• phones BIGGER.. computers SMALLER..

    From Ogg@VERT/EOTLBBS to All on Sat Jul 25 08:54:00 2020
    Hello Arelor!

    ** On Saturday 25.07.20 - 06:01, arelor wrote to Underminer:

    Something that creeps me out: manufacturers trying to make phones BIGGER instead of more portable, while trying to make computers SMALLER instead
    of more comfortable to work with.

    Never looked at the matter that way. You have identified an interesting trend.


    God, I miss the candybar Nokias.

    I'd be fine with a phone that looks like a pen, that I could simply clip
    onto my shirt pocket. I find that my BlackBerry 10 is even too big and heavy. I rarely carry it on my person. Even though I found a genuine case with a belt clip (and the fine feature to rotate the phone to make sitting down more confortable), I don't carry it with me.

    But.. my pockets are always full of papers and at least one pen.

    All I need is a device that is JUST a phone. Maybe a small screen running along the length of the device for Caller-ID, but that's it.

    The Zanco pen looks promising.. but even that has more features (and size) than I care for.

    It's interesting to see young gals stuffing the rear pockets of their
    skinny jeans with the traditional large smartphones.

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  • From Underminer@VERT/UNDRMINE to Ogg on Sat Jul 25 11:28:28 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers SMALLER..
    By: Ogg to All on Sat Jul 25 2020 08:54 am

    Something that creeps me out: manufacturers trying to make phones
    BIGGER instead of more portable, while trying to make computers
    SMALLER instead of more comfortable to work with.
    Never looked at the matter that way. You have identified an interesting trend.

    Soon we will be in a world with nothing but Phablets everywhere.
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  • From Ogg@VERT/EOTLBBS to Underminer on Sat Jul 25 17:49:00 2020
    Hello Underminer!

    ** On Saturday 25.07.20 - 13:28, underminer wrote to Ogg:

    Something that creeps me out: manufacturers trying to make phones
    BIGGER instead of more portable, while trying to make computers
    SMALLER instead of more comfortable to work with.

    Never looked at the matter that way. You have identified an interesting Og>> trend.

    Soon we will be in a world with nothing but Phablets everywhere.


    The Zanco S-Pen might be something I would be willing to try out. The
    camera function would be handy at a moment's notice. Then, as long as the battery charge holds up as long as they claim - compared to the paltry
    6hours on the Servo and only 2G - then the idea of a "pen" sized phone
    works for me.

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  • From Arelor@VERT/PALANT to Ogg on Sat Jul 25 17:16:42 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers SMALLER..
    By: Ogg to All on Sat Jul 25 2020 08:54 am

    All I need is a device that is JUST a phone. Maybe a small screen running along the length of the device for Caller-ID, but that's it.

    For the record, my personal beater is a Nokia 150 DS. The model is from 2016, but it is a dumbphone in imitation of the classic Nokias. Got it for about 30 bucks. My horses love grabbing my phones so I'd rather they grab a cheapo instead of something worth hundreds.

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  • From Ogg@VERT/EOTLBBS to Arelor on Sat Jul 25 21:39:00 2020
    Hello Arelor!

    ** On Saturday 25.07.20 - 18:16, arelor wrote to Ogg:

    For the record, my personal beater is a Nokia 150 DS. The model is from
    2016, but it is a dumbphone in imitation of the classic Nokias. Got it for about 30 bucks. My horses love grabbing my phones so I'd rather they grab a cheapo instead of something worth hundreds.

    Does DS mean dual SIM?

    Is that the one featured here?: https://youtu.be/L35kPRslchQ

    I could live with one that size and basic functions.

    What's the battery life like?

    As it turns out, I only use the Blackberry as a mobile hotspot. I really don't need it for anything else. My spare batteries charge in about 4
    hours. The hotspot function drains the most power in about 6 hours. When just on standby cellphone mode, the battery lasts much longer.

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  • From Arelor@VERT/PALANT to Ogg on Sun Jul 26 04:18:16 2020
    Re: Re: phones BIGGER.. computers SMALLER..
    By: Ogg to Arelor on Sat Jul 25 2020 09:39 pm

    Hello Arelor!

    ** On Saturday 25.07.20 - 18:16, arelor wrote to Ogg:

    For the record, my personal beater is a Nokia 150 DS. The model is from 2016, but it is a dumbphone in imitation of the classic Nokias. Got it for about 30 bucks. My horses love grabbing my phones so I'd rather they grab cheapo instead of something worth hundreds.

    Does DS mean dual SIM?

    Is that the one featured here?: https://youtu.be/L35kPRslchQ

    I could live with one that size and basic functions.

    What's the battery life like?

    As it turns out, I only use the Blackberry as a mobile hotspot. I really don't need it for anything else. My spare batteries charge in about 4 hours. The hotspot function drains the most power in about 6 hours. When just on standby cellphone mode, the battery lasts much longer.


    Yes, DS stands for Dual SIM. I use one for my personal line, and another for the emergency job line.

    No Youtube here, sorry. But Iam sure you found it because it is a very easy to find phone:

    https://www.devicespecifications.com/en/model/7247402e

    Battery is eternal. I think I recharge about once a week or so.

    The camera sucks, and the documentation sucks, and audio quality is 5 over 10. Also no bluetooth -> hands free integration with the car. I often use the torch, the FM radio and the alarm. Other than that is just an expendable phone that takes and sends calls for ridiculously cheap. The only isue it has is they are shutting down the network it uses in lots of countries. Too bad.

    But seriously, I'd buy it again. My horses have bitten, beaten and abused mine none stop and it still works. My Sophie grabbed it, ran away with it and dropped it in a horse pee pool once. After drying and cleaning, the thing still works. My old Samsung Galaxy died arter half what this one has suffered.


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  • From Moondog@VERT/CAVEBBS to Ogg on Sat Jul 25 23:18:00 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Ogg to All on Sat Jul 25 2020 08:54 am

    Hello Arelor!

    ** On Saturday 25.07.20 - 06:01, arelor wrote to Underminer:

    Something that creeps me out: manufacturers trying to make phones BIGGER instead of more portable, while trying to make computers SMALLER instead of more comfortable to work with.

    Never looked at the matter that way. You have identified an interesting trend.


    God, I miss the candybar Nokias.

    I'd be fine with a phone that looks like a pen, that I could simply clip onto my shirt pocket. I find that my BlackBerry 10 is even too big and heavy. I rarely carry it on my person. Even though I found a genuine case with a belt clip (and the fine feature to rotate the phone to make sitting down more confortable), I don't carry it with me.

    But.. my pockets are always full of papers and at least one pen.

    All I need is a device that is JUST a phone. Maybe a small screen running along the length of the device for Caller-ID, but that's it.

    The Zanco pen looks promising.. but even that has more features (and size) than I care for.

    It's interesting to see young gals stuffing the rear pockets of their
    skinny jeans with the traditional large smartphones.


    This reminds me of why the Ford Bronco was originally replaced by the Ford Explorer, and one of the reasons why it has been hard to bring back a Bronco concept vehicle. The Bronco was killed off because it was a two-door with a hinge-forward passenger seat to access the rear bench seats. Soccer moms complained about a TRAIL VEHICLE being hard to use as a grocery getter. Off-roaders who would like a Jeep-like trail vehicle with a shorter wheelbase would spark interest to the designers, focus groups looking at a wider
    audience would defeat the concept by making it in to something more like a
    Ford Expedition.

    The same is happening for smart phones. Instead of a phone, it's become the mobile TV and gaming console with a built-in phone.

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  • From Dennisk@VERT/EOTLBBS to Andeddu on Tue Jul 28 09:48:00 2020
    Andeddu wrote to Moondog <=-

    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Moondog to Ogg on Sat Jul 25 2020 11:18 pm

    The same is happening for smart phones. Instead of a phone, it's become the mobile TV and gaming console with a built-in phone.

    Phones are now the all-emcompassing medic device. The screens are now large and comfortable to use, it's easy to type huge paragraphs on
    their virtual keyboards... video media is crystal clear on their 320+
    PPI screens, websites load instantly with zero lag, and smooth with
    60hz scrolling. Cameras, both front and back, are far superior than
    their laptop counter-parts therefore enhancing Skype/FaceTime calls.
    Tech reviewers are now saying there's no need to use a high quality digital camera, as mobile phones do almost as good a job with the added bonus of being able to edit pictures on the fly & immediately post them onto social media. Like I said in a previous post, the average user is
    on their phones for 3.5 hours per day and the average young person is
    on their phones for 4.5 hours plus. That leaves very little time or
    need for other devices. Even games like Fortnite run at 60fps on modern flagship phones... what we have are closed-system pocket PCs - and
    they're only going to get more and more powerful.

