Re: An 'internet' tablet or a Linux computer?
 

Ha! Outed!

Penguinbait is John Titor!!!!!

Re: An 'internet' tablet or a Linux computer?
 

Those talking of the NIT as a computer (a Linux one at that) is in the same class (or nearly) as Steve Jobs when he says the iPhone is Apple's netbook.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/21/read-my-lips/

No the definition of a computer is not a problem at all. The definition of anything is based on what the general understanding of its function and form and context is to most of the people in the world.
A computer by that definitiopn means in generic terms - a PC like computer to most people. I get your point that a Voting machine is a computer and so is so many other things (like this for example), But just having a chip in a device doesn't make it a computer in general terms. Its the function that it serves that defines it more.

In that sense I don't think the iPhone is a Netbook or the NIT a Linux computer.

Re: An 'internet' tablet or a Linux computer?
 

And this is where I consider you wrong. I run a full fledged Debian Linux on my Tablet.

That's not a Linux mobile, not a windows CE, not a miniscule runned down crappy version of some hacked OS to fit on some mobile device whose function is to remember the crap I can't be arsed to figure out..

No.. I run a full (and one of the most popular) Linux OS's on my tablet complete with nearly all the exact and identical software I run on my Laptop and my Desktop. Complete with a USB keyboard, and mouse.

In any definition of the term "Computer".. My tablet fits it. It might not run as well as my Laptop. But screaming about that makes people look downright stupid.. you're comparing a 400mhz processor with 128MB ram to a 2.0ghz Centrino with 2GB memory and a video card with 256+mb Memory. By that argument my Laptop puts anyone's Netbook to shame.

Yes, obviously, the better the physical hardware.. the faster the computer.. but my Tablet functions exactly as a "normal" old P1 or PII class machine with 128MB ram would function.

That is a PC. The iPhone is not.. the iPhone runs a hacked, run down, crappy version of some kind of proprietary OS that has a specific purpose. Not the same device by a long shot.

Re: An 'internet' tablet or a Linux computer?
 

may i ask then, what is the definition of a PC?

both the ibm compatible desktop defintion and the latop equivalent have come and gone imo...

Re: An 'internet' tablet or a Linux computer?
 

The interesting (and scary) thing about that article was that Jobs hinted that Apple is going to come out with a next-gen tablet that will be competing head-to-head with the n900. I mean, why not? A bigger display, faster processor, camera, etc; of course they're adding these to the next generation Apple product. Do we think that Apple is sitting on their hands? And the scary thing (to those of us who want Nokia to win here) is that Jobs, as usual, "gets it." While everyone is raving on about netbooks, he sees that the future is handheld. And while everyone else is struggling to make ends meet in this economic downturn, Apple is going to be busy pouring their massive resourses into making handheld devices that consumers won't be able to resist.

My observation so far has been that when people say Jobs is wrong, they're wrong.

Re: An 'internet' tablet or a Linux computer?
 

the really scary thing is that said handheld will be as locked down as the iphone, but as any current user of itunes and its halo of services can just grab one of these new devices and transfer their "life" onto it, it will win, no matter what...

itunes/itms is to apple what gmail and friends is to google...

Re: An 'internet' tablet or a Linux computer?
 

I'd have no problems buying an Apple Tablet.. if it'll support open source.

If it's anything like the iPhone and all the decent software is pay-per-use... no thanks. No matter how "spiffy" he dresses it up it's just Mac OS X in disguise. Mac OS X isn't completely horrid per se.. since it's unix based an all.. but it's so custom and proprietary it makes Mandrake look like a blessing from the heavens. And the FINK project is the best way to get any open source to work right with it.

Re: An 'internet' tablet or a Linux computer?
 

the way i see it, osx is a closed source DE running on top of a open source kernel. this means they could in theory toss it onto just about any unix like kernel in the future, without having to change much.

Re: An 'internet' tablet or a Linux computer?
 

I personally wouldn't be surprised if Apple would enter the UMPC space eventually with something inbetween the iPhone OS/device and their desktop OS/desktop devices. What that something actually is and where does it position itself on the line between these two platforms is an interesting question. If I would be a betting man, I'd bet more on the side of the desktop OS.

Re: An 'internet' tablet or a Linux computer?
 

Not quite... The kernel was a unix kernel and was bought - not open source.. and the entire filesystem structure was completely changed. Nothing even looks remotely right when you drop to a terminal in Mac OS X. They didn't follow the FHS at all so far as I can tell..