The thing that bothers me is that the metallic body announcement is somehow the big headline on most of the news sites, while the announcements of trackpad changes and specs seem to take a backseat. It really emphasizes that Apple wants to appeal to style possibly even more than function.
I'm sure that angle works, as it's now "hip" to own Apple products, but it concerns me that we may start seeing more flash than substance in Apple product lines, which would be a big disappointment since they've been known to be innovators in functionality in the past.
Honestly, it's better than most of the ads out there. I'd rather watch an awkward nerd and an aging comedian bumbling around awkwardly in "fish out of water" situations than watch some idiotic crap with models eating cardboard hamburgers and a "I'm Lovin' It!" tag line.
The commercials that don't directly force a "PRODUCT X IS GOOD BUY NOW" message down my throat usually appeal to me more, since I don't like a commercial telling me what I need to eat/drink/wear/type on to be hip. In that vein, I'd much rather see these commercials than the "Mac/PC Guy" ads that Apple is running. While somewhat funny at first, they've now entered the realm of pretentious Mac douche vs. not-entirely-true-and-if-you-use-a-PC-you-are-not-cool PC guy. It's gotten stupid, so a commercial where I'm not told that I'll be "cool" for using a particular operating system is welcomed, by me... even if they're a little pointless and dumb.
I guess I just think that in the world of commercials, I'll take the lesser of evils. MS's attempts have thus far been the lesser of evils, to me.
Happiness isn't money. Happiness is doing something that you enjoy during your 8 hour workday. I'd MUCH rather make a lesser salary than your nurse friend and solve problems for 8 hours a day than changing people's IV's and checking people's medical charts. Yes, I'm over generalizing the nurse... but my point is that if a career like that sounds equally as enjoyable as your IT career to you, then by all means... jump ship.
I fought Linux sound problems with my integrated optical audio for the longest time. Nobody would help on the Ubuntu forums, but I eventually studied enough about.asoundrc to configure ALSA to work correctly. It was a pain, and in the end everything was working aside from the Rhapsody plug-in for Flash (flash uses an odd wrapper for audio in certain cases; YouTube worked, Rhapsody didn't).
It'll take a little learning and trickery, but if you want to fix this, you should be able to by scanning a few example.asoundrc files and documentation and configuring your own. It'll let you define a mixer and select the correct audio device for output, at which point ALSA will use it to properly mix.
Maybe the new PulseAudio stuff in Ubuntu works better. I have yet to test it.
You're right, but I think we'll be in dire need of some optimization in the scenarios you describe.
I know that Photoshop allows you to specify a scratch drive, and I'm assuming there's a way to specify where to toss the swap file in Windows (I know this is simple in Linux by just creating the swap partition on the flash drive).
The problems come in your game example: Yes, game level loading (and related assets) would be greatly improved, and the performance improvement is definitely welcomed. But you wouldn't ideally install the entire game on the flash drive. It's not uncommon for installed games to take upwards of 5 or 6 gigs. This, combined with swap/scratch/etc will fill space up very quickly (especially an 80gb drive, as you mention as a good companion drive). This space is a price premium, so you probably wouldn't want to install the entire game to this drive, at least, until the price came down to where it wasn't a price premium. I've yet to see a game that lets you install some assets in a different drive/partition than the base install, and I'd be surprised if game developers decide to take the time to implement this.
So, I agree that it's a great idea in theory, but it's a bit more difficult to implement, unfortunately.
The reason The Beatles are so popular is because their music (and beyond) have stood the test of time. They're regularly mentioned as influences by bands, and the impact they had on culture at the time was huge.
Personally, I was born in '81 and didn't start listening to The Beatles until I was about 18. I almost immediately fell in love with the entire Beatles catalog (especially the later, less "poppy" stuff). Since then, I regularly listen to Beatles songs and include them in playlists. I'm not alone in being born outside of the Beatles era and still really enjoying the music. In fact, I'm probably in the majority. The Beatles are one of the only bands that I can play a song from in mixed crowd of mixed ages and have nobody complain.
So, yeah, this is actually a huge deal for Apple (well, both 'Apples' in this case I guess). It ought to take them a while to recoup their initial investment in this, but I definitely foresee it happening as I consider the music truly timeless and appealing to most.
Has anyone considered the remote possibility that Blu-Ray won out because it was the better of the two formats? It stores more data. From an end user perspective, isn't this pretty much the #1 thing that matters?
