Historical Inevitability: M$ set to horn in on OLPC with XP Lite

[metvas]

Is that 3000.00 as in $$  ???I have not seen a PC box in Canada for that much cash. 
hey rbistolf remember about this time last year we talked about temperatures in our respective regions. Today here - 31 c factor in wind chill and - 47 c. Was wondering if you had a spare room for a few weeks..lol
regards
Darrell

[rbistolfi]

Oh, I think we misunderstood BlueMage, is 3000 AUD, not USD.

Is that 3000.00 as in $$  ???I have not seen a PC box in Canada for that much cash. 
hey rbistolf remember about this time last year we talked about temperatures in our respective regions. Today here - 31 c factor in wind chill and - 47 c. Was wondering if you had a spare room for a few weeks..lol
regards
Darrell

  -31!!!! LOL Darrel, we are having a hot summer, with temps about 30ºC and we had peaks of 40ºC with 30ºC at nights the past month. Of course, unable to sleep at all, I chatted with EpicFailGuy aka Hanumizzle, Kidd and DrGrov at #vectorlinux the hole night.
Now you know the situation perhaps you have second thoughts, but if you can take the heat, I do have a spare room for you . I already offered the room to another vectorians, and even I offered to paid the beer and food, but nobody seems to want to pay the trip

[BlueMage]

Well, 3000AUD is approximately 2700USD or thereabouts, given current exchange rates.  Either way, we in Australia get royally SCREWED on PC hardware.  And by scewed, I mean right up the rear end.  Without lube.

And I still put myself through the pain that is being a PC gamer

[tomh38]

A US judge has, in a completely unfair move, extended federal sanctions against Microsoft by two years.  You can read about it here.  This is all about some alleged abuse of monopoly power which Microsoft supposedly committed.  We all know this isn't true, since there is no monopoly because you can always buy a Mac.

I'm getting together a petition to protest this move.  You all can show show your support for the completely fair and legal Microsoft Corporation, which always puts out excellent software, by signing the petition here.

[Colonel Panic]

Here's a more current list of Mac prices in the UK from a Mac reseller, these are about the best you'll get;

http://www.macwarehouse.co.uk/catalogue/Computers/Apple/Desktop%20-%20Apple?sort=price&start=1&size=15

[tomh38]

So, Colonel Panic, are you saying that in the UK buying a Mac is too expensive for most people?

But that would mean ... oh God, I can't bear to think it ... I'm going to stick my head in the oven ... wait, I have an electric oven ... maybe I'll pee on the power supply of my Vector Linux PC ... *sob*.

[exeterdad]

Sometimes I worry about you Tom.
Or should I be more worried about the young minds you are teaching?

[tomh38]

Minds?  They have minds!?! Oh shi-

Be right back.

[GrannyGeek]

If you can't make rational arguments without calling people fanatic fanboys, conspiracy theorists, paranoid, etc., ... that's just sad.

Hey--do you deny that fanatics, fanboys, conspiracy theorists, and paranoid people exist? I didn't call anyone here a fanatic fanboy. What I said was "regular users" are often turned off by Microsoft bashing in public forums and lump the bashers into the "fanboy" category. I'm more interested in getting ordinary users to give Linux a try and I don't think we get there by saying "switch to Linux because Windows is terrible and Microsoft is the spawn of the devil."

It was John Dvorak, I think, who got actual death threats when he wrote a column criticizing Apple about something a few years ago. Would you call those people fanatics? When I read "over the top" comments in Feedback and Talkback on various computer Web sites, I don't feel like rushing out and trying the Mac OS, I feel like running in the opposite direction as fast as I can. Many people share my reaction.
--GrannyGeek

[rbistolfi]

Hi GrannyGeek! Had been some time!

I agree some Linux users seems to spend more time bashing MS than using Linux. Perhaps there is "Fanatics".  But "conspiracy theorists", "paranoid", hmm, perhaps is a consequence of  Ms attitude over the years.
In the other hand, many of us have been spending some time thinking about this and trying to give a rational base to  our choices and actions, is natural some people will get offended if they are called "fanatic". I see was a misunderstood though.

[tomh38]

GrannyGeek,

Let me get this straight:

When you say something in the form of (e.g.):

"When someone says _______ about Microsoft, people will think that person is a fanatic fanboy," that's not your roundabout way of saying "You are a fanatic fanboy."  You are in fact talking about some other people in some other place who said some other things.

If this is correct, I owe you an apology.

Of course there are fanatics, fanboys, conspiracy theorists, and paranoids.

A few other things:  Windows is terrible (in my opinion), with the possible exception of XP, if the user knows how to keep it virus and spyware free.

Microsoft is not the spawn of the devil.  To attribute this idea to anyone in these forums is an exaggeration on your part, though I understand it is to make a point, just as Slashdot uses the Bill Gates as a Borg to make a point.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say by mentioning that somebody threatened John Dvorak with death after he said some things about Apple.  Nobody in here has made any threats against anyone.  If your point is that there are fanatics, maniacs, paranoids, etc., in the world, I think we all already knew that.

