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Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft have a right to veto the publication of your software on their console platforms

Say I were to develop software for the console called Dell Zino, which runs a Microsoft platform. How could Microsoft veto that? (TIP: An answer starts by defining "console".)

Manufacturers of Android-powered phones pay a fee to Microsoft to use the Android platform. How can Microsoft veto applications for Android-powered devices? (TIP: An answer starts by defining "their".)

There are lots of them - and have been for good long time. I have one of these, that I got when a local hospital was selling off the old generation of computers and upgrading to these. These things are freaking amazing - usable in full sunlgiht, nearly indestructible, great battery life (plus hot-swappable batteries), but they do cost $2000+, which is why you never see them, except in hospitals or government contracted job-sites, or on sci-fi tv shows.

Fujitsu, Acer, HP, Dell, or Lenovo all have Windows tablet offerings. They just tend to be full-fledged computers, rather than toys, and so carry a higher price. Windows 7 with gestures / flicks works quite well as a tablet OS, but it is helpful to have the active digitizer with stylus, regardless of whether you also have a iPad style touchscreen.

Oh yeah. The MacBook Air and the Dell Mini 9 are practically the same machine!

The MacBook Air has a 64GB SSD. The Dell has a 4GB(no, that's not a typo. 4GB) SSD.

The MacBook Air uses a Core CPU. The Dell uses an Atom CPU, and Apple removed support for Atom processors in 10.6.2.

The MacBook Air has an 11.6" screen at 1366 x 768. The Dell has an 8.9" screen at 1024 x 600.

The MacBook Air has 802.11n. You have to pay *extra* to get a wifi card for the Dell, and even then only 802.11g is available.

The MacBook Air has bluetooth standard. You have to pay *extra* to get bluetooth for the Dell.

The MacBook Air comes with 2GB of RAM. The Dell comes with 512MB.

The MacBook Air is about 1/3 thinner than the Dell Mini 9.

The MacBook Air has stereo speakers. The Dell has one speaker.

The MacBook Air comes with a camera. The Dell does not. You can purchase one for extra.

The MacBook Air has NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics. The Dell uses Intel's integrated graphics.

Source:
http://www.apple.com/macbookair/specs.html
http://www.dell.com/us/dfh/p/inspiron-mini9/pd#TechSpec

So... you paid (minimum) $430 for a 12.1" netbook that only lets you use Chrome and not do anything else with your system when you could have gotten one of these for less money, and gotten a system that's just as portable (I have been shopping for laptop cases... they don't make many 12.1" laptop bags, so you're probably buying one for a 13.3" screen anyway), has a better processor, a significantly larger hard drive, and comes with a stock Ubuntu preinstalled (to say nothing of the 1 year NBD onsite warranty)? If you got the 3G version that is *slightly* more understandable, but not really when you consider that you can get a USB data stick for less than the price difference between the two, and you're at the same place of needing to buy a data plan for it.

I loathe Ubuntu... the first thing I did was wipe the hard drive and install my distro of choice. But even then, I think I got much better value for money than you did.

Why did you run to JBHIFI for a price comparison?

Because it's 5 minutes away from where I am and it sells multiple brands of laptops. Controlling variables like that is important in comparisons, but you dont want a fair comparison because then you have to face the fact that Mac's are more expensive then the equivalent laptops.

And the little performance performance increase you may have gotten out of your i3 is better because of the newer architecture.

Fixed that for you, the megahertz myth has been dead for some time.

Also, any performance gains you would have gotten out of the Mac would have been killed by the slower drive. You don't understand how computers work, I/O is the bottleneck on systems running 5.4 K RPM drives.

US$1199

You do know Apple prevents me form buying that. I have to pay A$1400 in Australia which is US$1495. (BTW, Tax in Oz is a flat 10%)

But I decided to check out Dell's US web site. The Vostro with an i5 starts at US$711 without any student discounts (which is another form of goal post moving, lets use actual prices for comparison, I haven't been a student for 10 years so using this makes you look desperate to prove a point you know is false).

But here is a Toshiba Portege which has the same spec's as the Macbook and the Dell for only US$849 from a US store, you could probably get it cheaper but I'm not that familiar with the US market. Oh and BH Photo & Video will ship to Oz.. I also get Toshiba's warranty and renowned reliability.

Moving the goal posts?

Yes you are.

and it seems no matter how much you move them, it doesn't help your argument. You complained that I used Australian prices, then I proved exactly the same thing in US prices and you are yet to provide a single corroborating link, I think you're pulling your "facts" out of your arse and are afraid of what you might find if you actually tested what you are claiming.

Admit it, Mac's are overpriced.

I own a Dell m1530. If I go to Dell's website, I can find detailed procedures for replacing pretty much anything I want. Link here

So I don't have to buy any replacement parts from Dell. Or I could buy parts from them, its my choice. But at least Dell gives me more than enough information how to do it myself. Motherboards, keyboards, LCD screens, network cards, cellular data modems, hard drives, ram even whole cases can all be obtained from a variety of vendors.

Apple is a hardware company. They want you to buy early and often. That is OK. But I just can't stand the people that continually act like Apple is sealing up and obfuscating their hardware for the good of consumers. They manufacture forced obsolescence. Once again, that is OK. Know what you are buying.

I've run through many machine comparisons. Would you mind being more specific for yours?

I'd compare an Asus U30SD but you said I cant use a porche.

Instead of giving you allusions to pretend numbers, I'll provide you with actual links. Both of which I could buy within 10 minutes of posting. In before you start trying to move goalposts, all of these laptops will perform the same functions. Trying to say otherwise is only fooling yourself.

Now, the basic model 13" Dell Vostro has:
- Sandy Bridge i3.
- 2 GB RAM.
- Intel IGM.
- 7.2 K RPM HDD.
- 1 Yr Next Business Day on-site warranty.
And starts at A$750.

The base model 13" Macbook has:
- Core 2 Duo.
- 2 GB RAM.
- Nvidia 320 with shared memory (not dedicated).
- 5.4 K RPM HDD.
- 1 Yr "take it to an Apple store" warranty.
And starts at A$1197

The Dell in question is by far not the cheapest, but it is something I'd be comfortable recommending to a friend or customer. Unlike the Macbook which has an older slower processor, slower disk and a really bad warranty.

For a more like for like comparison with a 2011 macbook.

I present the Asus Porche (U30SD).
- Intel Core i5 2410M (sandy bridge).
- 4 GB RAM.
- Nvida 520 1GB VRAM / Intel HD IGM (switchable).
- 640 GB HDD (5.4 K RPM) which can be swapped out.
- Blueray.
A$1249 drive away,

Now for the Macbook Lada (2011 model).
- Intel Core i5 2410M (sandy bridge).
- 4 GB RAM.
- Intel HD 3000.
- 320 GB HDD 5.4 K RPM (not swappable with non apple drives).
- DVD drive.
All this for A$1396.

Now the Macbook is inferior to the Asus which is A$150 cheaper. Oh, the Asus also has a 10 hour battery life running Windows 7.

So, you were saying (without providing links)?

Wow, you are too much fun. So... lets start.

You mean by showing that Mac hardware prices *aren't* higher than other companies? When you compare equivalent hardware, Macs are generally cheaper than Dells, for example. Sometimes they are more. You think that if you can find *one* example to the contrary (for example, when the MacBook Pros still had Core2Duos (which was done for technical reasons because Nvidia lost the right to make chipsets for the Core iX cpus, which is what Apple was intending to use)), that this proves "Macs are more expensive". This is what I mean by "black and white". You constantly only accept facts that support your preconceptions, and dismiss those that don't.

Ok, lets take your words here. Macs are cheaper then Dells. Lets see this with the facts and not your words (I'll be using Alienware since it is Dell and is more easy to mix and match parts to the Mac version, you can even see the link here): Now, here is the starting point of an Alienware M17x (they don't make 15 inch models, just 14 and 17 now, which would leave me comparing to either a 13 inch or 15 inch MBP which isn't fair, so both are 17 inch models). I will also not be upgrading the Mac since the last time I did this with you, you declared it wasn't fair since Apple does have high upgrade fees. These are also BOTH customization sites so to compare you will have to follow the specs I'm listing and not alter them beyond what I'm listing or the answers will be different

Alienware

CPU: Intel® Coreâ i7 2720QM 2.2GHz

RAM: 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz (2DIMMS)

Graphic card: 1GB GDDR5 AMD Radeonâ HD 6870M

HD: 750GB 7,200RPM HDD

Screen: 17.3-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 60Hz WLED

Wireless card: Wireless 802.11 g/n

Optical drive: Slot-Load Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW) (can't tell speed)

Price: $1,899.00

This is were I am selection the MBP 17inch model.

