RE: Nonsense Re:.....

["Taylor, ForrestX" <forrestx taylor intel com>]

> On Wed, Jan 30, 2002 15:26:49 at 03:26:49PM -0800, Taylor, 
> ForrestX wrote:
> > > 
> > > an Indio in the middle of Amazonas will be grateful for a 
> wood stove,
> > > but will kick your axx if you give him a microwave oven...
> > 
> > Then why would that person want a computer?
> 
> Oh my, I wasn't expecting this... Ever heard of parables or
> allegories? You know, those short, simple, picturesque, apparently
> unrelated stories you tell to make your point across?

Yes, of course.  I was using your parable to prove the other point.

> It was meant to remind that the new PC user of the third world will
> have simple computer needs, hence you should give him just what would
> be REALLY useful to him.

Which may not be a computer.  It really depends on what kind of people that
you are refering to.

> > If the needs are simple, then why not use an older version 
> of Red Hat (e.g.
> > Red Hat 6.2)?  If the needs are simple, I don't think that 
> performance
> > impovements would matter.  Security does matter, but how 
> many worms are
> > going around affecting Red Hat 5.2?
> 
> Actually, the opposite is true. With a slower processor, the software
> must be optimized to the extreme. 

I'm not so sure.  My mother-in-law was very happy with her 486 until she
started using a much faster computer.  I think we humans are usually happy
with what we are given until we have something to compare it to.

> And even (especially!) that 
> kind of user
> would really benefit of journaling file systems (many blackouts in
> those places..), iptables filtering,applications which are more
> performing because compiled with the latest gcc, and many other modern
> things.....

I agree with the journaling file system, but my ipchains rules work fine on
my firewall.  I don't want to upgrade it to iptables, gcc, etc. because it
is working the way that I want.  My firewall is a dual-P 166 running RH 6.2,
and it has been running well for a long time.  Although it does have more
than 32 MB, I am not planning to upgrade it ever, because it works for what
I want it to.  If I really wanted ext3, I would upgrade to the latest RH7.2
kernel et al., and use it.

> 
> OK, I'll let you not compile SMP support in the kernel, but to me old
> computers and their users seem to need a modern (cleaned up) Red Hat
> more than 2 GHz Pentium IV owners: they are the ones that can 
> afford old
> software!
> 
> 		Marco Fioretti 

Forrest