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It just shows that Microsoft can afford to lose money to gain market share.

Apparently not.

This model was the one at the top of the charts. "Was" being the key word, because it was selling for $90 at the time the article was written, which was November 19. That lasted approximately one week.

It's now back up to $186. The black model is $229. I suspect the brown model is still discounted a bit because it doesn't sell at full price. (And by "doesn't sell" I mean "people don't buy it".)

btw the top-selling Zune right now at Amazon *is* the black model, at #24 on Amazon's chart. The top-selling iPod is at #3.

This was a highly optimistic and now outdated article.

Maybe it's because both Zunes are sold out by Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Zune-Digital-Media-Player-Generation/dp/B000WG6XW6/ref=pd_ts_e_9?ie=UTF8&s=electronics http://www.amazon.com/Zune-Digital-Media-Player-Brown/dp/B000H0QDCC/ref=pd_ts_e_15?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

Maybe it's because both Zunes are sold out by Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Zune-Digital-Media-Player-Generation/dp/B000WG6XW6/ref=pd_ts_e_9?ie=UTF8&s=electronics http://www.amazon.com/Zune-Digital-Media-Player-Brown/dp/B000H0QDCC/ref=pd_ts_e_15?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

Okay, here's something interesting:

• On the MP3 Players list, the iPod is doing really well.
• On the Flash-based sub-list, the Sansa holds the top spot.
• On the HDD-based sub-list, the Zune holds the top spot.

Now go back and look at that first list, and take note of the iPods in the top few places. Done that? Okay, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to locate those same models on either of the other two lists.

No luck? Okay, just find *any* of the current generation of iPods (iPod Classic, iPod touch, iPod shuffle (clip version), iPod nano w/video) on the two narrowed lists. In fact, I don't see the new Zunes on those lists either, when it's apparently at #9 (at time of posting) on the general list. Nothing in the top 12 places on the general list appears in either of the other two.

So, it turns out there's a pretty simple explanation for this:
Amazon hasn't tagged the latest generations of iPods or Zunes as either HDD- or flash-based.
As a result, they just don't show in those sub-lists. And since the price-dropped 1st Gen. Zune is proving more popular than last-season's iPods, it appears above them on all lists of which they are a member, including the general list (it's at #15 right now-- the 30Gb Brown one). It just happens to place behind all the current models from both manufacturers.

-Q

Okay, here's something interesting:

• On the MP3 Players list, the iPod is doing really well.
• On the Flash-based sub-list, the Sansa holds the top spot.
• On the HDD-based sub-list, the Zune holds the top spot.

Now go back and look at that first list, and take note of the iPods in the top few places. Done that? Okay, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to locate those same models on either of the other two lists.

No luck? Okay, just find *any* of the current generation of iPods (iPod Classic, iPod touch, iPod shuffle (clip version), iPod nano w/video) on the two narrowed lists. In fact, I don't see the new Zunes on those lists either, when it's apparently at #9 (at time of posting) on the general list. Nothing in the top 12 places on the general list appears in either of the other two.

So, it turns out there's a pretty simple explanation for this:
Amazon hasn't tagged the latest generations of iPods or Zunes as either HDD- or flash-based.
As a result, they just don't show in those sub-lists. And since the price-dropped 1st Gen. Zune is proving more popular than last-season's iPods, it appears above them on all lists of which they are a member, including the general list (it's at #15 right now-- the 30Gb Brown one). It just happens to place behind all the current models from both manufacturers.

-Q

Okay, here's something interesting:

• On the MP3 Players list, the iPod is doing really well.
• On the Flash-based sub-list, the Sansa holds the top spot.
• On the HDD-based sub-list, the Zune holds the top spot.

Now go back and look at that first list, and take note of the iPods in the top few places. Done that? Okay, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to locate those same models on either of the other two lists.

