Aurora's got an OS-tan art thread! Wait... what?!

[Aurora Borealis]

Oh,... and Acme-chan isn't a coyote girl.  She's a WILE E. COYOTE girl!

Big difference!  Get yer factz straight, peoplez!  Fufufu!  ^.^

The difference is that Wile E. Coyotes stand on two legs and their attempts at hunting fail spectacularly!

Sure there is.  ^___^

Just get M$ to Open Sauce MSDOS-chan and Big Blue to Open Sauce PCDOS-chan, and then they'll live happily ever after.  ^.^

Oh geez... That'll happen when pigs fly... or when AtariTOS-tan gets a suitable date! Ahahahaha!

Oh, and just so you know, I ordered a pair of wings from Amazon.com so I can fly.  They should be delivered in about 40-50 years.  ^__~

40-50 years?!?! What happened to the good ol'days when it took only a few weeks to deliver?!

Yup! For example: Apple ][-chan, Altair-chan, PET-chan C64-chan, ZX Spectrum-chan, uhh... Coleco Adam-chan?

Don't forget the original Apple I-sama.  ^^

Ack! Of course! *slaps self on the forehead*

Who says I don't.  You'd be surprised how many free meals I get.  ^__~

Free meals... That's cool too!

But even in RL, I take the initiative to set the right example regardless of cost or lack of opportunism.  That I can brand myself as not only a computer "genius", but also a very generous, well-spoken and pragmatic one, has made it easier for me to market Open Source.  

Brilliant! You are a shining example of a computer genius and Open Source advocate! ;019

Many were incredulous about how good a free drawing program like Inkscape was, until they see me fly while drawing office clipart (or view some of my OS-tan pics).  Now a friend of mine who was struggling to save money to buy Illustrator is now an active Inkscape user and loving it.  

Glad that friend of yours decided to use Inkscape instead of Illustrator!

I've used Illustrator before (had to for my computer graphics class) and it is a very powerful program but was difficult for me to use. Inkscape FTW!

I've had similar successes introducing OpenOffice, Audacity, GIMP, Scribus,....

Cool!

More people than I expected purchased EeePCs, I've coordinated at least 5 Linux conversions and two dual-boot options, and have gifted/subsidized at least three Linux-equipped machines (in one case, to a person who's house was burglarized, his desktop stolen among other things).  And this is only at work.

That was so nice of you to give a computer to the person who got his stolen! And I congratulate you on all of your success! ;019

It makes me feel good (or at least proactive), but trust me it's not as easy as it sounds. I still have to go up against the 21st century equivalent of soothsaying and superstition.... or worse, that dreaded iTunes.  -____-'

I understand why that is typically easier said than done with all the superstition and the dreaded iTunes? (Is it that you've dealt with people unwilling to switch to Linux because iTunes is Mac+Windows only?)

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight..... TvT'

...

*inches slowly away from Aurora*

.....

*puts on a garlic collar just in case*

No I'm not a vampire. I've been out in the sunlight before ;012
But I do have a warped sense of humor! ;006

Note to self:  Aurora-hime is no match for cyborg girls over a head taller than her. ^^;

Struggling to resist... Cynical remarks... >__<

In the Windows antivirus scene, free scanners like Avast and AVG are ironically more reliable -- but I believe that's slowly changing as they seek to find a profit-motive.  There is of course the ubiquitous Ad-Aware, but that's a minor malware remover and not a full-blown virus scanner.  ^^

Well, free programs can be great too! (if they are not just shareware, that is. Shareware sucks!)

Precisely,...

There's something wrong when peoples' only subsistence in [already impaired] service-type economies is to write and distribute spam.  Or create predatory infomercials.  Or advocate fictious lotteries.  Or just find ways to screw people over, who in turn feel the need to screw other people in turn.  TT

I agree. That is just so wrong, to profit at other peoples' expenses and make them want to screw others over ;014

I saw Wall-E recently and loved it to bits! But one line struck me more than the others, and this applies here too.

That kind of life is not living, it's just surviving.  T_T

Hmm... I never really thought of the difference between living and surviving (aside from surviving being 'cheating death')

As the old saying goes: "Lead, Follow, or Get out of the way".

And even though Plan 9-san is technically the "leader" of the USG, FreeB-chan's the one that REALLY gets stuff done.  ^^

Aha! Because FreeB-chan is the genius!

Damn straight! You nailed it right!  ^v^

But I guess this touches upon what I mentioned just a little while ago.  There seems to me a general lack of willingness in our modern societies to take charge and responsibility for one's own life.  Perhaps this is a product of a marketing engine that stresses convenience and "easiness", among other factors.  But as the old saying goes, "No Pain, No Gain".

If people don't at least MAKE THE EFFORT to improve their lives or better themselves and their surroundings, no one will do it for them.  The people who claim to be looking out for the are just looking after themselves -- no charitable person worth their salt would ever help others by keeping them helpless, thoughtless and dependent.

I completely agree! No one these days seems to take responsibility, blaming their problems on other things ("I just had a bad upbringing!", "my dog made me do it!", "it is society's fault!") and think they are entitled to everything. It's just pathetic. But when those people suffer, they might learn the hard way they have no one to blame but themselves -__-

Well yes, getting back to genkier topics....

Uh-huh, they're ALL collective perverts by association!  Fufufu!  ^.^

Aw no you didn't! Calling them all perverts is a bad idea...

You kidding?!  That girl's swallowable even for you (let alone FreeB-chan)....  `v'
No, I think she'd be happier following her kind of diminutive OS-tans.  ^__^

I'm sure she's probably the rowdy big sister type to DSL-kun, as FreeB-chan is to Inferno-chan.

Okay, being with the other diminutive OS-tans is a much better choice!
Being with FreeB-chan would be just to dangerous for her!

It's all about Volume, my dear.  ^.^

If you go to a wholesale center and purchase the equivalent of $300 USD for canned foods, it seems like a small fortune for a ton of supplies that could easily swamp an old plane.  ^__^

But if you intended that to feed about 40-50 people, then.... um..... well,... guess they'll have to share cans.  ^.^;

Now I see!

So now the main question is,... in your opinion.... is it Fantastic, or Sucktastic, Plastic?  `v'

Unfortunately I cannot say for sure yet because when I tried to play a song in Audacity (the only program on my computer that supports the .ogg format), it wouldn't play right and there were a lot of spontaneous error messages >__<

The comic would've actually touched on her own faults with that too.  After all, she still has plenty of avid fans from back in the 80's, but they're all too "old" for her in her warped opinion.  

Bummer. She needs to at least appreciate the remaining fans she has!

There would also be the diminutive Opera-kun (who I intended to have as a womanizing lecher, despite being married to Opera-san) who also makes more than one move on her.  But the fact that her looks are only good enough to attract the affection of a six-inch tall [self-proclaimed] super hero just depresses her even more, and she usually finds creative ways of disposing him.

Hahahahaha! Aww... too bad the man who loves TOS-tan is a little lecher who is cheating on his wife! Hey, but it is more comic potential for TOS-tan!

Well in some cases, they may only have support for BASIC scripting (such as C64-tan), and had to have an OS loaded separately.  But I have them in anyway due to their popularity -- you just CAN'T have a Binteji Renmei without good ol' Commodore-tans.  ^>^

Agree! The Binteeji Renmei would just be incomplete without the Commodore-tans!

*open maw, expecting a spanakotiropita, but instead getting a Gelato barreled down his throat*

*choke choke!*  @.@

Oh no! I've never done the Heimlich Maneuver before on a pig, let alone another human!

*runs around in circles screaming*

Can't really say I've thought much of her either.  I usually see her as a disciple and trusty servant of ][-chan -- and a particularly grateful and loyal one at that, since ][-chan worked hard to make GS/OS-tan realize her full potential.  

So cool! So it was ][-chan who taught GS/OS-tan a lot of what she knows!

I can infer that GS/OS-tan was able to get along with the Mac-tans because the Macs did not completely replace the Apple ][s at first (plenty of the ][ series were still being made and sold after the Mac's debut although it was in 1993 when the ][ series finally retired) but I don't know how she would feel towards her (former?) competitors because she did not sell well compared to them, possibly thinking she failed her older sister/friend/mentor!  

Had it been Lisa-tan, no doubt GS/OS would never have been encouraged to draw or study music, or even compete against bigger and presumably better rivals!  @.@

Now that's bittersweet, if it weren't for all of Lisa-tan's sadness, she could have learned all kinds of things from ][-chan and GS/OS-tan might have ended up as the melancholy one (but couldn't she have taught both of them in this alternate scenario?)

I imagine that's why she still continues to accompany ][-chan, even if mostly farming tasks are asked of her nowadays.  She admirers her sensei tremendously, and even to this date never fails to learn something new.

][-chan really is awesome. So awesome she has a loyal disciple!

Now I just got a new picture idea to add to my list, a cute picture of Apple ][-tan and GS/OS picking apples in the orchard!

