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Comment: Re:Future Publishing (Score 1) 562

by natd (#38855907) Attached to: Ask Slashdot: Does Europe Have Better Magazines Than the US?
Issue 1, New Zealand Story coverdisk. I bought the magazine out of interest and fantasised about having the actual computer to put the disk into for a few months. I may have even made the motions to the side of my c64! Eventually I raised the 400 quid but there was certainly something magical about that era.

Comment: Re:It would be good to have optional GUI (Score 1) 780

by natd (#38694360) Attached to: Windows Admins Need To Prepare For GUI-Less Server

Windows servers need GUIs to run common third party software installation programs (vmware netchk) or AV consoles (Symantec Endpoint Protection) via RDP. Without a GUI, you'd be forced to serve up yet another port to clients to run the GUI consoles (that have tons of graphs and other things that are actually useful), or run them via a shoehorned webpage via IIS or apache (SEP already tries to do this). Do you really want unnecessarily open ports just to satisfy an urge to remove the GUI?

Novell NetWare had MANY GUI installers (first and third party) that ran on workstations but installed on the server. In fact, I think that was the most common situation. As one of many options, that could be done for Windows Server. Getting the compulsory GUI (2008 Core didn't count...), Solitare and 3D screen-savers off the server can only be a good thing. I'm glad MS has stopped beating that horse.

Comment: Re:It shouldn't be mandatory (Score 1) 273

by natd (#38671572) Attached to: British Schoolchildren To Get Programming Lessons

So do you think that children just magically know how to open a document in word and change a font?

Well, my 4 years does, and has done for 6 months or so and I didn't teach him. He has a logon on my Mac (no password, just has to click to switch user etc) and access to nothing but Office. He calls it "doing letters" and types basic sentences and formats. He's found lots of features. There's a reason the Amiga GUI was called "Intuition" and the promise of the GUI on all platforms has been just that.

Maybe you're suggesting that schools should teach "pulling up pants after wee-wee" because they won't magically know? Parents and intuition should be allowed to to their bit and keep school for the really non-obvious stuff.

Comment: Re:It shouldn't be mandatory (Score 1) 273

by natd (#38671490) Attached to: British Schoolchildren To Get Programming Lessons
The thing is, they have been progressively dumbing this down. I did BBC Basic at primary school (P7 1984-1985) as well as some weird 3D cube thing which I remember loving. Then I kept going on my Vic-20 (had from 81), other kids had their Amstrads, CPCs, PCWs etc. Then at high school around 3rd year we picked up again and while getting BBC Basic again, some assembly was included and other reasonably simple but worthwhile concepts were taught. Roll forward 5 years and my brother played games in primary school and was taught what a word processor was in those same classes that showed my class assembler. I'm relieved to see that this is starting tog et fixed, and can't help feel it's because my generation (late 30's) is now starting to be pretty representative in government and can see how big an opportunity has been missed.

Comment: Re:This is why I will never trust cloud services (Score 1) 388

by natd (#38272186) Attached to: IT Pros Can't Resist Peeking At Privileged Info
The headline says that IT Pros can't resist, which got me clicking as I have never had any difficulty 'not peeking'. Then I see it's only 26% which actually means the majority ARE resisting. I'd have been annoyed if it was the other way around as it's one of the strongest points I make to juniors as they get started - the need to respect that elevated access is a privilege not to be abused.

Comment: Re:I don't care who just died (Score 1) 158

by natd (#37700556) Attached to: Australian Court Blocks Sales of Samsung Galaxy Tablet
I work in an office of 300 (company of 35,000) and all I see are iPhones for those who can and 'other' (mostly Android) for those picking the cheapest bundled plan. Most that I see arer iPhones, ie people actually using them as a smartphone. My wife put an open water bottle in her handbag in May and her 3GS was gone. Maybe my fault for thinking that charging it might help. Eitherway, with the iPhone 5 on the way I told her she had to get something non-contract to pass the time. The Galaxy S whatever has been enough for her to beg for a 4 regardless of what was coming. All she wants is a phone that hangs up when she asks it to, has a decent UI etc. I've put the time into rooting it, gingerbreading it, samgunghacksFTW.com'ing it (yes, i made that up) and had the Andriod geek at swimming tell me all about the kernel hack I need to apply that "everyone knows" that will speed up the general responsiveness but not the battery issue, but frankly I'm not interested. Junks Junk.

"'Tis true, 'tis pity, and pity 'tis 'tis true." -- Poloniouius, in Willie the Shake's _Hamlet, Prince of Darkness_

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