Not really. Your average end user doesn't know anything about the amount of data storage available on a disc unless the sales person used it in the sales pitch. They know about as much about disc capacity as they do about DRM.
Assuming the above to be true (my personal anecdotal evidence seems to suggest it is), from an end user's perspective who DOES understand DRM effects AND storage capacities, there was no clear winner. HD-DVD had less restrictive DRM, and a bit less potential capacity. It's also worth mentioning that very few (if any) discs reach the storage cap limit on HD-DVD OR Blu-Ray, and that's with full 1080p res video.
Another benefit for HD-DVD, on paper at least, was that all players had to implement certain interactivity standards (whereas I believe some Blu-Ray players were made that won't be 'future proof' due to partially implemented Java, please correct me if I'm wrong on this). Standalone Blu-Ray players (not PS3) will apparently be obsolete circa 2010 since their spec can't be upgraded via firmware downloads (allegedly, I'm only parroting what I've read). Of course, I don't expect your average end user to understand or care about this piece of things; I'm just pointing out that Blu-Ray's superior storage doesn't necessarily make it the superior format. Ignoring the storage capacity and considering the above almost make choosing the 'superior format' a coin toss.
Understanding the above, I bought an HD-DVD player 8 months ago. I actually thought that Joe Consumer would see the 'HD' in 'HD-DVD' and logically match it up to their 'HD' in 'HD-TV' and assume it's what they needed. I honestly thought the name alone would ensure HD-DVD victory, but I was naive.
You've got this all wrong. The OSI is basically an offshoot of the FSF as created by RMS, FFS. OSI and FSF did pull together in support of GNU against SCO. OTOH, the OSI you mention was created by ISO along with ITU-T, included FTAM and CNLP, and pissed off the IETF and TCP/IP replaced it (though SONET still uses TARP (which uses IS-IS and CNLP)).
(And just catching up to the Japanese!) I always hear this, but I've never actually heard how their cell phones and service are superior. I'm not denying that they are, but can you tell me why?
I will challenge you to produce an HD-DVD or Blueray disc that is a dramatic improvement over an upscaling DVD player on a 42" TV. Unless you have a 60" or bigger TV you will simply not notice an improvement.
Why the gap between 42" and 60"? Anyway, I honestly think you'd have to be blind to not see the difference between HD-DVD/DVD versions of Planet Earth and/or Batman Begins. I've done this comparison directly on my 50" plasma HDTV on HD-A2 upscaling player, and the difference is VERY noticeable. Color saturation is far better on HD-DVD. Many tiny details can be discerned. Just because you don't care or can't personally tell the difference doesn't mean that it's not there. It is.
Try using a (web enabled) phone and you can literally do it on your way out the door. Making a PC instantly available is an increasingly disminishing benefit.
To expand specifically on this example, you can even send a text message to GOOGL (46645) with the text "showtimes " and you'll get a response text message with movie listings for free. I use this a lot, as I loathe the web interface on my phone.
That's ridiculous. The article doesn't link to the e-bay auction, but I'd like to see it. Current e-bay auctions for the same game are hovering around the $90 mark (which is the same price as retail, I think). I'd be surprised if the $9k auction buyer wasn't a fake bid and the guy gets the money.
Yeah, you're partially right. The difference between a real instrument and a video game is pretty simple, though:
$170 Rock Band package vs >= $500 for a decent beginner acoustic guitar (electric guitar involves a much heavier investment with amp, etc). Real guitar is HARD and doesn't provide instant gratification, whereas you can pick Rock Band up in a matter of minutes and have a fun time. It's better to risk wasting $170 than a bundle more. Feel free to correct me on these prices if you want; I'm sure you could probably find a piece of junk acoustic guitar for $100 or less (but would it be worth playing?).
I can't argue that the reward of learning how to play an actual instrument eclipses banging on a stupid piece of plastic, but the risk of the gift receiver abandoning it is much higher. It's likely that the people who want a real instrument have expressly stated that in their Christmas lists.
However, the type of people who typically believe they feel "love" for a fictional character/doll/piece of machinery may find it easier to trust them. I think the majority of these people have social issues, maybe including social anxiety or paranoia. A relationship with something that won't judge them is appealing to them.
