Submitted by
Users who Dugg This
Sachin Bhutani
1305 Followers
gorgeoussand
8411 Followers
Jan in Colorado
7721 Followers
"ⓒⓗⓡⓞⓝⓘⓒ!"
5595 Followers
MediaSight
13125 Followers
David A. LaSpina
557 Followers
Digging slowy, medical problem
14446 Followers
badqatAug 1, 2010
Curmudgeon much, Dvorak?
Oh yeah, that's all you do, isn't it.
orky7Aug 1, 2010
"Check this out, it turns the iPhone into a flashlight!"
ohh yeah, can you desktop do that.
/s
trainofthought6Aug 1, 2010
To be fair, that app was a tethering program in disguise
sabinAug 1, 2010
What about all the other flashlight apps?
sfazzioAug 1, 2010
"With my PC I can actually calculate, with accuracy, the trajectory of a rocket shot to the moon, and the amount of fuel it needs to get there." Yeah, pretty much anything with a modern microprocessor can do that. After all, we managed to do it in 1959.
sclubdevinAug 2, 2010
not to mention the common person has absolutely no reason to give a flying f**k about the trajectory of a rocket shot to the moon.
shodanxAug 2, 2010
and I don't see any reason why you couldn't do that on a phone and compensate for the movement of earth and the moon and compensate for the gravity of the earth, moon and the 50 next most massive object and their movement too
you very probably can hack the phone to do both inertial and gps guidance correction with proportionnal thrust vectoring using the rocket's engine and control surfaces
technopunditAug 2, 2010
Mayby YOU can, but the average user is pressed to remember their email password.
atomic1fireAug 2, 2010
If that needs that much processing power,
Someone could just delegate servers for it and and then send the results to a cellphone app.
like wolfram alpha for rocketry models.
weirddemonAug 2, 2010
I don't like rap music, but that was entertaining. We all knew someone was going to make something like this, of that video :P
Btw, anyone else think that the "cover" at the end was awful?
evariAug 2, 2010
comment fail
technopunditAug 2, 2010
I rest my case.
weirddemonAug 2, 2010
Ah. I logged into Digg when at the other page and it opened this one after the login.
I hate that Digg does that >.>
kerrigoreAug 2, 2010
I like turtles
rpgmakrAug 2, 2010
Somebody should tell Dvorak that desktops are respected and have been getting mostly all of the attention up until a couple of years ago. We have kind of forgetting about it because, well, it's development kind of peaked and mobile is where the action is right now... but it will peak someday too.
mrbitchAug 2, 2010
Agree, and the best comment on Dvorak's little rant comes FTA comments section :
From RynK :
" .. I hate to break this to you John, but the computer is an appliance machine. The iPhone has more power than the machines they used to edit Star Wars, according to Alex Lindsey, and yet they are used for "silly" apps. How can this be?! It's simple really. The machines that the "pro's" use aren't the appliance computers of today.
They use workstations. Yes a workstation (ala MacPro) is a computer, and so is a server. However these are the power machines that people who want to do the heavy math computations for flying to the moon, working in Photoshop, etc. Mom and Dad aren't using these machines, instead they are using appliances.
Appliances that much like the TV of 20+ years ago occasionally needed a service man to repair, but beyond that they get thrown away and replaced with a better version.
Would it be nice if everyone had to take a class to learn how to use the PC? Yes of course! However until people also have to take a class to learn how to properly setup and calibrate their HDTV and sound system I doubt you'll see any progress on that front."
scenicanemiaAug 1, 2010
I love the suggestion about taking away computers from people who allow theirs to get infected. I mean, anyone can get a virus, but at least take some basic steps to prevent it.
heywoodjAug 1, 2010
Hey now,their stupidity keeps my beer fridge well stocked.
If they wise up I'll end up in rehab.
But come to think of it they are the reason I drink in anger every night.
clearmediumAug 1, 2010
That last sentence is me too man. It's a vicious cycle.
mattbdAug 1, 2010
Or how about making them attend a course about safe computing, similar to what might happen if people commit certain driving offences.
So many people just shrug and say "Oh, I don't know about computers" and refuse to think about it at all (as in a recent episode of The IT Crowd where Jen asks for Roy's help in installing a browser and she thinks IE is the "button for the Internet" and claims that if she learns what a browser is it will push something important out of her mind). If people have to attend a course and pass a test before they can be trusted to use a computer again they'll have to pay attention.
sclubdevinAug 2, 2010
here's why not:
realistically, the cost would outweigh the benefit, there is an entire segment of our economy dedicated to fixing these messes, people don't die when their computer gets infected like they do when someone is reckless driving.
mattbdAug 2, 2010
@sClubDevin
I'm not convinced - botnets can cause a massive headache in terms of generating spam, and in performing DDoS attacks that cost businesses a lot. Not to mention idiotic users losing money to their new friend in Nigeria...
nticeofevictionAug 2, 2010
f**k this stupid idea. I'd be out of work if a lot of people weren't clueless about computers and weren't getting viruses.
mrbitchAug 2, 2010
As long as Macs sell for more than a cheap netbook, your job security is assured until you retire.
kerrigoreAug 2, 2010
I'm guessing Bestbuy, Futureshop, and most other big box retailers would also go out of business if everyone had a clue about computers.
Closed AccountAug 2, 2010
Sweet, more regulation and laws in this country. Just what I was hoping for.
thufirrhawatAug 2, 2010
Sounds like a great idea and when someone has updated anti-virus on their computer that fails to stop the virus the company should be liquidated and all it's assets divided up between it's customers.
shamankingAug 1, 2010
"With my PC I can actually calculate, with accuracy, the trajectory of a rocket shot to the moon, and the amount of fuel it needs to get there. On my desktop."