    What is development like on a phone? Can I just write a small C++/Python/Basic/Fortran program and run it? Can I fairly easily create a basic GUI app? Use a shell? Can I parse a CSV file to create a PDF report? Write a basic model? Do any computation? Automate any workflows?

    The reason that people feel they can replace their computer with their phone, is because they don't properly use either.

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  • From Andeddu@VERT/AMSTRAD to Dennisk on Tue Jul 28 17:43:18 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Dennisk to Andeddu on Tue Jul 28 2020 09:48 am

    What is development like on a phone? Can I just write a small C++/Python/Basic/Fortran program and run it? Can I fairly easily create a basic GUI app? Use a shell? Can I parse a CSV file to create a PDF report? Write a basic model? Do any computation? Automate any workflows?

    The reason that people feel they can replace their computer with their phone, is because they don't properly use either.

    All I know is that 99.9% of the popualtion have not, do not and will not create their own programmes, they are only interested in using and consuming... and for this reason, computers are being replaced by large premium smartphones.

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  • From Dennisk@VERT/EOTLBBS to Andeddu on Wed Jul 29 09:22:00 2020
    Andeddu wrote to Dennisk <=-

    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Dennisk to Andeddu on Tue Jul 28 2020 09:48 am

    What is development like on a phone? Can I just write a small C++/Python/Basic/Fortran program and run it? Can I fairly easily create a basic GUI app? Use a shell? Can I parse a CSV file to create a PDF report? Write a basic model? Do any computation? Automate any workflows?

    The reason that people feel they can replace their computer with their phone, is because they don't properly use either.

    All I know is that 99.9% of the popualtion have not, do not and will
    not create their own programmes, they are only interested in using and consuming... and for this reason, computers are being replaced by large premium smartphones.

    Shame. Computers could be so, so much better than they are now, especially in the office. Workflows are stunted and inefficient, because computer software is treated as a commodity. I have to write short programs to use at work, so I don't waste time and create errors.

    In my view, they are not computers at all, if I cannot automate some basic taskts, or calculations, or manipulate data.

    I've seen people use smartphones to manage data, and its usually convoluted, time consuming and awkward.

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  • From Andeddu@VERT/AMSTRAD to Dennisk on Wed Jul 29 17:03:07 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Dennisk to Andeddu on Wed Jul 29 2020 09:22 am

    Shame. Computers could be so, so much better than they are now, especially in the office. Workflows are stunted and inefficient, because computer software is treated as a commodity. I have to write short programs to use at work, so I don't waste time and create errors.

    In my view, they are not computers at all, if I cannot automate some basic taskts, or calculations, or manipulate data.

    I've seen people use smartphones to manage data, and its usually convoluted, time consuming and awkward.

    It is a shame. But your knowledge on computers is up there in the top 0.1%... everything is automated now. No one needs to know anything about computers to carry out work productivity, play games or use their systems recreationally. Like I said in a previous post, most people (including myself to a certain extent) are entirely ignorant on computers. You don't have to know how a TV, oven, washing machine or computer works in order to use them.

    Back in my day, you you had to have a basic knowledge and be able to use command prompts, or learn to troubleshoot etc, to get things working. Even in the early 2000s, you had to know your way around Windows XP, learn about drivers, sound cards and compatibity issues to play games. Now you log into Steam & double click a game in your library to download/install it. The software tells you if can play or not & Windows obsessively keeps your system files & sound/graphics and even BIOS drivers up to date with ZERO input from the user. We are rapidly moving to an app based experience, with each app being self contained within itself. For example, if you download a TV show on Netflix or Disney, you will have no idea what format you downloaded the video in, you will have no control of where it goes, and the only way to view it is via the app itself. Same goes for gaming on EA Origin, Steam, UPlay and Epic Store, along with music apps such as Spotify & Apple Music.

    The public seem to want this automated/dumbed down approach as there's no real push back against this heavily curated experience.

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  • From Ogg@VERT/EOTLBBS to All on Wed Jul 29 19:26:00 2020
    Hello Andeddu!

    ** On Wednesday 29.07.20 - 12:03, andeddu wrote to Dennisk:

    The public seem to want this automated/dumbed down approach as there's
    no real push back against this heavily curated experience.

    There are no alternatives being presented.

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  • From Ogg@VERT/EOTLBBS to Arelor on Wed Jul 29 20:45:00 2020
    Hello Arelor!

    ** On Sunday 26.07.20 - 05:18, arelor wrote to Ogg:

    No Youtube here, sorry.

    I don't blame you for avoiding YT. I hate it, most of the time -
    especially when watching "live" and they break it up with commercials.


    But Iam sure you found it because it is a very
    easy to find phone:

    https://www.devicespecifications.com/en/model/7247402e

    This is summary is pleasing to the eye:

    https://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_150-8475.php


    ...The only isue it has is they are shutting down the network it uses
    in lots of countries. Too bad.

    What network are you on now, EDGE? That and GPRS and 2G are quite old and low range. What service is replacing them in your country?

    For years I was using a ZTE MF636 "stick" with my laptop. For 3G UMTS/
    HSDPA and 2G GPRS/GSM networks. With a simple VoIP app, I could make
    quick phone calls if I was on the road. But the stick was primarily to access internet.

    The thing boasted 7.2Mbps download speeds, but I rarely got more than
    2Mbps, ever.

    Most of the time it operated in the 3G HSDPA Band. Sometimes it switched
    to EDGE, but it was barely useable. Hanging off a 6ft USB cable, I had to have it right up close to a particular window in the house.

    BUT... since someone gave me a Blackberry Q10, the LTE capability extends
    the range immensely - I don't need to hang the device near a window
    anymore, and the data speed is much higher.


    But seriously, I'd buy it again. My horses have bitten, beaten and
    abused mine none stop and it still works. My Sophie grabbed it, ran
    away with it and dropped it in a horse pee pool once. After drying and cleaning, the thing still works. My old Samsung Galaxy died arter half
    what this one has suffered.

    She's probably trying to tell you that she wants all your attention.
    There is no danger that they would swallow that thing?! You need to keep
    the phone under lockdown! - that is, in a pocket that you can close up.

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  • From Nightfox@VERT/DIGDIST to Andeddu on Wed Jul 29 22:40:44 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Andeddu to Dennisk on Wed Jul 29 2020 05:03 pm

    Back in my day, you you had to have a basic knowledge and be able to use command prompts, or learn to troubleshoot etc, to get things working. Even in the early 2000s, you had to know your way around Windows XP, learn about drivers, sound cards and compatibity issues to play games. Now you

    I've always liked building my own desktop PC, and still do. So for me it's always been like that, and still is like that. I don't see that changing for a while.

    ZERO input from the user. We are rapidly moving to an app based experience, with each app being self contained within itself. For example,

    What do you mean by "app based experience"? Aside from drivers & things that run in the background, pretty much all software with a user interface is an application and has been like that for a long time..

    Nightfox

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  • From Andeddu@VERT/AMSTRAD to Ogg on Thu Jul 30 05:48:03 2020
    Re: Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Ogg to All on Wed Jul 29 2020 07:26 pm

    There are no alternatives being presented.

    There is no demand for alternatives. Apps are very well presented and easy to use, they're totally hassle free. All you're asked to give up is your freedom, ownership and control.

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  • From Dennisk@VERT/EOTLBBS to Andeddu on Thu Jul 30 21:05:00 2020
    Andeddu wrote to Dennisk <=-

    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Dennisk to Andeddu on Wed Jul 29 2020 09:22 am

    Shame. Computers could be so, so much better than they are now, especially in the office. Workflows are stunted and inefficient, because computer software is treated as a commodity. I have to write short programs to use at work, so I don't waste time and create errors.

    In my view, they are not computers at all, if I cannot automate some basic taskts, or calculations, or manipulate data.

    I've seen people use smartphones to manage data, and its usually convoluted, time consuming and awkward.

    It is a shame. But your knowledge on computers is up there in the top 0.1%... everything is automated now. No one needs to know anything
    about computers to carry out work productivity, play games or use their systems recreationally. Like I said in a previous post, most people (including myself to a certain extent) are entirely ignorant on
    computers. You don't have to know how a TV, oven, washing machine or computer works in order to use them.