Ahhh!  So what I saw earlier was her meson gun!  Coolness!  My Meiko,... er, I mean Menu-chan is about 2 click shy of ending up in the ZS Xmas special!  ^.^

*sees sly look on face and sleek bangs and blue leggings*

*drools*

....


...........Okay, she's in.  ^.^

Sweet! Can't wait to see her in the ZS Xmas special!

[Siya]

I agree that most of them would follow their older sisters. However, while they ARE members, I doubt they would live with the main group regularly. More than likely they're dispersed all over the land, as scouts, spies, messengers and promoters.

The intrigue!  The excitement!  So does this mean you have a mental list made up of their specific personal roles?  Or at least a few scattered opinions on who's who?  I'd love to hear it, if you do.

*open maw, expecting a spanakotiropita, but instead getting a Gelato barreled down his throat*

*choke choke!* @.@

Oh no! I've never done the Heimlich Maneuver before on a pig, let alone another human!

*runs around in circles screaming*

Ack!  Sorry!  

I don't really know the Heimlich, either.  I could improvise with a swift jab to the diaphragm...

Although, hanging him upside down and patting him mildly on the back would probably be much less painful and just as productive.  It's a good thing tiny black pigs are...tiny.  

If you survive, C-Chan, I promise you a spanakotiropita! D:

[C-Chan]

Oh geez... That'll happen when pigs fly... or when AtariTOS-tan gets a suitable date! Ahahahaha!

My gawd.... what have I done?  ^__________^

Glad that friend of yours decided to use Inkscape instead of Illustrator!

I've used Illustrator before (had to for my computer graphics class) and it is a very powerful program but was difficult for me to use. Inkscape FTW!

And you ain't seen nothin' yet!  ^.^

Check what's in store for version 0.47:

http://inkscape.org/screenshots/index.php?lang=en

Never dealt with Spiro curves before, but based on this blog entry....

http://andy.brisgeek.com/archives/92

It's clearly the dawn of variable-width,... STROKES!!!!!  @o@

Like native Blurring, that feature is bound to put the vector world on its head.  ^^

Althought speaking only for myself,... I think Animation support is what will really transcend Inkscape into the ultimate "must have". Especially now that the Flash SWF format is now being opened up piece by piece (in light of the recent Silverlight threat to Adobe).

I understand why that is typically easier said than done with all the superstition and the dreaded iTunes? (Is it that you've dealt with people unwilling to switch to Linux because iTunes is Mac+Windows only?)  

Well I could understand if they wouldn't want to switch -- I never actively recommend switching at first.  But the volume of people who just refuse to even TRY it is staggering.

Consider this scenario:

Guy:  So the whole OS is free?!
Me:  Yes.
Guy:  And all the programs that it comes with too?!
Me:  Yes, plus all the others you can dowload from that "repository" thing.
Guy:  And it runs very fast even on old hardware?!
Me:  Yes, and if it doesn't, there are lighter versions.
Guy:  And it can be run without installing to my computer, automatically detect and set up all my hardware, AND still function like a regular system, apps included?!
Me:  Yep, and it makes an unbeatable Rescue System too.
Guy:  AND there's no need for virus scanners or firewalls?!
Me:  Well the firewall is already built-in, and viruses are almost non-existent.  Doesn't mean you should just waltz into ever pron site you can find.  
Guy:  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND it has a COOL 3D DESKTOP AND all these free applications that can satisfy every basic computer need imaginable!!!!
Me:  Wouldn't go that far, but yes it's surprisingly diverse and full-featured for a free ecosystem.  Besides, if it ain't there, we can either build it,... or use Wine.  
Guy:  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND... it's running on this!!!!!  *plays with my EeePC some more*
Me:  Going on 6 months and loving it!
Guy:  THIS IS FREAKIN AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!

*plays with it some more*

Guy:  Where's iTunes?
Me:  Sorry, iTunes is specifically Mac and Windows only, and they have measures to prevent it from working well under Wine.  

*long pause*

Guy:  ...............IT SUX!!!!!!!!!!!
Me:  Well we do have Amarok as a substitute.
Guy:  *smashes EeePC*  SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUX0R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  *gets on table and thumps chest*
Me:  And besides, you always tell me your cash-strapped, so why are you even spending all that money you do on music you don't even own and you only listen to once?  Since you're so rich, how about paying me back all the money you owe me?  
Guy:  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  *head explodes*
Me:  ...Plus the cost of the laptop now.  
Guy:  *rest of body explodes*

Obviously exaggerated, of course, but I've met at least one person who had that similar reaction -- all the 20 minutes of excitement talking about my EeePC and Linux were deflated by its inability to play iTunes.  But at least he admitted he was a slave to it.  As long as he was honest, and as long as he had that seed of change embedded in him (via my advertisement), that was honestly good enough for me.  People have to want change -- otherwise, it's just an uphill and rather counterproductive battle.  ^^'

Well, free programs can be great too! (if they are not just shareware, that is. Shareware sucks!)

Shareware,.............. *sigh*
Now that's a name I've not heard in a long time,.... A long time.... -v-

Okay, being with the other diminutive OS-tans is a much better choice!
Being with FreeB-chan would be just to dangerous for her!

Just imagine,... she might end up playing poker with me!  ^__^;

Unfortunately I cannot say for sure yet because when I tried to play a song in Audacity (the only program on my computer that supports the .ogg format), it wouldn't play right and there were a lot of spontaneous error messages >__<

Well Audacity is only a lowly audio editor.  Try VLC like I told you -- if there's a version for it for Puma-chan, there's bound to be a version for Panther.  

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

Hahahahaha! Aww... too bad the man who loves TOS-tan is a little lecher who is cheating on his wife! Hey, but it is more comic potential for TOS-tan!

Precisely.  ^__^
Actually, I had in mind making Opera-kun a reoccuring gag character.  Would make it possible to have situations where he's making advances on some random OS-tan, then having Opera-san utter a very guttural "Anata" behind him.  A quick nervous turn on his behalf would find herlooming over him menacingly, all the while holding a fly swatter or slipper.

So cool! So it was ][-chan who taught GS/OS-tan a lot of what she knows!

I can infer that GS/OS-tan was able to get along with the Mac-tans because the Macs did not completely replace the Apple ][s at first (plenty of the ][ series were still being made and sold after the Mac's debut although it was in 1993 when the ][ series finally retired) but I don't know how she would feel towards her (former?) competitors because she did not sell well compared to them, possibly thinking she failed her older sister/friend/mentor!

Well of course GS/OS-san is your character, so a little backstory revision is in your right to do. But yes, that's how I approach her.   ^^

As far as how she feels towards her old competitors,... sounds like something ][-chan would say "don't sweat it", so she probably doesn't think ill of them at all.  Maybe for a few months after ][-chan retired, but a quiet farm life with her master tends to have a sedative effect.  ^__^

Now that's bittersweet, if it weren't for all of Lisa-tan's sadness, she could have learned all kinds of things from ][-chan and GS/OS-tan might have ended up as the melancholy one (but couldn't she have taught both of them in this alternate scenario?)

Of course.  ][-chan is a hard worker, and wouldn't have minded working even harder to help another family member.  ^___^

Besides, a lot of her lessons are embedded in stories or in general humor (which she considers to be the best instructor), so a simple hearth would've been all she needed to teach LOTS of people all at once.  ^.^

][-chan really is awesome. So awesome she has a loyal disciple!

Now I just got a new picture idea to add to my list, a cute picture of Apple ][-tan and GS/OS picking apples in the orchard!

If I recall, you saw Negima at one point right?  ^__^

If that's the case, I'd say the relationship between Konoe and Setsuna (at least in the later Negima?! series) would most closely parallel that of ][-chan and GS/OS-tan.  One's laid back the other professional, but both care for each other quite a lot.  ^.^

In the apple picking scene, it might be cute to have GS/OS-tan, carrying a huge case of apples, freak out a bit as ][-chan is calmly picking and prodding at a giant apple (bigger than she is) suspended right over her.  She of course knows it won't fall -- but that wouldn't stop GS/OS-an from rushing over anyway.  ^.^

Sweet! Can't wait to see her in the ZS Xmas special!

You got it!  ^__^

It's been a bit slow,... I wanted to draw today, but things didn't work out quite like I wanted them.  Still, I will get to it.  ^v^

The intrigue! The excitement! So does this mean you have a mental list made up of their specific personal roles? Or at least a few scattered opinions on who's who? I'd love to hear it, if you do.

Nope,.. not one, sorry.  ^^;
Although since MidnightBSD-san reminds me of Margery so much,... hmmmmmm........ ^___________^

Although, hanging him upside down and patting him mildly on the back would probably be much less painful and just as productive. It's a good thing tiny black pigs are...tiny.

If you survive, C-Chan, I promise you a spanakotiropita! D:

IF I survive,... swell.... >v<

*choke choke*

*hack*

*wheeze*

Oh wait, I'm a moron!  I know how to fix this.... ^___^;

*stares at MenuetOS-tan*

*EXPLODES...!!!!!*



*...vaporizing the gelato along with*

Cool!