No luck? Okay, just find *any* of the current generation of iPods (iPod Classic, iPod touch, iPod shuffle (clip version), iPod nano w/video) on the two narrowed lists. In fact, I don't see the new Zunes on those lists either, when it's apparently at #9 (at time of posting) on the general list. Nothing in the top 12 places on the general list appears in either of the other two.

So, it turns out there's a pretty simple explanation for this:
Amazon hasn't tagged the latest generations of iPods or Zunes as either HDD- or flash-based.
As a result, they just don't show in those sub-lists. And since the price-dropped 1st Gen. Zune is proving more popular than last-season's iPods, it appears above them on all lists of which they are a member, including the general list (it's at #15 right now-- the 30Gb Brown one). It just happens to place behind all the current models from both manufacturers.

-Q

Okay, the Amazon lists make no sense. If you look at the overall top mp3 sellers (Amazon's most popular items in MP3 Players), the current generation Nano is #1 and #2, and a SanDisk Sansa M240 at #3, all flash. Presumably, as top sellers of the overall mp3 category, they should be top sellers when you drill down to the more specific category they're in. But not a single current Nano in the flash drive list top 25, nor in the portable digital media players list. And that Sansa M240 is also missing from the flash list.

Lies, damned lies, and statistics.

Their is no place for religion in modern society. Nobody should expect their irrational fantasies to be taken seriously. Dressing up a bunch of myths and calling them religion does not make them valid. To see blind faith as a virtue is insane. Religious faith should be viewed as evidence of an inability to reason.

Not quite. First, most religions provide a social and moral framework that has (in most cases) survived, adapted, and proven workable over timescales of at least a century. From an evolutionary standpoint, that's progress not trivially to be thrown out. (Track down a copy of David Sloan Wilson's Darwin's Cathedral; reading Pinker's The Blank Slate first might give further perspective.) Second, even blind faith is a survival virtue in some cases. The absolute delusional conviction that you CAN get out of a mess without dying leads one to keep trying, even when the chances are incredibly slim and when lying back and dying would be easier. Religious faith in the sense of acting 100% certain on questions when substantial doubt does exist or the proposition is fundamentally untestable (such as "Does our existence have any higher purpose?"), while understanding that doubt does exist and the answer may be "no", is the moral equivalent of a mathematician specializing in math where the axiom of choice is affirmed.

That said, I would agree that far greater skepticism should be shown to tenets unique to particular creeds (such as the need to eat filet mignon) than to those that nigh all creeds share (such as variants of the Golden Rule); and furthermore, that blind faith in the face of overwhelming contradictory evidence -- such as cdesign proponentsists show about Evolution -- is evidence of either inability or unwillingness to reason. But for socializing small children and other simple sociopaths, religion isn't the worst tool out there.

Their is no place for religion in modern society. Nobody should expect their irrational fantasies to be taken seriously. Dressing up a bunch of myths and calling them religion does not make them valid. To see blind faith as a virtue is insane. Religious faith should be viewed as evidence of an inability to reason.

Not quite. First, most religions provide a social and moral framework that has (in most cases) survived, adapted, and proven workable over timescales of at least a century. From an evolutionary standpoint, that's progress not trivially to be thrown out. (Track down a copy of David Sloan Wilson's Darwin's Cathedral; reading Pinker's The Blank Slate first might give further perspective.) Second, even blind faith is a survival virtue in some cases. The absolute delusional conviction that you CAN get out of a mess without dying leads one to keep trying, even when the chances are incredibly slim and when lying back and dying would be easier. Religious faith in the sense of acting 100% certain on questions when substantial doubt does exist or the proposition is fundamentally untestable (such as "Does our existence have any higher purpose?"), while understanding that doubt does exist and the answer may be "no", is the moral equivalent of a mathematician specializing in math where the axiom of choice is affirmed.

That said, I would agree that far greater skepticism should be shown to tenets unique to particular creeds (such as the need to eat filet mignon) than to those that nigh all creeds share (such as variants of the Golden Rule); and furthermore, that blind faith in the face of overwhelming contradictory evidence -- such as cdesign proponentsists show about Evolution -- is evidence of either inability or unwillingness to reason. But for socializing small children and other simple sociopaths, religion isn't the worst tool out there.