I recently watched a documentary about people who own Real Dolls. They personify their dolls as if they are actual people; holding conversations, hanging out with, getting "intimate" with them, Most of these men explained that they're simply unappealing to women, and while they'd prefer the company of an actual person, the doll is better than nothing to them. One of the men did describe how he'd been abandoned and treated in ways that drove him to the dolls, and claims he prefers the dolls because he can't trust a human. He also claimed to love several of his possessions (car, guns, sword).
I guess my point is that this cascading logic for love isn't universal, though I'd agree it applies to the majority. Some people will fall in love with an inanimate object MUCH faster than they would with a human being.
Ouch. That's upsetting to me that anybody being given a college degree doesn't have SOME level of computer literacy. We're in the age of the Internet and computers; basic computer understanding is quickly becoming a societal requirement, if only for things like communication. I would expect any college curriculum (hell, High School curriculum) to incorporate at least a general knowledge of computer use.
Even my middle school had required computer classes where you'd be taught basics of Word and Excel. This was in 1995. I can also think of quite a few high school classes where we'd be required to type papers in-class in the computer lab, using Word.
When I was a college freshman working in the computer labs at Washington State University, I rarely had to help any of the students with anything on the computer. The occasional lab user would need help burning a CD, but everybody else seemed to understand the basic operation of a computer. I also know many college graduates in various fields of study, all of which can figure out how to create a document or browse the Internet. So, anecdotally, I can't verify your observation, but I don't doubt that you're right. Which frightens me.
I think most of these so-called "voodoo users" are the older generation. In the case of the elderly, it's not that they're unable to learn how to use computers... it's just that they're scared to.
Many of the elderly had occupations or grew up on farms where making a mistake with a piece of machinery would result in them losing a limb. Years of operating under this mindset causes severe paranoia with machinery that they don't understand. Critical thinking involved in figuring out even the simplest of tasks on their own can be frightening for them, but they can follow explicit step-by-step instructions, because they trust them more than themselves.
Yeah, yeah, yeah... I know. I noticed that typo immediately after posting and felt like an idiot. That'll learn me to preview before submit. (night and day).
It's true that quality doesn't necessarily imply more enjoyment and I'm sure it varies from person to person. I think it can make a great movie an even BETTER movie, however. Such as Batman Begins; I enjoyed the movie before seeing it on HD-DVD, but was bowled over by some of the details in the HD-DVD version. The cityscape looks amazing, and much better than stndard DVD.
I would also argue that Planet Earth is going to give the average consumer a better experience than standard definition.
I think the point is that even a polished turd is still a turd. You can't just throw Gigli on a HD-DVD and suddenly enjoy the movie. However, a good movie can be made even better with higher definition. Not everybody will appreciate the HD differences, but some people will.
It's not hard to explain: "Sony hacks your computer with a virus when you put in a sony CD". I mean they'll look at you like you're crazy when you say that, but you can tell 'em they actually got taken to court over it.
You're right, but then they'll ask what the virus does. I've explained that it tracks your album listening habits to send to Sony, blocks you from copying the album to your computer, as well as opens them up for further attacks by other viruses... yet the majority of non-nerds just don't seem to care. They don't understand that allowing this kind of corporate privacy invasion could set precedence for similar activities by other companies and the government in the future. The burden of not buying Sony products, to them, is not worth taking due to my suggestions regarding the rootkit. In other words, it's the average Joe's indifference to these behaviors (probably due to not understanding the ramifications, or caring enough) that makes no not bother to push my anti-Sony views onto my family and friends. I simply feel it's my nerdly duty to not purchase Sony products, because I understand a wealth of reason to dislike the company.
If you think you're somehow hurting Sony by listening to their labels over Rhapsody, your zealous hatred has basically lead you to self-delusion.
Can you please elaborate? I'm genuinely curious why listening to a Sony label album on Rhapsody is helping Sony. Does Real give kickbacks to labels based on popularity of their titles?
The fact that you've been modded 5 for this comment is interesting to me, because it probably means that some of the moderators agree with you. Which blows my mind.
The difference between HD and SD is light and day. HD-DVD is blatantly superior to DVD, and the different is excruciatingly obvious to myself and any of my friends who watch movies with me (I've even had friends buy a version of a movie on HD-DVD just because they wanted to check it out on my HD setup).