....

But talk about the cure being worse.... XvX;

[Aurora Borealis]

My gawd.... what have I done?  ^__________^

MUAHAHAHAHA! I can't help but make crazy remarks!

And you ain't seen nothin' yet!  ^.^

Check what's in store for version 0.47:

http://inkscape.org/screenshots/index.php?lang=en

Never dealt with Spiro curves before, but based on this blog entry....

http://andy.brisgeek.com/archives/92

It's clearly the dawn of variable-width,... STROKES!!!!!  @o@

Like native Blurring, that feature is bound to put the vector world on its head.  ^^

I checked that out. Very cool but I'm still confused x__x

Althought speaking only for myself,... I think Animation support is what will really transcend Inkscape into the ultimate "must have". Especially now that the Flash SWF format is now being opened up piece by piece (in light of the recent Silverlight threat to Adobe).

Animation support, heck yeah! I'd love to see that in Inkscape!

Btw, can you enlighten me as to what this Silverlight threat to Adobe is?
I'm afraid this is the first time I heard about Flash SWF, a proprietary format being opened.

Well I could understand if they wouldn't want to switch -- I never actively recommend switching at first.  But the volume of people who just refuse to even TRY it is staggering.

That's a bummer. I'd try alternative and vintage OSes if I could though. It's a shame I don't know anyone in RL who has any vintage computers they are willing to give away and I don't have the hard drive space to install Linux on my computer. Besides, I still need Photoshop for my main computer ;___;

Consider this scenario:

Guy:  So the whole OS is free?!
Me:  Yes.
Guy:  And all the programs that it comes with too?!
Me:  Yes, plus all the others you can dowload from that "repository" thing.
Guy:  And it runs very fast even on old hardware?!
Me:  Yes, and if it doesn't, there are lighter versions.
Guy:  And it can be run without installing to my computer, automatically detect and set up all my hardware, AND still function like a regular system, apps included?!
Me:  Yep, and it makes an unbeatable Rescue System too.
Guy:  AND there's no need for virus scanners or firewalls?!
Me:  Well the firewall is already built-in, and viruses are almost non-existent.  Doesn't mean you should just waltz into ever pron site you can find. 
Guy:  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND it has a COOL 3D DESKTOP AND all these free applications that can satisfy every basic computer need imaginable!!!!
Me:  Wouldn't go that far, but yes it's surprisingly diverse and full-featured for a free ecosystem.  Besides, if it ain't there, we can either build it,... or use Wine. 
Guy:  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND... it's running on this!!!!!  *plays with my EeePC some more*
Me:  Going on 6 months and loving it!
Guy:  THIS IS FREAKIN AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!

*plays with it some more*

Guy:  Where's iTunes?
Me:  Sorry, iTunes is specifically Mac and Windows only, and they have measures to prevent it from working well under Wine. 

*long pause*

Guy:  ...............IT SUX!!!!!!!!!!!

What a shortsighted guy. iTunes is cool and all, but I think the inability to play iTunes is a small drawback offset by all of those advantages of Linux usually being free, having low hardware requirements, a cool 3D desktop, immunity to just about every virus out there and able to use Windows apps through Wine  ;014

Me:  Well we do have Amarok as a substitute.
Guy:  *smashes EeePC*  SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUX0R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  *gets on table and thumps chest*
Me:  And besides, you always tell me your cash-strapped, so why are you even spending all that money you do on music you don't even own and you only listen to once?  Since you're so rich, how about paying me back all the money you owe me? 
Guy:  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  *head explodes*
Me:  ...Plus the cost of the laptop now. 
Guy:  *rest of body explodes*
[/list]

I pity the fool who smashed your EeePC, as well as the person who has to clean up the mess from the guy's head exploding.

Just imagine,... she might end up playing poker with me!  ^__^;

FreeB-chan wouldn't dare eat her tiny little sister, would she?  o_o

Well Audacity is only a lowly audio editor.  Try VLC like I told you -- if there's a version for it for Puma-chan, there's bound to be a version for Panther. 

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

Downloaded VLC today! It works just fine, and first thing I did after downloading it was trying out some Fantastic Plastic Machine!

Overall, it's pretty good. I didn't really care for Whistle Song; but I really liked Todos Os Desejos, Take Me to the Disco, and L'aventure Fantastique!

Precisely.  ^__^
Actually, I had in mind making Opera-kun a reoccuring gag character.  Would make it possible to have situations where he's making advances on some random OS-tan, then having Opera-san utter a very guttural "Anata" behind him.  A quick nervous turn on his behalf would find herlooming over him menacingly, all the while holding a fly swatter or slipper.

Nice! ;019

Adding Opera-kun and Opera-tan into ZS will be so much fun!

Well of course GS/OS-san is your character, so a little backstory revision is in your right to do. But yes, that's how I approach her.   ^^

As far as how she feels towards her old competitors,... sounds like something ][-chan would say "don't sweat it", so she probably doesn't think ill of them at all.  Maybe for a few months after ][-chan retired, but a quiet farm life with her master tends to have a sedative effect.  ^__^

Okay! That's a good compromise between the two possibilities! I approve!

Of course.  ][-chan is a hard worker, and wouldn't have minded working even harder to help another family member.  ^___^

Besides, a lot of her lessons are embedded in stories or in general humor (which she considers to be the best instructor), so a simple hearth would've been all she needed to teach LOTS of people all at once.  ^.^

I bet that while she was living with with the Mac-tans and the other Apple-tans, they would regularly gather around Apple ][-sensei while she tells them stories and teaches them new stuff! ^_^

And even at the Binteeji Renmei, she has lots to share with her friends there!

If I recall, you saw Negima at one point right?  ^__^

Read the manga, actually. But yes, I am familiar with Negima.

If that's the case, I'd say the relationship between Konoe and Setsuna (at least in the later Negima?! series) would most closely parallel that of ][-chan and GS/OS-tan.  One's laid back the other professional, but both care for each other quite a lot.  ^.^

Good comparison!

In the apple picking scene, it might be cute to have GS/OS-tan, carrying a huge case of apples, freak out a bit as ][-chan is calmly picking and prodding at a giant apple (bigger than she is) suspended right over her.  She of course knows it won't fall -- but that wouldn't stop GS/OS-an from rushing over anyway.  ^.^

Cute! *adds to OS-tan art queue, still in no particular order*

 -Finish 1989 Apple family picture
 -A/UX-tan + Mac System 6-tan 20th anniversary portraiture
 -GS/OS-tan + Apple ][-tan orchard scenes
 -Revised Festering Hate-tan
 -Preconcept sketch of nVIR-tan
 -4K-tan + OS/2-tan Star Trek ride picture
 -GENIAC-tan historical portraiture with her original caretakers (and maybe even a portraiture of her in present day with EXEC-sama)
 -Finished version of EXEC-sama sketch

*sigh* The second item on the queue I started in January (giving me 3 to get it done on time) but due to 3 or 4 retries and lots of procrastination, is now 3 months late! >__< But at least I started it in advance unlike the Apple ][-tan 30th anniversary picture last year which I started almost 4 months late!

IF I survive,... swell.... >v<

*choke choke*

*hack*

*wheeze*

Oh wait, I'm a moron!  I know how to fix this.... ^___^;

*stares at MenuetOS-tan*

*EXPLODES...!!!!!*

[insert explosion here]

*...vaporizing the gelato along with*

Cool!

....

But talk about the cure being worse.... XvX;

That's like how a lot of early medical treatments involved mercury or lead did a lot more harm than good...

[C-Chan]

I checked that out. Very cool but I'm still confused x__x

Well as you know now, Strokes in Inkscape are only of a preset width only.  There is the Calligraphy tool, but all it's really doing is drawing Paths. 

With Spiro curves, chances are that it may be possible in the future to make a Stroke that still functions like today's strokes (being able to change the width proportion uniformly and creating bezier curves easily), but that can also taper certain sections so that they appear fatter or thinner than the average line width.  That way, you can get the richness of drawing variable-width lines, or use a Calligraphy tool that's a lot more sensitive to a tablet pen.

Animation support, heck yeah! I'd love to see that in Inkscape!

Btw, can you enlighten me as to what this Silverlight threat to Adobe is?
I'm afraid this is the first time I heard about Flash SWF, a proprietary format being opened.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverlight

Silverlight is essentially a new rich media plugin that Microsoft developed to compete directly with Adobe Flash.  It's written mainly in C#, and uses its own standards (surprise surprise) for handling animation, language binding and media playback.  Though it's not around much, it's being marketed aggressively, and can be found not only in Microsoft websites, but also on MSNBC.  In fact, web content for the 2008 Beijing Olympics will be brought to you ONLY with Silverlight, as a means to force adoption.

