Parent: I have been able to copy a Sims 2 installation from another machine and gotten it working ( I may have already installed the original Sims 2 though ). Requires delving into the registry though. I imagine more recent games are even more of a pain!
Grandparent: I did try copying them. After about 20MB I just get I/O errors ( which I believe is a SecuROM protection method ). I asked because I was a customer who wanted to back-up their CDs and it made sense that they would be the first port of call. As you say, I didn't feel guilty because my reasoning for wanting to copy the CDs was honest and I couldn't find out if I was permitted by law/my rights to copy the CDs. If they want to come and inspect all my original Sims 2 CDs, that's fine:)
My point.. I think you missed it. I should be more clear in my posts.
Besides, eventually someone from EA told me I can just copy the files off the CDs and install it from the hard-drive which, to me, is a perfectly fine resolution to the issue I had contacted them about ( avoiding use of the original discs for installation) and will also allow me to resolve a secondary issue ( minimising user time spent installing it ).
And I have voted with my wallet. I'm not buying any of the latest EA offerings due to objections to the anti-piracy/DRM implementation. Will EA care? They would probably just blame the "lost sale" on piracy anyway!
.. when I asked them how I could make back-ups of my games so I don't have to cause damage to the originals to install them ( some 20 odd CDs for 'The Sims 2' ). They told me I couldn't because, and I quote:
"You cannot create backup copies of the discs because this would allow a person to freely distribute copies of the game, which is something EA does not allow."
My reply was similar to some other posts here:
"I have no intention in distributing the copies, I merely wish to protect my investment by not using the original discs and therefore reduce the chance of damage to them. Denying me the ability to do that based on the _possibility_ that it can be used illegally is unfair and unjust. By the reasoning you have displayed, knives are not permitted to be sold as they can be used to injure or kill someone ( which the law does not allow ), along with plastic bags, rope, water, scissors and plenty of other items you can find in any house. However, this is not the case."
In this case, it is "You are providing a service which allows people to do naughty things amongst other, legitimate activities. We are going to sue you."
That looks about right and in this case, I think it should be used.
The delay in claiming ( other posts saying that they would have known about it a considerable amount of time ago ) until this late looks be intentional for their own profits. As others have said, they (WB) will probably pay them to go forward with release due to the massive investment already made.
I thought that there was a clause that specified that if you didn't speak up to someone violating your rights ( copyright or patent? ) that you were reasonably aware of, they became 'void' in that instance? i.e. they can't enforce it against them.
Does this sound familiar to anyone? I cannot remember where I heard it from ( though DeviantArt comes to mind )..
I'm glad to hear it wasn't a personal attack and I would like to assure you I don't have the 'Windows sucks for everything' attitude. I would be hard pressed to think of something it bested Linux in from my experience though.. (I mean by its own merits, not just because things get developed for it ). As I said before, I've had less hardware issues in Linux than XP ( the former no problem with my on-board LAN, the latter still doesn't support it "natively" in SP3 )
I find Linux to be more flexible because anyone and everyone has the choice/chance to improve it. Only Microsoft/Apple can improve Windows/OS X.
The rebuttal is that, unlike systems tied to companies ( and therefore only develop in their interest ), Linux is flexible enough to be the right tool for every job. Sorry if I didn't ( or still am not ) being clear.
I didn't intend on enticing that sort of response. I didn't even mention Linux ( except for quoting ). I was merely making a joke about the above-acceptable hardware requirements to run Vista.
However, I will make a small rebuttal. Vista is not always the right tool for the job. OS X is not always the right tool for the job. Linux is not always the right tool for the job.. but it is flexible enough to be.
And hardware support has always done me well in Linux, even with a random USB wireless dongle I was given during a trip worked without any issue or fuss. I do understand that not everyone has such a good experience.. yet:)
Something is amiss with this. I can understand the robot reacting to the "signals" from the neurons but.. how do the neurons know where the walls are? I would imagine that 3,000 neurons isn't enough to parse any input it is being provided ( ultra-sound by the looks of it ) let alone figure out which direction to move in to avoid them.
As can be demonstrated in Windows XP. In theory, you should be able to run two tasks at once, right?
So open up Notepad and set that process to 'Realtime' and watch as one core will max out and the other core is completely idle while Windows becomes nearly completely unresponsive ( even if you set Notepad to the second core ).
At least, this is what it did when I tried it, naturally YMMV.
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Parent: I have been able to copy a Sims 2 installation from another machine and gotten it working ( I may have already installed the original Sims 2 though ). Requires delving into the registry though. I imagine more recent games are even more of a pain!
Grandparent: I did try copying them. After about 20MB I just get I/O errors ( which I believe is a SecuROM protection method ). I asked because I was a customer who wanted to back-up their CDs and it made sense that they would be the first port of call. As you say, I didn't feel guilty because my reasoning for wanting to copy the CDs was honest and I couldn't find out if I was permitted by law/my rights to copy the CDs. If they want to come and inspect all my original Sims 2 CDs, that's fine :)
My point.. I think you missed it. I should be more clear in my posts.
