A preview of the future of computing

Enlightenment · Post by **Enlightenment** » 2003-03-07 09:10pm

In five to ten years, this is what computers, business, and home entertainment will look like:

http://www.aaxnet.com/editor/edit029.html

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2003-03-07 09:53pm

If Microsoft isn't stopped, that is.

We can't just hope people will wise up to their tactics. We need to actively promote Microsoft alternatives...

Enlightenment · Post by **Enlightenment** » 2003-03-07 10:21pm

Crayz9000 wrote:If Microsoft isn't stopped, that is.

They won't be stopped. Microsoft's plans dovetail so well into the desires of so many established interests (OHS/FBI brownshirts, RIAA, BSA, MPAA, etc) that Microsoft's victory is inevitable. Anyone or anything that tries to resist will be condemned as a terrorist, bought out, or simply overwhelmed under a tidal wave of lawyers.

When combined interests with assets in the trillions of dollars decide to take something--in this case, open society as we know it--they get what they want.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-03-07 10:27pm

Well, worst comes to worst the Linux running Future Combat System will become sentient and destroy Microsofts headquarters as an act of self preservation.

jegs2 · Post by **jegs2** » 2003-03-07 10:37pm

Sea Skimmer wrote:Well, worst comes to worst the Linux running Future Combat System will become sentient and destroy Microsofts headquarters as an act of self preservation.

Well, that is a good lead into what I'm now doing. This is my first ever official post on Linux...

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2003-03-07 10:38pm

Enlightenment wrote:They won't be stopped. Microsoft's plans dovetail so well into the desires of so many established interests (OHS/FBI brownshirts, RIAA, BSA, MPAA, etc) that Microsoft's victory is inevitable. Anyone or anything that tries to resist will be condemned as a terrorist, bought out, or simply overwhelmed under a tidal wave of lawyers.

Quite the fatalist, aren't you?

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2003-03-07 10:38pm

Build a friendly SkyNet that runs on Linux. Watch SkyNet destroy Microsoft headquarters in a hail of bombs.

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2003-03-07 10:48pm

Shinova wrote:Build a friendly SkyNet that runs on Linux. Watch SkyNet destroy Microsoft headquarters in a hail of bombs.

That will be sweeeeet

Enlightenment · Post by **Enlightenment** » 2003-03-07 10:48pm

Crayz9000 wrote:Quite the fatalist, aren't you?

'Realist,' you mean.

Raptor 597 · Post by **Raptor 597** » 2003-03-07 10:54pm

I am indeed fearing the days ahead. I have been knowing some sketchy details about how Longhorn Servers and OS save system would run. Me and the lead computer "expert" at school have been dicussing this everyday. I'm pro Linux over Windows, and he's Pro-Mac over Windows though we do both like Linux. And I can't convince my parents too get a Linux OS and uninstall XP on any new computer. They are firm idiots who do not know or care. Grave days lay ahead.

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2003-03-07 11:05pm

Enlightenment wrote:'Realist,' you mean.

No, I mean exactly what I say.

Pu-239 · Post by **Pu-239** » 2003-03-07 11:11pm

Yep most people are idiots who do not know or care.

The level of apathy in this country is infuriating.

DarthBlight · Post by **DarthBlight** » 2003-03-07 11:12pm

I'd love to get Linux, but the thing is that I am not computer-savvy enough to use Linux. From what I have heard, the command strings are long and tedious.

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2003-03-07 11:14pm

They've been working on that lately.

With the latest releases from, say, RedHat and Mandrake, the installer is graphical and Linux starts XFree86 (the graphical shell) immediately.

If you want to give Linux a try without worrying about screwing up your computer, you can always download KNOPPIX, burn it to CD, and boot off that CD.

UltraViolence83 · Post by **UltraViolence83** » 2003-03-07 11:29pm

The best way to crush Microsoft is to elect a Teddy Roosevelt-esque President. He'll hand their asses back to them ala Trust-busting oil and railroad companies. First thing first: need to elect a third party candidate. Alas, not going to happen anytime soon.

UltraViolence83 · Post by **UltraViolence83** » 2003-03-07 11:48pm

What the hell does that guy mean "no on has time to shop anymore?" Fuck, that would explain why I never see ANY "JUST BROWSING" PEOPLE AT ALL.*

Anyway, I would like to see computers finally slow down and become true commodities. I'd like to own a computer the same way people own cars and other machines...Say in 2050 you could have a well-maintained twenty year old computer that is just as good as the newest ones. No fucking way I'm gonna put up with this upgrading shit evey 6 months.

I read that though computers are getting cheaper and faster/bigger memory, they aren't being sold at exponentially higher rates than like they used to. This is because not many people can find a use for 60GB harddrives and whatnot, so they keep there slighty old (thus obsolete!) machines.

*Oh, sarcasm, my love...

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2003-03-07 11:50pm

Wow, that was long, but interesting.

Linux has a way to go at the desktop level since MS OFFICE is the standard companies uses to exchange info. ( VISO DIAGRAMS, PPT, EXCEL, ETC )

But MSFT is already having a hard time convincing companies to jump on the continual upgrade cycle. SGI still uses Office 97 and NT. My last company was only about 25% converted to Win2K. We didnt go further because so many of the 3rd party software the developers and engineers used, were not certified for 2K. I myself get frustrated when companies want IT guys to be pros at Office, when we have very little use for it. The admins and finance folks usually know it well cause they use it 8 hours a day. I was happy making all my notes in simple .txt file with notepad.

Enlightenment · Post by **Enlightenment** » 2003-03-08 12:24am

UltraViolence83 wrote:The best way to crush Microsoft is to elect a Teddy Roosevelt-esque President.

You might as well hope for some humanitarian-minded aliens to show up and wipe damn near all of the US software/entertainment juggernaut off the face of the earth.

Pu-239 · Post by **Pu-239** » 2003-03-08 12:33am

Yeah too bad all the executives weren't in the WTC.

Stuart Mackey · Post by **Stuart Mackey** » 2003-03-08 12:33am

UltraViolence83 wrote:snip

I read that though computers are getting cheaper and faster/bigger memory, they aren't being sold at exponentially higher rates than like they used to. This is because not many people can find a use for 60GB harddrives and whatnot, so they keep there slighty old (thus obsolete!) machines.

*Oh, sarcasm, my love...

A lot is that people are realising that you dont have to upgrade every 6 months or so to do what you are doing now.