Naturally, it works best only on Vista/XP -- if you're running an older version of Windows, Mac or Linux, you're done for (although Linux brings in the whole controversial "Moonlight" thing that I won't get into).  ^v^

Now of course, Adobe Flash has never been an angelic format either. But in opening up the specifications and licensing for SWF (the Flash extension), it will finally get rid of years of Flash lock-in, and allow everyone to not only use it freely in their websites, but also develop it from non-Adobe applications.

This happened several years ago with PDF, which was another Adobe format that was opened and is now officially an Open Standard.  The reason why OpenOffice, Inkscape and countless other FOSS programs can open, create and disperse PDFs is because they have the specifications and the license to do so. 

Currently Inkscape cannot import or export SWF -- but when it does, it will allow you to create Flash movies, banners, etc, natively!  And although the plan was to use Animated SVGs for Inkscape's animation function, being able to export Flash SWF animations will probably be more desirable to users already familiar with Flash.

That's a bummer. I'd try alternative and vintage OSes if I could though. It's a shame I don't know anyone in RL who has any vintage computers they are willing to give away and I don't have the hard drive space to install Linux on my computer. Besides, I still need Photoshop for my main computer ;___;

Well I still have Photoshop on mine.  ^^
But yes, that's "Windows" Photoshop, and there's really no work being done on a kind of Wine for Mac programs (let alone PowerPC ones).  ^^;

Don't sweat it, though,... when it comes to computers, old ones will always find a way to come to you. ^___^

What a shortsighted guy. iTunes is cool and all, but I think the inability to play iTunes is a small drawback offset by all of those advantages of Linux usually being free, having low hardware requirements, a cool 3D desktop, immunity to just about every virus out there and able to use Windows apps through Wine 

Or at least we think so, but some people aren't willing to make even a single sacrifice, let alone one or two.  And it's not like you absolutely, positively must be devoid of iTunes entirely while in Linux.  Virtualbox can handle that beautifully.

As a Mac user, I think you're used to making some sacrifices as far as computing goes.  Even though there's more than enough software to keep you covered, surely there must've been a point where you had to do without something a Windows-touting friend was promoting.
And surely you must've come across at least one or two Haters in your lifetime.  To be able to take it and soar with it just made you stronger and more open-minded, in my opinion.  ^__^

I pity the fool who smashed your EeePC, as well as the person who has to clean up the mess from the guy's head exploding.

Naturally, that was a little bit of embellishment.  If he so muched as cracked my EeePC, I'd be cracking his ass.  `v'

The money owed to me was not an embellishment, though -- I did lend him some, and it took some time and a couple of busted kneecaps to get it back (j/k, j/k).  ^__~

FreeB-chan wouldn't dare eat her tiny little sister, would she? 

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[changes topic]  Soooooo.......  How's the weather over there now?  ^____________^;

Downloaded VLC today! It works just fine, and first thing I did after downloading it was trying out some Fantastic Plastic Machine!

Overall, it's pretty good. I didn't really care for Whistle Song; but I really liked Todos Os Desejos, Take Me to the Disco, and L'aventure Fantastique!

Awesome!  Told you VLC was a great app!  Not the best-looking one in the world, but it's capable of playing almost every modern media file in existence.  ^___^

My favorite is indeed Todos Os Desejos, but stuff like L'aventure Fantastique is more along the lines of what Pilot-chan would play more often.  Great music for when you're soaring among the clouds, below a bright blue sky.  ^.^

-Finish 1989 Apple family picture
-A/UX-tan + Mac System 6-tan 20th anniversary portraiture
-GS/OS-tan + Apple ][-tan orchard scenes
-Revised Festering Hate-tan
-Preconcept sketch of nVIR-tan
-4K-tan + OS/2-tan Star Trek ride picture
-GENIAC-tan historical portraiture with her original caretakers (and maybe even a portraiture of her in present day with EXEC-sama)
-Finished version of EXEC-sama sketch
-Revised chibi Mugshot-tan

*sigh* The second item on the queue I started in January (giving me 3 to get it done on time) but due to 3 or 4 retries and lots of procrastination, is now 3 months late! >__< But at least I started it in advance unlike the Apple ][-tan 30th anniversary picture last year which I started almost 4 months late!

Ooooh, I remember that one.  ^.^
Speaking of Mugshot-tan, I'll be drawing her soon using the older design.  If you want to change it around (I'll be posting the Sauce), feel free to.  Just let me know. ^__^


Added after 3 hours 54 minutes:

 EDIT:  Thank you, Auroraa-hime, for the mugshot pic!  ^.^

[Aurora Borealis]

Well as you know now, Strokes in Inkscape are only of a preset width only.  There is the Calligraphy tool, but all it's really doing is drawing Paths. 

With Spiro curves, chances are that it may be possible in the future to make a Stroke that still functions like today's strokes (being able to change the width proportion uniformly and creating bezier curves easily), but that can also taper certain sections so that they appear fatter or thinner than the average line width.  That way, you can get the richness of drawing variable-width lines, or use a Calligraphy tool that's a lot more sensitive to a tablet pen.

Neat! That'll make variable-width lines much easier to implement! Trying to do them manually (the only way currently possible) is so time-consuming x_X

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverlight

Silverlight is essentially a new rich media plugin that Microsoft developed to compete directly with Adobe Flash.  It's written mainly in C#, and uses its own standards (surprise surprise) for handling animation, language binding and media playback. 

So, Silverlight is from M$...Ha ha! It is no surprise that Silverlight doesn't follow standards!

Naturally, it works best only on Vista/XP -- if you're running an older version of Windows, Mac or Linux, you're done for (although Linux brings in the whole controversial "Moonlight" thing that I won't get into).  ^v^

And there's a Moonlight as well, the Open Source equivalent and competitor of Silverlight? But if you don't want to get into explaining it, that's okay too.

Now of course, Adobe Flash has never been an angelic format either. But in opening up the specifications and licensing for SWF (the Flash extension), it will finally get rid of years of Flash lock-in, and allow everyone to not only use it freely in their websites, but also develop it from non-Adobe applications.

That would be great!

This happened several years ago with PDF, which was another Adobe format that was opened and is now officially an Open Standard.  The reason why OpenOffice, Inkscape and countless other FOSS programs can open, create and disperse PDFs is because they have the specifications and the license to do so. 

Interesting! I knew that the PDF format was from Adobe but never noticed that it is no longer proprietary until now!

Currently Inkscape cannot import or export SWF -- but when it does, it will allow you to create Flash movies, banners, etc, natively!  And although the plan was to use Animated SVGs for Inkscape's animation function, being able to export Flash SWF animations will probably be more desirable to users already familiar with Flash.

Flash support in Inkscape... Do want!

Well I still have Photoshop on mine.  ^^
But yes, that's "Windows" Photoshop, and there's really no work being done on a kind of Wine for Mac programs (let alone PowerPC ones).  ^^;

That's a bummer. But if there ever was a version of Wine that could run Mac programs, it should be called Applejuice or AppleCider!

Or at least we think so, but some people aren't willing to make even a single sacrifice, let alone one or two.  And it's not like you absolutely, positively must be devoid of iTunes entirely while in Linux.  Virtualbox can handle that beautifully.

Did you mention Virtualbox to that guy? He'd be able to run Linux without sacrificing iTunes!

As a Mac user, I think you're used to making some sacrifices as far as computing goes.  Even though there's more than enough software to keep you covered, surely there must've been a point where you had to do without something a Windows-touting friend was promoting.
And surely you must've come across at least one or two Haters in your lifetime.  To be able to take it and soar with it just made you stronger and more open-minded, in my opinion.  ^__^

That is true. I've had to do without some programs because they were Windows-only (although now I could just use them on my mom's Dell computer) and I have dealt with quite a few haters. I admit that back in the day I was one of those crazy*** evangelists and got into heated arguments with those haters but quit after realizing I can't make them change. They themselves have to be willing to do so. It just wasn't worth it in the end so I gave up on that and I'm glad I did.

Now I'm still a Mac user but also interested in alternative computers OSes, modern or vintage.

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[changes topic]  Soooooo.......  How's the weather over there now?  ^____________^;

Hot and humid but it's starting to cool down-- HEY!!

Ooooh, I remember that one.  ^.^
Speaking of Mugshot-tan, I'll be drawing her soon using the older design.  If you want to change it around (I'll be posting the Sauce), feel free to.  Just let me know. ^__^

Here she is now!:


Changes include her boots replaced with hi-tops, hair color changed from lilac to light pink and a hi-tech visor was added. The visor she uses scans for and detects music that nearby people are listening to (sort of a reference to the "Music Radar" feature on Mugshot)

technical details:

- social networking website developed by Red Hat
- deployed May 2006
- "Web Swarm" feature: share links and join conversations about them
- "Music Radar" feature: displays song a user is listening to, allow conversations about said song
- integrated with del.icio.us, Digg, Flickr, last.fm and YouTube
- runs on free software
- has TV and video features, photo sharing

personality, general description: Is very friendly and social, likes to talk about nearly anything but her favorite things to talk about are music and movies and is also interested in photography. Unlike other social network site-tans, Mugshot-tan is very technologically inclined, uses free software and is partly open source. Is Red Hat-tan's and Fedora-tan's younger sister. Gets along with those open-minded enough to acknowledge her (being a relatively obscure social networking site, compared to MySpace and Facebook). Especially likes musicians. Despite shared interests (entertainment, talking about nearly anything); she and Fark-tan do not get along. (news article of Mugshot's debut was greenlighted on Fark but got poor reception).