    Back in my day, you you had to have a basic knowledge and be able to
    use command prompts, or learn to troubleshoot etc, to get things
    working. Even in the early 2000s, you had to know your way around
    Windows XP, learn about drivers, sound cards and compatibity issues to play games. Now you log into Steam & double click a game in your
    library to download/install it. The software tells you if can play or
    not & Windows obsessively keeps your system files & sound/graphics and even BIOS drivers up to date with ZERO input from the user. We are
    rapidly moving to an app based experience, with each app being self contained within itself. For example, if you download a TV show on
    Netflix or Disney, you will have no idea what format you downloaded the video in, you will have no control of where it goes, and the only way
    to view it is via the app itself. Same goes for gaming on EA Origin, Steam, UPlay and Epic Store, along with music apps such as Spotify &
    Apple Music.

    The public seem to want this automated/dumbed down approach as there's
    no real push back against this heavily curated experience.

    I think you can put knowledge about computers into two broad categories. The first is how they work mechanically, troubleshooting, maintenance. That is what you were talking about, mostly. The second is programming, data management, processing, using the tools effectively. I think the latter is what is more important for people to know, at least in some respects. Knowing how to fix some driver conflict isn't really useful, and now having to do that is a plus for 99% of the people. It is the difference between knowing how to use tools effectively to build a shed, and how to fix the nailgun.

    We put all IT knowledge under "Adminstration" and forget about "operators".

    But I think the problem is that people don't know how to use the tools, or how to use tools properly and effectively. Think about the standard office. You have MS office installed, and no one is really taught how to use the features, how to link Excel spreadsheets with Word so a word document could auto-populate from that data. Or having a PDF report automatically generated. Or simply even manipulating or massaging data. I see so many people doing these the really slow, manual way. Copying data from document to document by reading a PDF scan of a printout, then retyping the data into a word document, when that data is there electronically in the first place. Or people that simply can't reorganise data in a spreadsheet to work out categories and such.

    Because "productivity" apps are geared towards the lower common denominator, and that a user that is not trainted, AT ALL, they are very unproductive at best. Maybe we should have "operators" who do these tasks far more effectively, who can use the more powerful features, or even architecture small scripts and tools to glue things together.

    For consumer stuff, what we have now is fine. For recreation, computers are great. But for productivity, they absolutely suck, and not because they aren't powerful, or the programming languages aren't good, but because they aren't employed effectively.

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  • From Arelor@VERT/PALANT to Ogg on Thu Jul 30 05:31:33 2020
    Re: Re: phones BIGGER.. computers SMALLER..
    By: Ogg to Arelor on Wed Jul 29 2020 08:45 pm

    This is summary is pleasing to the eye:

    https://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_150-8475.php


    ...The only isue it has is they are shutting down the network it uses
    in lots of countries. Too bad.

    What network are you on now, EDGE? That and GPRS and 2G are quite old and low
    range. What service is replacing them in your country?

    They are killing 2G and EDGE by 2025. I am not sure riht now but I think I am on one
    of those.

    3G was scheduled to be killed earlier than that, actually.

    All the cool kids are moving to 4G. Which I can't explain because 4G has not half the
    coverage 3G or 2G have each. Oh well.

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  • From Arelor@VERT/PALANT to Ogg on Thu Jul 30 05:35:38 2020
    Re: Re: phones BIGGER.. computers SMALLER..
    By: Ogg to Arelor on Wed Jul 29 2020 08:45 pm

    But seriously, I'd buy it again. My horses have bitten, beaten and abused mine none stop and it still works. My Sophie grabbed it, ran
    away with it and dropped it in a horse pee pool once. After drying and cleaning
    the thing still works. My old Samsung Galaxy died arter half
    what this one has suffered.

    She's probably trying to tell you that she wants all your attention.
    There is no danger that they would swallow that thing?! You need to keep the phone under lockdown! - that is, in a pocket that you can close up.


    She is a jealous mare, I assure you she wants my attention. Her biggest problem on
    Earth is that the other mare she lives with is a very rough dominant alpha who won't
    let her ask me for pats until she is done with me first.

    Horses are very picky about what they eat so I don't think there is any danger they
    would eat it. But grab it and play with it? All day long. To their credit, I think
    they try not to break *my* things.

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  • From Arelor@VERT/PALANT to Nightfox on Thu Jul 30 05:45:05 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Nightfox to Andeddu on Wed Jul 29 2020 10:40 pm

    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Andeddu to Dennisk on Wed Jul 29 2020 05:03 pm

    Back in my day, you you had to have a basic knowledge and be able to use comma
    prompts, or learn to troubleshoot etc, to get things working. Even in the earl
    2000s, you had to know your way around Windows XP, learn about drivers, sound
    cards and compatibity issues to play games. Now you

    I've always liked building my own desktop PC, and still do. So for me it's always
    been like that, and still is like that. I don't see that changing for a while.

    ZERO input from the user. We are rapidly moving to an app based experience, wi
    each app being self contained within itself. For example,

    What do you mean by "app based experience"? Aside from drivers & things that run i
    the background, pretty much all software with a user interface is an application an
    has been like that for a long time..

    Nightfox


    I think he means there is a push against needing to know anything but how the interface looks like in order to use the program.

    For example, in order to get a traditional email client working, you need to know your
    email address, password, know there is a server storing the emails. It looks silly and
    techs take such knowledge for granted.

    Compare that with an IM application. IN order to set it up, you need a phone number.
    YOu don't need to know access credentials, that there is a server storing messages.
    Everything that exists is the application, living in a vacuum.

    This latter model is so prevalent nowadays that many users are losing their skill for
    managing user credentials at all.

    "You can find me on IRC"
    "Ok, I will install that App. How do you say it is called?"


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  • From Andeddu@VERT/AMSTRAD to Nightfox on Thu Jul 30 17:01:05 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Nightfox to Andeddu on Wed Jul 29 2020 10:40 pm

    I've always liked building my own desktop PC, and still do. So for me it's always been like that, and still is like that. I don't see that changing for a while.

    What do you mean by "app based experience"? Aside from drivers & things that run in the background, pretty much all software with a user interface is an application and has been like that for a long time..

    Nightfox

    That's pretty cool. I have never built a PC... as you probalby know I am a laptop user and haven't had a dedicated desktop PC since 2004. I suppose you've saved yourself a fair bit of cash over the years putting your PCs together?

    By app based I mean a highly curated experience like you'd find on iOS or Android. Apps don't require file managers & you have no control over your media, which is why most people have no idea about file formats. Web-browers are fast becoming redundant too as there's an app for almost anything - no need to type in a URL. If I want to go shopping on Amazon, I click the Amazon app and I am transported to their store (which is far more streamlined and user friendly than their online website). If I want to check out photographs or go on Facebook, I can click on the Facebook app or Instagram app... there's no requirement for a browser... same goes for digital media, if I want to listen to music or watch movies/TV shows, I click on the relevant app and there I go... no pissing about with media players (such as WMP, Winamp, QuickTime, Real Player, Div X or Adobe, etc...). These are closed-source programes... a movie downloaded on Netflix can only be played on the Netflix app, it cannot be played anywhere else, for instance.

    If I want to check out the news, I can click on the BBC, Sky News, Fox News or whatever app... same with the Reddit app or anything else. Each app is a closed system however when they're all combined, they can render web-browsers almost redundant.

    ---
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  • From Andeddu@VERT/AMSTRAD to Dennisk on Thu Jul 30 17:28:06 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Dennisk to Andeddu on Thu Jul 30 2020 09:05 pm

    I think you can put knowledge about computers into two broad categories.
    The first is how they work mechanically, troubleshooting, maintenance. That is what you were talking about, mostly. The second is programming, data management, processing, using the tools effectively. I think the latter is what is more important for people to know, at least in some respects. Knowing how to fix some driver conflict isn't really useful, and now having to do that is a plus for 99% of the people. It is the difference between knowing how to use tools effectively to build a shed, and how to fix the nailgun.

    We put all IT knowledge under "Adminstration" and forget about "operators".

