Posts by GitMeMyShootinIrons

"I cannot work out why you think that looking at "cool stuff" is in anyway a preparation for a career in aerospace or mechanical engineering?"

Looking at cool stuff is how to get kids interested in the first place. A good example is chemistry - nice energetic reactions (loud bangs, smelly noises especially) get attention and have the cool factor. If you hammer kids with the mundane, they glaze over and lose interest, watch x-factor and decide they want to be a pop star instead.

One of the key reasons we struggle to get kids into careers in any form of engineering is because of the misinformed view of it being dull. Without emphasis to some degree on the "cool stuff", you won't get them interested in the first place and they won't be bothered to gain even a layman's knowledge, let alone go anywhere near a career.

I have to agree - if you compare a Linx 10 to a Surface 3, then the price tag has it, unless you really need the hardware extras (digitizer, posh keyboard) and brand name. I have a Linx 8 (I was replacing a Droid tablet with something more interesting and useful) and I've been impressed. It was under £80 - so a fraction of the cost of an iPad Mini and frankly leaves it in the shade.

On the other hand, comparing a Linx 10 to a Surface Pro is another matter. The Surface Pro is the next tier up as it has considerably more horsepower. If the Surface is an iPad alternative, then Surface Pro is more or less aimed at MacBook Air territory, though obviously, the keyboard extra might make it a bit more expensive.

Re: I've never been convinced

On the storage point, fast storage has actually become quite easy to address, largely due to SSD technology and some of the clever software solutions out there (Atlantis and VMware VSAN spring to mind).

VDI actually improves management and control - using template deployed desktops, particularly in the Linked Clone/non-persistent type approach makes maintenance and security much easier - more so in a zero/thin client estate. Managing disparate desktops and laptops, each requiring regular feeding and watering with OS and application patches and AV, all the while distancing themselves from the initial configuration is always going to be much more painful, even with products like SCCM etc to help. Of course, in a smaller environment man handling lots of old fashioned thick clients is less of a problem, but scale it up...

I agree that it's not the right fit in all cases (what solution is?), but it can be used to solve some really serious issues in increasing varieties of use cases. But I'd add this - If a salesman tries to tell you it'll save you money - smile politely, then kick his sorry ass out of the door!

Close though, but no cigar...

I believe MacLaren are the baby buggy manufacturers. Not too far wrong - pricey products with wheels...

Re: This works?

Yes! You too can win the Windows 95 Plus Pack!!!!

Re: All will be well then...

Those carriers will make pretty big drone factory/motherships. Hangar deck fitted out with 3d printers etc. In fact, lets automate the carriers too - drone carriers, automated 3d printers fabricating automated drones. I can't see anything going wrong with that....

Re: New OS v Supporting old Nokia Lumias

"Windows Phone 8/8.1 is all but another stepping stone OS, with built-in face saving"

I can agree about version 7 - Microsoft said as much. To accuse 8/8.1 as a stepping stone is essentially saying that all OS are stepping stone to the next release. 8.x has been around since 2012 - that's a hell of a big stepping stone. Not to mention quite substantial upgrade releases in between. The most I can agree with is 8.1 being a stepping stone from 8.0 to 10.

Or, to put it another way iOS 6 was released around the same time - are 6, 7 and 8 all stepping stone OS to whatever is next? Or how about Android 4.1-4.4 as stepping stones to 5? Nah, I don't think so.

Re: Not what I expected...from the headline.

"Is that even possible?"

Yes - when you've seen the Flintstones movies. Not John Goodman's career highlight.

Hmmmm....

If we assume for a moment that you aren't being a bit of a tinfoil hat wearer, this would be an issue regardless of service if its dependent on cloud storage.

Not really a relevant point to the article.

Re: what a lot of people..

@boltar. OS/2 was only at 1.3 when Windows 3 came out and it was still a joint IBM/Microsoft gig. The relationship broke up later. As for whether Windows 3 was a knock off, you'll find that pre 1.3, the interface and some of the code (for compatibility) in OS/2 was lifted from Windows.

What lost it for IBM was expense and lack of hardware support compared to Windows. As for MacOS, it was a well packaged amalgam of existing ideas, as most Apple products are (not actually a crticism). MacOS was too wedded to expensive, proprietary Apple hardware (similarly, so were Commodore Amiga and Atari ST, though less expensive - they just didn't evolve either), hence the proliferation of Windows - hardly Microsoft's fault that the competition were inept.

As for servers, well you need to blame the Traditional Unix vendors and Novell. The likes of SCO were too busy looking at the monster solution market and overly complex systems. Novell scuppered themselves with licensing and a lack of application support. Microsoft's NT effort had merit in concept in that it was an easy to use platform that could do authentication and networking, but also could still provide a flexible application platform and scale sufficient for SMEs. NT's issues were in execution, not concept. Again, competitors were inept in reading the market and again, not Microsoft's fault.

Re: Yet another framework to install !

I agree that MS and Apple won't approve, as such. However, Microsoft are loosening the Windows only stance - look at Office. It's available on Android, iOS and Windows. You could argue Linux too if you run the browser version (yuk). I do think that's as far MS will go though.

Re: Ding Dong, ALIENS CALLING

And I, for one, welcome our conservatory vending overlords.... with the mighty relativistic baseball of (30 megaton) power!

Boom! And yooouuurrr out!

OK with me.

Beneath the garish, uncomfortable frock, Windows 8.1 is actually pretty solid. Even if Windows 10 really is only a fresh lick of paint, then I don't have a problem with that.

And that's after the excessively employed civil servant drones have made a complete hash of it in the first place, which is why a senior servant or politician thinks a consultancy will fix the problem.

Re: Nice review...