And a close-up of her:

Are you sane?  Bwahaha!  ^v^

Uhh... barely. ^^;

[C-Chan]

I knew I forgot something.... ^^;

Neat! That'll make variable-width lines much easier to implement! Trying to do them manually (the only way currently possible) is so time-consuming x_X

Actually, it's not so bad if you shade first, then apply the lighted areas above.  That way, the lighted path overlaps with the underlying path's strokes, making them look like they're different widths depending on how you stretch it.

But even that's time consuming and more "accidental -- Spiro curves promise something more direct and professional.  ^___^

For now, though, I've gotten quite used to using thin, colored strokes.  ^^

And there's a Moonlight as well, the Open Source equivalent and competitor of Silverlight? But if you don't want to get into explaining it, that's okay too.

Actually, cause that takes a long time to explain too.  ^^;
Has to do with Mono and code infection and other stuff that generates inter-Linux debates, mainly within the law-abiding old guard and the younger generation of Windows refugees.  

You can read some about it here:

http://boycottnovell.com/2007/10/17/mono-and-moonlight-roadblock/

Interesting! I knew that the PDF format was from Adobe but never noticed that it is no longer proprietary until now!

Well Adobe does still hold patents on it of course, but yes it is an open standard and can be distributed royalty-free.  Actually, the latest version of the PDF file extension (v1.7) was not an open standard until just last month.  ^^

The only reason why Adobe Reader is still relevant is because Adobe [of course] knows its own file format best, and can program interesting features (such as fill-in lines and drop-downs) that may be absent from alternative publishers.

Then again, if all you need is to read them, stuff like kPDF and ePDFView are great since they're HELLUVA fast!  ^v^

Flash support in Inkscape... Do want!

You and me both, sister.  ^.^
Back when I was creating my SuperGal parody animations, I ran into a bit of a conundrum....

Inkscape (then 0.44) could export to many different file formats, but not swf or ai (the Adobe illustrator format). Likewise, neither version of Flash or Illustrator that I had at the time could import SVG (and I believe neither do to this day).  So I had to export into some funky format to get it to register in Adobe Illustrator, which in turn could convert to a format that Flash liked.  ^^;

End result was that frame animation ended up being a PITA, so since then I preferred just creating Animated GIFs instead.  ^^'

Cut out countless middlemen, though, and Inkscape will be supremely FTW.  ^.^

That's a bummer. But if there ever was a version of Wine that could run Mac programs, it should be called Applejuice or AppleCider!  

Rhapsody-san, please pick up the white courtesy phone!  ^___^

Did you mention Virtualbox to that guy? He'd be able to run Linux without sacrificing iTunes!

Nah, don't have to.  If people say now, they mean no, and there's no need to press the issue (not with many others out there).  ^__~

Besides, he already knew about Virtualbox from me, and drools everytime I use it at work.  But there's a BIG difference having ME do all the work and having to do it himself.  `v'

That is true. I've had to do without some programs because they were Windows-only (although now I could just use them on my mom's Dell computer) and I have dealt with quite a few haters. I admit that back in the day I was one of those crazy*** evangelists and got into heated arguments with those haters but quit after realizing I can't make them change. They themselves have to be willing to do so. It just wasn't worth it in the end so I gave up on that and I'm glad I did.

Now I'm still a Mac user but also interested in alternative computers OSes, modern or vintage.

Well I've already told you and Bella before how I used to be,... not so much a hater as just blissfully ignorant and unimaginative, and loving it. The cost of supreme comfort, of course, was a supreme fear of many superfluous things, which in turn led me to say and do many stupid things.

I'm glad you and I changed in that sense.  One lead's by example, and in your case you set a magnificent example of a computer user who's both knowledgeable, multi-talented and at peace with herself. ^__^

Changes include her boots replaced with hi-tops, hair color changed from lilac to light pink and a hi-tech visor was added. The visor she uses scans for and detects music that nearby people are listening to (sort of a reference to the "Music Radar" feature on Mugshot)

Woohoo!  Yeah, I'm glad I spotted her in time!  Turned her into a real hipster, you did!  ^^

The visor was a great addition and I love the little hightech detail you added -- sorry I didn't add it to the panel, but I figured she'd just got up from bed.  ^^;

personality, general description: Is very friendly and social, likes to talk about nearly anything but her favorite things to talk about are music and movies and is also interested in photography. Unlike other social network site-tans, Mugshot-tan is very technologically inclined, uses free software and is partly open source. Is Red Hat-tan's and Fedora-tan's younger sister. Gets along with those open-minded enough to acknowledge her (being a relatively obscure social networking site, compared to MySpace and Facebook). Especially likes musicians. Despite shared interests (entertainment, talking about nearly anything); she and Fark-tan do not get along. (news article of Mugshot's debut was greenlighted on Fark but got poor reception).

Really?  
Well now.... a friend (or rather,sibling) of RedHat-sama and Fedora-chan is certainly of friend of mine.  ^>^

Okay, guess I'll go into promotional mode with her.  ^___^

BTW, I spotted the Wiki icon source art!  Thank you again for drawing that!  ^v^

Uhh... barely. ^^;

You and me both, sister.  ^____^;

[Aurora Borealis]

Actually, cause that takes a long time to explain too.  ^^;
Has to do with Mono and code infection and other stuff that generates inter-Linux debates, mainly within the law-abiding old guard and the younger generation of Windows refugees.  

You can read some about it here:

http://boycottnovell.com/2007/10/17/mono-and-moonlight-roadblock/

I understand that now (mono not being developed because of some FUD) but now I'm confused as to whether M$ and Novell are with or against each other. I mean, they have made deals with each other before and I vaguely recall them teaming up at some point.

The only reason why Adobe Reader is still relevant is because Adobe [of course] knows its own file format best, and can program interesting features (such as fill-in lines and drop-downs) that may be absent from alternative publishers.

I was wondering why Adobe Reader was still around even though it is not the only PDF reader anymore!

Flash support in Inkscape... Do want!

You and me both, sister.  ^.^
Back when I was creating my SuperGal parody animations, I ran into a bit of a conundrum....

Inkscape (then 0.44) could export to many different file formats, but not swf or ai (the Adobe illustrator format). Likewise, neither version of Flash or Illustrator that I had at the time could import SVG (and I believe neither do to this day).  So I had to export into some funky format to get it to register in Adobe Illustrator, which in turn could convert to a format that Flash liked.  ^^;

What a PITA that had to be!

End result was that frame animation ended up being a PITA, so since then I preferred just creating Animated GIFs instead.  ^^'

At least creating the GIFs didn't take several programs!

Cut out countless middlemen, though, and Inkscape will be supremely FTW.  ^.^

For sure!

Rhapsody-san, please pick up the white courtesy phone!  ^___^

Rhapsody-tan: Hello? Did someone call?

Nah, don't have to.  If people say now, they mean no, and there's no need to press the issue (not with many others out there).  ^__~

You're right- it would be pointless to continue.

Besides, he already knew about Virtualbox from me, and drools everytime I use it at work.  But there's a BIG difference having ME do all the work and having to do it himself.  `v'

But at least there's that! ;012

Well I've already told you and Bella before how I used to be,... not so much a hater as just blissfully ignorant and unimaginative, and loving it. The cost of supreme comfort, of course, was a supreme fear of many superfluous things, which in turn led me to say and do many stupid things.

The vast majority of people I deal with are like that when it comes to computers, using whatever happens to be mainstream because it is mainstream and ignorant of any alternatives. ;014

Glad you changed!

I'm glad you and I changed in that sense.  One lead's by example, and in your case you set a magnificent example of a computer user who's both knowledgeable, multi-talented and at peace with herself. ^__^

Thanks!

The visor was a great addition and I love the little hightech detail you added -- sorry I didn't add it to the panel, but I figured she'd just got up from bed.  ^^;

That's perfectly alright, wouldn't make sense for her to wear it to bed now would it? ;012

Really?  
Well now.... a friend (or rather,sibling) of RedHat-sama and Fedora-chan is certainly of friend of mine.  ^>^

Okay, guess I'll go into promotional mode with her.  ^___^

Cool!

BTW, I spotted the Wiki icon source art!  Thank you again for drawing that!  ^v^

You're welcome!

You and me both, sister.  ^____^;

Hahahaha!
---
I've been working on this the past couple days...



It's the 4K-tan + OS/2-tan on Enterprise ride pic in progress! And 4K-tan is also cosplaying as Spock!