Strangely enough, if you organize by type of MP3 player (hard drive based) the Zune comes out above the rest. http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/electronics/15752041/ref=pd_ts_e_nav

Breaking news! The heavily-discounted Zune is currently the #9 best-selling MP3 player on Amazon, behind only the 4GB iPod nano (silver), 8GB iPod nano (black), SanDisk Sansa M240 1GB (silver), 80GB iPod classic (black), 16GB iPod touch, 8GB iPod touch, iPod shuffle (purple) and iPod shuffle (silver)! Yes, Microsoft is indeed a true competitor in the MP3 player market. Or maybe it shouldn't be considered article-worthy to talk about a top-ten chart that fluctuates so wildly. Based on what I'm seeing here, if the friggin' shuffle is outselling the Zune, things aren't looking too good for Microsoft. I'm sure the reality is that they're probably doing perfectly fine, but there's no need to sensationalize things like this.

Well from my quick check Apple isnt even close to dominating the flash MP3 players on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/electronics/15752081/ref=pd_ts_e_nav

And M$ seems to be doing very well in the HDD based MP3 players on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/electronics/15752041/ref=pd_ts_e_nav

Well from my quick check Apple isnt even close to dominating the flash MP3 players on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/electronics/15752081/ref=pd_ts_e_nav

And M$ seems to be doing very well in the HDD based MP3 players on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/electronics/15752041/ref=pd_ts_e_nav

People will buy ghetto versions of desirable objects if they become sufficiently cheap? My Coby CD player and I are shocked, shocked.

At the moment, Apple has 7 od the top 8 spots on Amazon's MP3 bestseller list, including their 4 gig Nano at #1. The 2nd-gen 80-gig Zune comes in an #9. However, you'll note that the Yahoo article's a week and half old.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/electronics/172630/ref=pd_ts_e_nav
If you check that link, the zune is number 9. ... I guess some time during the week the zune sold a few more. I hate spin.

As of MY press time, Zune 80 is #9. iPods occupy spots 1,2, and 4-8. #3 is a Sansa of some variety, #9 is a Zune, and #10 is another Sansa. 11-14 are different nano varieties, and all the way at #15 is a Zune spot.

Feel free to come up with your own crackpot theory as to why this is. My favorite is the Zune isn't popular unless it's dirt cheap.

story is complete bull. go check amazon, as of today, 1:30 EST, apple mp3 players are at places 1,2,4,5,6,7,8. the zune is number 9. (apple continues at places 11, 12, 13, 18 ...) http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/electronics/172630/ref=pd_ts_e_nav

Bender: Blibidy Blob is on some some amazon shop a shopa jamazon. [More nonsense words] OH YEA!
Narator: New on DVD Bender's Big Score
Santa: Buy it on amazon right now. [Pulls out guns and shots]

Video this was taken from can be seen here

Bender: Blibidy Blob is on some some amazon shop a shopa jamazon. [More nonsense words] OH YEA!
Narator: New on DVD Bender's Big Score
Santa: Buy it on amazon right now. [Pulls out guns and shots]

Video this was taken from can be seen here

Looks like they're hitting Amazon too. Good for them!

I suppose you could look at alternatives.

I made SPAM sushi once using the recipe in SPAM: A Biography. Ugh, never again.... There are just some things that Should Not Be.

What did we lose? Well, in a lot of cases, liner notes, the cool label on the media, etc.

For what it's worth Rush's Snakes and Arrows MVI is one hell of a lot better than anything I ever got from an LP package.

And don't get me wrong. Emerson, Lake and Palmer's Brain Salad Surgery is the reason I got into H.R. Giger and I still have all the original goodies out of Pink Floyd's DSOTM album but it simply can not compare to this. The unfortunate part is that as the physical media's sales sink the less and less reason that bands will have to go this extra mile.