I rather like Elysium. While not a great film, it's superior to much of the dross out there. Elysium starts with a great premise and a pretty coherent start and somewhat runs off the rails about midway. Even so, it's a watch-able film. And the effects of the space station and ships were nicely done.

If Elysium is Neill Blomkamp on a bad day, I'd be pretty content with 'bad days' like that.

Re: A different Freak?

"Internet Explorer in the Windows 10 Preview and Windows 8.1 was/is flagged up as vulnerable on freakattack.com. It is the same problem."

Any mention of the new Spartan browser being vulnerable?

Re: 3 TV's

@Lost all faith

"That's right because everyone in the world has Cat5e / 6 installed into every room in their house."

In general, I agree. Ask most UK house builders about networking a new build house and, at best, you'll get a "no" and often you'll get a blank expression and "duuuhhh".

However, its not uncommon to find TV/Satellite antenna coming in at the same place as phone/(internet), so a router to TV cable connection is both easy and convenient. In a different context (and there are split opinions on this), homeplug solutions offer another easy alternative.

Re: Back in the 80s

Brings a whole new meaning to corrupt humans.

I was obviously written using NT backup as I'm useless at remembering anything of value.

Re: We are all getting screwed by public sector

"In the end either the beast will be tamed or the country will go broke leaving the people with a huge bill and nobody accountable for it. I despair that some people actively support continuing down the road we are going assuming a magic money tree or happy to accept the selling of our future generations."

Case in point - Greece. Low taxation, high public spending on a large public sector. Ends up living on Euro subsidies and loans until the bubble bursts. And then they still can't take living within their means and try and demand yet more handouts.

Re: The BBC science coverage is useless ...

But Jesus DID ride dinosaurs. Look, there are pictures, so it must be true!

http://www.viraljesus.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/jesus_riding_dinosaur1.jpg

Re: But can you change a headlight bulb?

If you want that level of practicality, perhaps you need the latter half of Jaguar Land Rover. They do a big old monster called the Defender...

Re: Oh dear...

Don't forget corners. It's gotta have corners!

Re: Well, since the 930 isn't affected...

I have a 1020. The odd crash, but it is Windows, so its a tradition. More stable than any of the nasty Samsung Chavdroids I attempt to keep running for the kids and faster than my work iPhone.

Fantastic camera too.

Re: Orwell

They miss the next bit of the conversation...

Number 2: Of course you're a 'free man', sir. And I'm a 'Samsung Customer Support Representative', but my screen still says you're number 6.

Number 6: Oh....

well...

1000 vms per host is getting more likely as the specs of servers get higher, particularly for VDI.

Personally, I'd sooner scale out, but, some customers....

Re: Shitnet

Logging on?

Re: Rafale?

For a little risk, the SAAB Gripen - BAe helped work on it (so PC), already capable of short take off in adverse conditions, so probably wouldn't take much to navalise.

Of course, with the carriers we have, with no catapults, and nor are they likely to, it needs to be ski-jump capable, which somewhat precludes the Rafale or the F/A-18. Perhaps some mice Russkie numbers might work though...ha ha ha ha...!

Re: Linux?

"Does anyone over 12 years old use the upvote/downvote buttons?"

Down voted 'cause I is down wid de kidz, innit? LOLZ!!!

(40 year old trying too hard...)

Re: I wonder - North London commuters

@ Lars "problem in the UK is all the low bridges you run under"

A fine point. The East Midlands line is gradually being electrified and even this requires substantial works on bridges and tunnels to fit train plus overhead lines.

The problem the UK rail network has is that it survived the war largely unscathed - so no need to rebuild as happened across Europe. So we have a network designed for steam engines carrying masses more than it was ever designed to do.

Re: A few good pints

"I think the real problem is the cargo cult approach to any methodology that is taken by many users."

Well said. I once had to tell a project manager in rather blunt terms that PRINCE is not a religion.

Try processes, sure, but drop what isn't working. Don't keep it purely out of stubbornness.

Re: An ideal car for the French market

"The Captur is made in Spain..."

Many folk don't let the facts get in the way of a good bit of nationalism and the French are more nationalistic than most (even Alex Salmond would tell them to calm down). After all, its a Renault, therefore it is French!

I had similar discussing a (then) recently acquired German car with an elderly gentleman who hadn't cottoned on that the war ended a little while before. I pointed out that my 'German' car was built in Portugal - at which point his rant changed to fits of laughter and derogatory descriptions of Hispanic working practices. Some people are just that way inclined....

Re: The love of money is the root of all evil

"Let's not forget, it was beancounters who ultimately did for the UK car industry. It was run by them, whereas the German one was (and still is) run by engineers."

Nationalisation handed it over to the unions and the bureaucrats in Whitehall. The former destroyed the work ethic and drove wages to uncompetitive levels and as a consequence, we built expensive, shoddy cars. The latter lead to poor business management leading to designing cars for non-existent markets, sometimes products that competed amongst themselves (better than they do against imports anyway!) and selling products at a loss because they couldn't 'do the numbers'.

Government intervention in the UK from the 50's onwards was a heavy-handed disaster. The only segments not nationalised are the only ones that remain in any size and made money later - the financial and service industries.

Re: I agree that MS needs to be more on-the-ball with this.

Google aren't the police or some government agency (though the ad-peddling data scavengers do see themselves as all powerful). I can go with the 90 day disclosure, but releasing exploit code is dubious to say the least.

Google are treading on dangerous ground - would they like MS (or anyone else?) dropping code for vulnerabilities in Android or ChromeOS 90 days after finding them? A harmful precedent set by Google that could backfire on them.

Putin the kettle on for a cup-a-soup...?

Baaad pun time!