If you've fancied trying out OpenSolaris, but have been scared off by the requirements for setting it up yourself, then you be interested in this announcement by Simon Phipps.
Sun are sponsoring the distribution of DVDs with OpenSolaris distributions on it to anybody who asks through get.opensolaris.org.
More and more internet service companies are merging, and that, ironically means that for some of those services you will need to merge your accounts, or convert one account to another to continue using the service.
One such example is the recent news that Flickr to require Yahoo usernames, and it's causing a certain amount of friction.
Some users simply don't want to have to use a Yahoo user name to make use of their Flickr photos. Others like the cachet of being one of the old school of Flickr users and don't want to be tarred with the Yahoo ID hiding their roots.
More and more Internet service companies are merging, and that means that for some of those services you will need to merge your accounts, or convert one account to another to continue using the service.
One such example is the recent news, "Flickr to require Yahoo usernames", and it's causing a certain amount of friction.
Some users simply don't want to have to use a Yahoo user name to make use of their Flickr photos. Others like the cachet of being one of the old school of Flickr users and don't want to be tarred with the Yahoo ID hiding their roots.
OK, so yesterday I talked about the new printer and picking a location for it. Today I moved it to somewhere more accessible and then tried to follow the registration process for the support pack (a bargain at $100 for 3 years of additional on-site support).
The printer itself is cross-platform, and the Mac OS X installer provides the extensions to allow you to use the printer with the standard tools, rather than the custom utilities and drivers that caused no end of problems with the inkjets.
Support-pack registration? Windows only - more specifically, Internet Explorer only. Neither OmniWeb, Safari or FireFox on OS X would allow me to complete administration. Why is it so hard for companies that can produce a cross platform compatible product to build a website that is cross platform compatible as well?
OK, so yesterday I talked about the new printer and picking a location for it. Today I moved it to somewhere more accessible and then tried to follow the registration process for the support pack (a bargain at $100 for 3 years of additional on-site support).
The printer itself is cross-platform, and the Mac OS X installer provides the extensions to allow you to use the printer with the standard tools, rather than the custom utilities and drivers that caused no end of problems with the inkjets.
Support-pack registration? Windows only - more specifically, Internet Explorer only. Neither OmniWeb, Safari or FireFox on OS X would allow me to complete administration. Why is it so hard for companies that can produce a cross platform compatible product to build a website that is cross platform compatible as well?
A new printer arrived today - the HP 2605dn, a color laser printer that will hopefully pretty much replace the three printers that I have now (all inkjets). The price is ridiculous - about $600 - the same price as the high-end inkjet I bought just a few years ago.
The cost of the printer is low, but a complete set of cartridges will set me back almost $400; working backwards that makes the printer about $200, since it comes with one set of cartridges when you buy it. Is that unfair? Or just market forces pushing the cost of printing onto those who actually printer, rather than just those that buy the printer.
A new printer arrived today - the HP 2605dn, a color laser printer that will hopefully pretty much replace the three printers that I have now (all inkjets). The price is ridiculous - about $600 - the same price as the high-end inkjet I bought just a few years ago.
The cost of the printer is low, but a complete set of cartridges will set me back almost $400; working backwards that makes the printer about $200, since it comes with one set of cartridges when you buy it. Is that unfair? Or just market forces pushing the cost of printing onto those who actually printer, rather than just those that buy the printer.
Despite my love for technology, I have somehow never wanted a GPS navigation system in the car. That's possibly because I have a good ability for working out my ability to get somewhere (both before and during driving).
More than likely, though, it's because I don't like being under the control of a piece of technology. I know they are not infallible (and for that we can only blame humans - machines are only as intelligent as the person that programmed them), and even if they were, computers suffer from a distinct lack of flexibility. At the weekend I visited my parents - by the time you reach the outskirts of the town they live in, there are three or four alternative routes you could follow to get to the house, and some of them, despite most route planners, are quicker and easier than those offered. In that situation, I don't want a voice telling me I'm going in the wrong direction and that I should turn left at the next turn.
Despite my love for technology, I have somehow never wanted a GPS navigation system in the car. That's possibly because I have a good ability for working out my ability to get somewhere (both before and during driving).
More than likely, though, it's because I don't like being under the control of a piece of technology. I know they are not infallible (and for that we can only blame humans - machines are only as intelligent as the person that programmed them), and even if they were, computers suffer from a distinct lack of flexibility. At the weekend I visited my parents - by the time you reach the outskirts of the town they live in, there are three or four alternative routes you could follow to get to the house, and some of them, despite most route planners, are quicker and easier than those offered. In that situation, I don't want a voice telling me I'm going in the wrong direction and that I should turn left at the next turn.
Three quick Vista related links I picked up this week and enjoyed that I though you might appreciate: