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!!!!...Because my needs are simple and I've never heard of Wal-Mart !!!!

Well, you don't have to throw away the gift to get those features. I don't know how sexy your Digital Music Player has to be, and maybe having too many wires draped over your body and into your bag is a turn off, but you can add features to the iPod.
Radio:
the Tunestir
Radio and Recorder:
Griffin iFM
Recorder:
Griffin iTalk
I have to admit that I was suckered into an iPod. My best mate told me that the user interface to every other player he tried sucked, and the iPod's UI sucked the least. Then my wife went out and bought one for me for my birthday. So while I've been frustrated by lack of options, the third party add-ons have really addressed those things for me. My (off topic) complaint about iPods is how hard it is to read the full track/album names while browsing -- I have to play the track to see the track name scroll, but the album name is just cut off. And after scanning my complete CD collection, the UI on the iPod makes it impossible to tell which "Greatest Hits" album I'm about to select!

And why can't I just buy Word and Excel and none of the other ass programs?

Microsoft Office Word 2003 (the upgrade version is about half the price)

Microsoft Office Excel 2003 (the upgrade version is about half the price)

If "too many options confuse people and make them pissed off," then Linux is absolutely fucked.

And why can't I just buy Word and Excel and none of the other ass programs?

Microsoft Office Word 2003 (the upgrade version is about half the price)

Microsoft Office Excel 2003 (the upgrade version is about half the price)

If "too many options confuse people and make them pissed off," then Linux is absolutely fucked.

I agree. The Nano announcement, thoughtfully timed to be the day before my birthday, got me to get my girlfirend to get me one (say that five times fast). And I can get one that isn't white! I could give a shit about the capacity -- I only have 994 songs total in iTunes anyway -- but the size is what matters to me. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to fit it in my PSP case pretty easily.

Sicne he linked to Newegg (a great company BTW) I did a quick Froogle and found it cheaper. Notably, Buy.com has it for ~$87 with free shipping.

They are reported (with promising pictures) in TFA and its predecessor, but the one vendor link still working shows an only 4-foot short version - insufficient for most places where Ethernet cables are required. Now that /.ers are unlikely to join M$ TechNet for the privilege, where else could one buy the "just-about-long-enough" 10-foot/3+ meters (or more) "Microsoft" model shown on the TTZ pages?

Go here and buy the DVDs. You won't regret it.

Larry Cuban's 2001 Oversold and Underused: Computers in the Classroom

Lost Season 1

Lost where? In space? Or Land of the Lost? What about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World? Oh, it appears you're looking for Walt Disney's Lost. One word: Bleh.

I'm normally getting about 35Kb/s.

Except remember that BitTorrent reports rates in bytes, not bits. A rate of 35 KB per second is better than you'd get on HTTP.

I'd say thats scaling pretty well. :D [assuming sarcasm]

Just go to bed and it'll speed up. Often the Peers will remain online overnight, and they'll turn into Seeds, freeing up other Seeds to send to you. If a lot of Seeds jump off before they build up a share ratio, then you're on the wrong tracker.

7 years now. That's how long it's been since I've purchased anything from Amazon.

7 years Jeff. 7 years of lost revenue that has gone to other companies because of your stubborn insistence on doing crap like this.

My boycott shall continue.

May I suggest some of Amazon's competition?

Barnes and Noble
Buy.com
New Egg
Ebay

Bryan

1. I only had the "pleasure" of experiencing three -- and a brand new house that severely leaked every time -- sorry if you experienced all four.

2. Who said anything about power? My little Casio TV requires four double-A batteries, and I used it for days.

3. I hate it when people assume your circumstances and try to correct you with bulleted numbers ;)

Thank goodness there's a 10% off coupon. http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=90146127 &loc=111&sp=1&queryType=

Fry's here in Silicon Valley has a NAS (Network Attached Storage) box called a Buffalo that provides 1 TB of storage. It goes on sale periodically for under $700. The company also have a range of sizes including 1.6 TB version as well. I would get two of these units, periodically mirroring one to the other and placing the second one offsite.

