how do i get rid of media player

[cloudstrife]

What do you need to know about linux, just ask and we will tell you    

Macs are good computers, but they cost WAY TOO MUCH!

[psyjax]

quote:Originally posted by cloudstrife:
Macs are good computers, but they cost WAY TOO MUCH!

You pay for quality bub  

Anyway, Mac's are well built incredibly stable computers that you will rarely, if ever, have any sort of problem with. Linux and OSX are both based on the same heavydeuty time tested framework, UNIX.

The Mac is perfect for someone who isn't a hacker or programmer, as it deliveres the power of UNIX while still remaining easyer to use than your avarage windows box.

Remember, despite what m$ says, Apple invented the GUI.

If you are an avarage computer user trying to get your everyday work done, I highly recomend a Mac, it works right out of the box and will never give you trouble. Dont worry about hardware compatability as your PC printers, scanners, monitors, etc. Are all supported. Another cool thing is that it seemlessly integrates into any Windows network.

And if you ever do get more Hard-core into computers, Mac's still rule, because you can access the powerfull UNIX under-OS, quite easely and use most UNIX power-apps, if your up to it.

Mac, prices are worth it, and if your interested, I know where you can get Mac's real cheep.

My take on Linux:

I have it installed but hardly use it. Im not as computer savy as some on the MES, but more savy than your avarege user. Anyway, Linux takes alot of tinkering, FAQ reading, and trouble shooting to learn and get running properly.

Your gonna have to put a whole lot of effort in learning many detaild aspects about the underworkings of your computer, and the underworkings of linux.

While there are some distros, like SuSE, and Mandrake that are relitively painless installs, to get the most out of Linux your gonna need to get your hands dirty in it's guts.

I'm not knocking it at all, I think it's a great OS and very rewarding once you got it all configured like you like it. I'm just relating my experience with running it.

But it get's easer and easier with every upgrade, I have faith that one day it will be king. But for now I'll stick to OSX, I can run most UNIX apps, compilers, etc. right in Darwin (the UNIX core).

[Calum]

yesidowindows, can you read? can you operate a point and click GUI? Are you able to put a CD into your drive and then turn on your computer? These things combined with access to these and other forums are more than enough to allow you to change your OS.

I recommend changing to mandrake, although i have heard that SuSE, and maybe Red Hat are equally as good, for an easy entry into the world of non-Microsoft dominated computing.

The advantage of a linux type OS is that they typically come with tools allowing you to keep the hated windows on your machine during a transitional period if you so desire.

Good luck, and ask lots of questions!  

[cloudstrife]

Well here are my suggestions.

If you have the money get a mac (preferably a dual g4).  However these are PRICEY! We are talking around $3000 or more for a top of the line.

If you would like to try linux, i would suggest mandrake, suse or lycoris.  If you know anybody who works with linux, that would be a plus as they could set it up for you and show you the basics.  However just run a google search on "installing linux" and you will find everything you need.

[Doctor V]

There are a couple of issues in this thread.

Dear YesIdoWindoze, first off, your computer's hardware might not even support Linux.  There and some cards and stuff that don't work with it.  But the only common one is the winmodem.  Many computers have winmodems, and therefore either need a special driver to run use the internet with Linux or cannot use it at all. For more information, check linmodems.org.  Once we get passed the hardware issue, things get pretty simple.  Its very easy to make your computer run both windows and linux.  all you need are two separate partitions on your hard drive.  Since you seem to have XP installed, you probably want to format you hard disk anyways.  Install windows either first or not at all (preferably the latter).  You'll find some versions of linux (I suggest Mandrake) as easy to install as windows.  You can get a copy of it by either picking up a copy of it at a store for a very low price (possibly as low as 5$), or by downloading it for free.  Then comes the test.  Defy all temptation to use windows at all for 1 month.  No matter what misfortunes may befall you, don't give up for just 1 month.  Its not very long.  The first 2 weeks should be hard, but after that things will fall into place and you won't want to use windows anymore.  Keep in touch with this forum should you have any mishaps, the people are very helpful (but maybe you should re-register with a different name).  

Dear flap, as for copyright/intellectual property.  I for the most part agree with what you said about the sharing of intellectual property being a benefit to society.  But I think there is a good reason for copyright laws.  Without them, developers and artists would stand little to gain from creating software/music/literature ect, and would be much less motivated to create it, create much less if at all, and this would have an overall negative impact on society.  That being said, current copyright laws are far far far too strict, and are corrupting both art and software making them into nothing but capitalistic tools, and have a very negative effect on society.  By what manifestation of logical reasoning is it right for a literary copyright to exist for 30 years after the author dies (though I heard 70 years somewhere).  The only reason for that is so that the company that purchased the rights to the material can maintain a monopoly of it for as long as possible, and squeeze money out of anyone who might want to enjoy the material.  What would be wrong with copyrights lasting 5 years?  That way, the developer/artist could still make money off of their work, but yet their work could be used as a base for others to make their own works.  I'd like to note also that in our society, those who actually create intelectual property gain very little from it, with nearly all of the money being made off it going to pigopolist corporations who only aim to exploit everyone involved.  Piracy?  Contrary to most of the people on this forum, I'm all for it.  Yeah its illegal to make a copy of music/software, but lets not forget that the only reason this is illegal is because the pigopolists have lobbied politicans into making very very opressive laws that benefit big business owners, and screw over everyone else.  So I say: hell, if they are going to buy the law, I'm going to break the law.  M$ has broken the law so many times its not funny.  I like Warcraft 3.  M$'s monopolnazistic practices (yes, illegal) have made it so that WC3 is only playable on the windows platform.  I have to use windows for WC3.  So I have no choice.  But I will rot in hell before I will give BillyG a red cent of my money because of this.    :mad:   I say, piracy all the way.  Yeah, I think I need the money just a bit more than he does anyways.  And the RIAA?  Anyone who makes illegal copies of CDs or mp3s and passes them out to all their friends is a fucking hero.  I could go on further about the RIAA, but I'd probably fill up several pages.