[Gussy Keniji]

I just couldn't resist

[C-Chan]

Yo! ^^
Busy as a Bee, so just stopping by real quick.  ^.^'
Would really love to continue the comic,... in the next panel, we'll have UNIX-sama, several Unices, and perhaps one obscure Virus-tan make guest appearances.  ^___^

I understand that now (mono not being developed because of some FUD) but now I'm confused as to whether M$ and Novell are with or against each other. I mean, they have made deals with each other before and I vaguely recall them teaming up at some point.

Well in the case of Mono, its the fact that it's continuing to be used that's the problem, since its of very questionable legality.  Suspicions are high that it's some sort of trap -- that if Mono usage were adopted far and wide in FOSS, M$ could point to that as REAL intellectual property infringement (even if they're technically the ones that seeded it).  Setting aside potential lawsuits, there could also be royalties demanded for applications "infected" with Mono code.

As far as M$ and Novell are concerned, I view their partnership as akin to American and Russian cooperation in WWII.  Fellow giant corporations that they are, they've agreed to cooperate with one another to maximize profit -- but deep down inside, would like nothing more than to destroy one another (more M$ than Novell, since the former has more money of course).  T___T'

At least creating the GIFs didn't take several programs!

Nope, just ImageReady.  ^___^

Speaking of which.... did you ever find out if you have a copy of that hidden away inside your Photoshop installation?  ^v^

Rhapsody-tan: Hello? Did someone call?

Oh right!  Rhapsody-san is tall, correct?  ^___^

*digs inside bag and pulls out random wedding ring*

Lesse.... who's next on my list?  ^.^

The vast majority of people I deal with are like that when it comes to computers, using whatever happens to be mainstream because it is mainstream and ignorant of any alternatives.

Glad you changed!

Well I didn't just change for moral reasons or pursuit of personal enrichment.  It's also for the financial savings too.  ^___^

I buy ultra-cheap but excellent hardware, spend zero money on software, and have learned to fix my own issues -- so the cost savings within the past 2 years has been staggering.

No more days of buying Poser 6, only to see it rot away with inactivity in my bookshelf, or countless PC games that I played once and never touched again, or high-end mainstream machines that I purchased only on the basis of how well they would play the games I would only end up playing once. ^___^'

And why all that waste?  In hindsight,... I don't really have a reason why I thought like that... it just came instinctually like breathing.  When I wanted something, I just bought it without giving it much (or any) thought at all.  I suppose you could say I was simply "following the herd".  -.-'

That's perfectly alright, wouldn't make sense for her to wear it to bed now would it?

Dunno about that.... Suppose she's into all that subliminal messaging stuff?  ^____^

I've been working on this the past couple days...

It's the 4K-tan + OS/2-tan on Enterprise ride pic in progress! And 4K-tan is also cosplaying as Spock!

HOLY HELL! That's cute!!!  *0*
Thank you for trying out my idea!  ^v^
4K-tan and OS/2-sama's faces are priceless -- you especially nailed it on the feeling of excitement for OS/2-sama.  ^___^

Still an alpha sketch, but just thought I'd remind you that some of the angles in the Enterprise ride need to be adjusted.  For example, the "neck" of the Enterprise is positioned correctly below the saucer section, but it should be above the secondary hull.

Likewise, the right Warp Nacelle "leg" is properly positioned above the secondary hull, but it should be below the Warp Nacelle itself.

(Oh dear GAWD, can't believe I still remember all that crap. @__@)

In any event, I'm wondering who you've chosen to be the spectators. I originally envisioned just a generic crowd of faceless, featureless people, but knowing you, I'm sure your bound to toss in countless guest appearances and easter eggs.  ^.^

In any event, that's all I have for today.  Will come back soon,... hopefully with another comic!  ^__^

[Bella]

OH NOES!

Sorrysorrysorrysorry forgive me Aurora-sama, I cannot reply to anything, but all I can say is BEAUTIFUL work! I have really loved looking at all these gorgeous chibis! Why does it seem like everything moves so fast when I'm gone!?

I promise I'll read over your posts ASAP!

[Aurora Borealis]

Yo! ^^
Busy as a Bee, so just stopping by real quick.  ^.^'
Would really love to continue the comic,... in the next panel, we'll have UNIX-sama, several Unices, and perhaps one obscure Virus-tan make guest appearances.  ^___^

I'm curious who this obscure virus-tan may be! I at first guessed it'd be Bliss-tan but then I looked back at page 9 of the comic and remembered that she was one of the reindeer girls!

Well in the case of Mono, its the fact that it's continuing to be used that's the problem, since its of very questionable legality.  Suspicions are high that it's some sort of trap -- that if Mono usage were adopted far and wide in FOSS, M$ could point to that as REAL intellectual property infringement (even if they're technically the ones that seeded it).  Setting aside potential lawsuits, there could also be royalties demanded for applications "infected" with Mono code.

I thought it was ridiculous when M$ claimed that Open Source violated 235 or so of their patents but Mono really could be a legitimate violation of one of M$'s patents 0_0

As far as M$ and Novell are concerned, I view their partnership as akin to American and Russian cooperation in WWII.  Fellow giant corporations that they are, they've agreed to cooperate with one another to maximize profit -- but deep down inside, would like nothing more than to destroy one another (more M$ than Novell, since the former has more money of course).  T___T'

That's right- The Americans and the Soviets did not like each other at all but only got along just enough to prevent World War III and/or nuclear war from happening in the 20th century. (although such event came dangerously close to reality with the Cuban Missile Crisis)

Nope, just ImageReady.  ^___^

Speaking of which.... did you ever find out if you have a copy of that hidden away inside your Photoshop installation?  ^v^

I checked and unfortunately I do not have Image Ready installed ;_;

Oh right!  Rhapsody-san is tall, correct?  ^___^

Yeah, she's 5'10" (178 cm)!

*digs inside bag and pulls out random wedding ring*

Ohohohoho! So that's why you were asking that!

Lesse.... who's next on my list?  ^.^

Uhh... XP-tan! Or how about Slashdot-tan? ;006

Well I didn't just change for moral reasons or pursuit of personal enrichment.  It's also for the financial savings too.  ^___^

I buy ultra-cheap but excellent hardware, spend zero money on software, and have learned to fix my own issues -- so the cost savings within the past 2 years has been staggering.

That is so cool! While I know a thing or two about obtaining cheap hardware, it's because I am one of those low-end Mac users who use their old hardware as long as they can. It's great to keep my old computers in use, saving a lot of money and reducing or eliminating e-waste, But it's a very different (in a cool way) thing to be able to buy brand new hardware that is ultra-cheap and of excellent quality, which I didn't know was possible until fairly recently.

Likewise, I didn't think that free software could be so great either! But I guess it was because the 'free software' I was familiar with was actually just freeware (free but proprietary software, usually limited in functionality) or shareware (free but severely limited in functionality on purpose, teases and torments tightwads like me T_T) 

Dunno about that.... Suppose she's into all that subliminal messaging stuff?  ^____^

Well... she really likes music, movies and television!

HOLY HELL! That's cute!!!  *0*
Thank you for trying out my idea!  ^v^
4K-tan and OS/2-sama's faces are priceless -- you especially nailed it on the feeling of excitement for OS/2-sama.  ^___^

Thanks! It is such a cute idea I knew I had to try it as soon as I could!

Still an alpha sketch, but just thought I'd remind you that some of the angles in the Enterprise ride need to be adjusted.  For example, the "neck" of the Enterprise is positioned correctly below the saucer section, but it should be above the secondary hull.

Likewise, the right Warp Nacelle "leg" is properly positioned above the secondary hull, but it should be below the Warp Nacelle itself.

Thanks for pointing those out. I knew some things looked a bit off but didn't know how exactly, and this was a very difficult picture for me to start.

The secondary hull is the part below the saucer part, right? And uhh... what's the Waro Nacelle? I'm not familiar with these terms x__x

In any event, I'm wondering who you've chosen to be the spectators. I originally envisioned just a generic crowd of faceless, featureless people, but knowing you, I'm sure your bound to toss in countless guest appearances and easter eggs.  ^.^

It'll be pretty random, but I know that the whole Anti$oft Coalition (including its newest member, Visi On-tan) will be in it! May also include a character foolish enough to get Star Trek and Star Wars confused with each other!

Will come back soon,... hopefully with another comic!  ^__^

Yay!
---

*pant* *pant* Finally got the EXEC-sama portraiture done! Working on it was not too difficult, except for the insanely long hair which made this quite challenging. But I went the whole ten meters!:

[C-Chan]

Yo Aurora-hime.  ^^

I'm curious who this obscure virus-tan may be! I at first guessed it'd be Bliss-tan but then I looked back at page 9 of the comic and remembered that she was one of the reindeer girls!