Here is the link the 1 TB version (http://www.buffalotech.com/products/product-detai l.php?productid=99&categoryid=10) and to the 1.6 TB version (http://www.buffalotech.com/products/product-detai l.php?productid=100&categoryid=10).

A quick Google search shows that buy.com has the 1 TB units for a shade under $1K. (http://www.buy.com/prod/Buffalo_TeraStation_1TB_N AS_RAID_1_0_5_Back_up/q/loc/10995/10396259.html)

-- Mache

$70 might be the MSRP... Fatwallet and others have picked this up for much less than $70. Try buy.com ($29.99 AR).

For everyone complaining about the price of this, buy.com has this mouse for $30 after rebate, with free shipping. http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10386550 &loc=101&sp=1 Enjoy!

First-time buyers at a retailer could see higher prices than a firm's repeat customers

That seems like an odd strategy to me. A potential first-time buyer may simply be lost to another retailer with a lower starting price.

It sounds to me like your vendor is playing a little loosely with facts. There are plenty of purchase points for CRTs. I like http://www.newegg.com/ for hardware purchasing, but also check out http://www.buy.com/ and http://www.cdw.com/. Those are the major vendors, but there are tons of others out there that will sell you the high quality CRTs that you need, and won't BS you about CRTs going away. As many of the other articles are saying LCDs may be popular, but CRTs are still the better, and more cost effective, solution. My recommendation is to get a new vendor.

In five years, only one will remain.

Yeah, just like how there is only one Cola company, and Pepsi is completely bankrupt. And like how Amazon.com is the ONLY place to buy books online.

Monoplies only happen if there is a measuable barrier-to-entry in the market, either technical or legal. Postal DVD rental doesn't have a barrier like that, so there will probably stay two companies (functionally interchangable with each other).

A Froogle search for Universal Power Adapter found this: Coby CA-33 Universal 110-/220-Volt AC Power Adapter, but it only supplies one voltage at a time.

It would be great if these were available to supply multiple voltages. A problem, however, would be that all devices powered would need to have the same ground, a condition that might not exist. Deciding whether all devices had the same ground might be tricky.

Why buy the PSP when you can just buy the 2.5 inch LCD screen addon to the PS2:

http://ak.buy.com/db_assets/large_images/070/50014 070.jpg :-)

-Gabe

Took me all of about 45 seconds to find a 512mb MP3 player for less than $100 ($85 in fact). Free shipping too. Also USB flash drive and voice recorder.

BUSLink 512MB MP3 Player w/ Flash Drive & Voice Recorder

These "Vantage Service Gateway" appliances that Zyxel sells are pretty neat, but not exactly cheap: vsg-1200 @ buy.com.

They have some quirks, as we're still playing around w/the one we have.. Like they seem to break VPN for example. They do a weird rewrite of DNS that screws up people trying to check their email via outlook over a VPN... But if you don't need VPN from behind then, they seem to do the job.

Transparently controls access to the internet, no configuration on the user's machine is needed. It intercepts any web traffic and makes the user login, as you were mentioning. You can set up user accounts locally on the VSG, or use a RADIUS server. You can control access time and bandwidth limits based on users and billing profiles that you set up on the box. The web interface seems a little "clunky" to me... think it was written in a different country and translated based on the wording of some of the error messages :)

It's not a troll you schmuck.
The Battery is $33.81 instead of sending it to apple for $99

Plus the Player is $100 less since it isn't a cash cow and it has 10GB more storage (30 vs 20).

What is the benefit of the iPod again?

It's not a troll you schmuck.
The Battery is $33.81 instead of sending it to apple for $99

Plus the Player is $100 less since it isn't a cash cow and it has 10GB more storage (30 vs 20).

What is the benefit of the iPod again?

Check this out:
You pay $275 for the Creative 60GB player

Then you pay $0 to use the 14 day free trial of Napster To-Go to load it up with 60 GB of audio.

