Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Thanks, Steve. For everything.

168 Responses

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  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Russell Brown,

    As a comparison to iTunes>iPod, consider Sony’s MiniDisc player.

    Not to mention Sony used its own proprietary format. It helped that Apple used a generic format invented by a couple of guys in Germany.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Christopher Dempsey,

    Has anyone read Job’s commencement address that may explain a few things?

    It's definitive.

    Steve Jobs: The godfather of fonts as we know them includes some comment from his calligraphy instructor at Reed.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Russell Brown,

    I have a feeling Adobe and others influential in digital typography may have other views to offer.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Sacha,

    . . . Adobe and others influential in digital typography may have other views to offer.

    It was during the Scully era that Apple & Microsoft rather frantically struck a deal to make Microsoft's Truetype the cross-platform standard at OS level. Anything to prevent Adobe becoming another Microsoft via Postscript.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • kiwicmc,

    This is an enjoyable read. Many quotable quotes including...

    and a "mouse" (a small rolling box with a button on it)

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/43945579/Playboy-Interview-With-Steve-Jobs

    Auckland, New Zealand • Since May 2008 • 88 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    I see that Dennis Ritchie died today. If we are to liken Jobs to Napoleon, then Ritchie and his partner Brian Kernighan’s impact on computing could be compared to that of Mikhail Kalashnikov on modern warfare. 99% of the technology that enables me to post this and you to read it is depending on code written in C and computers running Unix. It is hard to imagine the modern computing landscape being recognizable without them.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • Martin Lindberg, in reply to Stephen Judd,

    99% of the technology that enables me to post this and you to read it is depending on code written in C and computers running Unix.

    True dat. Dennis, I take back everything bad I ever said about C and Unix. As I read somewhere (C programmer's tribute):

    His pointer has been cast to void *

    Stockholm • Since Jul 2009 • 802 posts Report Reply

  • James Butler, in reply to Martin Lindberg,

    His pointer has been cast to void *

    His process has terminated with status 0
    (ETA although depending on what you believe it has not terminated, but now executes in kernel mode)

    His malloc() has been free()d

    He has fallen through in the case of life

    His index is out of bounds

    He has longjmp()d from this stack frame

    Auckland • Since Jan 2009 • 856 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Stephen Judd,

    I see that Dennis Ritchie died today. If we are to liken Jobs to Napoleon, then Ritchie and his partner Brian Kernighan’s impact on computing could be compared to that of Mikhail Kalashnikov on modern warfare.

    Quite. And Bell Labs -- what a place.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Martin Lindberg, in reply to James Butler,

    He was warned not to use strcpy(). Now see what happened! Remember kids, stay safe - use memcpy()

    I think I will honour him by rewriting some stuff at work in old-school C. Java can bite me - pft!

    Stockholm • Since Jul 2009 • 802 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    New Zealand isn't on this planet!
    I just heard on TV1 news that the new iPhone 4s may be released in NZ before Christmas dependent on Apple meeting global demand !!?
    Best get one of them satellite phones then...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    There's a big Vodafone poster advertising the "new" iPhone 4 by my office. You'd have thought they'd be embarassed, but no.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Martin Lindberg,

    I think I will honour him by rewriting some stuff at work in old-school C. Java can bite me – pft!

    You're a wild man!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    /* Life */

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • kiwicmc, in reply to Stephen Judd,

    and the author of my favourite comment:

    /* you are not expected to understand this */

    Auckland, New Zealand • Since May 2008 • 88 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd, in reply to kiwicmc,

    I spent a long time with the Lions book trying to figure that one out.

    It's such an odd comment too. Much of the rest of the code in V6 Unix is commented sensibly and explains what's happening. But in that one place that's so crucial and so mysterious, you're told you're on your own.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • kiwicmc, in reply to Stephen Judd,

    The man himself explains all

    http://cm.bell-labs.com/who/dmr/odd.html

    which to me took a little of the fun out of it

    Was your Lions book a badly photocopied pile of paper? I just googled it it case my memory was failing and there really was a nicely printed version. Turns out Lions was an Aussie!

    Auckland, New Zealand • Since May 2008 • 88 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    No, mine was a legit reprint published years after. Still a good read then. And a lot easier to understand than the Linux kernel.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

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