"I guess you didn't read my post or any of the information I linked."

No, I didn't read Woolf's book or listen to her speech. I've heard the arguments a dozen times before. You pick a few conditions leading up to Nazi Germany, then compare them to the current administration's policies. It's sloppily researched propaganda. See here:
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/1933392797/ref=cm_cr_dp_synop?_encoding=UTF8&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending#R28W0R1KUAZR0H
And here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_sharpshooter_fallacy

"Germany was a parliamentary democracy, fairly liberal and very similar to the U.S. today."

No, it was pretty friggin far from the current state of the US. For one, unemployment in Germany was at a staggeringly high 30% in 1932. It's at about 4.5% in the US currently, trending down in the last four years. I bet if you do a little more research, you could find other, rather significant, ways 1930 Germany != 2000 USA. Unless, of course, you are only looking for similarities.
http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?request_action=wh&graph_name=LN_cpsbref3
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERunemployment.htm

"Since you mention the Constitution, there are laws being passed as we speak (already passed this year and proposed right now) that dismantle and subvert the constitution."

Laws cannot dismantle the constitution, only constitutional amendments can. Stupid laws get passed all the time, mainly to increase the power of the state over it's citizens. Welcome to 20th/21st century USA.

"But as a matter of fact, there are direct links between Hitler, Hitler's financier and Prescott Bush, our current president's grandfather."

That's nice, what does it have to do with anything?
http://www.fallacyfiles.org/genefall.html
More or less.

"Within a year you will hear this happen to an American blogger and many people will defend the action."

It happens all the time in all types of media. It doesn't matter as long as it's not the government suppressing speech. I can easily visit anarchist, communist, fascist, racist, theocratic, liberal, conservative, and UFO cult religion websites with impunity - where is the organized suppression of thought here? Then again, a lot of media outlets are making a heap of money skewering the Bush regime, maybe it's a conspiracy! :)

"Furthermore, the movement within the U.S. government has directly used tactics, imagery, phrases and ideas from fascist Germany in current times and it's directly related to the things that I'm talking about."

I'm not sure what "Movement" you are talking about, but the political tactics used by Germany have been around before Nietzsche and Machiavelli. I'm not saying it's right, but it certainly isn't a new development, or something indicating a swing toward fascism.
http://www.fallacyfiles.org/genefall.html
(Again)

"I call Bullshit on your pompous invocation of Godwin's law and ask that you at least dig around a bit before responding."

I did dig around and found that you are even more wrong than I originally thought. I suggest you link to websites that provide data to back your arguments, not to other people making the same argument as you.

http://www.fallacyfiles.org/authorit.html

I suggest you read Chomsky, he does some halfway decent research and uses citations, even if his conclusions are utterly wrong.

For all those comments saying this has to do with how bad the situation is in Egypt, it does not.
This is indicative of the situation in the US where these corporations exist.
Historical record shows that corporate entities have big financial incentives to aid and abet the suppression of human rights in democratic societies that are closing down and turning into dictatorship states.

Naomi Wolf, an award winning feminist writer who used to be part of the Clinton clique has recently written a book about this. For those who would like to check it out there is an youtube speech she gave recently detailing the main concept of her recent research.

The U.S. is in a downward spiral and predictions can be made for what comes next. The attacks are first directed at the margins of society, then the lines get blurred and everyone becomes fair game. Within a year you will hear this happen to an American blogger and many people will defend the action. Journalists are already being harassed, bloggers will come soon after.

It reminds me of a poem I once heard:

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

Martin Niemöller (1892-1984) about the inactivity of German intellectuals following the Nazi rise to power and the purging of their chosen targets, group after group.

Actually it's in the book Emergency! True Stories from the Nation's ERs. The author found the doctor who treated the patient.

But that is why books like this exist. You'll need to buy two. I've never found a topic where a single book covers everything I needed to know about that topic. Buying three will usually put you past the point of diminishing returns.

