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Comment 200 foot limit - 3D concerns (Score 1) 86

Keep in mind that the 200 foot limit is not just in 2 dimensions! Taxi's usually drive on (or near) street level, so, if you're more than a couple of floors up (or down), you won't be close enough to catch that WiFi signal. But, if you happen to frequent a location that has cabs lining up waiting for fares, you'd be "surfin' pretty"!!

Comment July 13th, default option when booting up. (Score 1) 315

Dear former Windows XP SP2 user:

Please choose one of the following Linux Alternatives, since we will no longer be supporting Windows XP SP2:

1) Linux Menu (Offers several effective Alternatives)

2) Shut off computer, unplug and install you well tested door stop on the door of your choice.

Thank You,

Microsoft

Comment Floppies used over USB Flash Drives for simplicity (Score 1) 505

For a lot of the "novice" users, it's easier to use a floppy, because you know exactly where (drive letter)it's going to be.

A: or A: and B: if you have 2 floppy drives.

USB Drives - It depends on what other hardware you have on your machine.

C:, D: for hard drives, E: from DVD drive, F: (maybe an external USB Drive), H: - K: (card reader for several different card types). So, If you have one Hard Drive Partition, and a DVD drive, the letter for the first USB drive could be E:, or in the example above, it could be L:

In Ubuntu, the drive shows up on your desktop, and gives you a better idea of what it is.

Also, newer machines don't have floppy drives, so novices will have to find a way to deal with USB Drives, or OS's need to have a better representation of a USB drive so it is easier to work with.
I used to use floppies since the early 80s, when I worked in an Apple Computer Lab at college (a room full of Apple ]['s). Ah, those were the days, living it up at SUNY Brockport!!

Comment Re:Solar Power to the Rescue? (Score 1) 344

First, I would not classify myself as a Global Warmer - More of a we need to take better care of this planet or things like breathing may become a rather difficult thing for everyone - ie., Asthma becomes the Norm, not just a limited but increasingly common affliction.

OK, maybe I'm missing something.

Sunlight "contains" a specific amount of energy.

Some of that energy could be transferred to heat energy if the light hits an object and the object warms up.

If it hits a solar panel, some of the energy is converted to electricity. The energy that is converted, would not be available for heating the object it hits.

Depending on the use of that electricity generated, it could produce heat, produce heat and cool (air conditioner), perform work - ie., move an electric car - and cause some heat. The thing is, the amount of heat could be lessened by converting some of the sun's energy to non-heat energy. Conservation of energy - if some energy is converted to electricity, then there would be less energy that can be used to heat an object.

Comment Solar Power to the Rescue? (Score 1) 344

OK, I'm not going to say that I can quantify any of this but...
If you increase the use of solar energy, wouldn't you expect that the Sun's energy that is converted to electricity would lessen the heat generated by sun light entering our atmosphere and heating the objects it strikes? This lessening of solar heating could, at least on a small scale, assist in offsetting the extra heat a "cleaner" atmosphere would cause the Earth to experience.
A cleaner atmosphere would also let more sunlight reach solar panels, thus increasing the amount of electrical energy created, and thus lessen the amount of heat energy pumped into the atmosphere.
Also, if solar energy is used to generate a certain amount of electric, this would lessen the amount of waste heat created when another method of generating electricity is used. Nuclear, Oil, Gas all have waste heat associated with the generation of electricity.

Comment Re:The Answer Is: It Depends! (Score 1) 203

So, I would think that the best thing to do would be to include some sort of basic input strategy built-in, and allow for additional input deviced to be connected based on the user's preferences. Also, use bluetooth, or other wireless method of having those devices communicate with the tablet. This way, if you need a specific device, buy it as an accessory. (Of course those device need to be made/brought to market in a timely manner). This way you don't add an excessive amount to the price of the initial system, and only pay for the devices you deem necessary (or as "can't do without").

Comment Re:AC Karma Whore (Score 1) 203

I was thinking of a device that came out over a year ago, but this looks like a new and improved version of what I was talking about. I still don't remember exactly what they called it, and sorry for the typos in my last message.

It seems that slashdot and the browser that I'm forced to use don't get along well when previewing stories to be submitted.

Comment Keyboard Projector Thingie (Score 2, Insightful) 203

A while ago, I saw a keyboard that was more projector/sensor than physical keyboard. The projector would idsplay a keyboard on a flat(hopefully) surface, and then you would type by pressing the "keys" (key displayed on flat surface). So, instead of having to carry around a full keyboard, you would just need the projector/sensor. I would probably go with this as the "I need something to be able to type my novel on" type of device, but also have the touch screen to use for less demanding typing jobs, such as an occasional URL. I know, it's probably patented by someone else, which would be an obstactle for Apple to work out, but the aim here is to have something that can be effective, while not needing a .

Comment What would Microsoft do if... (Score 0, Offtopic) 49

What would Microsoft do if, due to the economy, individual users forgo upgrading to Windows 7, and decide to keep what they have. Will Microsoft go and say, "XP is old and we won't be supporting it anymore. Also, by the way, VISTA will only be supported for another year."

At that point, Microsoft would alienate users of previous versions of Windows, the users will decide that they need to choose something else, and a large corporation ends up loosing a large chunk of the marketplace.

I would say that Microsoft needs to test the waters prior to dropping support for XP, otherwise people that could decide to upgrade after the ecomony improves would end up getting comfortable with whatever alternate they end up choosing and tell Microsoft that they're not coming back!

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