Quickies: Kinoma , pilot-link, MS Duo, Fictionwise, Wi-Fi

Open Source Software: www.opensource.org/docs/definition_plain.html
Free Software: www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html

Here is the difference to uneducated people not in the industry. Freeware means free software but makes no regulation on source code for the said software. In other words, freeware apps are sold as BINARY applications to be distributed freely which does not usually include the source code. Also, freeware applications are developed by one or a group of developers working under one name.

Open source refers to software in which the source code is released to the public. It is not developed by a set number of people. People all over the world may take part in its development because the source it out there. Often there is a CVS to keep the source code available to developers.

In the development community there IS a VERY different definition of freeware and source code, and only the people who know nothing about it will say that there is no difference.

So before you make comments like this, I suggest you pull your heads out of your butts and get an education.

(A barb towards nuopus, with all due respect)

I am still amazed at how angry people get in the forums. I am further still amazed at how rough people can get when behind a keyboard.

I always strive to maintain my composure and to be polite to the end.

I think it is a trait many on this board could use a dose of...

Note that some open-source licenses are also restrictions. I have some pilot-link utilities running under Mac OS X. Someone who couldn't compile these themselves asked for a copy, but I couldn't legally provide them because I lost my modified makefiles (part of the GPL'd sources). If pilot-link were more pure freeware (BSD licensed or public domain), I could send them a copy, sans source code offer.

http://www.palmopensource.com/

The PalmOS open source portal.

Cheers,

Ludo

Now also under http://www.openpalm.org/

16Mb Flash ROM + 16Mb RAM + 16Mb MS Duo!!

and of coz, it's symbian OS.

Alan
----
Read your manuals before you ask!!

...face it, Sony is as bad a Micro$oft, in their own greedy way...

Sony make Memory Stick for two simple reasons:

1) They desire to own the rights to core technology we use every day, as do many similar companies (including Microsoft who have openly stated this goal). Hence Video8, MiniDisc and Memory Stick. Yes there are other distributers of all these technologies, but they can produce compatible products only under license from Sony, when Sony say they can, and for whatever fee Sony demands.

I believe that while this tactic would be good for Sony, it is a route which is detrimental to the consumer and we are far better off with open standards to ensure we get the best and cheapest solutions. However, this tactic is nothing new, and is by far the least worrisome of the two reasons.

2) Senior Management in Sony had rights management in mind when they released the MS and it is indented as a vehicle to introduce Digital Rights Management (DRM). Should MS technology take off, only DRM enabled versions will be available at some point in the future, if Sony Music (SME) and Sony Pictures (SPE) get their way.

As a large movie and music publishing house, Sony have a very explicit interest in making sure DRM is present in all their products, whenever they think the consumer will swallow it.

This is why Sony recalled all Playstation 2's in Japan shortly after launch, it was found they had a 'hidden' software configurable option that enabled them to be region free DVD players (they were recalled so they could be 'fixed' by Sony so that they were no longer able to be 'region free').

Most interestingly, Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) were bullied into this by SPE (by proxy, of course). The SCE dislike being bullied buy the SPE and SME who go running to the Sony board and kick and scream like small children whenever they want something until the board agrees to interfere in what ever the SCE is doing at the time.

I even seem to recall the president of the of SCE bitching out about this at the time publicly, which, I suspect, is one reason why he was have been replace by Ken Kutaragi, who is also a loyal Sony board member, quite a bit older than his predecessor and is no doubt seen as very much less of a 'loose cannon' and 'maverick' by the rest of the board.

It's easy to see how this is particularly annoying for many of those within the SCE as they make up 60% of the groups entire operating profit. Clearly the SPE and SME really ought to learn to live with it and let market forces work, but the SME and SPE very much represent 'the establishment' within Sony and many of the board members have very close links with both so the SPE and SME get to wield a disproportionate amount of power, and thus skew the system.

It's fair to say that Sony as a group manufacture some great technology (e.g. Playstation, Vaio, Clie, Wega TV's), and that's great for consumers. Considering the level of technology present in there good, the prices are reasonable too, thanks to a highly competitive market space.

However, parts of Sony (i.e. SME and SPE) are focused on screwing the consumers to protect their intellectual property, because they care a lot more about themselves than they do about us and are willing to sacrifice our traditional, legal, consumer rights in order to protect themselves, even if it means 'cutting off their nose to spite their face' via lost sales.

They would do well to realise the lessons learned from their previous attempts and dominating formats and how they have always ended up hurting the format and the consumer (and potential profits).

As a consumer, I can only hope they entirely give up on the idea of Magic Gate (thankfully it's focus within Sony seems to be waning as a response to poor consumer demand) and instead focus only on 'pure' DRM free Memory Sticks, which is the best we can reasonably hope for (given how strongly Sony are intent on pusing the MS format over SD).

What... I don't see as they have any options. It was interesting that a feature like that could be "hidden" as you say it, it wouldn't surprise me if SCE(A, E, J) made it on purpose, until it was discovered by Hollywood... or SEP in other words. A shame that Sony is fighting itself internally.

But Hollywood did and do require that no one can make regionfree players, so how can it be bad that SCE managed to get units out of the door before it was noticed?

I see other technologies that are open... jointly developed, with voting and all. Like Linux(what a mess?), OpenGL(up to date?)... so I wouldn't really say that open systems are all good.

I choosen not to mind Sony controlling MS and putting it in all their products. I see Sony as a company that is willing to fight for their products... look at the Minidisc f.ex.

In terms of the changing roadmap, I've got a printed Sony Memory Stick brochure from early 2001 (?) and the roadmap on that shows the following:
2000: MG and standard: 64MB
2001: MG and std: 128MB; Duo and MG Duo to 64MB
2002: MG and std: 256MB; Duo and MG Duo 128MB
late 2002: MG and std: 512MB; Duo and MG Duo 256MB
late 2003: MG and std: 1GB; Duo and MG Duo 512MB

(Heh, I found a copy as a low-pdf that you can check out here: http://makeashorterlink.com/?A54321741 )

IOW, last year they indicated that the standard (non-MG) format would be supported with the higher capacities. Apparently there's been a change of plans.