CPU: 2.2GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7

RAM: 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2X2GB

Graphics card: AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 1GB GDDR5

HD: 750GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 RPM

Screen: MacBook Pro 17-inch Hi-Resolution Glossy Widescreen Display (1920x1200)

Wireless card: Sorry, couldn't spot it so won't use it to compare at the end.

Optical drive: SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)

Price:$2,499.00

Both have backlit keyboards and free engravings (I'm pretty sure the Mac does at least11)

Now, in the end, for the most part they are about as even as I could make them (with a small amount of issues, the Dell has a better graphics card, the MBP has a higher screen pixel count). Price difference is $600. And it was you who pointed out the Dell would be more then the Apple. This was your choice. I'm just showing the fact. I could go through all the different model and will always have these kinds of differences. But if you wish, please prove me wrong while trying to keep the comparisons fair, I did by making sure to keep the MBP non-upgraded and altered the Dell configuration to the MBP's level as evenly and fairly as I could. See if you can do it, I'm not dismissing anything you'll show me if it's done in a fair manor. (unlike the last time I gave you mostly this exact comparison where you altered the Dell to have an i3 and lowered everything you possibly could and then upped the MBP settings to make it seem like price wasn't a good comparison since your new models didn't match hardware wise).

to not long ago showing you that Mac isn't the most secure OS out there (which you demanded had to be regardless that I had your word against the word of professionals)

Please quote where I sai

Wow, you are too much fun. So... lets start.

You mean by showing that Mac hardware prices *aren't* higher than other companies? When you compare equivalent hardware, Macs are generally cheaper than Dells, for example. Sometimes they are more. You think that if you can find *one* example to the contrary (for example, when the MacBook Pros still had Core2Duos (which was done for technical reasons because Nvidia lost the right to make chipsets for the Core iX cpus, which is what Apple was intending to use)), that this proves "Macs are more expensive". This is what I mean by "black and white". You constantly only accept facts that support your preconceptions, and dismiss those that don't.

Ok, lets take your words here. Macs are cheaper then Dells. Lets see this with the facts and not your words (I'll be using Alienware since it is Dell and is more easy to mix and match parts to the Mac version, you can even see the link here): Now, here is the starting point of an Alienware M17x (they don't make 15 inch models, just 14 and 17 now, which would leave me comparing to either a 13 inch or 15 inch MBP which isn't fair, so both are 17 inch models). I will also not be upgrading the Mac since the last time I did this with you, you declared it wasn't fair since Apple does have high upgrade fees. These are also BOTH customization sites so to compare you will have to follow the specs I'm listing and not alter them beyond what I'm listing or the answers will be different

Alienware

CPU: Intel® Coreâ i7 2720QM 2.2GHz

RAM: 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz (2DIMMS)

Graphic card: 1GB GDDR5 AMD Radeonâ HD 6870M

HD: 750GB 7,200RPM HDD

Screen: 17.3-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 60Hz WLED

Wireless card: Wireless 802.11 g/n

Optical drive: Slot-Load Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW) (can't tell speed)

Price: $1,899.00

This is were I am selection the MBP 17inch model.

CPU: 2.2GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7

RAM: 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2X2GB

Graphics card: AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 1GB GDDR5

HD: 750GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 RPM

Screen: MacBook Pro 17-inch Hi-Resolution Glossy Widescreen Display (1920x1200)

Wireless card: Sorry, couldn't spot it so won't use it to compare at the end.

Optical drive: SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)

Price:$2,499.00

Both have backlit keyboards and free engravings (I'm pretty sure the Mac does at least11)

Now, in the end, for the most part they are about as even as I could make them (with a small amount of issues, the Dell has a better graphics card, the MBP has a higher screen pixel count). Price difference is $600. And it was you who pointed out the Dell would be more then the Apple. This was your choice. I'm just showing the fact. I could go through all the different model and will always have these kinds of differences. But if you wish, please prove me wrong while trying to keep the comparisons fair, I did by making sure to keep the MBP non-upgraded and altered the Dell configuration to the MBP's level as evenly and fairly as I could. See if you can do it, I'm not dismissing anything you'll show me if it's done in a fair manor. (unlike the last time I gave you mostly this exact comparison where you altered the Dell to have an i3 and lowered everything you possibly could and then upped the MBP settings to make it seem like price wasn't a good comparison since your new models didn't match hardware wise).

to not long ago showing you that Mac isn't the most secure OS out there (which you demanded had to be regardless that I had your word against the word of professionals)

Please quote where I sai

You can buy new machines from Dell with FreeDOS installed.