Good for you? The computer is only as smart as the person who uses it. I feel like this article is pointless.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
rudegarAug 1, 2010
"This isnt affecting you"
sure it does
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombie_computer
johnagainAug 1, 2010
I disagree. My PC is way smarter than me. I dont understand most of what my picture editor does, but it greatly improves pictures of marginal quality, automatically. At least I understand what a firewall is, and the purpose of virus protection.
Isn't affecting me?!!? There are literlaly millions of computers in china, owned by people with little or no education, with no virus protection. A majority of them are bots, drones, zombies.. .whatever you want to call them - they are under the control of bastards that send spam, and spread viruses. Many large IT organizations have had to block the entire IP range assigend to china.!!
This affects me, and you.
alecsputnikAug 1, 2010
i don't know why you are being buried. i agree. by the way, if i wanted to find out that rocket information, instead of running some algorithm, i would look it up on the internet because obviously someone has already figure it out!
asrrin29Aug 2, 2010
With a portable computer algebra system my phone can also do those calculations. and in symbolic algebra!
Closed AccountAug 2, 2010
You keep using punctuation in the wrong place. I guess your mac can't help you there.
secrtagntmanAug 1, 2010
Custom built computers > any crap that a company shovels out
ubitendoAug 1, 2010
Yeah, that's true, who is the idiot that dugg you down?
ja9anAug 1, 2010
Mac users.
yacksAug 1, 2010
Idiots who don't know how to make a decent system.
dauntless1Aug 1, 2010
Yacks and ja9an are referencing the same people.
Closed AccountAug 1, 2010
I spent probably ten years building my own systems - from windows 95, up through multiple dual boot installs with all versions of windows, and linux installations ranging from LFS through slackware , red hat, debian and ubuntu. I even dabbled with BeOS and OpenBSD.
I am not an idiot nor do I not know how to make a system.
I use exclusively macs at home now. My time is more valuable than the luxury tax I pay to buy a mac, and I get all the power of the UNIX command line and the full suite of GNU utilities, plus a kick ass development environment in Xcode. I get a GUI that's more polished than windows, and far beyond anything I ever ran on Linux, and I get a system that's reliable and relatively hassle free.
I'm not some grandmother using the computer to email her grandkids, but I am someone who values his time. I like to use my computer to do the things I want to do, and not f**k around with finding the cheapest prices on RAM and keeping up to date with who is making the best video cards or motherboards this week. The mac does everything I need in a computer, with a minimum of extra effort on my part, and I can afford it, so I buy it.
But it's more fun to wave your internet c**k around and trash people over something as meaningless as their choice of computer, isn't it? No need to let logic or reasoning get in the way of your moronic stereotypes.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
friedjellyfishAug 1, 2010
Custom building computers is for people who have too much time. I did it too when I was 16, but now I just want something that works (=Mac). Messing around with software and hardware is something I want get paid for, not something I like to do for fun.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
soopaflyAug 1, 2010
Yes, because only geniuses can build their own computer. I love how smug people get when they said they "built their own computer". How much effort and time goes into ordering parts, opening boxes, and plugging them together? Oh that's right... not much.
Put your c**k measuring tapes back in the drawer, because it's not impressive.
Closed AccountAug 1, 2010
@soopafly,
According to you, it isn't impressive. According to my whole family and a number of friends, I'm a goddam wizard because I know how the inside of a computer works, and I can put all the pieces together the right way.
greenmountainAug 1, 2010
evil jello, your apology is not accepted.
You have disgraced the Brotherhood
and accepted evil, it is even in your name.
The jello is what remains of your manhood.
Your once almost useful tool, now dead from neglect.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRLKjA-hJY8
Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
honoredmuleAug 1, 2010
I /could/ stop building my own computers, but honestly, I can't remember the last time I actually had to buy a whole computer at once anyway. At the same time, even replacing a motherboard is a pretty quick and painless operation now. So it makes no sense to buy an inferior pre-built computer--and yes, they are still quite inferior, especially with much crappier cases and power supplies, and OEM parts still outlast them--just to save the ordeal of turning a couple thumb screws and popping out a piece every year or two.
rahazAug 2, 2010
How hard is it to build a computer? I mean most of the connections and stuff are pretty obvious and cases make it pretty clear about where to put what.
boyprodigy1Aug 2, 2010
@EvilJelloMAn
A real nerd would know that Mac OSX is only exclusive to machines sold by apple legally. Rules are meant to be broken. Think about that. Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
zaxnydAug 2, 2010
@HonoredMuleHonoredMule: Same here. I've had the same entity of a computer for about a decade now, replacing a piece here and a piece there for mere hundreds every handful of months, resulting in a fairly consistent cutting-edge machine.
xflankerxAug 2, 2010
The difficulty in building a computer is not in putting it together, nor in ordering the parts. It is in ordering the correct parts. Anyone can go on a website (Newegg.com) and order a bunch of s**t, but the value of a computer builder's knowledge is in knowing what to order. Otherwise you end up ordering an AMD processor with an Intel Socket 1366 motherboard, DDR Memory, an AGP videocard, and a 200W power supply. Putting it together is the easy part.
diggimatorAug 2, 2010
I know a kid who owns an HP computer. Does that mean he knows how to build his own system? HPs aren't Macs.
mrbitchAug 2, 2010
@ EvilJelloMan, RE: ".. I spent probably ten years building my own systems - from windows 95, up through multiple dual boot installs with all versions of windows, and linux installations ranging from LFS through slackware , red hat, debian and ubuntu. I even dabbled with BeOS and OpenBSD.
... I use exclusively macs at home now. My time is more valuable than the luxury tax I pay to buy a mac, and I get all the power of the UNIX command line and the full suite of GNU utilities, plus a kick ass development environment in Xcode. I get a GUI that's more polished than windows, and far beyond anything I ever ran on Linux, and I get a system that's reliable and relatively hassle free."