V

[yesidowindows]

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE! Wow this linux thing sounds like a challenge! I am not sure i am up to it though. with my luck i would screw up my puter. lol i cannot play my .wma files for some reason it says they are corrupt something about the license. i am pissed! I have over 50 downloaded from kazaa and not media player says their licence is corrupt! Is there a way to convert those files to MP3 and change the license properties?

[voidmain]

Ha ha ha ha!!! I love it. Stick with M$ and there will be more of that coming. Forget those proprietary Microsoft media formats, use/get OGG format if at all possible. And don't use a stupid player like Windows Media Player. It's just a sign of things to come. You'll see much more of this when Palladium comes around... It's just Microsoft deciding for you what you are allowed to run on your own damn computer.

And about being scared of fucking up your computer by trying to install Linux.  Your computer is already fucked up by having Windows on it, you can only unfuck it up by installing Linux.

BTW, I spent 3 years in Germany. Spangdahlem..

[ September 24, 2002: Message edited by: void main ]

[Calum]

no there is no way to convert them unless you can open them in the first place. even then, you will likely find it difficult or impossible to do so without some quick and dirty 3rd party app.

my suggestion, don't use proprietary formats like .wmv, .wma, and even .avi (all Microsoft formats), and while we're at it, i'd suggest avoiding .ra, .ram and .rm files too, as these are a deadend format proprietary to real networks. these cannot be converted to another format reliably either (well .ra can, but again, you need a quick and dirty 3rd party app to do it)

What void main says is true about not being able to play your music and video, if you read the news, you will see that Microsoft are currently heading an initiative to make music and video as unplayable as possible on any computer. I am convinced that mp3 is the current format of choice (even though it is proprietary) however ogg may prove to be the survivor of that race, it is too early to tell.

[preacher]

quote:Originally posted by Calum:
no there is no way to convert them unless you can open them in the first place. even then, you will likely find it difficult or impossible to do so without some quick and dirty 3rd party app.

my suggestion, don't use proprietary formats like .wmv, .wma, and even .avi (all Microsoft formats), and while we're at it, i'd suggest avoiding .ra, .ram and .rm files too, as these are a deadend format proprietary to real networks. these cannot be converted to another format reliably either (well .ra can, but again, you need a quick and dirty 3rd party app to do it)

What void main says is true about not being able to play your music and video, if you read the news, you will see that Microsoft are currently heading an initiative to make music and video as unplayable as possible on any computer. I am convinced that mp3 is the current format of choice (even though it is proprietary) however ogg may prove to be the survivor of that race, it is too early to tell.

Life sucks, but since I wanted to be able to watch Southpark in linux, I downloaded Real Player 8 for linux and it actually works pretty good. Unlike the newer versions of realplayer for MS systems, this one doesnt come with all the bloatware/spyware, and is fully featured. Now all I need is a quicktime player for linux and Im set.

By the way, how is mp3 proprietary? I know mp3's can be played on any OS, and the technology for creating them is free.

[ September 24, 2002: Message edited by: ThePreacher ]

[pkd_lives]

The format of MP3 is under patent. Companies who produce software to make MP3s are meant to license it. Although I think enforcement is not strictly enforced there is the potential for the patent owners to say no more and refuse you the right to use the format. Most of their money comes from playback media, portable MP3 players and the like.

[Calum]

no it is not free. It is illegal to own an mp3 encoder in most western countries unless you have paid a certain fee to the frauenhofer institute.

It's one of those laws nobody actually enforces. It was originally a proprietary format, but i think they opened the file format, in any case, LAME came out which is an open source clone of the real encoder, however it, as i say, is illegal to own in many countries. Whenever i need it i download it from a site that is hosted in brazil (it's legal in brazil, but illegal in the UK).

MP3 is closed source in the same way that staroffice is. There's an open source thing that does the same job, but the owners still try and make you pay. Actually openoffice is legal so there goes that analogy.

[RudeCat7]

Germany? If you're in Germany, I know you can get a free copy of SuSe from someone there.  

[preacher]

I understand now, thanks pkd. I was confused because when I think of proprietary formats, I think of ones that can only be used on a certain system type. For instance the .wma can only be used in windows by windows media player. Just a misunderstanding on my part.

[yesidowindows]

how can i find out if my puter supports linux????

[psyjax]

quote:Originally posted by yesidowindows:
how can i find out if my puter supports linux????

Go to the homepage on the disto you plan to install and check out the specs there. Each distro is diffrent. For the most part, Linux will run on just about anything.

Mandrake auto-detect's hardware, which is cool. But that's the only other distro I have tried.