I recently bought a Dell Vostro V13 with built-in 3G WWAN connectivity, but have not activated it. It didn't cost me any extra to have it in the netbook (in fact, I think it was cheaper because it included it ;^), but first thing I did when I got the netbook was disable the 3G card in the BIOS, then I upgraded RAM, put in an SSD, and installed a new OS. I like having it as an option, but I don't suspect I'll ever activate it (unless someone else is willing to foot the bill...)

At $595 its not exactly what I'd call cheap (The $250 is for a bare bones with most of the parts missing) and for what you are wanting to do it sounds like you'd be better off with a Dell Zino with a wireless keyboard. Hell even the bottom of the line one has better specs and is only $299.

While I'd call it cute folks seem to forget there is a reason we don't build PCs into keyboards and that is because we learned from our mistake in the 80s. The PC in the keyboard was just one of many bad ideas we thankfully outgrew, because if anything happened to the keys you were boned.

While some here may be nostalgic for the old days (I started out on the VIC and I like things as they are now, thanks anyway) but working my butt off on the keyboard like I did with the VIC so I can use my PC? Uh Uh, I have a closet full of keyboards and if anything happens to this one? Takes maybe 3 minutes. Remember kids, it isn't just how careful YOU are, it is how careful is your wife/GF, kids, friends, kinfolks,pets, etc are around this thing.

At $595 its not exactly what I'd call cheap (The $250 is for a bare bones with most of the parts missing) and for what you are wanting to do it sounds like you'd be better off with a Dell Zino with a wireless keyboard. Hell even the bottom of the line one has better specs and is only $299.

While I'd call it cute folks seem to forget there is a reason we don't build PCs into keyboards and that is because we learned from our mistake in the 80s. The PC in the keyboard was just one of many bad ideas we thankfully outgrew, because if anything happened to the keys you were boned.

While some here may be nostalgic for the old days (I started out on the VIC and I like things as they are now, thanks anyway) but working my butt off on the keyboard like I did with the VIC so I can use my PC? Uh Uh, I have a closet full of keyboards and if anything happens to this one? Takes maybe 3 minutes. Remember kids, it isn't just how careful YOU are, it is how careful is your wife/GF, kids, friends, kinfolks,pets, etc are around this thing.

If you don't want a laptop there are plenty of small space saving desktop models available, from the Mac Mini to Dell's Zino. Or all in one computers that take up barely more space than a comparable LCD monitor.
If you are the type that roles your own, MicroATX form factor motherboards and cases abound. Since they are often used for home theaters you can find case models designed to be quiet.
The one thing this Commodore computer offers over other options is the novelty look. That keyboard was great in 84 but I can't see myself using it these days.

the set-top video gaming market (where closed won)

Was there even an "open" option there?

Before 1986, many 8-bit home computers supported TV out. Then IBM compatible PCs took off, most of which were incompatible with TV monitors. For the next two decades, a few PCs supported TV out. I can see why that failed, as not all video cards had composite or S-Video out, and the "scan converter" box to turn VGA into SDTV was incredibly obscure and fairly expensive. But starting around 2006, most new TVs have had VGA and HDMI inputs, suitable to display a PC's respective VGA and DVI-D outputs. The only thing I can think of that kept a media center PC from becoming the fourth console over the past five years is inertia combined with lack of advertising. So I guess small form factor PCs like the Dell Zino with Radeon graphics need something like the "Genesis does what Nintendon't" or "Droid does what iDon't" commercial.

I would second that and add that you should consider a refurbished laptop with a 1 year warranty.

these ones can: http://www.dell.com/xfr

f%&k tablets. a dell XFR is my dream machine. seriously, ballistic armor ? gotta love a notebook that can take a bullet for you.

Dell Streak was updated to Froyo, November 15, 2010. Considering that fact, I wouldn't trust the source you cite.

If you'd like a reference for that: http://en.community.dell.com/dell-blogs/Direct2Dell/b/direct2dell/archive/2010/11/15/android-2-2-froyo-and-the-dell-streak-details-on-how-the-upgrade-will-work.aspx

Also, as a follow up, the vast majority of phones released, have been updated to 2.2 or better, if you're willing to change the ROM yourself.

Ah, never mind, found it. It was the 3rd link for me: http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/ubuntu?c=us&l=en&cs=19

"We're glad you found Dell's Ubuntu website."

Yeah, apparently it's not so easy for everybody. And then if you go to the end of the page and hit "Shop for Ubuntu", you get a whopping choice of one machine with a base price of $460.

Funny, I did the same thing, but ended up on this page: http://linux.dell.com/ , which didn't have anything of interest. I didn't see the sponsored link because of Ad block, I assume. What's funny is if I click on the sponsored link, I don't see anything about Linux.

I still can't find the route you took to get to that machine. For example, from linux.dell.com, if I click on "Ubuntu on Dell", it doesn't show anything about 10.10. I can't see a simple link that lets you buy a Dell with Linux on it.

Dell is either making it very difficult to get Linux on a machine or I'm obtuse. Somehow I think it's the former.

Yes I can, assuming you live in the US (I don't)

I wouldn't buy a monitor bigger than 24" that only supported 1080p.

I can only guess at what something like that would cost and where you'd buy it.

I've never seen such a beast. That's not to say they don't exist, but it seems a fairly exotic thing.

Exotic? Really?

On the consumer/normal workstation end of things off the top of my head you've got the Dell U2711, IPS, res. 2560x1440 (list 1k, but frequently on sale for ~$700) plus Apple's *only* display, in the same price range with essentially the same panel (glossy though, and LED backlight).

On the true high end Eizo, NEC, and others make even better displays. Not to mention that with slightly lower DPI you cna get the same 2560x1440 resolution on nearly every 30" computer monitor made in the last few years (including Apple, Dell, HP, Samsung, etc)

Do they mitigate it by making it easy to replace/upgrade the most commonly replaced components?

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/my_systems_info/manuals?c=us&l=en&s=biz

perhaps that should be a requirement in the future, since Apple is the only manufacturer that I have ever found who doesn't do these things, due to their obsession with looks over function.http://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/02/28/233215/New-MacBook-Pro-Teardown-Reveals-Shoddy-Assembly?from=rss#

Playing around with options ( http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dkcwbn2&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&model_id=alienware-m17x ), you can spec one to over $4900.

Unless Dell dropped their price by $700 since you looked, I call BS.

"Dell XPS 17 3D (1080p)" - http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-l702x/pd?oc=dndocq1&variant=2:I72820Q~3:4G2D133~6:5503DUT~8:500GG72~11:W7HP6E~16:BDCMBRX&model_id=xps-l702x

Apple 17" MBP: $2499
Dell XPS 17 3D (1080p): $1798

And the comparable Apple would be more (+$250) because the dell is a 2.3GHz i7 processor.

There are minor differences, but they balance out.
* 500GB SATA 7200 RPM HDD (Apple has that option for the same prices as their 750GB 5200rpm).
* Different video card, but I'm certain it's comparable (1GB Nvidia GT550M)
* Dell optical drive can also read Blu-ray (I don't see that option on any MBP's)
* Dell screen is 1080p, so it's probably 1920x1080, versus MBP 1920x1200.
* Dell screen is 3d capable (120Hz refresh) - that makes up for the minor diff in resolution IMO
* I have no idea on real world battery life of either system.

All that said, I'll agree that in many cases the Apple offerings as of late are hard to match and hit the same or lower price, and at the very least, they're somewhat fair (certainly not 2x or 3x the cost of a building the same PC). The advantage of building your own PC, however, is that you can eliminate features that don't matter to you and get a far cheaper system that does as much or more than the Mac in the areas you need.

I'll also say I really love to hate Dell. I detest their interface for finding computers/stuff, and the arbitrary limits/requirements they impose (ex. why isn't a 1tb drive an option in a low-end system? why do some systems require a monitor to be included? why aren't all the monitor choices available on those that do require them? Why is the above Dell laptop the ONLY one with a 17" 1080p screen (I'd be happy with a much slower laptop with a high-res screen)? And why limit the Windows options on different products (and why not have a no-OS option)? Why does their 30" monitor cost 50% MORE than it did two years ago? etc etc etc. Comparing to Apple though, they only have one model with a 17" screen, so there is no additional level of customization there either.