Then you discontinue the Napster service and for $275 you have 20,000 (60GB / 3MB) songs to listen to whenever you want.

Thanks Napster, I guess you _still_ are the source for free music after all!!!

(I'll stick to iPod and iTunes, thanks anyway)

Uh, well, ok. I actually meant my first link to be merely an example to show that such things exist. I expected the questioner to find their own sources. But if want available product, how about this, this, or this

No. They're all sold out. Too bad there's no mirrordot for /.'ed products, i.e. the Canary Wireless WiFi finder (earlier /. post).

are there any bus-powered usb / firewire enclosures?

Yes.

You just need a 1500 watt power inverter. You could go mobile with the beam gun, this inverter and a couple of deep cycle batteries. Strap them to an old backpack frame, kind of like the ghostbusters.

SD

Getting Media Center Edition no longer requires purchasing a new overpriced system. Some references:

MCE 2005 OEM (Software) - $140
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?desc ription=32-102-311&depa=0

MCE 2005 Remote - $40
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?desc ription=80-100-851&DEPA=0

Xbox MCE Extender software (includes remote - is what this whole article is about) ... $58
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10385209 &loc=101&sp=1

LinkSys MCE Extender (standalone/wireless) -
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10382669

HP has one too also can't find it for sale yet
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/product?product =438918&cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en&

Getting Media Center Edition no longer requires purchasing a new overpriced system. Some references:

MCE 2005 OEM (Software) - $140
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?desc ription=32-102-311&depa=0

MCE 2005 Remote - $40
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?desc ription=80-100-851&DEPA=0

Xbox MCE Extender software (includes remote - is what this whole article is about) ... $58
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10385209 &loc=101&sp=1

LinkSys MCE Extender (standalone/wireless) -
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10382669

HP has one too also can't find it for sale yet
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/product?product =438918&cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en&

You can buy it with Windows or without Windows. You save a little money if you buy it with Windows (compared to the $200-$300 it costs for Windows XP Full Version normally) but a legally-licensed copy of Windows will install without any problems on the vanilla Virtual PC product.

You can buy it with Windows or without Windows. You save a little money if you buy it with Windows (compared to the $200-$300 it costs for Windows XP Full Version normally) but a legally-licensed copy of Windows will install without any problems on the vanilla Virtual PC product.

I've never understood the desire to pay $.99/song or $9.99/album for crapticularly compressed songs that are tied to a single platform. Sure, for a one-off piece of fluff that you want to listen to a couple dozen times it's not bad, but in any other scenario, it's nuts. Buy.com is at least offering 256K downloads (still DRMed), but unless you go to a dodgy site like AllOfMP3 (which is worse, it's quasi-legality or its crappy rips?), or happen to like one of the artists at Magnatune, you're SOL if you want lossless, archivable music.

I'd happily pay for downloadable music if it was cheap ($.25/song) and lossless and had no-DRM or very loose DRM. The business model can work (look at Magnatune), but it's going to require a different kind of music industry. Eventually, I think the music industry will get there, but it's gonna be a painful process, and we'll end up with crap like DCMA and the like on our backs forever. Bah.

8x8 Inc. is another VOIP provider cheaper than both with anytime unlimited LD at $20.55 bottom line per month.

They also offer 911 service that I haven't tried for an extra $3, you just have to make sure you provide your latest address.

I have been pretty happy with it, reception is better than my cell phone. They recently have signed deals to offer hardware with many online retailers, most notably amazon.com and buy.com.

The WRT54G isn't the only thing from Linksys that runs Linux. The NSLU2 is a designed to be a NAS solution. But you can hack the firmware to run practically whatever you want. Supports up to two hard drives (connected via USB) and has an Intel XScale (ARM) processor. It has no fans, so the only noise comes from the drive(s) you attach to it. You can pick one up for about $80.