I always wondered why Doom takes place on Mars. Venus would be so much more appropriate.

Doubt it.
Mars is the god of war.
Venus is a vibrating razor for women.

http://www.amazon.com/Expedition-Earth-Arthur-C-Clarke/dp/0345430735

SUPERIORITY
"When the war opened we had no doubt of our ultimate victory. The combined fleets of our allies greatly exceeded in number and armament those which the enemy could muster against us. We were sure we could maintain this superiority. Our belief proved, alas, to be only too well founded . . ."

The introduction claimed it is (was?) required reading at MIT.

More from:
    http://www.somefantastic.us/NRYSF_Reviews/Military_SF.html
"Perhaps the most fascinating story in the collection is Arthur C. Clarke's "Superiority." Even though the story is a half-century old, and the oldest in the collection, it may have the most modern relevance of any story in the book. As in "The Scapegoat," the story is told from the viewpoint of a group finding itself in a war with an enemy of vastly inferior technology. Yet, because of the reliance on such high-tech weaponry, which is hard to produce in mass, and the continual attempt to make the weapons even more high-tech, the superior force ends up losing the war, thus making the reader consider what truly is important in maintaining superiority. While reading the story, it's hard not to think of the U. S. military and its reliance on extremely expensive, high-tech weaponry that takes time to produce. In fact, towards the end of the U. N. military intervention in Bosnia, the U. S. military started to report shortages of the missiles needed to equip our long-range fighters. Maybe the American leaders can find a useful lesson in this story when considering the new missile defense plan. "

"War Games" was a silly movie, but even with "Superiority", the conclusion remains true: sometimes the only way to win is not to play.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace

When even on older computers you can run it at 1600x1200, or up to 1920x1440 if your monitor goes that high, with a mouse, mods, and superior graphics? And it costs $10?

Just think, when Kim Stanley Robinson released Red Mars he settled the first Mars mission in the late teens and colonization in 2024, intending to be on the safe side in his future chronology compared to much science-fiction. And now our lack of vision as a nation and bureaucratical hassles have pushed the date even beyond that. It's a sad time to be an American. If only we had the drive of the Apollo era.

Nice Altered Carbon reference.

In my opinion, Ico is the single best game for the PS2 and in the running for the best games of all time. Although never a great commercial success for Sony, it has a strong following. I just bought a copy (used, Sony is no longer selling it) to give as a gift. I was surprised how much I had to pay for it. With many other PS2 games of similar vintage going for $10 or so, used copies of Ico are selling just a bit below new game prices, and new copies are selling for more than new PS3 games.

Technically a puzzle/platform game, I think that it achieves the perfect combination of story, art, drama, technical execution, and intellectual and skill challenge.

http://www.amazon.com/Ico/dp/B00004YUWA -- They seem to be still selling it as of the time of this posting.

Micro-needles have been part of science fiction for at least 15 years. In Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash , one character has a sedative-filled needle implanted on her cervix in order to incapcitate a rapist.

Now, start browsing. Yes, New-York-Times bestsellers are $9.99 or lower. Sadly few of the books in the Computers and Internet section are significantly cheaper than the physical versions: Fred Brook's Mythical Man Month - $25.91 in eBook format. Martin Fowler's Refactoring - $35.87. Joshua Block's Effective Java - $39.99. To be fair, not all computer-science books cost that much but $25+ for an eBook is too much for me.

So while the overall selection is good and the prices on a lot of large-print-run books are great, it looks to me like the publishers are sticking with the view that books with low print runs must be priced higher, even when electronic. Too bad. I was hoping Amazon eBooks would let me carry more of the stuff that interests me beyond literature.

Now, start browsing. Yes, New-York-Times bestsellers are $9.99 or lower. Sadly few of the books in the Computers and Internet section are significantly cheaper than the physical versions: Fred Brook's Mythical Man Month - $25.91 in eBook format. Martin Fowler's Refactoring - $35.87. Joshua Block's Effective Java - $39.99. To be fair, not all computer-science books cost that much but $25+ for an eBook is too much for me.