4GB of RAM? WTF? I have a laptop that's 2 years old, cost me just over $1000, and came with 4GB. I mean, I've come to expect Apple devices to be over cost and under spec right before an update, but right after? 4GB is barely better than low-end for a new laptop these days, netbooks excepted (not that any Apple "notebook" would cost anything close to a netbook). Putting that in a "Pro" model machine, which will probably cost about 2x what my 2-year-old laptop did, is simply ridiculous.

Hell, I upgraded another laptop - a 12" tablet - to 4GB of RAM (2x2GB) at the same time as I bought the other machine, for a cost of $90. By Moore's Law, the same amount of money should get me 8GB today, and I'm sure Apple can get better discounts than I can by just going down to Fry's. What's their excuse?

Random example (neither of my current laptops are Dell, but their business lines are decent):
http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/vostro-3300/pd?oc=bvcs34a&model_id=vostro-3300
2.53GHz Core i5 (better than the MBP)
13.3" display (lower res than the MBP though)
4GB of DDR3 RAM

Total cost after tax and all is about $700. The new MBP is *probably* not more than 3x as much...
For a bit under $2000 I could get 8GB and a Core i7, in 13.3" form factor.

I've always been a proponent of AMD because I always look for bang/buck performance. Intel has the reputation for exploring the bleeding edge and AMD is trailing, but not by much. In years past Dell was a leader in PDAs with various iterations of its Axim, now with Android tablets such as the Streak and a link with AMD, perhaps the Android tablet would come down to a price point agreeable to normal people.

Dell have been selling machines with Ubuntu for a few years now. Take a look.

You're telling me that my complaint about the game acting like it's on a console, even though it's on a computer... Is because it was designed to act like it's on a console, even though it's on a computer?

It's possible to plug a computer into a TV and have it replace a console. Dell even makes the Zino PC that looks like a cross between a Mac mini and a GameCube.

There are a very large number of PC gamers who do not have gamepads handy.

Any emulator fan will tell you there's nothing wrong with arrow keys, Z, and X, while you wait for your $15 Logitech gamepad to ship. Or plug in your Xbox 360 wired controller and it'll Just Work.

The whole complaint about "consoleitis" is that everything is now behaving like it's a console game ported to a PC.

Console makers dictate that one must be "at least this tall" to develop for consoles. A developer operating out of home offices has to develop its console-style games for PCs, especially home theater PCs.

That should link to http://linux.dell.com/ screwed up my own HTML link.

It's a very thought provoking topic.

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&cs=04&l=en&sku=224-8284

(Dell, 27" U2711, 2k resolution (2560x1440)
Frequently on sale for $800.
Or did you need 2k vertical? That's going to be much harder to come by.

http://linux.dell.com/

Mine does, but it's an old Latitude D610. Nothing too special, but it runs Xubuntu nicely.

I had this problem several years back with an HP I bought...

Was having trouble with the AGP, did some research, and found that there were updated drivers available. But nobody could tell me what was on my motherboard.

Look harder next time. Put in your serial number and it'll tell you every part in your system.

These days I run into the same thing very routinely with Dell machines. Two different machines built to the same specifications might wind up with significantly different hardware inside.

Same thing with Dell. Put in your express service code, then click "Original System Configuration." The information is out there you just need to look.

According to the RIAA:

Digital revenues have grown from nearly $200 million in '04 to $2.3 billion in '07 (estimates for '08 - $3 billion), accounting for 25 percent of all retail value revenue (upwards of 30 percent at end of '08).

That gives us a 2008 estimate of 12 billion dollars in revenue for retail sale of music. Presumably for the RIAA, who "create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 85% of all legitimate sound recordings produced and sold in the United States". So a total of about $14.2 billion in revenue.

Now, obviously we also need to take the MPAA into consideration. Again, using 2008 numbers:
Ticket sales grossed about $10 billion. And since quite a lot of people seem to claim (and no, I have no source handy) that home video sales is about the same as ticket sales, then we're looking at around $20 billion in 2008.

