Neoplanet

[Kodiac]

I use computers ALL day - 5 days a week. 98% of my computer time (as if you guys couldnt tell) is on the Web.
I have had 2 choices.
1. Internet Explorer. Bill Gates LAME but Nesessary browser that you just plain have to live with. Good for many things, suck at others.
2. Netscape Navigator. Good for other things... weak on others -
Basically I have found that I have to use both.

To complicate things... I found NEOPLANET.

go to:
www.neoplanet.com
And check this out. When we get a new gun, what is the first thing we think? How can we customize this bad boy!
Neoplanet lets you customize the whole "LOOK" of the browser... it is really slick. I have been using it all morning and love it. Unfortunatly, it is based somehow on IE, and as a result - the sites I goto in Netscape dont like Neoplanet (this is a Firewall issue with my company - you should not have any problems). All the IE sites I hit have shown ZERO problems for me. And the looks are very refreshing.

This is a very cool browser.
1. It is FREE
2. It WORKS
3. Looks very cool and you can CHANGE the looks when ever you like.
4. It downloads VERY FAST even if you have a mere mortal connection.
5. It is very EASY to load and use.
*6. You have to have Internet Explorer.

Check it out.

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RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

 

[SB]

Actually, Neoplanet is technically a front-end that uses Internet Explorer's engine. It's customizable, it's totally cool, but it's still Internet Explorer. As far as I know, they don't have one that runs on Navigator's engines yet, but I hear they are working on it. Just as well since I hear Navigator's engines hasn't drastically changed since 3.0.

Regular browser crashes are the norm for me. But when using Neoplanet, the crashes seemed more frequent than usual. In fact, it was bothersome enough for me to remove it. On the other hand, I took an OS personality test on either PC Mag's or C.net's web site (can't remember which) and was determined that I was a Linux guy. Right on the money, except I have yet to get Redhat to work on my machine, but that's a totally different story.

Being classified as somewhat of a power-user, nothing irks me more than bugs, crashes, and superfluous junk that can harbor them. So, Neoplanet had to go. If you want something on the opposite end of the spectrum; small, fast, powerful, multi-windowed and multi-sessions, and reliable as heck while having no frills whatsoever, check out a real browser called Opera. The latest version will knock your socks off.

Sadly, this thread also has nothing to do with guns. I can only expect that it will be deleted or locked out shortly.

 

[SB]

That post sounded harsh. Actually, I like Neoplanet.. A LOT. But like I said, I need speed and reliability more than I need glitz and frills. Otherwise, I'd be a guaranteed Neo-head.

 

[Kodiac]

That is interesting... I have no realproblems with Neoplanet. I am thinking about trying linux... If I can get a hold of a spare machine for trials that isn't containing anything critical. I am very cautious about OS... I havnet even upped to 98... Oh well.
This Opera sounds interesting - You got a web site for it?

I remember liking OS/2WARP CONNECT - What a shame that died off - so much software requires WIN 95 or "Better." It is hard to find applications for anything else. Even MAC sometimes. No matter... In this homoginized business word youhave to send files in either MS WORD or EXCELL format anyways. I hate both - I am a Lotus SmartSuite guy, and I have to write my Doc in WORDPRO and the cut and paste into WORD PAD to transfer the file. Pain in the @ss, but it is the only way that has prooven to be reliable.

Rage Against the Windows!

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RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

 

[SB]

This may or may not be helpful, but certainly Red Hat is the most popular. If you want to just get a kernel going and not mess with the partitioning, a little-known program called DragonLinux works like a charm and is by far the least painful. I've also heard nice things about Caldera and Mandrake, but never tried it myself. Using a spare machine is a terrific idea. As you probably already know, no other viable alternative OSes can match Linux's scalability.

Win 98 isn't actually worth upgrading, IMHO, unless there's something on there you need, such as planning to use USB support. But if you're doing just fine.... The exception may be the Windows 98 Second Edition. Included are a bunch of enhancements and more importantly, bug fixes. Just FYI, Win2000 was suppose to replace both Windows NTs and the Win9x OSes, bringing us to a true 32-bit, non-DOS platform. Unfortunately, Microsoft's ambitions always seem to fall short and Win2K will only be the next upgrade to NT 4.0 while the Win 9x will live on as Win98 SE through the Millenium. But again, none of this really matters if your programs run fine for you.