Apart from BEOS, that's almost exactly my history, and it wasn't until 2006 that I found out how well hardware can work when you pair it with software specifically designed for that hardware.
mrbitchMar 26, 2011
@ EvilJelloMan, RE: ".. I spent probably ten years building my own systems - from windows 95, up through multiple dual boot installs with all versions of windows, and linux installations ranging from LFS through slackware , red hat, debian and ubuntu. I even dabbled with BeOS and OpenBSD.
... I use exclusively macs at home now. My time is more valuable than the luxury tax I pay to buy a mac, and I get all the power of the UNIX command line and the full suite of GNU utilities, plus a kick ass development environment in Xcode. I get a GUI that's more polished than windows, and far beyond anything I ever ran on Linux, and I get a system that's reliable and relatively hassle free."
Also : I just recently replaced my 2006 macbook pro with the new quad core hardware upgrade, and wow not only is it many times faster, it's lighter and has the new high res screen option.
johnagainAug 1, 2010
I use a 'me-built' PC at home, and dell at work. I really appreicate business Dell machines. They have proven themselves to be very reliable, and the business class support in the rare event of an issue has been very good.
What's the difference between my experience with Dell and yours? You likely have had a consumer Dell machine - same hardware, but they pre-load it with bloatware, and their support people start you off with level 1 tech support - the high school grads (barely) with the script. <ARRGH!!!>
secrtagntmanAug 1, 2010
Yep, hated Dell computers from the first one I got, tech support was crap, waiting for the call to transfer took half the day.
And half the time you'd get a retard so you'd have to hang up and call back.
I liked building my first rig since it felt good doing something by myself, and If I need to fix something I can usually do it myself since part of making a PC is knowing how to make it and getting technical with it.
zb757Aug 1, 2010
If I'm getting a new Windows system, I'm going to build it myself, no buying from OEMs who preload it with junkware. If I don't have time to build myself something and have extra money, I'll get a mac
honoredmuleAug 1, 2010
I used some business-class Dell desktops to build a small server farm for a chemistry lab (don't ask, and it wasn't my call). They were ok, but still quite far behind in some areas, particularly in case quality and some "overly optimized" component details (i.e. power supplies had only enough plugs and just long enough cords to fit the existing configuration and maybe an extra drive). And I could have built the same machines for significantly less and still had better, quieter cases with more room for expansion.
To my knowledge, they reliably handled heavy loads for about a year so far. But I have no idea if any have bitten the dust by now.
thufirrhawatAug 2, 2010
Dell M60 needed a wifi replacement. (not too bad, I admit)
I have Dell M95 here that had two mobo replacements.
I have a dell M6300 I'm using right now that needs a mobo replacement because the docking interface no longer works.
Dell t3500 that came with bad ram.
These are all the precision line...don't get me started on the Optiplex :)
Granted, the business class support IS impressive in how fast they will get parts out to you. I must also admit that if I had to choose between manufacturers I would still choose Dell.
These are all systems I use at work. If I'm getting something for home I build my own desktop. I can't justify spending any money on a laptop when I can use one from work.
blatsekAug 1, 2010
LOL I can't believe what Mac users post here. Jesus christ. You REALLY save up that much time in "efficiency" by not spending an hour and a half putting together a computer that cost 1/4 of the price? What efficiency are you even f**king talking about? Wow.
verdanicAug 1, 2010
Maintenance, reduced. Aesthetics, through the roof by comparison. It's about personal preference.
The only reason I don't use Android and instead go for the iPhone is because it's the direct equivalent of the 'PC' side of the way overbaked Mac/PC debate. It's very simple - I want, for my phone, the solution that means the most functionality and seamlessness for the least maintenance. It's my damn phone, I need it to be functional all the time without spending time cleaning it up, formatting it regularly, etc. Not necessarily saying that all Andoid phones require this, nor am I saying that it's never necessary for Apple's offering, but it's generally far more likely on the former. Please don't argue that and look silly.
Personal preference. That's it. I wish these debates would f**king end.
blatsekAug 1, 2010
Please don't argue it and look silly? Why no rebuttles? You probably tell people you love your iphone and then when they ask why you say well....uhh..weelllll.uhhhComment is buried, click here to see the rest.
archangelzltAug 2, 2010
I like my iPhone for no reason whatsoever other than the fact that I like it. Go ahead and be all smug and snobbish about it, it doesn't change the fact that you are a loser and has to feel better than others by demeaning their preferred brand.
dogfoodAug 2, 2010
I use a mac for work because I don't have to worry about keeping the whole hardware / software ecosystem in balance. Driver updates never crash my system, don't need to run virus scans everyday, software never comes packaged with crap. Over a 2-3 year life of a computer that s**t adds up to a lot of time and hassle.
That being said, I adore my gaming PC and love tearing it apart and building it back up again, but I'd never rely on it for my livelihood.
Unless you have some sort of IT hero complex and can't keep your masochistic fetishes at home, you should really use a mac for things that matter.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
putz85erAug 2, 2010
hardware/software ecosystem? From you post you make it sound like your in I.T. If you are then all the things you mentioned are your f**king JOB. Second, do you know why most businesses don't use macs? Because for around a third of the price i can make a system that puts it's penis through your mac's chest and f**ks it's heart out. It's "I.T." people like you that are not business conscious at all. If your boss would have hired almost any other I.T. guy he could have saved himself a ton of money and ended up with a better system. Have fun upgrading the ram, cpu, or graphics card in your mac. Which are are small cheap things you can upgrade to make your system run like new after 2 years.