    But I think the problem is that people don't know how to use the tools, or how to use tools properly and effectively. Think about the standard office. You have MS office installed, and no one is really taught how to use the features, how to link Excel spreadsheets with Word so a word document could auto-populate from that data. Or having a PDF report automatically generated. Or simply even manipulating or massaging data. I see so many people doing these the really slow, manual way. Copying data from document to document by reading a PDF scan of a printout, then retyping the data into a word document, when that data is there electronically in the first place. Or people that simply can't reorganise data in a spreadsheet to work out categories and such.

    Because "productivity" apps are geared towards the lower common denominator, and that a user that is not trainted, AT ALL, they are very unproductive at best. Maybe we should have "operators" who do these tasks far more effectively, who can use the more powerful features, or even architecture small scripts and tools to glue things together.

    For consumer stuff, what we have now is fine. For recreation, computers are great. But for productivity, they absolutely suck, and not because they aren't powerful, or the programming languages aren't good, but because they aren't employed effectively.

    I've seen a huge amount of unnecessary duplication at work because people are unaware that certain programmes are linked. If you let them know, they shrug their shoulders and continue doing what they're doing... productivity applications can be very complex, so once a user is proficient to some degree, they're unlikely to take in any more information or change their behaviour. I reckon they're just happy they can do the job; even if their methods are inefficient/ineffective.

    Trained operators are rare to come across and I too get that sinking feeling when I am up against a system I am unfamiliar with... I try to learn the basics and get on with it, just like everybody else.

    ---
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  • From Andeddu@VERT/AMSTRAD to Arelor on Thu Jul 30 17:43:44 2020
    Re: Re: phones BIGGER.. computers SMALLER..
    By: Arelor to Ogg on Thu Jul 30 2020 05:31 am

    They are killing 2G and EDGE by 2025. I am not sure riht now but I think I am on one
    of those.

    3G was scheduled to be killed earlier than that, actually.

    All the cool kids are moving to 4G. Which I can't explain because 4G has not half the
    coverage 3G or 2G have each. Oh well.

    I don't know what it's like where you're from but 4G is solid here in the UK. I can't remember the last time I connected to my WiFi router with my phone as the cell signal here is as good, or better, than most WiFi signals. 3G is so slow, it's not fit for anything other than basic web-browsing... it's a very poor experience, but it's still better than nothing. I can stream 1080p movies with no buffering on 4G, I love it!

    ---
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  • From MRO@VERT/BBSESINF to Andeddu on Thu Jul 30 17:19:10 2020
    Re: Re: phones BIGGER.. computers SMALLER
    By: Andeddu to Arelor on Thu Jul 30 2020 05:43 pm

    UK. I can't remember the last time I connected to my WiFi router with my phone as the cell signal here is as good, or better, than most WiFi signals. 3G is so slow, it's not fit for anything other than basic web-browsing... it's a very poor experience, but it's still better than nothing. I can stream 1080p movies with no buffering on 4G, I love it!


    if all i could get was 3g i wouldnt even get a fucking smartphone.
    3g is so slow in comparison to 4g.


    ---
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  • From Arelor@VERT/PALANT to Andeddu on Thu Jul 30 18:11:30 2020
    Re: Re: phones BIGGER.. computers SMALLER..
    By: Andeddu to Arelor on Thu Jul 30 2020 05:43 pm

    Re: Re: phones BIGGER.. computers SMALLER..
    By: Arelor to Ogg on Thu Jul 30 2020 05:31 am

    They are killing 2G and EDGE by 2025. I am not sure riht now but I think I am on
    one
    of those.

    3G was scheduled to be killed earlier than that, actually.

    All the cool kids are moving to 4G. Which I can't explain because 4G has not hal
    the
    coverage 3G or 2G have each. Oh well.

    I don't know what it's like where you're from but 4G is solid here in the UK. I can
    remember the last time I connected to my WiFi router with my phone as the cell sign
    here is as good, or better, than most WiFi signals. 3G is so slow, it's not fit for
    anything other than basic web-browsing... it's a very poor experience, but it's sti
    better than nothing. I can stream 1080p movies with no buffering on 4G, I love it!


    Then you must have a gigantic data plan.

    I really see no need to use mobile Internet if a trusted LAN is available. Mobile
    Internet costs more money than it is worth.

    3G is actually quite fine for messaging and emailing, which is actually what phones
    were supposed to be for in the first place. Communications.

    Lots of industrial applications rely on 2g here. They have built 2g into industrial
    and security products for long because 2g happens to be way more solid than anything
    else mobile networks carry arround. At least here.

    I happen to live in a digital exclusion zone. That means I only get stable Internet
    via a WISP provider that uses a line-of-sight wireless protocol. Mobile networking
    reception here is poor _at best_. So I am not impressed by claims about networks that
    can download three hours of cartoons into my mobile in a second since they don't reach
    this place for the most part.


    --
    gopher://gopher.operationalsecurity.es

    ---
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  • From Ogg@VERT/EOTLBBS to All on Thu Jul 30 20:17:00 2020
    Hello MRO!

    ** On Thursday 30.07.20 - 18:19, mro wrote to Andeddu:

    signals. 3G is so slow, it's not fit for anything other than basic
    web-browsing... it's a very poor experience, but it's still better
    than nothing. I can stream 1080p movies with no buffering on 4G, I
    love it!


    if all i could get was 3g i wouldnt even get a fucking smartphone. 3g is
    so slow in comparison to 4g.

    I get an amazing:

    3.0 Mbps

    Latency:
    Unloaded 110 ms
    Loaded 374 ms

    Upload Speed 850 Kbps

    And that is with a Blackberry Q10 which is capable of:

    Network Technology
    GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE
    2G bands GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - all versions
    CDMA 800 / 1900 - SQN100-2, SQN100-4
    3G bands HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 - SQN100-1
    HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 - SQN100-2, SQN100-3, SQN100-4
    HSDPA 850 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 - SQN100-5
    4G bands 2, 4, 5, 17 - SQN100-1, SQN100-5
    4, 13 - SQN100-2
    3, 7, 8, 20 - SQN100-3
    25 - SQN100-4
    Speed EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps, HSPA, LTE (market dependent)

    ---
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  • From MRO@VERT/BBSESINF to Arelor on Thu Jul 30 22:12:07 2020
    Re: Re: phones BIGGER.. computers SMALLER..
    By: Arelor to Andeddu on Thu Jul 30 2020 06:11 pm

    3G is actually quite fine for messaging and emailing, which is actually what phones were supposed to be for in the first place. Communications.


    WRONG! It's for me to read news stories while i poop for 45 mins.

    I happen to live in a digital exclusion zone. That means I only get stable Internet via a WISP provider that uses a line-of-sight wireless protocol. Mobile networking reception here is poor _at best_. So I am not impressed by claims about networks that can download three hours of cartoons into my mobile in a second since they don't reach this place for the most part.


    that sucks you dont have decent internet access. i admit i am an addict and i love being jacked in all the time.
    ---
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  • From Nightfox@VERT/DIGDIST to Andeddu on Thu Jul 30 21:18:47 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Andeddu to Nightfox on Thu Jul 30 2020 05:01 pm

    That's pretty cool. I have never built a PC... as you probalby know I am a laptop user and haven't had a dedicated desktop PC since 2004. I suppose you've saved yourself a fair bit of cash over the years putting your PCs together?

    Long ago (in the 80s and 90s, and probably into the mid 2000s), it used to be that you'd save a lot of money by building your own desktop PC. I'm not so sure that's true anymore. There are indeed expensive high-end desktops and you might be able to save some money building your own, but there are also many mid-range desktops that are decent computers, and probably cheaper than building your own. For the lasst couple PCs I've built for myself, I've tended to lean toward somewhat higher-end specs.. I haven't really compared the price of my own built vs. a similar pre-made desktop in a long time.

    The main reason I still like to build my own PC is that I like to choose my own PC parts. There was only one time I bought a pre-made desktop PC - I bought an HP desktop PC in 2009. I had already been building my own desktops by then, but my desktop PC had died and I needed a new one quick. It always seemed to me that mass-produced desktops usually have something they skimp on, and true enough, the HP desktop I bought had a video card where the fan started to get very loud after a couple months. It turned out many people had the same problem, so HP was sending out replacement video cards for free. At first they offered to have me send in my whole PC to get the card replaced. I told them I knew how to replace a video card, so they sent me a new one in the mail free with a pre-paid return envelope for me to send back the bad one.

    By app based I mean a highly curated experience like you'd find on iOS or Android. Apps don't require file managers & you have no control over your media, which is why most people have no idea about file formats.

    I see what you mean.

