winkydo.net

Tuesday, March 11th, 2008

think outside the box

Walmart has quit selling the gPC line of computers in their stores.  The gPC hit the Walmart shelves back in November as a pilot with Everex to present a sub $200 desktop loaded with a Linux operating system called gOS.

A lot of people are blaming Linux for not being ready for prime time, or the sales associates for not knowing enough about Linux to even push the Linux line on incoming buyers.  I partly agree with both, but I think the blame lies more on Everex and less on Walmart.

Here’s the problem, gOS looks nothing like Windows.  If you sold it as an Apple Mac Pro replacement, maybe it would fly considering price comparisons, but who is really in the market for a Mac Pro that’s willing to go with any product that is not made by Apple?

I think that someday, one of these companies making the sub $300 pc’s running Linux might just catch on that people want a replacement for their old Pentium 3 or even Pentium 4 machines that the Nerdherd told them would be impossible to run Vista and unless they can find the 6 year old Windows XP media, they would need to buy a new copy to reinstall on their broken machine or worse, just purchase a new Vista compatible machine.  Have you seen one of those, prebuilt on a store shelf for under $500 yet?

Here’s what I think.  Go with the Everex gPC build of the Via machine, but instead of running something like gOS, go get an Ubuntu like operating system instead.  (Not an Ubuntu Fanboi, okay maybe I am, but think about the online support community willing to help out fellow Ubuntu’ers, compared to the online community willing to help out fellow gOS’ers. I dont even want to mention the Faqly community.)  Take that Ubuntu like operating system and put icons on the desktop of the default logged in user for Open Office tools, and work with people like Turbo Tax to certify their web based tax app on this operating system, preinstall Pidgin and provide a first time use pop up that actually explains how to get your messengers up and running.  Put a link on the start menu for the Linux Cisco VPN client.  Preinstall a PDF reader and include a good Pop3 email client like Thunderbird, but make sure there is a first run pop up explaining how to get things setup and connected.

I really think that if the time is taken to get this type of Linux build on one of these computers, it would be a seller, but here’s an important part not to be forgotten… include an internet connection to the demo computer!  Ever notice that when you demo a Windows computer at the local Best Circuit everything works?  The down side to most of the Linux apps people are using right now are heavily web based, without a reliable internet connect for people to tinker with the new computer they are thinking of buying you might as well be showing them how fun it is to type the same old reports that have been done on every computer since a caveman drew a picture of his horse on the wall of his cave.  I get a kick out of walking up to a brand new install of a computer and cant get anything to work because updates need to be done and software must be activated online before they can be used.  Finally, Microsoft has figured out that it’s best to offer up a full working piece of software for at least 60 days, know why?  You’re darn right it sells, especially after you’ve had 60 days to bring work home and the kids have had plenty of time to create all of that homework on the working, unrestricted software.

I digress.

What do you think?

Saturday, April 21st, 2007

burned spam for the holidays

so i get this very long email tonight from an email address ’serv1@planet.nl’… it starts out very convincing and then spam rolls out onto the table like a burned turkey on christmas night…

Good day,

My name is Mr. Paul Lockett, I am a senior partner in the firm of
Infinity Consultants “Private Investigators and Security Consultants”.
We are conducting a standard process investigation on behalf
of “HSBC”, the International Banking conglomerate.

This investigation involves a client who shares the same surname with
you and also the circumstances surrounding investments made by this
client at “HSBC”, the Private Banking arm of HSBC. The HSBC Private
Banking client died in testate and nominated no successor in title
over the investments made with the bank. I would respectfully request
that you keep the contents of this mail private and respect the
integrity of the information you come by as a result of this mail.

I contact you independently of our investigation and no one is
informed of this communication. I would like to intimate you with
certain facts that I believe would be of interest to you.

You share similar details to the late fellow; I am prepared to place
you in a position to instruct the firm to release the deposit to you
as the closest surviving relation. Upon receipt of the deposit, I am
prepared to share the money with you, that is, I will simply nominate
you as the next of kin and have them release the deposit to you. We
share the proceeds 50/50. I would have gone ahead to ask the funds be
released to me, but that would have drawn a straight line to me and my
involvement in claiming the deposit. But on the other hand, you with
the same very name as the depositor’s would easily pass as the
beneficiary with right to claim. I assure you that I could have the
deposit released to you within few days.

I am aware of the consequences of this proposal. I ask that if you
find no interest in this project that you should discard this mail. I
ask that you do not be vindictive and destructive. If my offer is of
no appeal to you, delete this message and forget I ever contacted you.
Do not destroy my career because you do not approve of my proposal.
You may not know this but people like myself who have made tidy sums
out of comparable situations run the whole private banking sector. I
am not a criminal and what I do, I do not find against good
conscience, this may be hard for you to understand, but the dynamics
of my industry dictates that I make this move. Such opportunities only
come ones in a lifetime. I cannot let this chance pass me by, for
once, I have found myself in total control of my destiny. These
chances won’t pass me by. I ask that you do not destroy my chance, if
you will not work with me let me know and let me move on with my life
but do not destroy me. I am a family man and this is an opportunity to
provide them with new opportunities.

There is a reward for this project and it is a task well worth
undertaking. I have evaluated the risks and the only risk I have here
is from you refusing to work with me. I am the only one who knows of
this situation, good fortune has blessed you with a name that has
planted you into the center of relevance in my life. Lets share the
blessing. If you find yourself able to work with me, contact me
through my email account below. If you give me positive signals, I
will initiate this process towards a conclusion.

I send you this mail not without a measure of fear as to what the
consequences, but I know within me that nothing ventured is nothing
gained and that success and riches never come easy or on a platter of
gold. This is the one truth I have learned from my private banking
clients. Do not betray my confidence. If we can be of one accord, we
should plan a meeting, soon.