Macs do have their place. But you are just f**king lazy if you walked into your boss's office and said "Hey, these are the best you can get for your money."
captainphotonAug 2, 2010
@putz85er
If an IT guy suggests a machine that has less maintenance costs, I say he's doing his job very well. For most businesses, reliable hardware is cheaper than the IT staff it takes to build and maintain custom hardware configurations from your average Fry's (even if they seem cheaper in the beginning)... not to mention the cost of downtime when something goes wrong. So, either the IT guy can focus on other, more important things (that can't be solved by one-time costs), or you can have fewer IT staff and save money over time.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
verdanicAug 2, 2010
@blatsek
Well.. no, I actually explain it to them, sort of exactly like I just did. I don't have cerebral palsy.
danielvutran1Aug 2, 2010
@Verdanic You explain, yet you list Aesthetics as one of them, and that's all personal preference. I appreciate you trying to sound un-biased in your post, but you're leaking a bit of fmini-fanboyism.
verdanicAug 2, 2010
I'm not, though, am I. I'm a designer by trade, I appreciate product design aesthetics as well as those of user interfaces, and again, whoever can offer it to me, fantastic. I'm not biased, but it says something that to many people reading my comments, it seems 'aesthetics' goes hand-in-hand with appreciating Apple products. I never made that connection specifically, as there are some damn nice looking Android phones out there.
The reason I'm not going into very much detail is because this debate has been beaten to death a thousand times - it's personal preference and nobody can seem to accept that. It's hard to deny that Apple has the upper hand in user experience design and product design, so that's what I'm sticking with for many of the platforms I use for now. I have no unwavering loyalty to Apple whatsoever.
boyprodigy1Aug 2, 2010
"It's hard to deny that Apple has the upper hand in user experience design and product design, so that's what I'm sticking with for many of the platforms I use for now."
Wow... You're honestly a moron if you think you are being unbiased. I'm not saying that apple makes unworthy products, but you are officially contradicting yourself. By the way, I could deny that all day, and it really wouldn't be hard for me. If you'd stopped at saying its just personal preference, i would have agreed with you. Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
rendonsmugAug 2, 2010
Most Apple desktops are god damned ugly. A nice Lian-Li case... now that's aesthetics.
Also, the iphone is the best. Why? It has the three gees.
b33kAug 2, 2010
My computer sure as f**k didn't cost 1/4 of the price of an equivalent Apple box. What pisses me off about this 'debate' is that retards arguing for the 'PC' side don't know wtf they're talking about when they spew this bulls**t.
My box was built by me, and it's what I want, not what someone else wants me to use. Fin.
archangelzltAug 2, 2010
Oh, but it's so fun to be smug and snobbish when it comes to whether you use the computer from a specific company or not!
Seriously, I hate both PC snobs and Mac snobs who constantly tell other people to convert, convert, convert, CONVERT to PC/Mac.
kaliorAug 2, 2010
glorious DIY master race reporting
wubsAug 2, 2010
and if you can't custom build a pc ibuypower has some really good ones for literally just the parts only.
greenteamgoAug 1, 2010
Does anyone on here NOT respect their PC/Mac? Rediculous.
tbttfoxAug 1, 2010
On here? Probably not. Then again, this IS digg. The people he's talking about probably aren't on here.
mysterycowAug 1, 2010
Macs are PCs.
tonybaxtAug 1, 2010
Not according to Apple.
strangehumorAug 1, 2010
Thank you!
handonamAug 1, 2010
i guess it's pretty REDiculous
Closed AccountAug 1, 2010
bluec**kulous?
kolop1Aug 1, 2010
It's funny my one friend with an iPad gets excited when a new app. gets released. I can run all the same apps. on my netbook for a fraction of the cost and I have a keyboard to type on.
ishiguroAug 1, 2010
But you still have a thick stupid looking mini laptop with crappy components.
kabloinkAug 1, 2010
Perhaps he prefers functionality over how shiny it is.
Closed AccountAug 1, 2010
/s?
sabinAug 1, 2010
You mean the faster, more capable CPU with faster, more capable GPU, more ram, significantly more storage space and a real keyboard?
The iPad is a cool little toy with a lot of great things going for it but lets not pretend that it's in the same class as a fully functional netbook.
randomgorillaAug 1, 2010
All that plus you don't have to hold it funny to make it work right.
soopaflyAug 1, 2010
It's funny because my thing is better than your thing.
demdudeAug 1, 2010
How can you run all the same Apps? Is there some sort of emulator?
clearmediumAug 1, 2010
I think he meant perform the same types of actions. ie: Maps app on iPad/iPhone. Netbook has google.com/maps ect, ect.
bat_21Aug 1, 2010
Yup! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk_DqMUM45I
buddhistmonkeyAug 2, 2010
((( "I can run all the same apps. on my netbook for a fraction of the cost..." )))
Many apps for the iPad are free, many are $1 or $2, and very few are above the $5-10 range. I have more than 130 apps, yet I haven't spent much more than $150 on software (which is roughly the price of the Student Edition of Microsoft Office). You may be able to do run similar types of applications on a netbook, but you won't do it for a fraction of the cost.
kolop1Aug 2, 2010
I bet you never use most of those apps.
Closed AccountAug 2, 2010
You can find way more powerful applications for a netbook as well.
technopunditAug 2, 2010
Apples and oranges. You're comparing a media delivery device with an actual computer.
The Ipad's a gadget, not a real computer. It's for kids.
black27696Aug 2, 2010
Silly fanboy, ipads are for kids.
clearmediumAug 2, 2010
Seriously why would people be knocking on netbooks. They have tons power and basically cost nothing. They are the dream of computing.
magneteyeAug 2, 2010
Bulls**t.
Closed AccountAug 2, 2010
But you can't wave it under all your friends' noses now can you?
railzAug 1, 2010
Whats this 'we' s**t. Maybe the media has, but any normal person who has a desktop didn't exactly leave it in their closet for their new smart phone.
eikaiAug 1, 2010
Exactly what I was thinking..