Fufufu... Correct, but that's a good guess.  ^^
In any event, might have to wait on that a bit longer,... inspiration is running dry again, though I imagine it might be due to lack of sleep.  Hard to really think of drawing Unices, when I'm thinking of pillows instead.  @v@;

I thought it was ridiculous when M$ claimed that Open Source violated 235 or so of their patents but Mono really could be a legitimate violation of one of M$'s patents 0_0

Precisely!  ^^
And hence it's no real surprise that Novell is such a champion of Mono development, given their cozy relationship with M$.  They enlist in that patent protection racket to guard against a threat they're in the process of building. @.@

Reminds me of a premise in a movie I once saw (Mission Impossible?) where a company creates a deadly disease to spread secretly into the wild, only to make money off the vaccines.  Potential real-life copycats notwithstanding, I can at least say that Novell knee-deep in this kind of dirt.

Sorry SUSE-chan,... I just can't trust you.... ^^;

That's right- The Americans and the Soviets did not like each other at all but only got along just enough to prevent World War III and/or nuclear war from happening in the 20th century. (although such event came dangerously close to reality with the Cuban Missile Crisis)

Actually, the so-called Cold War was a whole different beast compared to the WWII analogy.  Absent the presence of nuclear weapons, victory with conventional weapons could not be assured between two super powers.  While its feasible to agree with the commonly-held assumption that Britain vs. Germany alone would've seen Britain fall to the Nazis, its just as feasible to assume that Britain could've remained unconquerable.  Too much emphasis is placed on the lightning quick conquest of most of Europe, with only a trailing interest in how quickly the Germans spread themselves too thin, making them susceptible to all the myriad pockets of resistence that would help strain their war machine further (especially in Greece and Yugoslavia).

That being said, since numbers still mattered, Britain + USA + Soviet Russia had a far greater chance of winning in a conventional war than any of them alone.  But of course there was always mistrust, and in fact there was always a fear among the American top brass that the Russians would "finally" fulfill their promise of assisting on the Japanese front only after all the Japanese defenses were wittled away by the Americans.

Enter nuclear weapons, and the formula of course changes.  With the prospect of mutually-assured destruction hanging overhead like a Sword of Damocles, Quid Pro Quo diplomacy takes center stage.  The building-up of enormously-large conventional forces becomes obsolete, and thus relegated to muscle-flexing and economic development primarily.  

The Cuban Missile Crisis saw both sides guilty of the usual "muscle flexing" and naturally that's what most people remember (the world coming dangerously close to the end and all).  But in the end, it was Quid Pro Quo diplomacy that saved the day -- the Americans agreed to withdraw their missiles from Turkey, the Russians in turn withdrew their missiles from Cuba.  We're still alive today thanks to a larger and more twisted version of the Golden Rule.  TvT;

Just be on a lookout for a sequel, though, as modern-day Russia is not at all happy with those proposed missile shields in Eastern Europe.

I checked and unfortunately I do not have Image Ready installed ;_;

In that case, you might be doom-ed.  ^^;
Well not quite,... there's still my infamous Plan D.... just send me the images you wanted GIFed, and I'll GIF them!

Yeah, she's 5'10" (178 cm)!

Meh,... that's a'ight.  ^^

*counts how many wedding rings are left*

Uhh... XP-tan! Or how about Slashdot-tan?

Too short, too short.  Who else?  -v-

That is so cool! While I know a thing or two about obtaining cheap hardware, it's because I am one of those low-end Mac users who use their old hardware as long as they can. It's great to keep my old computers in use, saving a lot of money and reducing or eliminating e-waste, But it's a very different (in a cool way) thing to be able to buy brand new hardware that is ultra-cheap and of excellent quality, which I didn't know was possible until fairly recently.

You and me both, sister.  ^^
Prior to my incursion into Linux, I assumed like everybody else that cheap and excellent quality were mutually-exclusive of eachother.  Now the world is changing,... albeit very slowly, as no company once to rock the boat.

Asus got an earful from countless other manufacturers for DARING to introduce people to the concept of ultra-cheap subnotebooks -- I see that as a reason why they've been eager to raise their prices on the newer EeePC models.

Fortunately for us, other companies (e.g., Acer, Dell) aren't quite so yellow-belly.... TvT

Likewise, I didn't think that free software could be so great either! But I guess it was because the 'free software' I was familiar with was actually just freeware (free but proprietary software, usually limited in functionality) or shareware (free but severely limited in functionality on purpose, teases and torments tightwads like me T_T) [/quoe]

You and me both too.  TvT

The only two "free" programs I loved and trusted at the time were IrfanView and Firefox (and only the latter is actually "FOSS").  Even Inkscape I was still on the fence with when I first came here. I liked it, but I still viewed it as a small stepping stone to Adobe Illustrator, which I idolized as the ultimate end-goal.

Oh, how the times change.... -v-

I still remember how, even though it took a bit of work on your part, you still managed to install Inkscape on your Panther.  Support for legacy systems is not a common trait among many freeware/shareware apps -- many of the either urge you on to newer systems, or have you use outdated versions of their software.

Thanks for pointing those out. I knew some things looked a bit off but didn't know how exactly, and this was a very difficult picture for me to start.

The secondary hull is the part below the saucer part, right? And uhh... what's the Waro Nacelle? I'm not familiar with these terms x__x

Yep on the first one.  The Primary hull is the 'saucer' section (and contains the bridge, living quarters, labs, etc), while the secondary hull is that body in the buttom with the Deflector dish (which contains storage rooms, weapons rooms, torpedo bays, a shuttle bay, etc).  They're given those names because starships of those types ("Constellation-class" for the original Enterprise) are able to separate in the event of emergencies (in essence, the Saucer section can become akin to a giant life-raft).  

Warp Nacelles are those two "legs" sticking out of the starship.  Instead of "Light Speed", ships in the Star Trek universe use what's called "Warp Speed", which presumably is a way to "warp" the space around you so that you create a kind of mini wormhole between one point in space and another.  That way, you can travel many light years of distance without the whole aging problem thing; other Science Fiction space travel methods (such as the Dune and Banner of the Star series) use similar faster-than-light travel methods .  ^____^'

Of course, you can't generate warp fields without generators, so that's where the Nacelles come in.  In a way then, Nacelles are akin to turbines on a cruise ship -- while there is a separate engine room feeding the power, a ship can't do anything with that power unless it has turbines to churn the water with.  

Never knew why Warp Nacelles were separated from the ship -- I imagine its cause they're dangerous too.  ^^;

I do know that having two nacelles is fairly common among Star Trek ships, although there have been appearances of ships with 1, 3 or even 4 nacelles.

Oh and btw,... I was a fan of this stuff a looooooooooooong time ago, in a galaxy far faaaaaaaaar away....

Since I want to forget those days, let us move on to more,...Anime-ish topics.  ^^;

It'll be pretty random, but I know that the whole Anti$oft Coalition (including its newest member, Visi On-tan) will be in it! May also include a character foolish enough to get Star Trek and Star Wars confused with each other!

Well,... as long as OS/2-sama is too busy cheering with glee to notice the bit of sacrilege, the offending character won't be vaporized.  ^^;

*pant* *pant* Finally got the EXEC-sama portraiture done! Working on it was not too difficult, except for the insanely long hair which made this quite challenging. But I went the whole ten meters!:

Awww, again I'm sorry for making you draw all that hair.  ;___;
But hey,... I noticed you took Bella-hime's braid tutorial to heart, and it looks very convincing!  ^v^
Hell, it's just crazy fun to watch!  You can definitely get a sense of how HUGE it is as it coils all around her snake-like (or intestine-like?).  Maybe when it's on wheels at least, it would be possible to sit every Vintage-tan on it for a ride.  ^_____^

But in any event, thank you very much for bring EXEC-sama to life!  
Appearance-wise, the design differs little from the below sketch,....



...so you know I already swooned with it quite a bit.  In color, it just adds to the very clever split in her dress, as well as the multi-colored jewelry on her fingers.  ^.^

While I do prefer the more confident stance and smile from your sketch, this picture reflects more how she was while she was still locked in that tower.  Regally-dressed, but not very confident and a little bit,... sad.  Lonely for sure....  Poor thing.... ;__;

[Gussy Keniji]

That's some neat hair dood-ette, makes me wanna just sit down and comb it...which is strange because I'm a guy and I like manly man things >_>

I too am curious as to what this obscure virus is going to be, I await to see who it is with great anticipation.

[Aurora Borealis]

Fufufu... Correct, but that's a good guess.  ^^
In any event, might have to wait on that a bit longer,... inspiration is running dry again, though I imagine it might be due to lack of sleep.  Hard to really think of drawing Unices, when I'm thinking of pillows instead.  @v@;

So it's not Bliss-tan? AAAAAAUGH! I'm curious!! But I can wait... Not wanting to draw when sleep-deprived and/or lacking in inspiration is perfectly understandable!

Precisely!  ^^
And hence it's no real surprise that Novell is such a champion of Mono development, given their cozy relationship with M$.  They enlist in that patent protection racket to guard against a threat they're in the process of building. @.@

To guard against a threat that they themselves are building? Does not compute! *head fizzles*

Reminds me of a premise in a movie I once saw (Mission Impossible?) where a company creates a deadly disease to spread secretly into the wild, only to make money off the vaccines.  Potential real-life copycats notwithstanding, I can at least say that Novell knee-deep in this kind of dirt.

