Text 12656, 75 rader
Skriven 2006-08-23 18:41:18 av Geo (1:379/45)
  Kommentar till text 12639 av John Beamish (1:379/45)
Ärende: Re: Is this a pc?
=========================
From: "Geo" <georger@nls.net>

"John Beamish" <JLBeamish@rogers.com> wrote in message
news:op.tepiopkpm6tn4t@dellblack.wlfdle.phub.net.cable.rogers.com...
> "You can't do that" is the solution when the proposed solution is
> inappropriate to the problem.

Ok, I wasn't cutting mainframes, I was just pointing out there was a vast
market where the PC fit very nicely and I believe the same market exists for
end user programmable consumer devices.


> the value to the end user is directly proportional to the cost benefit.
> What is the value to the user of a solution that is open to viruses vs one
> that, by its very nature, is completely immune.

Hold it. If you are trying to convince me that a mainframe can't be rooted by a
user initiated virus you are nuts. Mainframes are just as exposed as any PC. In
fact if the PC never existed and everyone was using dumb terminals today to
access the internet and run video and such, the virus problem would be just as
serious as it is today.

I used to run mini systems, I reported just as many bugs and security issues in
those systems as in any PC. True users don't run as admin on a mini or MF
system but they don't run as admin on vista either and that ain't going to make
the virus problem go away.

Trust me on this, it is just as easy to root a MF or mini as it is a PC. I had
the guy from NEC try to claim otherwise and I crashed their whole system via a
modem connection while I was talking to them on the phone just to prove how
full of it they were.

> As for the hardware people want to buy ... they want to buy a Cadillac,
> they buy a pimped Chevy Nova -- it, too, is heavily customized.  Sure, you
> can tinker with the Nova or you can get a better ride, environment, better
> everything by going to the professionals.

Ok, but I'm saying a Cadillac or a Nova that allows the end user to customize
it with a different feature set (different radio, different lights, different
wheels, different exhaust, etc) is far more desirable than a locked down
unmodifiable product that deactivates itself at the first sign of tinkering.

> the number of stock Toyotas, GMs, Fords, etc., etc., on the roads show
> that people talk about tinkering but

Ok, so you've never seen a modified car on the roads, never seen aftermarket
fins or tail lights or running boards or exhaust or wheels?


> I know life from mainframes (not the *really* big ones, my largest was a
> CDC6600) to PCs in a LAN or peer-to-peer and lots of stuff inbetween.
> Look at Barkto/Canopus and then look at world of computer users.  We are a
> microscopic portion of users, an elite.

No we aren't, go buy any high end system today and it comes with LED's in the
power supply, windows into the case, meters on the front, etc. All stuff that
was "elite" a couple years ago. Why is that? Must be a market for it huh?

You saw what happened with the development of polaroid cameras (under control
of one company) compared to what's happened with the development of digital
cameras (under control of a whole bunch of OEMs)? How many more features there
are? Well when you open up the feature set to be modified by anyone instead of
just the OEM you go an order of magnitude beyond that difference. It's a huge
advantage and we are only at the very beginning of that now with some of the
consumer devices that run on linux. This is going to go way WAY beyond what we
are seeing today.

Also as the copyright cartel gets more restrictive and controlling over the
hardware manufacturers, aftermarket mods are going to be the only way to allow
the end users to get the feature set they want without ending up in court.

Geo.

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