* Posts by Pete Dixon

18 publicly visible posts • joined 22 Feb 2008

GM's cheaper-than-Tesla 'leccy car tested at batt-powered data centre

Pete Dixon

Re: I'm sure you'll be glad to know

Tesla is using batteries at its Supercharger stations to mitigate that problem.

Microsoft update mayhem delays German basketball game, costs team dear

Pete Dixon

Re: There is NO 'IT' person involved.

I despise Windows for this reason whenever I have to boot into it. All they would have to do would be to allow the updates to be optional, but no they have to mess with the world's work day. Such arrogance.

'Crazy' man cuffed for plotting cyber extortion scheme

Pete Dixon

Sounds bipolarish to me

A very good manic run at that.

Droboman expects a 3TB drive from somewhere soon

Pete Dixon

Give me USB 3 or give me death

USB3 would be a huge boost for Drobo. I don't think it can come soon enough.

Microsoft defends Hotmail's cookie requirement

Pete Dixon

LOL

I think the title of my comment pretty much sums up my reaction to this. Microsoft really very badly needs a reality check and start putting user priorities first.

Google book scan plan raises European hackles

Pete Dixon

People will look back at this time as weird

There are millions of books and magazines out there. Billions I suppose if you add comic books.

There is no technical reason why people shouldn't be able to access all of it at any time from anywhere. How about we make that happen for the good of the species and work out the details later.

Kudos for Google for having the vision so early and working so hard to make it happen.

Outgoing Seagate CEO: Bill's big bill

Pete Dixon

I'll never forget when..

Watkins said on record that his company builds bigger hard drives largely so that people could store more porn. Classic :)

KDE hopes to fill boots with 4.2 release

Pete Dixon

Freetard? Who me?

Hell ya. I like the term and am darn proud to be one. The vast majority of digital information necessarily has to be free. There's no other logical alternative unless you plan on shaking down people on the streets for their thumb drives.

Mom stole daughter's ID to shake pom-poms

Pete Dixon

If someone is mentally ill

How can it be predicted that it will take 3 years to fix? I spent 2 weeks on a ward with on a anti-depression drug induced manic high and that was enough for me. Three years, especially if you become sane early on, seems especially cruel.

Intel plans tiny energy suckers to watch environs

Pete Dixon

Can they sense sound or light?

If so, you can forget about the concept of privacy.

Windows XP given additional resuscitation

Pete Dixon

Obligatory Linux comment

Having switched a couple of months ago from XP to Linux I can totally vouch for Linux superiority. The _only_ reason XP has any reason to exist is because of the eco-system concern where essential apps are only available on MS' platform. It was an easy switch, loving it.

In Google We Trust: Health docs depo now open to Americans

Pete Dixon

Health records are a good thing

I'd vastly prefer my health providers had full information and that there was some serious AI working behind the scenes to provide information of possible medicine conflicts, probable misdiagnoses and a whole host of computationally feasible benefits. Tie in to my DNA? Go for it.

You guys don't like this don't subscribe to it. Personally I couldn't be more in favour of it.

Database Trojan infests pro-Tibet websites

Pete Dixon

Been reading comments from typical Chinese

All this Tibetan stuff is really raising the specter of ardent Chinese nationalism. Reminds me a lot of the feelings that were running high in Germany because of Goebbels' propaganda. If that's true this likely won't end well.

Boffins build safer, more capacious lithium-ion battery

Pete Dixon

What about those Lithium Silicon Nanowire batteries?

It was in the news a while back and still findable using Google News' search. Supposedly 10x the power density using already available manufacturing methods.

Microsoft gives XP an extra two years to live (kinda)

Pete Dixon

For people considering Linux try PCLinuxOS

I'm typing this on a wonderful Linux system called PCLinuxOS. It makes Vista look slow and bloated in comparison. I have my dual monitor setup, great sound and video, multiple desktops available via a variety of hot-keys, all the software I could possibly use in a lifetime. All for free.

There is a fair amount of effort at this point to learn it all and often it's a solitary thing to get it going, but once it's there you gotta say, Holy of Holies ( didn't want to be censored here), is this ever a sweet set up! A much nicer computing than either of M$' offerings.

Why I downgraded from Vista to XP

Pete Dixon

Linux rulez

About 10 days ago I installed PCLinuxOS. The compatibility and user experience is absolutely phenomenal. It's fast and everything a home user would ever need is either included or quickly installable from the repositories. The only reason a home user would EVER use XP or Vista would be a lack of ambition.

I have all the fancy screen effects, a dual monitor set up, great video and music. It's computer hobbiest's dream come true.

Vista SP1 kills and maims security apps, utilities

Pete Dixon

Fuss

>Vista ? .. maybe never, Linux might be ready for prime time in a couple of years

Based on what I've seen over the last 4 months of trying various distributions I'd say the timeframe is more like 6-8 months when KDE 4.1 comes out.

Vista only exists because M$ needed to come out with a new OS to justify it holding the reins of its monopoly. Unfortunately Vista just proves it isn't worthy of holding that position. Malevolence with competence ok, malevolence with incompetence? I think not.

Pete Dixon

Uh guys

I do some web development but mostly I use my computer to surf and play video. Some document creation. I'd say 90% of my time is spent in a browser. Seeing Web 2.0 apps like Buzzword strongly suggest to me that that 90% is only going to go up. Firefox by any measure is far better that IE.

Given all that, why should I even care about Vista? I've seen in on a friend's laptop and it seems slow, overly glossy. IE 7 seems to be a marvel in ugly UI design.

So what the hell is MS doing with Vista other than trying to generate a product to sell that no one really needs?