    Nightfox

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ Digital Distortion: digitaldistortionbbs.com
  • From Gamgee@VERT/PALANT to MRO on Thu Jul 30 21:44:00 2020
    MRO wrote to Andeddu <=-

    if all i could get was 3g i wouldnt even get a fucking
    smartphone. 3g is so slow in comparison to 4g.

    It's very fast in comparison to no smartphone.



    ... If it walks out of your refrigerator, let it go.
    --- MultiMail/Linux v0.52
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  • From Dennisk@VERT/EOTLBBS to Andeddu on Fri Jul 31 20:02:00 2020
    Andeddu wrote to Dennisk <=-

    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Dennisk to Andeddu on Thu Jul 30 2020 09:05 pm

    I think you can put knowledge about computers into two broad categories.
    The first is how they work mechanically, troubleshooting, maintenance. That is what you were talking about, mostly. The second is programming, data management, processing, using the tools effectively. I think the latter is what is more important for people to know, at least in some respects. Knowing how to fix some driver conflict isn't really useful, and now having to do that is a plus for 99% of the people. It is the difference between knowing how to use tools effectively to build a shed, and how to fix the nailgun.

    We put all IT knowledge under "Adminstration" and forget about "operators".

    But I think the problem is that people don't know how to use the tools, or how to use tools properly and effectively. Think about the standard office. You have MS office installed, and no one is really taught how to use the features, how to link Excel spreadsheets with Word so a word document could auto-populate from that data. Or having a PDF report automatically generated. Or simply even manipulating or massaging data. I see so many people doing these the really slow, manual way. Copying data from document to document by reading a PDF scan of a printout, then retyping the data into a word document, when that data is there electronically in the first place. Or people that simply can't reorganise data in a spreadsheet to work out categories and such.

    Because "productivity" apps are geared towards the lower common denominator, and that a user that is not trainted, AT ALL, they are very unproductive at best. Maybe we should have "operators" who do these tasks far more effectively, who can use the more powerful features, or even architecture small scripts and tools to glue things together.

    For consumer stuff, what we have now is fine. For recreation, computers are great. But for productivity, they absolutely suck, and not because they aren't powerful, or the programming languages aren't good, but because they aren't employed effectively.

    I've seen a huge amount of unnecessary duplication at work because
    people are unaware that certain programmes are linked. If you let them know, they shrug their shoulders and continue doing what they're
    doing... productivity applications can be very complex, so once a user
    is proficient to some degree, they're unlikely to take in any more information or change their behaviour. I reckon they're just happy they can do the job; even if their methods are inefficient/ineffective.

    Trained operators are rare to come across and I too get that sinking feeling when I am up against a system I am unfamiliar with... I try to learn the basics and get on with it, just like everybody else.

    They can be complex, but if someone develops a workflow, with a standard operating procedure, it doesn't have to be too hard. I have a workflow which I'm developing which uses mailmerge. The fact the files are not on a standard network drive but some web-drive makes linking hard, but once sorted, there would be a very specific step-by-step procedure that people could follow.

    All it takes is someone to develop it, document it and teach it. I've seen people do more complex tasks, because they learned how to do it. The profession I'm in, I would expect people to be able to follow that procedure, as we are dealing with people from a scientific background, who would have used, or are familar with, laboratory equipment, etc.

    I'm always impressed and surprised when I see someone who I think doesn't really know computers, operate something somewhat complex.


    ... MultiMail, the new multi-platform, multi-format offline reader!
    --- MultiMail/Linux v0.52
    þ Synchronet þ End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com
  • From Nightfox@VERT/DIGDIST to Gamgee on Fri Jul 31 12:02:58 2020
    Re: Re: phones BIGGER.. computers SMALLER..
    By: Gamgee to MRO on Thu Jul 30 2020 09:44 pm

    if all i could get was 3g i wouldnt even get a fucking
    smartphone. 3g is so slow in comparison to 4g.

    It's very fast in comparison to no smartphone.

    I used to have a smartphone with 3G before 4G was available through my carrier. Web pages & things did load, but I just had to deal with the 3G speeds. At the time, I didn't browse the web or anything like that very often on my smartphone. 4G seems fairly fast for what I use my smartphone for these days. I usually don't stream movies or anything on it.

    Nightfox

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ Digital Distortion: digitaldistortionbbs.com
  • From Underminer@VERT/UNDRMINE to Dennisk on Fri Jul 31 17:18:10 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Dennisk to Andeddu on Fri Jul 31 2020 08:02 pm

    All it takes is someone to develop it, document it and teach it. I've seen people do more complex tasks, because they learned how to do it. The

    Humans are very good at repetitive tasks, even if somewhat complex, once taught. Most humans are really bad at non standard tasks and thinking outside the box. I have to keep telling myself that when dealing with and developing for people since I, and I'm sure most of us in this community, run 180 degrees to that - I can't stand anything too repetitive and love figuring new things out and developing new systems.
    ---
    Underminer
    The Undermine BBS - bbs.undermine.ca:423
    Fidonet: 1:342/17
    ---
    þ Synchronet þ The Undermine - bbs.undermine.ca:423
  • From Andeddu@VERT/AMSTRAD to MRO on Sat Aug 1 00:39:13 2020
    Re: Re: phones BIGGER.. computers SMALLER..
    By: MRO to Andeddu on Thu Jul 30 2020 05:19 pm

    if all i could get was 3g i wouldnt even get a fucking smartphone.
    3g is so slow in comparison to 4g.

    I'll defend it for web-browsing... it's no where near as good as 4G but it's capable for that. Try watching a YouTube video on it and watch the resolution drop a few notches!

    ---
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  • From Andeddu@VERT/AMSTRAD to Arelor on Sat Aug 1 00:49:28 2020
    Re: Re: phones BIGGER.. computers SMALLER..
    By: Arelor to Andeddu on Thu Jul 30 2020 06:11 pm

    Then you must have a gigantic data plan.

    I really see no need to use mobile Internet if a trusted LAN is available. Mobile
    Internet costs more money than it is worth.

    3G is actually quite fine for messaging and emailing, which is actually what phones
    were supposed to be for in the first place. Communications.

    Lots of industrial applications rely on 2g here. They have built 2g into industrial
    and security products for long because 2g happens to be way more solid than anything
    else mobile networks carry arround. At least here.

    I happen to live in a digital exclusion zone. That means I only get stable Internet
    via a WISP provider that uses a line-of-sight wireless protocol. Mobile networking
    reception here is poor _at best_. So I am not impressed by claims about networks that
    can download three hours of cartoons into my mobile in a second since they don't reach
    this place for the most part.

    I have a very reasonable SIM only all you can eat internet package from Three costing me a mere 20 pounds per month. It never slows down regardless of my data usage. Since I got my phone 2 years ago, I have burned through 750GB of data which mostly constitutes video streaming. It's quicker than my broadband so I never connect my phone to my WiFi unless there's a cell-site that's down due to maintenence.

    It's a shame you don't recieve any decent cell signals where you are from... sometimes I take it for granted that I have a broadband quality connection pretty much anywhere I go.

    ---
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  • From Andeddu@VERT/AMSTRAD to Nightfox on Sat Aug 1 01:11:47 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Nightfox to Andeddu on Thu Jul 30 2020 09:18 pm

    Long ago (in the 80s and 90s, and probably into the mid 2000s), it used to be that you'd save a lot of money by building your own desktop PC. I'm not so sure that's true anymore. There are indeed expensive high-end desktops and you might be able to save some money building your own, but there are also many mid-range desktops that are decent computers, and probably cheaper than building your own. For the lasst couple PCs I've built for myself, I've tended to lean toward somewhat higher-end specs.. I haven't really compared the price of my own built vs. a similar pre-made desktop in a long time.

    I did a little bit of research and it seems now that there isn't really much of a markup when purchasing pre-mades. Websites such as PC Specialist exist where you can select a case, PSU, and then everything else that goes into it... you can opt for branded or unbranded components and customise your machine to a fair degree. The technician then builds your PC and installs Windows (if you wish to puchase it!) prior to shipping it away. I suppose that's a good method of saving time and making sure you have the exact build you're after... even if you wish to leave something out, like a GPU, you can order it seperately from another supplier and install it yourself.