A great way to notice the difference is ESPN. Wait for a game to air, and switch to the HD version of the channel. Then switch to the SD version (well, my cable company carries both... I'm assuming most others do, too). Channel switch a few times. If the difference isn't obvious, then I would argue that either you have very poor eyesight, awful cable company service, or an improperly setup configuration (running RCA cables to the TV instead of Component/HDMI, for instance).
Everybody I've shown my HD setup to has been bowled over. I just can't understand how someone can't tell the difference on a 50" TV. Even my grandparents, who are nearing 80 years old, could perceive the clarity.
Same as you. I refuse to buy anything manufactured by Sony, and have held the boycott since the rootkit fiasco.
This is actually a really easy thing to do as far as the majority of consumer electronics, since I've found that anything Sony has manufactured post-2001 routinely dies around the 3-4 year mark.
Movies and albums are tough, but I just use Rhapsody for most of my music anyway, so I can stream Sony/BMG music without them getting a dime.
I don't bother to tell my friends and family not to buy Sony products, because it's hard to explain ("What? What the hell is a rootkit?" has been the response) and only makes me sound like a huge nerd. I don't mind if others buy Sony. Go nuts. I do ask relatives not to buy me anything made by Sony for gifts, though.
I share your immature stance on HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray, though. I love my HD-DVD player, and only want it to become the dominant format because it's not Sony. Blu-ray really is the superior platform (same codecs, larger disc capacity), but it means that Sony has a controlling interest in a large part of my life if they "win" (I buy and watch A LOT of movies).
After several bad experiences, I stopped buying altogether from Gamestop over a year ago.
The pre-order sales push is ridiculous. I was literally called a "retard" for not pre-ordering Halo 3 when I tried to pick my copy of Gears of War up from the store. There wasn't even a confirmed release date for the game at the time. I couldn't believe I was called a retard, and asked the clerk, "excuse me?" to which he repeated, "yeah, only a retard wouldn't pre-order that game... man, it's going to be impossible to get!".
Another time, I had walked into a Gamestop (different store) and asked about the new SSX game for the Wii. The store employee said, "Oh, do you have it reserved? OF COURSE YOU DON'T OR YOU WOULDN'T BE ASKING IF WE HAD IT!" to which he laughed at me, and then told me that they did have some extra copies but that they were only going to be selling the pre-orders on that day.
One of my pre-orders that I DID place was 3 days late and I got a different excuse each time. Finally I demanded my refund for the pre-order back and went to Target and picked a copy up off of the shelf.
GameStop doesn't treat customers with any respect whatsoever. I shouldn't have to feel like I'm walking into a used car lot when I want to buy a video game. The sales tactics, lies, and pressure make me loathe the place, and I refuse to buy anything from them. Hastings and Target have always had the title ready for me on the day of release (yes, even Halo 3), so I will shop there. I will also tell anybody that I possibly can about the above stories so that others may also avoid this place.
Gamestop employees: I don't care if you're "just doing your job". You're a puppet made to act like a pushy asshole. Get a new job. They're out there.
Maybe, but a LOT of work would have to be done to make this reasonable. Different JRE versions would be a huge problem (deprecations, idiosyncratic differences in UI rendering), so a JRE would need to be packaged with the browsers and used by default to ensure compatibility. The JRE also takes a significant amount of time to load in the browser (much longer than Flash/JavaScript engine), and has a significant memory footprint. JavaScript also has great DOM parsing and direct access to the DOM, whereas extra libraries are required for Java to do the same. Java as a solution to this problem just isn't the most efficient and reasonable solution without a LOT of work.
I'm all for adopting pure Java syntax into JavaScript, but otherwise, this is a terrible idea IMHO, and I would argue that AJAX/Flash are better solutions as-is. If Java were the correct answer, it's likely that AJAX/Flash wouldn't even exist since they're all solutions to the same problems. I've actually recently converted a commercial web application from a Java client to an AJAX implementation due to the reasons listed above.
If I had mod points, I would have boosted this comment.
Just a single instance of a mod to a wholesome children's game to introduce violence and/or nudity would halt any further re-ratings of games. Imagine the censors:
Censor A: Ahhhh, cute, Christian vegetables! Censor B: Wait, wait... is that a screen shot on the internet of exposed melons on that cucumber that's being raped by that carrot? Censor A: But, but... it's a Christian game! It wasn't that way when it was released! We can't possibly re-rate this as M or AO because of some idiotic pervert on the internet!
I guarantee you that this is how it would happen. From that point forwards, any modification made to a game could refer to the Veggie Tales precedent that was already set: external modifications cannot force a ratings change.