I never even had the thought of buying an 'app orientated' product considering both my desktop and laptop can do so much more in more functional ways.. I've never liked touchscreen products, you can't feel what you're doing so you make a lot of mistakes.
magzineAug 1, 2010
You'd be surprised at the amount of people who tout the idea that 'the desktop is dead, the mobile/portable computing platforms will reign champs'.
It's so dumb, but I've met more than enough people who say that.
technopunditAug 2, 2010
A lot of people think the world's going to end in 2012, too.
sup3rsh3epAug 2, 2010
mobile computing just has alot of hype now, because they are changing quickly, like computing in the 90's. I dont think they are mutually exclusive though. i stand by the desktop, netbook/laptop, smartphone computing trifecta
c010rb1indusaAug 2, 2010
Spot on, the only the reason the desktop has been put out of focus is because nothing new has really happened in the desktop world since XP and Leopard. New desktop features are minimal improvements at best and don't really invoke the 'WOW' that people get when they see people interacting with modern smartphones. Desktops work albeit inelegantly .
Closed AccountAug 2, 2010
i kinda get the whole smartphone thing...but the one thing i can't get into is current touchscreen technology...simply, f**k that. it is horrid. i shouldn't have to backspace constantly when typing.
badbeatAug 2, 2010
Exactly. Both have their place. Sure, smartphones are a great tool for some things, but they are in no way a desktop replacement. Anything that requires a decent amount of computing power (3D graphics/games, scientific computing, etc.) or a decent amount of screen real estate will continue to be done on desktops for quite some time.
michichaelAug 2, 2010
I believe by 'we' they mean 'consumer whores that buy whatever the magic picture box tells them to'
oxmyx4200Aug 1, 2010
I like the idea of taking away people's computer usage rights, but that would only create a host of new problems (as would moving them to mac/linux)
1) More and more viruses and spyware would be written for mac and linux, since lots more people would be forced to use them. Then what would we do, ban people from computers all together?
2) Family computer troubles would become more infinitely more irritating "Hey, can I come use your computer for a few hours? The courts took mine away."
Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
waspbrAug 1, 2010
Don't really know how linux works, do you?
cyclonusripAug 1, 2010
Don't really know how people use computers do you? All the modern operating systems have basically the same theory of how to protect the user for malicious software. The problem is the user is ultimately in control of those systems and can circumvent any measure those systems will take. That problem exists on a Mac, Windows, or Linux system. If you gave those users computers with root/admin access they will undoubtedly allow their machines to be compromised in pretty much the same way regardless of OS. If you withheld root/admin access you would pretty much achieve the same level of security on any of the systems.
zb757Aug 1, 2010
@Cyc: The thing is Linux systems don't run the user as root and neither does OSX.
xdarkfluxxAug 1, 2010
@zb757
Neither does Windows 7.
tarantulusAug 1, 2010
1) yes
2) the answer would be "no, go f**k yourself"
Closed AccountAug 1, 2010
RE: #2, that's what public libraries are for.
atomic1fireAug 2, 2010
Linux can be made pretty securely,
Unlike windows, Linux can be designed from the ground up to keep people from installing things, and that's usually where the trouble begins.
If the OS can't easily execute code, it's a lot harder to put a virus or malware on it.
Mac's can be locked up pretty well too,
I'm sure windows 7 doesn't run people as administrator per say, but all they need to do is click ok or cancel on a dialog box, so there is a margin for error there.
shamankingAug 1, 2010
I feel like this is just a rant about how much better he is at computers than the average consumer. Who cares?
greevarAug 1, 2010
I agree with him on some aspects, but his heavy handed approach to dealing with the computer illiterate is just sophomoric. I think it is important in today's world that schools start training kids old enough to use a computer unmonitored on how to be safe online and use a computer properly. For the most part this doesn't get taught until they enter a computer oriented class in college, if at all. Training the older generation on how to use technology is a lost cause if they don't care enough to learn it, but we can prepare those that come after us how to use this tool properly. And it is a tool like a printing press, not an appliance like a coffee machine.
Closed AccountAug 1, 2010
GET OFF MY LAWN!
piieerrrreeAug 1, 2010
"playing the farmsville"
theparaibaAug 2, 2010
That's all Dvorak has been saying for some time now.
aquapeteAug 1, 2010
a large majority of people only use their desktops for music and internet. so when a new device comes out which very efficiently does those two things and you can hold it in your hands on the toilet or in the backyard while laying out for some sun, that desktop can lose some of its appeal. its not that people dont respect it, but
robertisaarAug 1, 2010
anything that can be used while on the toilet is almost guaranteed to be a hit....
Closed AccountAug 1, 2010
Funny you should say that...one of my college friends' wife recently aired her grievance against frequent bathroom use of technology...feel kinda sorry for her. It's not like she's not sexing him up or anything, either...from what he told me, they're pretty active.
http://www.bobandsheri.com/a/archive/audio.cfm?ID=1984
bigtime2Aug 1, 2010
You're currently on the toilet using your smartphone, aren't you?
zb757Aug 1, 2010
http://xkcd.com/646/
msp1Aug 1, 2010
"a large majority of people only use their desktops for music and internet" citation required! ...Or are you one of those insular types who thinks "everyone" does something just because you and your mares do?Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
aquapeteAug 1, 2010
well i would have used a percentage, except 72% of statistics are made up anyway.
and yes apparently i am one of those insular types. i really dont think im making an irrational claim by saying that a large majority of the people
Closed AccountAug 1, 2010
Just because you and I use our computers for more than that, do you really think the vast majority of computer users are like us? How f**king arrogant. I think you're seriously underestimating how ubiquitous computers have become. Think of all the grandparents, all the soccer moms, all the teenage girls, etc., who use computers and just try to tell me that they don't just use them for Internet access/music.
atomic1fireAug 2, 2010
99% of the time the stuff I do on my computer is Internet, maybe some music, and some gaming.