"The HP iPod will use only USB 2.0 not firewire"

No - the HP iPods are identical in every way (including firewire) except they have an additional HP brandmark below the Apple brandmark, and have 4 times the warranty (1 year vs. 90 days) that Apple offers. Look:

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=90139042 &loc=111&sp=1

disclaimer: I have no fiancial incentive for pointing you to this link, etc. etc.

I picked up the Go Video D2730 Network DVD player when it was Buy.com's deal of the day a few weeks ago for $99. It was a great deal. I pulled it out of the box and hooked it up to my router and suddenly I could watch any Simpsons episode I wanted at any time, or stream any mp3 on my home network through my entertainment center's sound system.

The interface is clunky, but I'm holding out hope that it's being redesigned. The only other downside I've seen is from those who've tried swapping out the bundled wired ethernet card for a wireless option. While Go Video claims they support wireless, apparently performance takes a major hit.

Also, the 'server' software restricts streaming of .avi files unless it detects a CPU over 1.2 ghz. That can be bypassed by editing an .ini file, but it's a good recommendation if you don't want your shows to skip.

-R

Enjoy,

Helevius

I had the same problem a few months ago, only I was working with sales people. I found the remote with the longest range and the least buttons. PocketPoint RF. I think the company that made this was bought by InFocus but it's still the same product. Incredible range, long battery life and it only has two buttons.... Plus the laser pointer.

I bought I Creative Nomad Zen Xtra 60GB from an online retailer and it has been nothing but a nightmare. The player lasted six days before dying of a sudden hardware failure.

The online vendor lost half the items that came with the player and blew off my return of the defective merchandise. Two months later, I am still arguing with them to get it replaced.

Creative's warranty is worthless even after jumping through all their hoops as the RMI is perpetually lost in the mail. I have contacted them over a half a dozen times. Each time a new RMI was promised, each time lost in the mail. They now claim it is beyond the return period despite all of the email chains.

I will never buy another Creative product again.

Poker, Blackjack or other such games are the only sort of gambling I would be remotely willing to participate in because it involves much more than straight chance as involved in slots, roulette or craps. Sure statistics come into play, but nothing forces the stats to hold consistently.

Taking blackjack as an example, if you come up with a strategy that gives you better odds than the house, a little something called the central limit theorem guarantees that in the long run, you're going to win. What you should be concerned about instead is that your bankroll is big enough to let you play long enough for that to happen -- if you run out of money too quickly due to a run of bad luck (something math guys call the "gambler's ruin" problem), then you're screwed. Then it becomes trying to figure out what the odds are of that not happening, as a function of how much money you start out with.

The popular Bringing Down The House is an easy read that actually does a good job of discussing a lot of these issues, in the guise of an entertaining story.

I love its popularity. The more that play, the more I can win!

For those who are just starting out, Brunson's Super System is considered the classic text -- it's been around forever and supposedly every pro has read it. (Brunson has since said that he regrets writing it and giving up so much of what he's learned; he hasn't enjoyed as much success since publishing as he did before.) If the old-school formatting and layout (and sheer size) turn you off, Sklansky's Theory of Poker is also well written, a bit more concise, and appealing to people with a fancy for game theory.

I love its popularity. The more that play, the more I can win!

For those who are just starting out, Brunson's Super System is considered the classic text -- it's been around forever and supposedly every pro has read it. (Brunson has since said that he regrets writing it and giving up so much of what he's learned; he hasn't enjoyed as much success since publishing as he did before.) If the old-school formatting and layout (and sheer size) turn you off, Sklansky's Theory of Poker is also well written, a bit more concise, and appealing to people with a fancy for game theory.

This is great! The only thing left, is for them to figure out how I'm going to PAY for office separately!

IOW, I couldn't give a rat's ass about your argument, as lawsuits and laws are for those who can afford them - ie. the guys who screwed the artists in the first place.

This system is broken, and your BS doesn't fix it.

buy.com has both of those books at decent prices:

Fisher http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=33766959

Graham http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=33756166

buy.com has both of those books at decent prices:

Fisher http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=33766959

Graham http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=33756166