Maybe they should just slap a generic warning a la every other online game. You've seen it, the one that mentions that the rating may not apply to online game experience. Why can't the same text just be appended to all games, with "warning may not apply to modified game content"?
Slashdot Mirror
The thing that bothers me is that the metallic body announcement is somehow the big headline on most of the news sites, while the announcements of trackpad changes and specs seem to take a backseat. It really emphasizes that Apple wants to appeal to style possibly even more than function.
I'm sure that angle works, as it's now "hip" to own Apple products, but it concerns me that we may start seeing more flash than substance in Apple product lines, which would be a big disappointment since they've been known to be innovators in functionality in the past.
To say that it's run it's course would be implying that it was ever worthwhile, which is giving it far too much credit.
Honestly, it's better than most of the ads out there. I'd rather watch an awkward nerd and an aging comedian bumbling around awkwardly in "fish out of water" situations than watch some idiotic crap with models eating cardboard hamburgers and a "I'm Lovin' It!" tag line.
The commercials that don't directly force a "PRODUCT X IS GOOD BUY NOW" message down my throat usually appeal to me more, since I don't like a commercial telling me what I need to eat/drink/wear/type on to be hip. In that vein, I'd much rather see these commercials than the "Mac/PC Guy" ads that Apple is running. While somewhat funny at first, they've now entered the realm of pretentious Mac douche vs. not-entirely-true-and-if-you-use-a-PC-you-are-not-cool PC guy. It's gotten stupid, so a commercial where I'm not told that I'll be "cool" for using a particular operating system is welcomed, by me... even if they're a little pointless and dumb.
I guess I just think that in the world of commercials, I'll take the lesser of evils. MS's attempts have thus far been the lesser of evils, to me.
Happiness isn't money. Happiness is doing something that you enjoy during your 8 hour workday. I'd MUCH rather make a lesser salary than your nurse friend and solve problems for 8 hours a day than changing people's IV's and checking people's medical charts. Yes, I'm over generalizing the nurse... but my point is that if a career like that sounds equally as enjoyable as your IT career to you, then by all means... jump ship.
I fought Linux sound problems with my integrated optical audio for the longest time. Nobody would help on the Ubuntu forums, but I eventually studied enough about .asoundrc to configure ALSA to work correctly. It was a pain, and in the end everything was working aside from the Rhapsody plug-in for Flash (flash uses an odd wrapper for audio in certain cases; YouTube worked, Rhapsody didn't).
.asoundrc files and documentation and configuring your own. It'll let you define a mixer and select the correct audio device for output, at which point ALSA will use it to properly mix.
It'll take a little learning and trickery, but if you want to fix this, you should be able to by scanning a few example
Maybe the new PulseAudio stuff in Ubuntu works better. I have yet to test it.
You're right, but I think we'll be in dire need of some optimization in the scenarios you describe.
I know that Photoshop allows you to specify a scratch drive, and I'm assuming there's a way to specify where to toss the swap file in Windows (I know this is simple in Linux by just creating the swap partition on the flash drive).
The problems come in your game example: Yes, game level loading (and related assets) would be greatly improved, and the performance improvement is definitely welcomed. But you wouldn't ideally install the entire game on the flash drive. It's not uncommon for installed games to take upwards of 5 or 6 gigs. This, combined with swap/scratch/etc will fill space up very quickly (especially an 80gb drive, as you mention as a good companion drive). This space is a price premium, so you probably wouldn't want to install the entire game to this drive, at least, until the price came down to where it wasn't a price premium. I've yet to see a game that lets you install some assets in a different drive/partition than the base install, and I'd be surprised if game developers decide to take the time to implement this.
So, I agree that it's a great idea in theory, but it's a bit more difficult to implement, unfortunately.
The reason The Beatles are so popular is because their music (and beyond) have stood the test of time. They're regularly mentioned as influences by bands, and the impact they had on culture at the time was huge.
Personally, I was born in '81 and didn't start listening to The Beatles until I was about 18. I almost immediately fell in love with the entire Beatles catalog (especially the later, less "poppy" stuff). Since then, I regularly listen to Beatles songs and include them in playlists. I'm not alone in being born outside of the Beatles era and still really enjoying the music. In fact, I'm probably in the majority. The Beatles are one of the only bands that I can play a song from in mixed crowd of mixed ages and have nobody complain.