On my lower end computer, it limit's itself to internet,
Desktop's do have their uses, Like for example, if you need something stationary, and easily replaceable.
Desktop's are slightly heavier then laptops, and less mobile, which make's them more unreasonable to steal (Unless you have a All in one desktop for space) and if a desktop breaks, you can just open the case and usually replace what ever needs replacing.
Laptop's may not have that luxury, and having to pay the manufacturer to fix something like an mission critical device because the IT personal can't do it, can't exactly be very reasonable.
picaloAug 1, 2010
snore slacks. desktop is king?
deathstrykAug 1, 2010
Starcraft2.
randomgorillaAug 1, 2010
Also Team Fortress 2.
socketassaultAug 2, 2010
L4D2.
taikyokukenAug 2, 2010
Also Starcraft2.
nugz85Aug 2, 2010
civ 5 is coming out soon too
playuhhAug 2, 2010
Solitaire.
freepizza48Aug 1, 2010
IN THE MORNING!
wowiiAug 2, 2010
*duck call*
osabr22000Aug 1, 2010
With a computer he can calculate how fuel a rocket needs to go to the moon...
Is that what he's doing in his spare time? He is completely wasting the raw unharnessed power of the desktop.
Porn. The desktop is most effectively used for porn. You do not use your Iphone or Droid for porn, because you generally use those in public, plus the screen is too small.
In the privacy of your own home, you draw the curtains, fire up the PC and go to your favorite online gutter to see some sweet wholesome midwestern girl servicing a goat or some other farm animal. Then, once you and your family have enjoyed today's most recent upload, you leave your LCD's warm warming glow and go out for some KFC.
That is what the desktop pc is about. Porn... and bringing families together.
jamaphAug 1, 2010
This is some future Mark Twain s**t, hahaha i love it.
omegawolfAug 1, 2010
It makes me wonder what Tim Berners Lee thought people would actually use the Web for when he invented it in the early 90s. Education? Please!
raynevandunemAug 2, 2010
He intended it as a research-oriented project, something that academicians, scientists and engineers would use to enable linking between easily-edited (and updateable) text documents regarding their most recent endeavors.
Read here, starting under "Losing Information at CERN": http://www.w3.org/History/1989/proposal.html
He most likely didn't imagine it being used in commercial or voyeuristic scenarios as we now know it to be, although I'm pretty sure that such uses were already in place on USENET well before the WWW became the foremost (inter)personal application of the Internet. HyperCard and other non-networked programs were already available for semi-professionally framing your commercial, artistic or voyeuristic content like a clickable magazine/newspaper/brochure, and the WWW simply made it possible to put content of this type onto the Internet and link between such publications (or "websites").
kewickviperAug 2, 2010
This poorly written slew of genius is why I love digg.
f1lm3rAug 2, 2010
i watch porn on my phone because it makes my penis look big
lukecoreAug 1, 2010
Someone has sand in their vagina.
colonel62359Aug 1, 2010
When I'm away from my desktop and happen to use another PC, I immediately open mstsc.exe and connect back to my desktop to use it. This applies for using another laptop in the house, if I'm at work, on a service call, or even on vacation.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
ishiguroAug 1, 2010
uh, why?
colonel62359Aug 1, 2010
uh, RTFA?
ishiguroAug 2, 2010
and...
jakem1Aug 1, 2010
You're so cool.
dullnationAug 1, 2010
But responsiveness over remote desktop is horrible compared to using even a low power laptop...
colonel62359Aug 1, 2010
Responsiveness is actually pretty good if you're on the same LAN. And even if it isn't, at least I can have all of my usual stuff open without it becoming unusably slow, which it certainly would on a netbook with 1GB RAM.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
colonel62359Aug 1, 2010
If I'm not sitting in front of it, I probably don't want to be tied to my desk.
jaythewiseAug 2, 2010
Sweet you know how to use remote desktop? Ahh ok great then?
dullnationAug 2, 2010
I control my home file server over Remote Desktop on 100mbit LAN and it is by no means responsive. I don't mean it's slow, it's just that you can't use the term "snappy" in terms of usage. It's like using a computer with no graphics acceleration at all.
shamusjpAug 1, 2010
What a douche.
danieltttAug 1, 2010
Why would you say that. I don't know the man. He articulated his opinion and backed it up with his thoughts and some history. You retort with a 3 word ad hominem, nonsensical and asinine vernacular. Perhaps, based on these thoughts, the lable you apply to this autor, aptly belongs to yourself.
cyberdactylAug 1, 2010
Pay no mind to Shamusip. Digg is overwhelmed with young teens who have figured out the world to such a point that they don't feel the need to articulate a valid opposing view. . .just a derogatory invective.
sabinAug 1, 2010
Please turn off your computer and don't turn it on again until you finish middle school. BTW, that word doesn't mean what you think it means.
bdbrAug 1, 2010
The desktop gets no respect because there's nothing dramatically new in it these days. Yeah, they're faster and screens are bigger (and possibly multiplied), but the usage model is much the same. Same thing with laptops (which, in my company, are used like desktops that you can take home).
This is not a bad thing. This means its an efficient productivity tool. I don't need to calculate the fuel required to get to the moon (who does?), but I do need to make detailed network drawings, write papers detailing new ideas, IM people in the meantime to clarify issues, and create detailed spreadsheets outlining the cost/benefits. None of these activities are particularly unusual, and it would suck horribly to do this on a tablet.
ceraphinAug 1, 2010
Some of us without lives have learned these things on our own time. AKA everyone here at Digg.
awflAug 1, 2010
Burroughs B5000 (architecture) FTW!
kevin108Aug 1, 2010
FTA: "Why are dipstick apps that really do very little except amuse monkeys getting so much personal attention?"