Apple's revenue for 2008 in the Americas was $14.5 billion. Granted, that's a larger geographical area than RIAA's numbers, but then again Apple is a relatively small company in the IT landscape.

How about some of the bigger fish?

IBM reported revenue of $103.6 billion, and pre-tax profit of $16.7 billion.

So, the movie and music industry combined gets up to around $35 billion in 2008 in the US.

IBM (world wide) - $103 billion
Apple (Americas) - $14.5 billion
Google (world wide) - $21.8 billion
Microsoft (world wide?) - $60.4 billion
Oracle (world wide?) - 22.4 billion
Dell (world wide?) - 61 billion

Seriously - why the fuck are the IT giants just turning their back on the complete and utter gang rape on things like the Internet, when most of their products would die off the moment it stops working the way it should.

Just buy out the fuckers, boot the executives, lawyers, assistants etc. from their penthouse offices (literally boot them out over the balcony) and just kill off these massively debilitating parasites.

This monitor needs it: Dell 3007WFP, 2560x1600.

Well from what you have listed here I do believe the Zino is your best bet. As you can see here this would give your potential customers a wide range of hardware choices for their needs, so it would fit several budgets (I have seen the bottom tier Zino go for as low as $200) and to give you an idea of the graphical ability the HD 3200 that the bottom of the line Zino has is the same chip as in my board, and I played Bioshock on medium settings at 1600x900 and never dropped below 30FPS. The 4330 can easily do that at full HD, and since it has both front and rear USB and wireless built in it would make a great little HTPC.

It would also give your customers the ability to not only play your game but by choosing one of the larger HDD options it would make an awesome media tank, allowing them to get more out of it than with a console, such as video/audio jukebox, Internet TV via Windows 7 Media Center, Netflix, web surfing and email, etc. Add in the fact that it has a built in DVD burner for watching and whipping off discs and the whole thing is about the size of the Gamecube? yeah I think this is what you are looking for. watch the video embedded on the page I linked to above and you'll see it really wouldn't be a hard sell for your customers. Most of the CPUs are 1.8GHz for the Zino, which again for what you are describing should be plenty since we are talking dual cores. With this they could choose what is best for them, and it'll go as high as 8GB of RAM if they want to have a monster, or just 2GB if their needs are simpler. for the game you are describing a 2-4GB machine with one of the Athlons would probably give the most bang for the buck, and they could customize it however they wish.

I have built some HTPCs for clients in the past and you're right that size seriously matters in that arena, but the Zino is small, light, decently powerful, has built in hardware video acceleration, and for games of the graphics you described it should have NO problem keeping up, just add some x360 controllers and you're golden. After all if my 3200 could keep up the framerate when Big Daddy was chunking mines all over the place and splicers were blasting all over the place? yeah I'm sure you'll game will be just fine on this. And finally unlike Intel with AMD even their low end chips are FULL CHIPS, not crippled crap like the Atom. All are full 64bit, out of order CPUs, with cool and quiet enabled. So when they aren't gaming they can easily do anything else they would with a desktop and not feel cheated. Hell it even comes in cool colors, just perfect for making it look sharp in the den. Good luck and Go AMD!

standard consumer box

Dells sells Phenom II X6 machines for $700. Doesn't get much more 'consumer' than that.

save yourself some money and get a Dell S2309W if you can sacrifice the 1" difference.

Why? The Dell has a Twisted nematic (TN) panel, about the worse type you can get. I'm going to be editing photos which should be done on at least an IPS panel though E-IPS and P-IPS panels are better.

Falcon

Microsoft restricted browser choice in the OS, claiming it couldn't be removed (and continuing to claim that even when it was demonstrated that they were lying about it).

Does Apple support removing Safari from Mac OS X? If so, how do they expect you to change your default browser (from say Chrome to Firefox)? Apparently you need to run Safari to do that ...

Etc. Even today it's difficult to purchase a new non-Apple computer without purchasing Windows;

Can I buy an Apple computer without Mac OS X? Can I (while complying with EULAs) buy Mac OS X without an Apple computer?

major manufacturers such as Dell have only offered low-end machines with limited options compared to the rest of their PC's.

Really?? Oh, you meant laptops?. While it would be nice if there was a greater selection, there are more than just "low-end machines" available.

As bad as Apple's recent behavior has been, Microsoft has always been more evil.