    ---
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  • From Nightfox@VERT/DIGDIST to Andeddu on Fri Jul 31 23:37:37 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Andeddu to Nightfox on Sat Aug 01 2020 01:11 am

    I did a little bit of research and it seems now that there isn't really much of a markup when purchasing pre-mades. Websites such as PC Specialist exist where you can select a case, PSU, and then everything else that goes into it... you can opt for branded or unbranded components and customise your machine to a fair degree. The technician then builds your PC and installs Windows (if you wish to puchase it!) prior to shipping it away. I suppose that's a good method of saving time and making sure you have the exact build you're after... even if you wish to leave something out, like a GPU, you can order it seperately from another supplier and install it yourself.

    That's probably a good alternative if you don't want a mass-produced computer from HP, Dell, or other brands but don't want to build it yourself.

    Nightfox

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ Digital Distortion: digitaldistortionbbs.com
  • From Dennisk@VERT/EOTLBBS to Underminer on Sat Aug 1 19:13:00 2020
    Underminer wrote to Dennisk <=-

    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Dennisk to Andeddu on Fri Jul 31 2020 08:02 pm

    All it takes is someone to develop it, document it and teach it. I've seen people do more complex tasks, because they learned how to do it. The

    Humans are very good at repetitive tasks, even if somewhat complex,
    once taught. Most humans are really bad at non standard tasks and
    thinking outside the box. I have to keep telling myself that when
    dealing with and developing for people since I, and I'm sure most of us
    in this community, run 180 degrees to that - I can't stand anything too repetitive and love figuring new things out and developing new systems.

    I don't like repetition either. This is why you need to take those people that want to solve problems, and can solve problems, to formulate the new systems and procedures, so that their experience can be turned into a repetitive, standardised task for others.

    I created a DOS based tablet weighing system for use at a manufacturing site. That program was in use for years, after I left, and when I got a job there again, they were still using it.

    Even though it was DOS based, there was a very standard way of using it, and it was self documenting. A status bar at the bottom told you what keys did what.


    ... MultiMail, the new multi-platform, multi-format offline reader!
    --- MultiMail/Linux v0.52
    þ Synchronet þ End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com
  • From MRO@VERT/BBSESINF to Dennisk on Sat Aug 1 12:18:59 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Dennisk to Underminer on Sat Aug 01 2020 07:13 pm

    Underminer wrote to Dennisk <=-

    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Dennisk to Andeddu on Fri Jul 31 2020 08:02 pm

    All it takes is someone to develop it, document it and teach it.
    I've seen people do more complex tasks, because they learned how to
    do it. The

    Humans are very good at repetitive tasks, even if somewhat complex,
    once taught. Most humans are really bad at non standard tasks and
    thinking outside the box. I have to keep telling myself that when
    dealing with and developing for people since I, and I'm sure most of
    us in this community, run 180 degrees to that - I can't stand
    anything too
    repetitive and love figuring new things out and developing new systems.

    I don't like repetition either. This is why you need to take those people that want to solve problems, and can solve problems, to formulate the new systems and procedures, so that their experience can be turned into a repetitive, standardised task for others.

    I created a DOS based tablet weighing system for use at a manufacturing site. That program was in use for years, after I left, and when I got a job there again, they were still using it.

    Even though it was DOS based, there was a very standard way of using it, and it was self documenting. A status bar at the bottom told you what keys did what.



    i do a lot of repetitive tasks. in some ways it's harder than 'complex' tasks.

    your mind wanders and you can be distracted by someone coming by and bothering you and you can miss something.

    i have to make these kits sometimes that have many small parts, i dont have enough room to lay them all out to pick them, and i have to make sure that i practically turn myself into a robot to make sure every single one is correct.

    i also have to stop and count the parts after a certain amount to make sure i didnt forget something or give too many. something complex i can solve real quick. this is a pain in the ass.
    ---
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  • From Andeddu@VERT/AMSTRAD to Nightfox on Sat Aug 1 21:03:13 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Nightfox to Andeddu on Fri Jul 31 2020 11:37 pm

    That's probably a good alternative if you don't want a mass-produced computer from HP, Dell, or other brands but don't want to build it yourself.

    Nightfox

    I think premium gaming brands are trustworthy. They tend not to scrimp on components.... the danger is if you go for a mid-level gaming PC. They spend so much of the cash trying to budget a decent graphics card, everything else ends up being cheap tosh.

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ BBS for Amstrad computer users including CPC, PPC and PCW!
  • From Nightfox@VERT/DIGDIST to Andeddu on Sat Aug 1 16:14:57 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Andeddu to Nightfox on Sat Aug 01 2020 09:03 pm

    I think premium gaming brands are trustworthy. They tend not to scrimp on components.... the danger is if you go for a mid-level gaming PC. They spend so much of the cash trying to budget a decent graphics card, everything else ends up being cheap tosh.

    If you want a computer mainly for gaming, and don't plan to use it for much else that needs high performance, that might be okay. In the 90s, I bought a 3DFX Voodoo graphics card (and later a Voodoo 2), and it seemed to be able to handle any game I played on it (assuming it was made for 3DFX).

    Nightfox

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ Digital Distortion: digitaldistortionbbs.com
  • From Dennisk@VERT/EOTLBBS to MRO on Sun Aug 2 12:22:00 2020
    MRO wrote to Dennisk <=-

    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Dennisk to Underminer on Sat Aug 01 2020 07:13 pm

    Underminer wrote to Dennisk <=-

    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Dennisk to Andeddu on Fri Jul 31 2020 08:02 pm

    All it takes is someone to develop it, document it and teach it.
    I've seen people do more complex tasks, because they learned how to
    do it. The

    Humans are very good at repetitive tasks, even if somewhat complex,
    once taught. Most humans are really bad at non standard tasks and
    thinking outside the box. I have to keep telling myself that when
    dealing with and developing for people since I, and I'm sure most of
    us in this community, run 180 degrees to that - I can't stand
    anything too
    repetitive and love figuring new things out and developing new systems.

    I don't like repetition either. This is why you need to take those people that want to solve problems, and can solve problems, to formulate the new systems and procedures, so that their experience can be turned into a repetitive, standardised task for others.

    I created a DOS based tablet weighing system for use at a manufacturing site. That program was in use for years, after I left, and when I got a job there again, they were still using it.

    Even though it was DOS based, there was a very standard way of using it, and it was self documenting. A status bar at the bottom told you what keys did what.



    i do a lot of repetitive tasks. in some ways it's harder than 'complex' tasks.

    your mind wanders and you can be distracted by someone coming by and bothering you and you can miss something.

    i have to make these kits sometimes that have many small parts, i dont have enough room to lay them all out to pick them, and i have to make
    sure that i practically turn myself into a robot to make sure every
    single one is correct.

    i also have to stop and count the parts after a certain amount to make sure i didnt forget something or give too many. something complex i
    can solve real quick. this is a pain in the ass. ---
    = Synchronet = ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

    I have to do a lot of repetitive mental work. Checking documents, reviews, etc. I can see how it is harder. One has to maintain focus on something boring and rote.

    ... MultiMail, the new multi-platform, multi-format offline reader!
    --- MultiMail/Linux v0.52
    þ Synchronet þ End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com
  • From Moondog@VERT/CAVEBBS to Dennisk on Sun Aug 2 13:34:00 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Dennisk to MRO on Sun Aug 02 2020 12:22 pm

    MRO wrote to Dennisk <=-

    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Dennisk to Underminer on Sat Aug 01 2020 07:13 pm

    Underminer wrote to Dennisk <=-

    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Dennisk to Andeddu on Fri Jul 31 2020 08:02 pm

    All it takes is someone to develop it, document it and teach it.
    I've seen people do more complex tasks, because they learned how to
    do it. The

    Humans are very good at repetitive tasks, even if somewhat complex,
    once taught. Most humans are really bad at non standard tasks and
    thinking outside the box. I have to keep telling myself that when
    dealing with and developing for people since I, and I'm sure most of
    us in this community, run 180 degrees to that - I can't stand
    anything too
    repetitive and love figuring new things out and developing new systems

    I don't like repetition either. This is why you need to take those peop that want to solve problems, and can solve problems, to formulate the n systems and procedures, so that their experience can be turned into a repetitive, standardised task for others.

    I created a DOS based tablet weighing system for use at a manufacturing site. That program was in use for years, after I left, and when I got a job there again, they were still using it.