Because the average user can find, install and use them. Things have been dumbed down to the point where anybody can do it.
If only we could take them back to the DOS days when we had to remember all the commands and switches to get PKUnzip to extract and rebuild directories and showing them what using a computer really was.
ravenlarkAug 2, 2010
Hell yeah! Who needs all this "ease of use" and "accessibility" bulls**t? I say we take it back to the punch card days, and make people WORK for their apps, like it was meant to be! We had to punch out all those little holes, put them in one by one, hope we got it in the right order, and dammit, we were HAPPY about it!
/s
PS. I've never touched a punch card in my life
outpastplutoAug 2, 2010
> If only we could take them back to the DOS days when we had to remember all the
> commands and switches to get PKUnzip to extract and rebuild directories and showing
> them what using a computer really was.
You mean like 1985? In those days, you just used your mouse and double clicked on the icon for the file you wanted to decompress.
If you wanted to acquire something you just went on the network of the day, poked around a little bit and downloaded it.
It's really sad when a google search and double clicking a file name is considered too complex for the masses. When installing VLC or Plex on an Mac makes you some kind of power user.
If you can't handle that, I am not sure you should be allowed to install any software even from a "curated" repository. The machine should be restricted to OS and applications burned into ROM. Dvorak's ideas about keeping the willfully ignorant away from computing might have some merit.
quentinpAug 1, 2010
I bet pretty much every phone out there could calculate the fuel required to get to the moon...I mean what did NASA use the first time?
johnagainAug 1, 2010
They used a really old phone called the 'slide rule'. They had a primitive stylus called a 'pencil' and a remote display called a 'notepad'. They were brilliantly advanced for their time.
They are collectors items now; you can still find them on e-bay, but they are analog, so you can't activate them on major carriers.
rpapi100Aug 1, 2010
what was the battery life of this phone?
did it have "the 3 geees"?
what kind of apps can it run?
Is it pen compatible?
deathstrykAug 2, 2010
You can grab fist fulls of them at your office stationery supply room :D
buttu4uAug 1, 2010
anything that has a demand will always find its way off the self..... desktops are things of the past.. if you just want to amuse yourself buy a app phone.. iPhone iPad.. but if you are into serious work then i get Desktops have no alternatives to their power.
i see the consumers coming back to desktops if we have supercomputers instead of desktop. lol. it will be just awesome if this happens. cheersComment is buried, click here to see the rest.
FPSmotoAug 1, 2010
I like to buy the latest and greatest in computers every 4 years or so. Upgrading slowly from an entry level to decent to amazing computer will cost me roughly the same amount of money as if I were to buy the best of the best now and not have to upgrade in a couple years.
jcnesAug 1, 2010
Bah, this just seems to be much ado about nothing. People who want or need desktops for heavy duty use, or simply prefer them over laptops for everyday use (like me) will continue to use them. Like somebody said earlier in the comments, it's not like people are giving up their desktop machines for their iPads. It's not exactly news that the desktop segment doesn't grab the headlines, they're utilitarian; that doesn't mean that they go unappreciated.
autokadAug 1, 2010
theres been lots of talk about 'will the desktop go away in the future'. i dono, i myself think computers will evolve into many devices being your computer. like, your ipod, phone, desktop, tv, etc are all separate but act as one device. that theres no distinction to the user that they are separate other than interface
dungeAug 1, 2010
90% of computer users don't use the totality of processing power a desktop can offers. Still, I do, and I want more performance!!
autokadAug 1, 2010
i got a two quad core 3.4ghz xenon processors, but i need every drop =D
danielvutran1Aug 2, 2010
Hey look at that, same as people with fast cars. See how this comparison makes your would-be jab completely null?
path411Aug 2, 2010
People don't need fast cars. Not to mention it's illegal to use your fast car, where it isn't illegal to use my fast computer.
danielvutran1Aug 3, 2010
I was talking about how most people will never use their full potential of said car / computer. Not other logistics.. thought that was fairly obvious in my post, considering who I replied to.
atsymbolAug 2, 2010
Me too. 3-D modeling, video rendering, photo editing, and web design. My desktop is utilized to its FULL extent.
Closed AccountAug 1, 2010
Crap article. Good title, but I was hoping for Rodney Dangerfield.
0sirisAug 1, 2010
I'll stick with my TI83+... I've been downloading all the apps i need on there since junior highschool.
xdarkfluxxAug 1, 2010
Pssh TI89 Titanium. Better games and apps plus it will let you breeze though basic calculus.
propyneAug 2, 2010
You can breeze through basic calculus with a scientific calculator.
tgfooAug 2, 2010
They let you use calculators in your calculus class? Lucky bastard...
jakemilesAug 1, 2010
What was the question again?
shnarfAug 1, 2010
John C right again. I like the idea that all idiots be put on ipads. Though ipad users are all idiots he is right in his assertion that not all idiots use ipads. John C should just make the laws :)Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
blitzcraig7Aug 1, 2010
John your proposal is silly. That will never happen, nor should it. It won't solve anything.
phillyocAug 1, 2010
browsing and working at a desktop is just infinity more comfortable than with any other device. That is why I think they will never go away.
vibr8Aug 1, 2010
You are all tedious idiots.
bmpovojvodaAug 1, 2010
"But we cannot find anything to do with it except surf the Web, check out Facebook and play the idiotic Farmville online. "
Well then run SETI@Home now!!
paradiddler45Aug 2, 2010
Let us not forget Folding@home
outpastplutoAug 2, 2010
Well... if Apple wasn't actively beligerent to Flash you would be able to play Farmville on the iPad too.
tgfooAug 2, 2010
Actually, there's an app for that...