Finally, if you really think that it's possible to go to a Linux forum and not see some venting against Microsoft, well ... I think that you may have unreasonable expectations.  To paraphrase rbistolfi (and I hope he lets me know if what I write is incorrect) some of us think and feel the way we do because of many of the things which Microsoft has done over the years.  Finally finally, here in the Vector Linux forums I haven't seen much in the way of Windows or Microsoft bashing outside of the Lounge.  Personally, I thought that was one of the things the Lounge was for (to say what one thinks or feels, without being abusive to other members).  Perhaps I was wrong.

If Vec, or any of the Moderators, Admins, Vectorians, Vectorites, Vectafarians, or anyone else thinks I am wrong on that last point, I hope they will let me know.

[Colonel Panic]

So, Colonel Panic, are you saying that in the UK buying a Mac is too expensive for most people?

But that would mean ... oh God, I can't bear to think it ... I'm going to stick my head in the oven ... wait, I have an electric oven ... maybe I'll pee on the power supply of my Vector Linux PC ... *sob*.

I would't say they're all too expensive, but the point is they're expensive compared with a PC of a similar specification so they don't seem to be a good option by comprison. Also, there aren't anything like as many Mac sellers in the UK as there are PC sellers, so the cjhoice isn't "on the radar" for a non-techie person buying a home computer.

[BlueMage]

So, Colonel Panic, are you saying that in the UK buying a Mac is too expensive for most people?

But that would mean ... oh God, I can't bear to think it ... I'm going to stick my head in the oven ... wait, I have an electric oven ... maybe I'll pee on the power supply of my Vector Linux PC ... *sob*.

I would't say they're all too expensive, but the point is they're expensive compared with a PC of a similar specification so they don't seem to be a good option by comprison. Also, there aren't anything like as many Mac sellers in the UK as there are PC sellers, so the cjhoice isn't "on the radar" for a non-techie person buying a home computer.

Hahaha, that's EXACTLY who they're targeted at here.  Macs have a presence in most of the so-called high-end consumer goods stores (like Myers and David Jones) where you can expect to pay 50AUD for a shirt you could get in Target for 10AUD.  And as such, Macs generally are ridiculously overpriced compared to a PC of equivalent spec.

Which is not to say I don't use 'em They make them available for folks to try, and with internet access, so if I need quick internet access in the city, I know exactly where I can go.

Still, it breaks my heart to see a smooth salesman (or worse, a so-called Mac Genius) convince some poor little blonde girl that everything she can do in Windows, she can do in Mac and better.  Of course, she's never going to do anything more strenuous than browse the intarwebs and maybe type up a few documents for her arts degree, but still, to see an innocent, naive young woman taken advantage of like that really doesn't sit right with me.

Also, I finally saw an Asus Eee PC yesterday in Myers.  499AUD, but still not a bad price!  Going to play with it a bit more before I commit money though.

EDIT:  HAHAHAHAHA, oh man, pardon my quoting.

[tomh38]

This article says that the Mega-D botnet has overtaken the Storm botnet and is running completely from Linux PCs and Macs.

Go male enhancement!

[no2thesame]

I dual boot Vista with VL 5.9 on my laptop - (only the kids use Vista though). My first Microsoft purchase for 20 years! So I'm not completely against Microsoft but... it does keep intruding...

Just 10 minutes from our little local LUG  http://groups.google.com/group/westlakes-linux-learners  is a computing club for seniors ('elders' in the US) with several hundred members. One of our LUG members is also a member of the Seniors Club and he suggested to them we give a talk on Linux. Here is the final email from the club secretary (last names removed)

Dear Joe & Bruce,

The request from Joe ------- and your offer to come to our club to talk about Linux was discussed at our recent committee meeting.

It was decided that while we appreciate your offer, for the time being we must decline.

The reasons are:

    *  Our members are seniors set in their ways.  Many are very new to computers and to introduce them to another operating system would only confuse them.  To illustrate, even now when some are asked what version of Office they have, not knowing the difference between an operating system and an application, they answer Windows XP.
    *  Previous requests to cater for Macintosh users have been refused as we do not have sufficient facilities to do this.
    *  As explained before, we are partners in the Microsoft Unlimited Potential Project and have recently received from them a very generous donation of $26,000 of software.  We therefore feel that as a club we must stay loyal to Microsoft.   

I am sure you both can appreciate our position.

Yours truly,

A    ----------

Westlake’s Seniors Computer Club.

.

To quote BlueMage...

Still, it breaks my heart to see a smooth salesman (or worse, a so-called Mac Genius) convince some poor little blonde girl that everything she can do in Windows, she can do in Mac and better.  Of course, she's never going to do anything more strenuous than browse the intarwebs and maybe type up a few documents for her arts degree, but still, to see an innocent, naive young woman taken advantage of like that really doesn't sit right with me.

Why doesn't this 'sit right with me'? Is anyone being taken advantage of here? How exactly?

no2