Radman
Well-Known Member
We're using a Jands Vista on the show I'm currently working on, and I happened to notice that it is based on none other than Linux! RedHat to be exact. I think I have a new favorite console.
to me it is still curious as to why we base ourselves on Windows. Enough Said.
Its only been in the last 5 years that apple has been a real player, and they can thank most of that from the ipod.
Although I agree at before OSX, Apple didn't really have much to say for itself, I can't help but disagree with the statement that Apple really only has the iPod to thank for its success. Yes, the iPod has been a tremendous source of income and publicity for the company, but I don't see how you can can say that OSX hasn't been a breakthrough in terms of OS and hasn't brought the company huge success. Lets not forget that OSX was out for a good two years I believe before XP came out, and even then was superior. I can't make any claims about Vista having not used it. However, as a MacBook Pro user with Parallels running XP, I can honestly say hands down I would rather be running OSX, specifically any off-line editor or pre-vis software on a Mac. Vari-lite specked a Apple for their Virtuoso line which has since gone to PRG, as did High End in the beginning with the DL 1. There were obvious reasons behind that.
it was not until the ipod and 0SX came out that apple really made somethi ng of itself. Basically, the period that Steve Jobs left apple nearly ran the company into the ground. OS9 and OS8 compared to windows 95/98 was not even a battle. On top of that, system 7 was not even a competitor, even to windows 3.1. Windows simply blew it away. Also, apple hardware was pretty crappy at the time. Apple had the home market with the apple IIe but after that they simply did not innovate the way that the rest of the industry did (Yes the lisa was nice, but 10 grand for a PC is a bit overkill). Apple lost the market way back when, and has never fully recovered in numbers that they once had. Its only been in the last 5 years that apple has been a real player, and they can thank most of that from the ipod.
Now the real question is why aren't we all using os2 warp or solaris?? (also whoever gets that without looking it up gets 3 geek points)
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-I am as well interested to see what the iPhone does to Apple as a company. I think that the issues with it being first generation at all are great. Apple needs to open it up to other software developers, they need to increase the capacity of the hard drive, add blue tooth, and for god sake get off of Cingular! But, I would love to purchase one in a year or two when it gets through a generation or two and is offered by other carries, such as Verizon.
Jands Vista uses Linux.Van, here's my valued (in my own mind) opinion.
PCs are straight, Macs are gay, I am bi-computeral, and Linuxs are transgendered. An OS trapped in a Personal Computer's body.
Back to the OP's original question:
Using a home PC to run lights is begging for trouble. Unless, 1) a minimal install of XP is done, first wiping the drive, 2) it is never connected to the internet or any other non-lighting network [thinking ETCnet, MA-net, Hog3-net, et al], and 3) only the Lighting System Software is installed. Even then I'm against it as you never know when a kid with Doom on his thumb drive will do something when you're not watching.
Windows Embedded XP is perfectly acceptable, as was/is Embedded DOS, and I don't know if there's such a thing as Embedded Linux, but I would be okay with that too. Does any "real" Lighting Console use Linux/Unix? Would they tell us if they did? Why did grandMA choose to use VX Works? Stability, even though it took them over 5 years to enable the USB ports for storage.
All PLCs used for mission-critical life-safety systems are "locked-down" and don't allow games or the WWW or any software other than their own. I can't think right now of the OS Allen-Bradley uses, but it's a ladder logic program, specifically designed for process control, factory automation, and fire supression systems, and the like, Logix? Used to be...? Would you trust your life to your HomePC running XP-Professional OR your MacPro running OS 10.4.10? How about the balls of fire that shoot out of Treasure Island and the Mirage Volcano every 15 minutes, weather permitting?
I didn't think so.
YMMV.
Note I said "Embedded Linux." I think you're going down the wrong path. Trying to figure a way to "restore" a system that should never have been corrupted in the first place. Along the same lines I recently told a console developer how I wanted the system to behave in the event of a crash. He said, "wouldn't you prefer they never crashed at all?" Doooh.Jands Vista uses Linux.
1) Cheek pinching may be considered inappropriate touching or PDAOnly in that it makes me giggle...and want to pinch your cheeks...but that may be because I'm sitting in a tech that I don't care about and am trying not to be angry about it.
1) Cheek pinching may be considered inappropriate touching or PDA
2) How can you NOT care about your tech. rehearsal?
We've got magic to do........ Just for you
We've got miracle plays to play
We've got parts to perform.... Hearts to warm
Kings and things to take by storm
As we go along our way
3) Don't get mad, get even.
We're using a Jands Vista on the show I'm currently working on, and I happened to notice that it is based on none other than Linux! RedHat to be exact. I think I have a new favorite console.
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