I LOVED OS/2 Warp. I was one of the first dozen to stand in line with it when it first came out. Too bad Bill snuffed it out before it even began. Even as we speak, the TV is playing "Pirates of Silicon Valley" on TNT for the 3rd time. In it, he said a line that seems prophetic even to this day, "The key to survival/success is to make people need you. Have what they need." or something like that. OS/2 Warp did DOS and Win-16 progs like the way it was meant to be in a truely multi-threaded multi-tasking environment. And it was robust! But IBM didn't have access to Microsoft's 32-bit technology. So when Win 95 came out, it spelled the end for Warp.

That's how Windows is winning right now, because they have the OS to run the programs we need and no where else. Of course, that's also why Microsoft is being accused of monopolizing.

Which runs full circle back to Linux. Linux will succeed (for now) because it has Microsoft's blessing and a loyal support of those who have needs beyond what current microsoft products can provide (such as setting up an internet server). In exchange, Microsoft can say to the Justice Department, "See? We're not a monopoly. Just look at Linux. Why even their window manager, AnotherLevel, looks like a dead ringer for Windows." But IMHO, Microsoft will still be the winner in the long run. At current velocity, Linux is still not user-friendly enough to use for the masses and many standards remains unresolved. Rather, they are playing catching up, but doing a very good job. Microsoft still has the last word on user interface. Their new paradigm now is called, "Simpler is better." What, with their clunky legacy codes, yeah, it's about time.

Oh well, I'm rambling. And who really knows for the future will hold. Anyways, here's opera's URL:

http://www.operasoftware.com/

 

[Mendocino]

SB,

I must beg to differ, you wrote:

"As you probably already know, no other viable alternative OSes can match Linux's scalability."

While I love Linux, and use it frequently I also find FreeBSD is outstanding, and many Web servers run BSDI and Apache. A knowledge of the idiosyncracies of BSD is helpful when doing TCP/IP stuff and its scalability is great (IMHO).

BTW--not to get too far off the gun topic, went to the range for Father's Day and had a great time. Shot my 338 WM at 300 meters and hit the 10cm silhouette 7 for 10 at the bench, and 4 for ten off handed.

 

[SB]

Oh no, I was afraid somebody might say that.

The choices of words I've used is "viable". FreeBSD is for hard-cores. I'm glad you can work with it because I wouldn't even touch that with a .50 BMG.

Now, this is just my opinion, but FreeBSD isn't viable as an OS because lacks the level of main-stream accessibility that Linux is currently able to provide. Otherwise, yeah, I'm not going to argue with you. I hear that once FreeBSD gets going, it can out-pace Linux, especially on internet-related stuff.

 

[Kodiac]

Thanks SB...

FreeBSD - I wont touch that with an AT-4!

I dont have enough pocket protectors to deal with that stuff!

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RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

 

[Mendocino]

Actually I only use Free BSD for resolving integer ambiguities resulting in double differenced solutions on NAVSTAR satellites (GPS) for real-time kinematic machine guidance (rather geekish actually).

However, my cousin (a physicist) used Linux to write an operating system based on VXworks for 331 single board computers running in parallel for data acquisition on the Bebar experiment at the Stanford Linear Accelerator. This thing has to run for 33 years with relative timing of 16 nanoseconds. Now that project REALLY has a high pocket protector factor. He is truly a Nihilistic Technofetishist.

Not to stray too far from the gun topic---my cousin is also hard core RKBA, he's from Texas by way of Harvard and used to piss off fellow grad students in the "yard" by flashing his ACLU membership card and NRA Life (LOL).

 

[Kodiac]

"resolving integer ambiguities resulting in double differenced solutions on NAVSTAR satellites (GPS) for real-time kinematic machine guidance"

D@mn... Say that 10 times fast...



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RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE