Kichigai Mentat - Slashdot User

Comment: Re:FSM knows I'm a major pessimist... (Score 1) 137

by Kichigai Mentat on Friday January 02 2009, @06:52PM (#26305527) Attached to: MPC Computers Shutting Down

A big corporate computer manufacturer is going under? It's bad, but not catastrophic. It's not catastrophic in economic terms, but it's bad for the people who have to support them. There's plenty of other manufacturers out there, so it's not like this is going to make a huge impact outside of IT departments, because the money that was going to go into computers is still going to be spent, it's just going to be spent elsewhere. People buying from MPC are just going to go to Dell or HP. The bright side of this is that competition is still going to exist. We've still got Dell, HP, Toshiba, Panasonic, Sony and Apple. They're still all fighting for market share, they're still all viable, so this isn't a real hit.

Comment: Re:Ex-Gateway customer. (Score 1) 137

by Kichigai Mentat on Friday January 02 2009, @06:38PM (#26305351) Attached to: MPC Computers Shutting Down

Agreed. We've got a third-hand Gateway (in the Aegis case, dated around 2003 I think) and I recently had to reinstall Windows on it because the existing install was totally trashed. I went to MPC's website and I couldn't even find a spec list because their website decided my S/N doesn't exist any more. I couldn't even get information on who the manufacturer was for the ethernet card. It took me two days before I could find the right driver, and a few other third party tools to figure out who made the freaking thing.

I'm out of state for schooling nine months out of the year, and I can only imagine what kind of hell my family is going to go through if we even need to go through something like this again. I'm so glad they've got a pair of Mac laptops I can fix by remote, and is vertically integrated. Not to evangelize Apple too much, but it's perfect for a family that wouldn't know the difference between PCI, AGP and ISA slots, and couldn't figure out how to install a driver to save their lives.

Now, not to say that Windows is worthless in this respect, but when the company's support assets have been sold two or three times, and you can't even find a spec sheet for your computer any more, that's pretty bad. It's more about information being lost and having to go down rabbit holes. The same thing would happen to Mac OS if Apple did the same things Gateway has done.

Justice Department Fears AT&T Destruction 0

Submitted by Doc Ruby on Wednesday September 19 2007, @01:50PM

Doc Ruby writes "The US Department of Justice has been working with telcos to intercept communications (voice, email, Web...), sometimes allegedly in violation of laws requiring due process. Now analysts believe that US telcos might be liable to every person in the US who owns a phone for violating laws protecting us:

In short, it is increasingly evident that the major US TelCos enabled the surveillance of every single domestic communication, or cannot prove that they did not. So in light of the possibility that The Program monitored the communication of every American with a phone or a web connection, this means that nearly all Americans may have standing to participate in a lawsuit should any plaintiff achieve success in showing standing and damages from the program.
Such a liability could break AT&T and any other telcos bearing it. This analysis also explains recent DoJ filings taking AT&T's position against Network Neutrality. This "private/public partnership" might have done irreparable damage to everyone plugged into the switchboard."

How going triple core will save AMD's ass-> 1

Submitted by

crazyeyes

on Wednesday September 19 2007, @01:41PM

crazyeyes writes "AMD has announced that they are going to go triple-core with their Phenom desktop processor. AMD promises that this new class of processor will be a "triple threat" to Intel's domination of the desktop market.

But is the triple-core Phenom really that amazing? Some have argued that it is nothing more than typical AMD bluster — all wind and no substance. However, this triple-core processor may have more than meets the eye. Here's a quote from the editorial :-

"According to AMD, these new processors represent a "multi-core triple threat" to Intel's current hemogeny in the multi-core desktop segment. They claim that current quad-core desktop processors (the Intel quad-core Core 2 processors, in other words) only represent less than 2% of the market. Hence, AMD believes their triple-core Phenom processors will fill the market's need for more powerful processors without paying for more expensive quad-core processors."
"
Link to Original Source

Canadian Class-action Cellphone Suit Is Approved-> 2

Submitted by BeanBunny on Wednesday September 19 2007, @01:37PM

BeanBunny writes "A Saskatchewan, Canada court has ruled that a $12 billion class-action suit can proceed. The suit alleges that "system access fees" that the cellphone companies have charged ($7-9 per month) are unfair and constitute price gouging. From the article: "It is described as the largest class-action in Canadian history, potentially affecting every cellphone user in the country. Currently, there are 7,500 complainants signed onto the suit.""
Link to Original Source

Why isn't there a mobile ODF reaer/editor? 1

Submitted by

Kichigai Mentat

on Wednesday September 19 2007, @11:31AM

Kichigai Mentat writes "Why is it that there is but one program in the entirety of the Internet that allows you to view ODF files on a portable device? Even more so, why is this single program only available on Symbian S60 devices, and not as a cross-platform open source project? And if I'm wrong (and I hope I am), what projects are there that will bring ODF to Palm OS, BlackBerry OS and Windows Mobile? In my opinion, unless ODF can become portable (IE: you can use it on as many devices as you can use a Word doc) it will never be able to truly challenge Microsoft for dominance (I know that's why I'm not using ODF for everything!)"

Great uses of old computer parts...->

Submitted by

Tadpole256

on Saturday June 16 2007, @12:25AM

Tadpole256 writes "Here are some clever ways to keep your old tech junk out of the land fill, and express your creative side all at the same time."
Link to Original Source

Best DVR without subscription services.

Submitted by ngc5194 on Friday June 15 2007, @08:01PM

ngc5194 writes "I'm thinking about joining the 21st century and purchasing a Digital Video Recorder. However, I DO NOT want to subscribe to any services. I understand that this will limit what my DVR can do, and I'm fine if it just acts like a solid-state VCR.

My question is, given the constraint above (sans subscription services), which would be the best DVR to purchase and why? Are there any that will fail to function altogether without a subscription?"

Apple to re-enter the sub-notebook market

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 16 2007, @02:11AM

An anonymous reader writes "AppleInsider is reporting that Apple has plans to reenter the sub-notebook market this year. FTFA: "This new tiny MacBook, people familiar with the project say, remains in development ahead of its target launch date around the time WWDC rolls around mid-year. It will be both lighter and more compact than any other Mac portable Apple has put forth in recent years, bundling a display of similarly smaller proportions."

http://appleinsider.com/article.php?id=2500"

Water Logic Gates Built at MIT 239

Posted by CowboyNeal on Friday February 16 2007, @01:54AM
from the flood-gates-opened dept.

ndogg writes "This story is all wet. Paulo Blikstein at MIT has created a water computer. The one boolean logic gate he created functions as a half-adder (i.e. both XOR and AND). He then proceeded to create a four bit adder."