So, yeah, this is actually a huge deal for Apple (well, both 'Apples' in this case I guess). It ought to take them a while to recoup their initial investment in this, but I definitely foresee it happening as I consider the music truly timeless and appealing to most.
Not really. Your average end user doesn't know anything about the amount of data storage available on a disc unless the sales person used it in the sales pitch. They know about as much about disc capacity as they do about DRM.
Assuming the above to be true (my personal anecdotal evidence seems to suggest it is), from an end user's perspective who DOES understand DRM effects AND storage capacities, there was no clear winner. HD-DVD had less restrictive DRM, and a bit less potential capacity. It's also worth mentioning that very few (if any) discs reach the storage cap limit on HD-DVD OR Blu-Ray, and that's with full 1080p res video.
Another benefit for HD-DVD, on paper at least, was that all players had to implement certain interactivity standards (whereas I believe some Blu-Ray players were made that won't be 'future proof' due to partially implemented Java, please correct me if I'm wrong on this). Standalone Blu-Ray players (not PS3) will apparently be obsolete circa 2010 since their spec can't be upgraded via firmware downloads (allegedly, I'm only parroting what I've read). Of course, I don't expect your average end user to understand or care about this piece of things; I'm just pointing out that Blu-Ray's superior storage doesn't necessarily make it the superior format. Ignoring the storage capacity and considering the above almost make choosing the 'superior format' a coin toss.
Understanding the above, I bought an HD-DVD player 8 months ago. I actually thought that Joe Consumer would see the 'HD' in 'HD-DVD' and logically match it up to their 'HD' in 'HD-TV' and assume it's what they needed. I honestly thought the name alone would ensure HD-DVD victory, but I was naive.
You've got this all wrong. The OSI is basically an offshoot of the FSF as created by RMS, FFS. OSI and FSF did pull together in support of GNU against SCO. OTOH, the OSI you mention was created by ISO along with ITU-T, included FTAM and CNLP, and pissed off the IETF and TCP/IP replaced it (though SONET still uses TARP (which uses IS-IS and CNLP)).
I'm glad we had this talk.
Why the gap between 42" and 60"? Anyway, I honestly think you'd have to be blind to not see the difference between HD-DVD/DVD versions of Planet Earth and/or Batman Begins. I've done this comparison directly on my 50" plasma HDTV on HD-A2 upscaling player, and the difference is VERY noticeable. Color saturation is far better on HD-DVD. Many tiny details can be discerned. Just because you don't care or can't personally tell the difference doesn't mean that it's not there. It is.
Argh... butchered my example above (that'll learn me to use preview!). The text message body needs to contain "showtimes ".
To expand specifically on this example, you can even send a text message to GOOGL (46645) with the text "showtimes " and you'll get a response text message with movie listings for free. I use this a lot, as I loathe the web interface on my phone.
That's ridiculous. The article doesn't link to the e-bay auction, but I'd like to see it. Current e-bay auctions for the same game are hovering around the $90 mark (which is the same price as retail, I think). I'd be surprised if the $9k auction buyer wasn't a fake bid and the guy gets the money.
Yeah, you're partially right. The difference between a real instrument and a video game is pretty simple, though:
$170 Rock Band package vs >= $500 for a decent beginner acoustic guitar (electric guitar involves a much heavier investment with amp, etc). Real guitar is HARD and doesn't provide instant gratification, whereas you can pick Rock Band up in a matter of minutes and have a fun time. It's better to risk wasting $170 than a bundle more. Feel free to correct me on these prices if you want; I'm sure you could probably find a piece of junk acoustic guitar for $100 or less (but would it be worth playing?).
I can't argue that the reward of learning how to play an actual instrument eclipses banging on a stupid piece of plastic, but the risk of the gift receiver abandoning it is much higher. It's likely that the people who want a real instrument have expressly stated that in their Christmas lists.
I think you hit the nail on the head with this.
However, the type of people who typically believe they feel "love" for a fictional character/doll/piece of machinery may find it easier to trust them. I think the majority of these people have social issues, maybe including social anxiety or paranoia. A relationship with something that won't judge them is appealing to them.