    Even though it was DOS based, there was a very standard way of using it and it was self documenting. A status bar at the bottom told you what k did what.



    i do a lot of repetitive tasks. in some ways it's harder than 'complex' tasks.

    your mind wanders and you can be distracted by someone coming by and bothering you and you can miss something.

    i have to make these kits sometimes that have many small parts, i dont have enough room to lay them all out to pick them, and i have to make sure that i practically turn myself into a robot to make sure every single one is correct.

    i also have to stop and count the parts after a certain amount to make sure i didnt forget something or give too many. something complex i can solve real quick. this is a pain in the ass. ---
    = Synchronet = ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::

    I have to do a lot of repetitive mental work. Checking documents, reviews, etc. I can see how it is harder. One has to maintain focus on something boring and rote.

    ... MultiMail, the new multi-platform, multi-format offline reader!

    Every 3rd of July I help out at the food tent the American Legion post I'm a member at hosts every year. We start serving food a couple of hours before
    the fireworks start and at times the line gets crazy busy. The most
    important job is getting the buns for the bratwurst and hot dogs (that's all
    we serve with pop, water, and potato chips) out of the container they ship in and on a foil sheet so the guy at the brat/ dog station can fill them. It's
    a continously busy process, and little distractions such as drunken buddies saying hi or checking out the hot ladies in the line or dancing to the band playing can slow the entire process to a halt. We'd get volunteers , but
    most are the bar fixtures that feel guilty the other guys are working hard, an d think it's a simple process to do while half drunk.

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ The Cave BBS - Since 1992 - cavebbs.homeip.net
  • From Ogg@VERT/EOTLBBS to Arelor on Sun Aug 2 16:07:00 2020
    Hello Arelor!

    ** On Thursday 30.07.20 - 06:31, arelor wrote to Ogg:

    They are killing 2G and EDGE by 2025. I am not sure riht now but I
    think I am on one of those.

    Your phone probably switches between them as required.


    3G was scheduled to be killed earlier than that, actually.

    Hmmm.


    All the cool kids are moving to 4G. Which I can't explain because 4G
    has not half the coverage 3G or 2G have each. Oh well.

    That is an odd decision. I thought the goal for these companies to retain
    or acquire users was because of better coverage. Maybe the 4G phase-in
    will follow with more towers in the same vicinity? Are you seeing your country friends leasing the rights to their land for towers?

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com
  • From Ogg@VERT/EOTLBBS to All on Sun Aug 2 21:05:00 2020
    Hello Andeddu!

    ** On Thursday 30.07.20 - 12:01, andeddu wrote to Nightfox:

    By app based I mean a highly curated experience like you'd find on iOS
    or Android. Apps don't require file managers & you have no control
    over your media, which is why most people have no idea about file
    formats. Web-browers are fast becoming redundant too as there's an app
    for almost anything - no need to type in a URL.

    Ah.. so the tablets become a cluttered mess of icons or multiple screens
    of icons that you have swipe through to find what you are looking for. Lovely. :(

    I suppose Chromebook is such an attempt to inculcate the masses into
    having an app mindset.

    I played with one of the linux distros that mimics a chromebook
    environent. It was basically a collection of icons for the various
    programs and all encapsulated inside a main "browser". Very cute. Perfect for grandma, I guess.


    If I want to go shopping on Amazon, I click the Amazon app and I am transported to their store (which is far more streamlined and user
    friendly than their online website). If I want to check out
    photographs or go on Facebook, I can click on the Facebook app or
    Instagram app... there's no requirement for a browser...

    I use my browser to visit numerous sites. A separate cutesy icon for each
    and one of them on my desktop would be insane. A browser history allows
    me to find a site I've visited before. A bookmark saves a favorite site.
    To eliminate a browser sounds ridiculous.


    ...same goes for digital media, if I want to listen to music or watch movies/TV shows, I click on the relevant app and there I go... no
    pissing about with media players (such as WMP, Winamp, QuickTime, Real Player, Div X or Adobe, etc...).

    Can you say iTunes? :) They had the idea from the get go.

    Yes... a dedicated app can provide features that the service can
    specialize in. For the best experience with Spotify for example, the
    separate program is a better choice because it doesn't have to cope with
    the limitations of a particular browser.


    These are closed-source programes... a movie downloaded on Netflix can
    only be played on the Netflix app, it cannot be played anywhere else,
    for instance.

    There is other video material that people are missing and don't require allegiance to services like Netflix. Topdocumentairies and ClassicMovies
    are a couple of sites that have direct downloads with either a simple right-click Save As. Or, by looking at the source code of a webpage you
    can find the .mp4 file easily.


    If I want to check out the news, I can click on the BBC, Sky News, Fox
    News or whatever app... same with the Reddit app or anything else.
    Each app is a closed system however when they're all combined, they
    can render web-browsers almost redundant.

    I guess that would be fine for someone who doesn't care about other fine options that a browser can provide.

    I am still astonished that many "average" computer users I talk to STILL
    do not know the difference between google and a browser. :(

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com
  • From MRO@VERT/BBSESINF to Moondog on Sun Aug 2 21:38:38 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Moondog to Dennisk on Sun Aug 02 2020 01:34 pm

    drunken buddies saying hi or checking out the hot ladies in the line or dancing to the band playing can slow the entire process to a halt. We'd get volunteers , but most are the bar fixtures that feel guilty the other guys are working hard, an d think it's a simple process to do while half


    yeah once a year i help out the hunger task force. we have a big assembly line and everyone puts something in a box a certain way.
    it's real fast paced and it's pretty hot there in an old military base
    we use.

    it's real hard for a lot of people but i power through it. i'm sure 3 of us from my job could do the work of 20 office people doing this stuff.

    and we'd get done sooner.
    ---
    þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::
  • From Nightfox@VERT/DIGDIST to Ogg on Sun Aug 2 20:07:28 2020
    Re: Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Ogg to All on Sun Aug 02 2020 09:05 pm

    ...same goes for digital media, if I want to listen to music or
    watch movies/TV shows, I click on the relevant app and there I go...
    no pissing about with media players (such as WMP, Winamp, QuickTime,
    Real Player, Div X or Adobe, etc...).

    Can you say iTunes? :) They had the idea from the get go.

    I've always had my music files organized by artist and album name, and long ago, if I wanted to play something, I'd just browse to where the file is and double-click it to open it in my media player (usually WinAmp at the time). But then I used iTunes for a long time because that made it easier to listen to a whole album, etc. I've since removed iTunes (since Apple is no longer developing it as its own product), and I'm currently using MusicBee on Windows.
    I'll probably keep looking at other music players too. I think MusicMonkey is decent too.

    Nightfox

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ Digital Distortion: digitaldistortionbbs.com
  • From Arelor@VERT/PALANT to Ogg on Mon Aug 3 06:56:00 2020
    Re: Re: phones BIGGER.. computers SMALLER..
    By: Ogg to Arelor on Sun Aug 02 2020 04:07 pm

    Hello Arelor!

    ** On Thursday 30.07.20 - 06:31, arelor wrote to Ogg:

    They are killing 2G and EDGE by 2025. I am not sure riht now but I
    think I am on one of those.

    Your phone probably switches between them as required.


    3G was scheduled to be killed earlier than that, actually.

    Hmmm.


    All the cool kids are moving to 4G. Which I can't explain because 4G
    has not half the coverage 3G or 2G have each. Oh well.

    That is an odd decision. I thought the goal for these companies to retain
    or acquire users was because of better coverage. Maybe the 4G phase-in
    will follow with more towers in the same vicinity? Are you seeing your country friends leasing the rights to their land for towers?


    I think the network switch has been commanded by the government, but I would have to check it.

    Some big telecoms here have been trying to get people switched to 4g, and I am not talking 3g/2g users either. They have been killing Wimax points and such in order to get people subscribed to home 4g.

    The problem (which happened to me, actually) was they'd kill Wimax in an
    area, offer you a 4g replacement, and then realize there was no 3g/4g available. Of if a telecom had it, it wasn't realible enough for sshing into
    a server and troubleshooting it if you got an emergency call from the workplace. They'd effectively kill your connectivity.

    Awesome.

    Nowadays I get three megs from a wisp provider. It is slow as heck but it is rock solid. 3 rock solid megs beat 400 megs that are unreliable, mark my words.


