with just a 4 port router, get the 'real' stuff.

If you have an Apple computer, it makes a bit of sense to go with Apple mobile devices since they lock you in at every turn. If you don't, forget about Apple, it's a trap. A trap designed to get you to spend more money with Apple. If you want to spend your money on Apple products, go ahead, don't let common sense stop you.

P.S. Yes, I value my opinion that much.

You are right, shame that mods are all betting on the afterlife.

They've been barking up the same wrong tree for a long time IMO. The fact that there are so many lemmings with so much free cash has worked to Apple's advantage. Remember, there is a large portion of the populace who buy things because they are told to, or because the commercials make it sound magic. As soon as they see that magic on sale, they buy. Many of them would not know the differences technically, or functionally between iStuff and anything else if you wrote it down for them. They just buy on reputation. As soon as Appple has something like a faulty accelerator system problem this will wear off. MS had one in the form of ME, then Vista. The Zune was practically stillborn in the me-too afterglow of iPods. Still, you can get functionally equivalent equipment at a lower price. Unless you have Apple computers there is NO compelling reason to buy iStuff. No, I'm not just trying to harang on Apple, but the price/function score for iStuff will not be better than what other manufacturers have or will have. Same story, same long tail, same 'magic' and it will continue to work for them till they mess up. IMO, Android is going to really start stealing their thunder very soon. Perhaps reveal the magic to everyone.

Well, you might be right IF it was not possible to accidentally do this. For about a year, my next door neighbor and I were stealing from each other. My wife had blocked our wifi ap in the laptop setup somehow (she doesn't know) and was leaching off the neighbor. When her laptop stopped working, I investigated. Found that it was not set to log to our own AP, and further found that a secondary AP of ours was in a default state, that is enabled and unsecure. Guess who was logged into it? The same neighbor who's AP her laptop had been using till he secured it. My best guess is that it had been that way for months. No party involved walked through any door, nor did we actively initiate picking up anything. There was no intent to steal, share, or otherwise deprive anyone of anything, but it happened just the same. In this case, no harm no foul. Yes, I look at the configs now and then. A recent storm reset the vonage router and it defaulted to enabled and secure but that caused interference with the AP I use so it was not left for anyone to try using it. Yes, I have UPS, so don't need obvious suggestions. The point is most equipment is set to log in anywhere it can and will happily do so without reporting where that is. Calling it theft is like accusing passersby of using images of your house without permission because they have stored a memory of their journey in their head.