I recently watched a documentary about people who own Real Dolls. They personify their dolls as if they are actual people; holding conversations, hanging out with, getting "intimate" with them, Most of these men explained that they're simply unappealing to women, and while they'd prefer the company of an actual person, the doll is better than nothing to them. One of the men did describe how he'd been abandoned and treated in ways that drove him to the dolls, and claims he prefers the dolls because he can't trust a human. He also claimed to love several of his possessions (car, guns, sword).
I guess my point is that this cascading logic for love isn't universal, though I'd agree it applies to the majority. Some people will fall in love with an inanimate object MUCH faster than they would with a human being.
Ouch. That's upsetting to me that anybody being given a college degree doesn't have SOME level of computer literacy. We're in the age of the Internet and computers; basic computer understanding is quickly becoming a societal requirement, if only for things like communication. I would expect any college curriculum (hell, High School curriculum) to incorporate at least a general knowledge of computer use.
Even my middle school had required computer classes where you'd be taught basics of Word and Excel. This was in 1995. I can also think of quite a few high school classes where we'd be required to type papers in-class in the computer lab, using Word.
When I was a college freshman working in the computer labs at Washington State University, I rarely had to help any of the students with anything on the computer. The occasional lab user would need help burning a CD, but everybody else seemed to understand the basic operation of a computer. I also know many college graduates in various fields of study, all of which can figure out how to create a document or browse the Internet. So, anecdotally, I can't verify your observation, but I don't doubt that you're right. Which frightens me.
I think most of these so-called "voodoo users" are the older generation. In the case of the elderly, it's not that they're unable to learn how to use computers... it's just that they're scared to.
Many of the elderly had occupations or grew up on farms where making a mistake with a piece of machinery would result in them losing a limb. Years of operating under this mindset causes severe paranoia with machinery that they don't understand. Critical thinking involved in figuring out even the simplest of tasks on their own can be frightening for them, but they can follow explicit step-by-step instructions, because they trust them more than themselves.
Yeah, yeah, yeah... I know. I noticed that typo immediately after posting and felt like an idiot. That'll learn me to preview before submit. (night and day). It's true that quality doesn't necessarily imply more enjoyment and I'm sure it varies from person to person. I think it can make a great movie an even BETTER movie, however. Such as Batman Begins; I enjoyed the movie before seeing it on HD-DVD, but was bowled over by some of the details in the HD-DVD version. The cityscape looks amazing, and much better than stndard DVD. I would also argue that Planet Earth is going to give the average consumer a better experience than standard definition. I think the point is that even a polished turd is still a turd. You can't just throw Gigli on a HD-DVD and suddenly enjoy the movie. However, a good movie can be made even better with higher definition. Not everybody will appreciate the HD differences, but some people will.
You're right, but then they'll ask what the virus does. I've explained that it tracks your album listening habits to send to Sony, blocks you from copying the album to your computer, as well as opens them up for further attacks by other viruses... yet the majority of non-nerds just don't seem to care. They don't understand that allowing this kind of corporate privacy invasion could set precedence for similar activities by other companies and the government in the future. The burden of not buying Sony products, to them, is not worth taking due to my suggestions regarding the rootkit. In other words, it's the average Joe's indifference to these behaviors (probably due to not understanding the ramifications, or caring enough) that makes no not bother to push my anti-Sony views onto my family and friends. I simply feel it's my nerdly duty to not purchase Sony products, because I understand a wealth of reason to dislike the company.
If you think you're somehow hurting Sony by listening to their labels over Rhapsody, your zealous hatred has basically lead you to self-delusion.Can you please elaborate? I'm genuinely curious why listening to a Sony label album on Rhapsody is helping Sony. Does Real give kickbacks to labels based on popularity of their titles?
The fact that you've been modded 5 for this comment is interesting to me, because it probably means that some of the moderators agree with you. Which blows my mind.
The difference between HD and SD is light and day. HD-DVD is blatantly superior to DVD, and the different is excruciatingly obvious to myself and any of my friends who watch movies with me (I've even had friends buy a version of a movie on HD-DVD just because they wanted to check it out on my HD setup).
A great way to notice the difference is ESPN. Wait for a game to air, and switch to the HD version of the channel. Then switch to the SD version (well, my cable company carries both... I'm assuming most others do, too). Channel switch a few times. If the difference isn't obvious, then I would argue that either you have very poor eyesight, awful cable company service, or an improperly setup configuration (running RCA cables to the TV instead of Component/HDMI, for instance).