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/farmville-by-zynga/id375562663?mt=8
alecsputnikAug 1, 2010
this article is awful. it doesn't give me any reasons to think the desktop is superior in anyway to a mobile phone. just a bitter older man complaining about the technology of youth. it will never end.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
Closed AccountAug 1, 2010
ibuypower.com
xdarkfluxxAug 1, 2010
newegg.com
Closed AccountAug 2, 2010
you'll spend like 50 bucks more to get the same stuff youd get on newegg, built and shipped to you with a warranty from ibuypower.
danielvutran1Aug 2, 2010
Oh really. Only aroud $50? Lol.
area206Aug 1, 2010
While I love this desktop that I built myself I think this author is the most pretentious, self righteous, douche bag I have ever read. Yay for desktops and what not but Jesus, what an assh**e.
dotfreelanceAug 1, 2010
This guy doesn't seem to understand what defines an appliance. An appliance is a tool you use, you manipulate to some end. The computer is very much the same; calling it an appliance doesn't change what it is or what it does. It was always an appliance.
The desktop isn't dead, just dead to this old dude that doesn't know what the f**k to use it for. I use my desktop for power tasks, work that requires more precise control, for dealing with large amounts of data, or for gaming.
The portable is designed to be portable, and that itself excludes it from the desktop market. If it were to compete with the desktop, it would require becoming a desktop which would defeat the purpose.
The day the portable becomes as powerful and precise as the desktop is the day the desktop evolves, just as it always has been doing.
blizzardwaveAug 1, 2010
Does anyone get iMacs? I feel stupid, I should have gotten a laptop shouldn't I? It's what most young people have, right?
bipolarruledoutAug 2, 2010
Most young people don't have to pay the bill when they break.
theratdotusAug 1, 2010
desktops are better, especially in the morning
tac50Aug 1, 2010
I have 3 monitors attached to my desktop. How many can you put on your iPhone?
danielphermousAug 2, 2010
This account has been closed by the user
socketassaultAug 2, 2010
HAHAHAHAHAHA
klakyAug 2, 2010
Depends how much they weight. Just one large CRT Monitor on an iphone could crush it.
aidenagAug 1, 2010
This guy makes a few good points, but the Desktop Computer IS an appliance, just as is my netbook and HTC EVO. They are a tool i use to get things done. Same as my Microwave, Washer and Dryer, or Oven. It doesn't lesson Desktops clout by calling it an appliance one bit.
And for those commenting on here that Desktops are on the way out.. You are right and wrong. Right in the fact that the type of PC user who uses their desktop solely to surf the web and play farmville has no real need for it anymore. But for those of us who actually utilize its full potential(photo editing, graphic design, Raid storage, 30inch dual monitors etc) the desktop computer is going to be useful for many many many years to come.
aarond12Aug 2, 2010
f**k Dvorak.
hawaiianruleAug 2, 2010
This is why I never listen to anything PC Mag has to say. They are a bunch of idiots and stopped being relevant and in touch with the industry back in the 90's.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
wemessyAug 2, 2010
I love desktops too and was with you until you started sounding like a damned Nazi and recommending that the government license and regulate our use of the single most important tool there is to freely finding and sharing information and learning facts for ourselves instead of being spoon-fed them by a corporately-controlled establishment media. Yes- we should absolutely put the government in charge of WHO GETS A COMPUTER and who doesn't! That couldn't go wrong at all. You sir, are out of your freaking mind. Of all the damned foolish things I hear every day, this has got to be one of the absolute worst things I've heard all year.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
hawaiianruleAug 2, 2010
They designed the SR-71 without desktops, the flew to the moon without desktops, they created the Atomic Bomb without desktops, they built the first desktop without a desktop.
It was all done with a solid foundation and understanding of math and physics. Something I see lacking in about half the engineering students I see. If they can't figure it out, they just give up and go online. They don't take the time to really understand the basics, all they learn is where to get the answers. Which in the long run is going to hurt the sciences in America if they don't understand the process and only understand the answer.
Closed AccountAug 2, 2010
They did it all without desktops! (They had mainframes and building sized supercomputers)
hawaiianruleAug 2, 2010
But those were not desktops were they! That and my TI-89 has more computing power than those old mainframes.
pimpofpixelsAug 2, 2010
Desktops are like White people.
They're not exotic in any way, they're not trendy, and there're are only a hand-full of anti-social white guys who think they're the best.
But they don't care. There are tons of them, and, in spite of there lack of style and numerous deficiencies, they work very well most of the time.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
Closed AccountAug 2, 2010
Like white people...they work.
jaythewiseAug 2, 2010
Sweet gentlemen moment dude:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qRvos9Evhs
Closed AccountAug 2, 2010
Oh puleze....your app phone and ipad are toys.
To do any real in depth work, in an efficient manner, you need a desktop.
zakatovAug 2, 2010
Yeah, and if you want to listen to music and check your email while you wait at the doctor's office, what do YOU use? Your toys? Or do you lug around your desktop strapped to your ass all day?
foxleyAug 2, 2010
One can't be without the other ... so, yeah, toys.
hardeep1singhAug 2, 2010
Come back when your toys start living on their own without needing a desktop sync.
rendonsmugAug 2, 2010
For music I have one of those tiny jeweled music boxes where you can change the song by adding a different wheel.
For email I have hired a force of migrant laborers who print off and bring me emails whenever I get a new one. I can also dictate to them and they will go send the email.
Sometimes I worry about looking pretentious, but then I just think, "at least I'm not using a smartphone".
Closed AccountAug 2, 2010
zakatov...you are right. I never said they weren't useful, just not for large scale work.