Kind regards,

Mr. Paul Lockett
paullocket2@yahoo.com

Sunday, November 19th, 2006

ya’ll dont know what it’s like, being male, middle class, and white.

i was going to rant about something tonight, but i don’t remember what…

i feel like i did not get a lot done this weekend, but now that i think about it….  mandy and i got her shelf hung, saturday mandy and i went to get her an external hdd case for her to backup her mp3s.  she got a red nexstar. it’s pretty sweet.

today i went looking for a new case for merlin on craigslist.  instead i found a sweet 1U rack mount case for cheap.  i called the guy and he gave me his address.  mandy and i drove up to the other side of richardson to pick it up.  i think it will be merlins new home whenever i get a 1U heat sink for the AMD Athlon XP.  if anyone has any suggestions, pass ‘em on!

anyways, it’s so past my bedtime.  mandy and i just got in from benbrook, where we dropped off bacon at her parents house.

bring on turkey week.  not only is it a short week, i’m on the early shift too.

bleh and good night.

Saturday, November 18th, 2006

reasoning with the unreasonable

friday night, mandy, mom, susan, and i went to downtown cowtown to eat mexican food at cabo. after we ate, the girls where going to hang out at the restaurant while i walked back to the garage to get the truck and pick them up. on the way to the garage, the streets where much more crowded. earlier, mandy and i had told susan and mom of the bible people who stand on the street and tell everyone their going to hell if they don’t believe.

on my way back to the truck i get caught at a light with cars coming and i take my place behind a man (guy1) and his wife, an older couple. to their right was a younger guy (guy2), probably my age, with who looked to be his girlfriend. a bible thumper guy walked up and starts telling guy1 how he should learn of the word and yadda yadda so he does not go to hell. “do you want to go to hell, sir?” he asked. the man, continued looking straight, thinking it might be easier to step out in front of the cars, than to listen to this guy spill his rhetoric.

just as i’m two seconds away from opening my mouth (i was still composing words as a proper comeback), guy2 says that he thinks the bible thumper needs to take it easy. “your the reason more people do not accept faith, you cause more harm than do good,” he said. guy1 turns and shakes his head to agree. i say, “i agree. you should be looking at yourself and understand your pushing more people away than bringing to the word.” between guy1, guy2, and myself, if i where in the bible guys shoes, i would have taken a step back and accepted that i was perhaps out of line. scripture says to be questioned, and to learn from those questions.

about this time, the light turns red and we’re able to cross the street. the bible guy follows us and says that, “people don’t accept faith because of people like you, christian p#ssi#s who are too afraid to bring others into the light.”

what?!

all three of us continued walking, but that phrase has stuck with me all night. it made me really angry that someone talking of my God, my faith, my Savior, would consider those who question his teaching methods “christian p#ssi#s.” i’m fairly certain that phrase is no where in my King James Version. Jesus never called those who did not believe what he was saying any sort of derogatory term. maybe i should have asked the guy what book he read that in.

those who know me, know i’m not one who is afraid to question my faith. believe me, i was born and raised baptist, and i’m dating a girl who attends the Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints church. since i met her and fell in love, my faith and my devotion to God has been questioned many times. i’ve always been open minded, and always wanted to hear different takes on faith…

but this guy, standing on the corner, i’m sure, goes downtown, night after night, turning hundreds away from the word of God. not in his content, but in his backwards devotion. like he’s working harder on selling you a bible, than selling you the word of God.

i’m one who does not feel comfortable getting into a debate over passages and scriptures, not because of my devotion, but because of my lack of knowledge of the bible. if you give me a few minutes, i can find a passage for almost any man made drama. i’ve found in the past that very skilled preachers have a hard time keeping up with someone who can misquote, and misinterpret passages faster than they can rebuke them.

i think what gets me most though is how angry i got inside. more so that i look at things in a spiritual way. if God put that man there on the corner, to get our attention, he did a great job. what was the lesson, and what was the outcome? i walked away in disgust that someone was so ignorant of the word of God. how could someone honestly think that they could argue their way into Heaven, or worse, fool others into believing blasphemy to raise themselves up. was i suppose to stay back and try to reason with the unreasonable?

so that’s where i’m at. it’s times like these where i wish i had the contact information for my youth minister from high school. i laugh at the situation, in a way to not be so upset.

Monday, September 25th, 2006

the music industry angers me.

http://www.guitartabs.cc/

“Millions of people use the Internet to learn guitar, in one form or another. It appears the NMPA/MPA and their members do not want to support us and help us further our education. To you visitors from outside the USA or UK, can you find your favorite artists’ “official sheet music” at your local music store? Even in the United States and United Kingdom, we often can not. The NMPA/MPA have a choice to make: either they support us as aspiring guitarists, or they choose to alienate their customer base. To date, not one sheet music publisher has contacted this website to either inquire as to our activities or to express interest in any type of dialogue or collaboration whatsoever. All we deserve is a cold, indirect, impersonal threat without any explanation? They should embrace new technologies or else become relics of the old economy. ”

Sincerely,
Rob Balch
Manager of “Guitar Tab Universe”
July 17, 2006

surely the talented musicians and artists know what has become of their form of expression and dignity. i would be disgusted to know that someone who is making money from my performances, is using the money for such activities.

if the auto industry was like the music, you would not be able to change your own oil. you would not be able to keep up with the maintenance of your vehicle. that fancy in-dash mp3 player you added (because you like music), would be illegal. the $300 rims and $400 exhaust systems would be banned. you would not even be able to paint your car another color. jail time for something as simple as checking the air in your tires.

sounds ridiculous? it is.

check out http://www.downhillbattle.org/

:edit: also look at http://www.olga.net …the original site was shut down.� this is teh google cache link which explains the lawsuits.