Everybody I've shown my HD setup to has been bowled over. I just can't understand how someone can't tell the difference on a 50" TV. Even my grandparents, who are nearing 80 years old, could perceive the clarity.
Same as you. I refuse to buy anything manufactured by Sony, and have held the boycott since the rootkit fiasco.
This is actually a really easy thing to do as far as the majority of consumer electronics, since I've found that anything Sony has manufactured post-2001 routinely dies around the 3-4 year mark.
Movies and albums are tough, but I just use Rhapsody for most of my music anyway, so I can stream Sony/BMG music without them getting a dime.
I don't bother to tell my friends and family not to buy Sony products, because it's hard to explain ("What? What the hell is a rootkit?" has been the response) and only makes me sound like a huge nerd. I don't mind if others buy Sony. Go nuts. I do ask relatives not to buy me anything made by Sony for gifts, though.
I share your immature stance on HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray, though. I love my HD-DVD player, and only want it to become the dominant format because it's not Sony. Blu-ray really is the superior platform (same codecs, larger disc capacity), but it means that Sony has a controlling interest in a large part of my life if they "win" (I buy and watch A LOT of movies).
After several bad experiences, I stopped buying altogether from Gamestop over a year ago.
The pre-order sales push is ridiculous. I was literally called a "retard" for not pre-ordering Halo 3 when I tried to pick my copy of Gears of War up from the store. There wasn't even a confirmed release date for the game at the time. I couldn't believe I was called a retard, and asked the clerk, "excuse me?" to which he repeated, "yeah, only a retard wouldn't pre-order that game... man, it's going to be impossible to get!".
Another time, I had walked into a Gamestop (different store) and asked about the new SSX game for the Wii. The store employee said, "Oh, do you have it reserved? OF COURSE YOU DON'T OR YOU WOULDN'T BE ASKING IF WE HAD IT!" to which he laughed at me, and then told me that they did have some extra copies but that they were only going to be selling the pre-orders on that day.
One of my pre-orders that I DID place was 3 days late and I got a different excuse each time. Finally I demanded my refund for the pre-order back and went to Target and picked a copy up off of the shelf.
GameStop doesn't treat customers with any respect whatsoever. I shouldn't have to feel like I'm walking into a used car lot when I want to buy a video game. The sales tactics, lies, and pressure make me loathe the place, and I refuse to buy anything from them. Hastings and Target have always had the title ready for me on the day of release (yes, even Halo 3), so I will shop there. I will also tell anybody that I possibly can about the above stories so that others may also avoid this place.
Gamestop employees: I don't care if you're "just doing your job". You're a puppet made to act like a pushy asshole. Get a new job. They're out there.
Maybe, but a LOT of work would have to be done to make this reasonable. Different JRE versions would be a huge problem (deprecations, idiosyncratic differences in UI rendering), so a JRE would need to be packaged with the browsers and used by default to ensure compatibility. The JRE also takes a significant amount of time to load in the browser (much longer than Flash/JavaScript engine), and has a significant memory footprint. JavaScript also has great DOM parsing and direct access to the DOM, whereas extra libraries are required for Java to do the same. Java as a solution to this problem just isn't the most efficient and reasonable solution without a LOT of work.
I'm all for adopting pure Java syntax into JavaScript, but otherwise, this is a terrible idea IMHO, and I would argue that AJAX/Flash are better solutions as-is. If Java were the correct answer, it's likely that AJAX/Flash wouldn't even exist since they're all solutions to the same problems. I've actually recently converted a commercial web application from a Java client to an AJAX implementation due to the reasons listed above.
If I had mod points, I would have boosted this comment.
Just a single instance of a mod to a wholesome children's game to introduce violence and/or nudity would halt any further re-ratings of games. Imagine the censors:
Censor A: Ahhhh, cute, Christian vegetables!
Censor B: Wait, wait... is that a screen shot on the internet of exposed melons on that cucumber that's being raped by that carrot?
Censor A: But, but... it's a Christian game! It wasn't that way when it was released! We can't possibly re-rate this as M or AO because of some idiotic pervert on the internet!
I guarantee you that this is how it would happen. From that point forwards, any modification made to a game could refer to the Veggie Tales precedent that was already set: external modifications cannot force a ratings change.
Maybe they should just slap a generic warning a la every other online game. You've seen it, the one that mentions that the rating may not apply to online game experience. Why can't the same text just be appended to all games, with "warning may not apply to modified game content"?