    --
    gopher://gopher.operationalsecurity.es

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ Palantir BBS * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL
  • From Moondog@VERT/CAVEBBS to MRO on Mon Aug 3 11:40:00 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: MRO to Moondog on Sun Aug 02 2020 09:38 pm

    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Moondog to Dennisk on Sun Aug 02 2020 01:34 pm

    drunken buddies saying hi or checking out the hot ladies in the line or dancing to the band playing can slow the entire process to a halt. We'd get volunteers , but most are the bar fixtures that feel guilty the oth guys are working hard, an d think it's a simple process to do while hal


    yeah once a year i help out the hunger task force. we have a big assembly l it's real fast paced and it's pretty hot there in an old military base
    we use.

    it's real hard for a lot of people but i power through it. i'm sure 3 of us

    and we'd get done sooner.

    You got me thinking of Habitat for Humanity housing projects. It's great to see all these volunteers from businesses show up, but how many that are inexperienced or out of their comfort zone are actually slowing things down
    or creating reasons for re-work? I can swing a hammer or run a saw, bu by no means will I be as fast or precise as someone who builds houses for a living.

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ The Cave BBS - Since 1992 - cavebbs.homeip.net
  • From Andeddu@VERT/AMSTRAD to Ogg on Mon Aug 3 18:16:42 2020
    Re: Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Ogg to All on Sun Aug 02 2020 09:05 pm

    Ah.. so the tablets become a cluttered mess of icons or multiple screens
    of icons that you have swipe through to find what you are looking for. Lovely. :(

    I use my browser to visit numerous sites. A separate cutesy icon for each and one of them on my desktop would be insane. A browser history allows
    me to find a site I've visited before. A bookmark saves a favorite site.
    To eliminate a browser sounds ridiculous.

    Yes... a dedicated app can provide features that the service can
    specialize in. For the best experience with Spotify for example, the separate program is a better choice because it doesn't have to cope with
    the limitations of a particular browser.


    Yup. I don't use apps for everything and prefer to go down the browser route also. Netflix, Disney, YouTube, BBC iPlayer, eBay and banking apps are all I use on a regular basis, along with the built in iTunes and AppStore.

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ BBS for Amstrad computer users including CPC, PPC and PCW!
  • From MRO@VERT/BBSESINF to Moondog on Mon Aug 3 18:44:14 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Moondog to MRO on Mon Aug 03 2020 11:40 am



    You got me thinking of Habitat for Humanity housing projects. It's great to see all these volunteers from businesses show up, but how many that are inexperienced or out of their comfort zone are actually slowing things down or creating reasons for re-work? I can swing a hammer or run a saw, bu by no means will I be as fast or precise as someone who builds houses


    i would like to see one of those operations. do they have them do the dumb stuff, or do they have them do flooring, plumbing etc with guidance?

    whats strange is in my city those houses end up getting sold. those people dont want to live in them apparently. or they cant handle having a house.
    ---
    þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::
  • From Ogg@VERT/EOTLBBS to All on Mon Aug 3 21:57:00 2020
    Hello MRO!

    ** On Monday 03.08.20 - 19:44, mro wrote to Moondog:

    You got me thinking of Habitat for Humanity housing projects. It's great Mo>> to see all these volunteers from businesses show up.. [snip]

    i would like to see one of those operations. do they have them do the
    dumb stuff, or do they have them do flooring, plumbing etc with
    guidance?

    whats strange is in my city those houses end up getting sold. those
    people dont want to live in them apparently. or they cant handle
    having a house.

    Although they get the house to live in, the terms "no down payment, no interest, affordable mortgage geared to be no more than 30 percent of
    income" ..is still too much or some families and can't bear it for too
    long, or circumstances change (health, employment, etc.).

    This thread deviated from "repetitive DOS tasks" to "repetitive volunteer tasks". Perhaps this branch of the convo should end or move elsewhere.

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com
  • From Underminer@VERT/UNDRMINE to MRO on Mon Aug 3 20:16:11 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: MRO to Moondog on Mon Aug 03 2020 06:44 pm

    whats strange is in my city those houses end up getting sold. those people dont want to live in them apparently. or they cant handle having a house.

    While I don't know the ins and outs of the program and could be totally off base with this speculation, there's a LOT that goes into having a house aside from just the purchase price, both financially and in terms of general responsibility.

    If that's related, I'm absolutely not suggesting it isn't of benefit to ensure people are housed - that's decency and imparative to allowing them dignity. But to be successful you need things like that to be part of an overarching strategy of either helping or allowing people to get their feet back properly under themselves before saddling them with the additional responsibilities and liabilities of home ownership.
    ---
    Underminer
    The Undermine BBS - bbs.undermine.ca:423
    Fidonet: 1:342/17
    ---
    þ Synchronet þ The Undermine - bbs.undermine.ca:423
  • From Moondog@VERT/CAVEBBS to MRO on Tue Aug 4 11:58:00 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: MRO to Moondog on Mon Aug 03 2020 06:44 pm

    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Moondog to MRO on Mon Aug 03 2020 11:40 am



    You got me thinking of Habitat for Humanity housing projects. It's grea to see all these volunteers from businesses show up, but how many that inexperienced or out of their comfort zone are actually slowing things down or creating reasons for re-work? I can swing a hammer or run a saw bu by no means will I be as fast or precise as someone who builds house


    i would like to see one of those operations. do they have them do the dumb

    whats strange is in my city those houses end up getting sold. those people d

    If a person doesn't have experience with building trades, they ptu them to
    work picking up trash, sweeping, painting, or other work you can pull anyone
    of fthe street to do. When scheduling volunteer days, the stage of constructi on is listed, so unless you want to compact or level sand the day they are pouring a concrete floor or driveway pad, you may want to pick a day later in the build. In some cases multiple builfs are going on, so there's lots of lit tle things than can be done.

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ The Cave BBS - Since 1992 - cavebbs.homeip.net
  • From MRO@VERT/BBSESINF to Ogg on Wed Aug 5 21:19:19 2020
    Re: Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Ogg to All on Mon Aug 03 2020 09:57 pm

    whats strange is in my city those houses end up getting sold. those
    people dont want to live in them apparently. or they cant handle
    having a house.

    Although they get the house to live in, the terms "no down payment, no interest, affordable mortgage geared to be no more than 30 percent of income" ..is still too much or some families and can't bear it for too

    i think the average mortage is 650-750 which isnt bad. sad that people cant pay that.

    This thread deviated from "repetitive DOS tasks" to "repetitive volunteer tasks". Perhaps this branch of the convo should end or move elsewhere.


    hey did you forget which msg network you are on? this is fucking dovenet.
    stop trying to steer the conversation.
    ---
    þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::
  • From MRO@VERT/BBSESINF to Underminer on Wed Aug 5 21:21:53 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Underminer to MRO on Mon Aug 03 2020 08:16 pm

    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: MRO to Moondog on Mon Aug 03 2020 06:44 pm

    whats strange is in my city those houses end up getting sold. those
    people dont want to live in them apparently. or they cant handle
    having a house.

    While I don't know the ins and outs of the program and could be totally off base with this speculation, there's a LOT that goes into having a house aside from just the purchase price, both financially and in terms of general responsibility.


    i read up on it. i guess sometimes you have to take classes [which i'm sure arent that bad] and you have to help build it.

    sounds like a good deal to me.
    the problem is that most people are stupid losers.
    ensure people are housed - that's decency and imparative to allowing them dignity. But to be successful you need things like that to be part of an overarching strategy of either helping or allowing people to get their feet back properly under themselves before saddling them with the additional responsibilities and liabilities of home ownership.


    some people cant handle a house. but a habitat or humanity house would be a new one so hopefully it doesnt have much problems.

    my friend's sister got the family house and she ran it into the ground because she couldnt afford to fix and replace things if they break.

    old houses are a bitch, i've been there.
    ---
    þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::
  • From MRO@VERT/BBSESINF to Moondog on Wed Aug 5 21:31:56 2020
    Re: phones BIGGER.. computers
    By: Moondog to MRO on Tue Aug 04 2020 11:58 am

    If a person doesn't have experience with building trades, they ptu them to work picking up trash, sweeping, painting, or other work you can pull anyone of fthe street to do. When scheduling volunteer days, the stage of constructi on is listed, so unless you want to compact or level sand the day they are pouring a concrete floor or driveway pad, you may want to pick a day later in the build. In some cases multiple builfs are going on, so there's lots of lit tle things than can be done.


    nobody will believe this but i volunteer my time all the time. i've helped a schitzophrenic woman move like 3 times and she is a hoarder who never throws things out. not fun.

    anyways, i would love to learn the correct way to do a driveway.
    maybe this is a good way to get free hands on training.
    ---
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