So while the overall selection is good and the prices on a lot of large-print-run books are great, it looks to me like the publishers are sticking with the view that books with low print runs must be priced higher, even when electronic. Too bad. I was hoping Amazon eBooks would let me carry more of the stuff that interests me beyond literature.

Now, start browsing. Yes, New-York-Times bestsellers are $9.99 or lower. Sadly few of the books in the Computers and Internet section are significantly cheaper than the physical versions: Fred Brook's Mythical Man Month - $25.91 in eBook format. Martin Fowler's Refactoring - $35.87. Joshua Block's Effective Java - $39.99. To be fair, not all computer-science books cost that much but $25+ for an eBook is too much for me.

So while the overall selection is good and the prices on a lot of large-print-run books are great, it looks to me like the publishers are sticking with the view that books with low print runs must be priced higher, even when electronic. Too bad. I was hoping Amazon eBooks would let me carry more of the stuff that interests me beyond literature.

Now, start browsing. Yes, New-York-Times bestsellers are $9.99 or lower. Sadly few of the books in the Computers and Internet section are significantly cheaper than the physical versions: Fred Brook's Mythical Man Month - $25.91 in eBook format. Martin Fowler's Refactoring - $35.87. Joshua Block's Effective Java - $39.99. To be fair, not all computer-science books cost that much but $25+ for an eBook is too much for me.

So while the overall selection is good and the prices on a lot of large-print-run books are great, it looks to me like the publishers are sticking with the view that books with low print runs must be priced higher, even when electronic. Too bad. I was hoping Amazon eBooks would let me carry more of the stuff that interests me beyond literature.

Now, start browsing. Yes, New-York-Times bestsellers are $9.99 or lower. Sadly few of the books in the Computers and Internet section are significantly cheaper than the physical versions: Fred Brook's Mythical Man Month - $25.91 in eBook format. Martin Fowler's Refactoring - $35.87. Joshua Block's Effective Java - $39.99. To be fair, not all computer-science books cost that much but $25+ for an eBook is too much for me.

So while the overall selection is good and the prices on a lot of large-print-run books are great, it looks to me like the publishers are sticking with the view that books with low print runs must be priced higher, even when electronic. Too bad. I was hoping Amazon eBooks would let me carry more of the stuff that interests me beyond literature.

I'd be a LOT more concerned if they were buying this:

http://www.amazon.com/StarBird-David-Greenley/dp/0738812439/ref=sr_1_22/002-3699275-9111221?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1176468104&sr=8-22

(Here's a sample chapter, in case you enjoy pain: http://www2.xlibris.com/bookstore/book_excerpt.asp?bookid=553 )

Cops need to all read Complete Idiots Guide To The U.S. Constitution.

Don't forget books that discuss even more outrageous material, such as this one.

Or these http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/002-2059281-8813642?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=uncle+fester&x=0&y=0/

Personally, I'd be very concerned if people were buying books like these. I would certainly defend the government's right to weed out such subversives.

An ebook with a network connection has the potential for a no-brainer feature of all time: built-in integration with Project Gutenberg.

I suppose amazon.com doesn't want to do anything that might discourage people from paying $3.96 when they could download it for free.

Still, even though I may well end up buying ebooks, I would never buy an ebook reader that didn't make it ridiculously easy to browse/read Gutenberg books. This is called "get them in the door with the free stuff". The sales pitch is "With this ebook reader, you can easily read 20,000 free books from PG, and buy 100,000 titles from amazon".

I don't have one, but thinking of getting one after the holidays ... who knows, they might bring the price down a bit then.

Anyway, you can go to http://www.amazon.com/kindlestore and search for books/authors you are likely to buy and see if it's available.

If it's lost or stolen you can still download all the books you previously purchased, though you would have to replace the kindle itself.

For me, personally, I never resell books after I'm done with them and rarely lend them out so those aren't really issues for me.