That is so freaking underhanded!  ;014

Sorry SUSE-chan,... I just can't trust you.... ^^;

But you used to be a SuSE Linux user!
*SuSE-tan seen in corner, weeping*

Actually, the so-called Cold War was a whole different beast compared to the WWII analogy.  Absent the presence of nuclear weapons, victory with conventional weapons could not be assured between two super powers.

...unless one side gives in from eventual attrition? Resources are finite!

While its feasible to agree with the commonly-held assumption that Britain vs. Germany alone would've seen Britain fall to the Nazis, its just as feasible to assume that Britain could've remained unconquerable.

It's tough to say which is right. There are so many disputable things in history.

Too much emphasis is placed on the lightning quick conquest of most of Europe, with only a trailing interest in how quickly the Germans spread themselves too thin, making them susceptible to all the myriad pockets of resistence that would help strain their war machine further (especially in Greece and Yugoslavia).

Interesting... I don't think I ever learned about that in history class!

That being said, since numbers still mattered, Britain + USA + Soviet Russia had a far greater chance of winning in a conventional war than any of them alone.  But of course there was always mistrust, and in fact there was always a fear among the American top brass that the Russians would "finally" fulfill their promise of assisting on the Japanese front only after all the Japanese defenses were wittled away by the Americans.

And I thought that the Americans were only preoccupied with the fear of Communism!

Enter nuclear weapons, and the formula of course changes.  With the prospect of mutually-assured destruction hanging overhead like a Sword of Damocles, Quid Pro Quo diplomacy takes center stage.  The building-up of enormously-large conventional forces becomes obsolete, and thus relegated to muscle-flexing and economic development primarily.  

The Cuban Missile Crisis saw both sides guilty of the usual "muscle flexing" and naturally that's what most people remember (the world coming dangerously close to the end and all).  But in the end, it was Quid Pro Quo diplomacy that saved the day -- the Americans agreed to withdraw their missiles from Turkey, the Russians in turn withdrew their missiles from Cuba.  We're still alive today thanks to a larger and more twisted version of the Golden Rule.  TvT;

That is so scary, but thank goodness for diplomacy over power-hungry greed!

Just be on a lookout for a sequel, though, as modern-day Russia is not at all happy with those proposed missile shields in Eastern Europe.

I heard about that

...Now my fears of World War III happening are stronger

In that case, you might be doom-ed.  ^^;
Well not quite,... there's still my infamous Plan D.... just send me the images you wanted GIFed, and I'll GIF them!

That'll work. Not the most convienient plan but it will work.

Uhh... XP-tan! Or how about Slashdot-tan?

Too short, too short.  Who else?  -v-

I'm surprised! I thought your reaction would have been more hysterical! XD

Well let's see... Surely you have met Barbie Linux-tan, A/UX-tan, Atari TOS-tan, Amiga-tan and Rhapsody-tan...

Since you met Rhapsody-tan, you are also very likely to have to meet Cheetah-tan, Macintosh System 6-tan and their short but crazy and bomb-wielding comrades... and a prankster phantom girl who tags along!

There's also TotalFark-tan, but meeting her is gonna cost you. I also hope you like mustard, cats, obscure references and understand Fark cliches!

There's also Sorcerer Linux-tan (she's 5'11", 180 cm!) but she's a bit disgruntled and expects you to know some sorcery.

Or how about Vistan? Really, multiple renditions of her have portrayed as being 200 cm tall!

You and me both, sister.  ^^
Prior to my incursion into Linux, I assumed like everybody else that cheap and excellent quality were mutually-exclusive of eachother.  Now the world is changing,... albeit very slowly, as no company once to rock the boat.

*sings* ROCK THE BOAT! Don't rock the boat, baby! ROCK THE BOAT!

...Luckily, gone are the days that the qualities of cheap AND excellent could not coexist in the same hardware!

Asus got an earful from countless other manufacturers for DARING to introduce people to the concept of ultra-cheap subnotebooks -- I see that as a reason why they've been eager to raise their prices on the newer EeePC models.

They raised the prices?!

Fortunately for us, other companies (e.g., Acer, Dell) aren't quite so yellow-belly.... TvT
[/quote]
Dell and Acer are competitors too? I'm also completely surprised that Apple has not participated in the sub-notebook market! A sub-notebook from Apple... I'd totally buy that!

You and me both too.  TvT

The only two "free" programs I loved and trusted at the time were IrfanView and Firefox (and only the latter is actually "FOSS").  Even Inkscape I was still on the fence with when I first came here. I liked it, but I still viewed it as a small stepping stone to Adobe Illustrator, which I idolized as the ultimate end-goal.

Oh, how the times change.... -v-

Likewise, I used to do only parts of my work in Inkscape and did the rest in Photoshop. Then I did completed vector sketches in Inkscape while doing all of the shading in PS but now that I am so familiar with Inkscape, I do almost all of my work in it.

I still remember how, even though it took a bit of work on your part, you still managed to install Inkscape on your Panther.  Support for legacy systems is not a common trait among many freeware/shareware apps -- many of the either urge you on to newer systems, or have you use outdated versions of their software.

When I heard about Inkscape being free to download, I wanted to get it right away but I hestitated, unsure if it would work on my 9-year old Mac still running 10.3. It was difficult at first (especially trying to obtain X11) and did not work the first few times.

Yep on the first one.  The Primary hull is the 'saucer' section (and contains the bridge, living quarters, labs, etc), while the secondary hull is that body in the buttom with the Deflector dish (which contains storage rooms, weapons rooms, torpedo bays, a shuttle bay, etc).  They're given those names because starships of those types ("Constellation-class" for the original Enterprise) are able to separate in the event of emergencies (in essence, the Saucer section can become akin to a giant life-raft).  

Warp Nacelles are those two "legs" sticking out of the starship.  Instead of "Light Speed", ships in the Star Trek universe use what's called "Warp Speed", which presumably is a way to "warp" the space around you so that you create a kind of mini wormhole between one point in space and another.  That way, you can travel many light years of distance without the whole aging problem thing; other Science Fiction space travel methods (such as the Dune and Banner of the Star series) use similar faster-than-light travel methods .  ^____^'

Of course, you can't generate warp fields without generators, so that's where the Nacelles come in.  In a way then, Nacelles are akin to turbines on a cruise ship -- while there is a separate engine room feeding the power, a ship can't do anything with that power unless it has turbines to churn the water with.  

Never knew why Warp Nacelles were separated from the ship -- I imagine its cause they're dangerous too.  ^^;

I do know that having two nacelles is fairly common among Star Trek ships, although there have been appearances of ships with 1, 3 or even 4 nacelles.

Ohhh.... So that's how the Enterprise works and how Warp speed is achieved!

Oh and btw,... I was a fan of this stuff a looooooooooooong time ago, in a galaxy far faaaaaaaaar away....

HEY!

But then again, I made a similar intentional reference mismash back in the OS-tan theories thread! It was when there was discussion over the panel in the ZS Xmas special that shows the virus-tans as reindeer getting ready to take to the skies and it was pointed out that Lamer Exterminator-tan was using a light saber... and my remark included... A "Terminator" reference! XD

"That Lamer Exterminator is out to get you! It cannot be bargained with..."

I'm a sucker for puns...

Since I want to forget those days, let us move on to more,...Anime-ish topics.  ^^;

Yeah! Anime!

Well,... as long as OS/2-sama is too busy cheering with glee to notice the bit of sacrilege, the offending character won't be vaporized.  ^^;

BWAHAHAHAHA! She'd do that? 0__0

Awww, again I'm sorry for making you draw all that hair.  ;___;
But hey,... I noticed you took Bella-hime's braid tutorial to heart, and it looks very convincing!  ^v^
Hell, it's just crazy fun to watch!  You can definitely get a sense of how HUGE it is as it coils all around her snake-like (or intestine-like?).  Maybe when it's on wheels at least, it would be possible to sit every Vintage-tan on it for a ride.  ^_____^

That would a really cute picture idea! But I must focus! I still have a few pictures in progress including the one that is months overdue T_T

But in any event, thank you very much for bring EXEC-sama to life!  
Appearance-wise, the design differs little from the below sketch,....



...so you know I already swooned with it quite a bit.  In color, it just adds to the very clever split in her dress, as well as the multi-colored jewelry on her fingers.  ^.^

It also combined a few elements from my first sketch too.

While I do prefer the more confident stance and smile from your sketch, this picture reflects more how she was while she was still locked in that tower.  Regally-dressed, but not very confident and a little bit,... sad.  Lonely for sure....  Poor thing.... ;__;

Poor EXEC-sama. Stuck in a tower for 40 or so years. At least that is all behind her now as she has learned so much in the past few years at the Binteeji Renmei!