If Apple is less evil, why don't they offer Mac OS X to other laptop vendors? Why don't they offer Mac OS X separately? Why don't they offer Macbooks without Mac OS X (for less)?

They are both as evil, but Microsoft is in the software monopoly business, and Apple is in the hardware and content distribution monopoly business.

Microsoft restricted browser choice in the OS, claiming it couldn't be removed (and continuing to claim that even when it was demonstrated that they were lying about it).

Does Apple support removing Safari from Mac OS X? If so, how do they expect you to change your default browser (from say Chrome to Firefox)? Apparently you need to run Safari to do that ...

Etc. Even today it's difficult to purchase a new non-Apple computer without purchasing Windows;

Can I buy an Apple computer without Mac OS X? Can I (while complying with EULAs) buy Mac OS X without an Apple computer?

major manufacturers such as Dell have only offered low-end machines with limited options compared to the rest of their PC's.

Really?? Oh, you meant laptops?. While it would be nice if there was a greater selection, there are more than just "low-end machines" available.

As bad as Apple's recent behavior has been, Microsoft has always been more evil.

If Apple is less evil, why don't they offer Mac OS X to other laptop vendors? Why don't they offer Mac OS X separately? Why don't they offer Macbooks without Mac OS X (for less)?

They are both as evil, but Microsoft is in the software monopoly business, and Apple is in the hardware and content distribution monopoly business.

Microsoft restricted browser choice in the OS, claiming it couldn't be removed (and continuing to claim that even when it was demonstrated that they were lying about it).

Does Apple support removing Safari from Mac OS X? If so, how do they expect you to change your default browser (from say Chrome to Firefox)? Apparently you need to run Safari to do that ...

Etc. Even today it's difficult to purchase a new non-Apple computer without purchasing Windows;

Can I buy an Apple computer without Mac OS X? Can I (while complying with EULAs) buy Mac OS X without an Apple computer?

major manufacturers such as Dell have only offered low-end machines with limited options compared to the rest of their PC's.

Really?? Oh, you meant laptops?. While it would be nice if there was a greater selection, there are more than just "low-end machines" available.

As bad as Apple's recent behavior has been, Microsoft has always been more evil.

If Apple is less evil, why don't they offer Mac OS X to other laptop vendors? Why don't they offer Mac OS X separately? Why don't they offer Macbooks without Mac OS X (for less)?

They are both as evil, but Microsoft is in the software monopoly business, and Apple is in the hardware and content distribution monopoly business.

"Shop for Ubuntu" http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/ubuntu?c=us&l=en&cs=19

Dell did offer Redhat on consumer level machines for a very short while. They were limited in options and generally within $50 of buying the version with Windows XP installed.

Dell still offers Linux or no-OS on their high-end servers. I just went to Dell and configured a R810 server. OS options are no-os, SUSe, RedHat, Citrix Xen Server, or various flavors of MS Server 2008

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=555&l=en&oc=MLB1284&s=biz

Fusion is going to be important. AMD will finally have a portable product that rivals Intel. Integrated video hardware is now commonplace on the desktop. Embedded AMD hardware is beginning to appear and Fusion will accelerate this.

Intel doesn't have a 3D core they can integrate onto the CPU die. Bottom line is AMD has an edge.

I have never seen a laptop with only one USB port.

Yup, epic fail here as noted by others. Check out the Dell E4200 which is a *current* model and note the single USB port. Unfortunately I own one of these suckers and it is as insanely annoying as you might imagine: http://www1.euro.dell.com/uk/en/business/Dell-Laptops/laptop_latitude_e4200/pd.aspx?refid=laptop_latitude_e4200&cs=ukbsdt1&s=bsd

if the ipad is over priced why isn't their a single competitor with a similarly priced device? Every single device that matches specs is $700 plus. now don't go find a resistive touch screen, I said match specs.

Uh, OK. Boy, that was easy.

Oh, you said match specs. I don't know if Dell offers a cheaper, more Apple-like alternative to the Dell's far superior Gorilla Glass.

Are you sure? Dell, New Egg and many others still seems to sell it. I'm not sure why it isn't dead yet, but it should be. It's like the guy in Monty Python's Holy Grail, "I'm not dead yet."

It's a Dell Latitude XT2 convertible tablet PC -- with a physical keyboard.