Besides, eventually someone from EA told me I can just copy the files off the CDs and install it from the hard-drive which, to me, is a perfectly fine resolution to the issue I had contacted them about ( avoiding use of the original discs for installation) and will also allow me to resolve a secondary issue ( minimising user time spent installing it ).
And I have voted with my wallet. I'm not buying any of the latest EA offerings due to objections to the anti-piracy/DRM implementation. Will EA care? They would probably just blame the "lost sale" on piracy anyway!
.. when I asked them how I could make back-ups of my games so I don't have to cause damage to the originals to install them ( some 20 odd CDs for 'The Sims 2' ). They told me I couldn't because, and I quote:
"You cannot create backup copies of the discs because this would allow a person to freely distribute copies of the game, which is something EA does not allow."
My reply was similar to some other posts here:
"I have no intention in distributing the copies, I merely wish to protect my investment by not using the original discs and therefore reduce the chance of damage to them. Denying me the ability to do that based on the _possibility_ that it can be used illegally is unfair and unjust.
By the reasoning you have displayed, knives are not permitted to be sold as they can be used to injure or kill someone ( which the law does not allow ), along with plastic bags, rope, water, scissors and plenty of other items you can find in any house. However, this is not the case."
In this case, it is "You are providing a service which allows people to do naughty things amongst other, legitimate activities. We are going to sue you."
Whoops, incorrect mod :(
In which orifice?
You mean you don't give up your beliefs when they become inconvenient?
+1 Respect
The Researchers at the University of California?
Aside from the fact that you actually didn't get first post, faster routing == faster for all.
That looks about right and in this case, I think it should be used.
The delay in claiming ( other posts saying that they would have known about it a considerable amount of time ago ) until this late looks be intentional for their own profits. As others have said, they (WB) will probably pay them to go forward with release due to the massive investment already made.
Did anyone else "hear" that in Abe Simpsons voice?
"Epa! Eeeepaaa!"
I thought that there was a clause that specified that if you didn't speak up to someone violating your rights ( copyright or patent? ) that you were reasonably aware of, they became 'void' in that instance? i.e. they can't enforce it against them.
Does this sound familiar to anyone? I cannot remember where I heard it from ( though DeviantArt comes to mind )..
I'm glad to hear it wasn't a personal attack and I would like to assure you I don't have the 'Windows sucks for everything' attitude. I would be hard pressed to think of something it bested Linux in from my experience though.. (I mean by its own merits, not just because things get developed for it ). As I said before, I've had less hardware issues in Linux than XP ( the former no problem with my on-board LAN, the latter still doesn't support it "natively" in SP3 )
I find Linux to be more flexible because anyone and everyone has the choice/chance to improve it. Only Microsoft/Apple can improve Windows/OS X.
Gah, ignore that. I just realised what you meant and you're right, it isn't a rebuttal.
The rebuttal is that, unlike systems tied to companies ( and therefore only develop in their interest ), Linux is flexible enough to be the right tool for every job. Sorry if I didn't ( or still am not ) being clear.
Woah! *ducks*
:)
I didn't intend on enticing that sort of response. I didn't even mention Linux ( except for quoting ). I was merely making a joke about the above-acceptable hardware requirements to run Vista.
However, I will make a small rebuttal. Vista is not always the right tool for the job. OS X is not always the right tool for the job. Linux is not always the right tool for the job.. but it is flexible enough to be.
And hardware support has always done me well in Linux, even with a random USB wireless dongle I was given during a trip worked without any issue or fuss. I do understand that not everyone has such a good experience.. yet
"hardware/GPU acceleration on Linux is very, very limited"
:)
As opposed to being a system requirement for the command line on Vista?
I had skimmed over the article. Next time though, I'll read it. Maybe I need more neurons? heh.
Thanks parent and GP for the correction!
Something is amiss with this. I can understand the robot reacting to the "signals" from the neurons but.. how do the neurons know where the walls are? I would imagine that 3,000 neurons isn't enough to parse any input it is being provided ( ultra-sound by the looks of it ) let alone figure out which direction to move in to avoid them.
The disappearing pencil trick :)
I think it kind of misses the point of SMP though ( starting two instances I mean ). Isn't it supposed to be transparent to the end user?
I'd like to show them the disappearing pencil trick.
As can be demonstrated in Windows XP. In theory, you should be able to run two tasks at once, right?
So open up Notepad and set that process to 'Realtime' and watch as one core will max out and the other core is completely idle while Windows becomes nearly completely unresponsive ( even if you set Notepad to the second core ).
At least, this is what it did when I tried it, naturally YMMV.
Not exactly making proud or joyful? :) I do believe that that wasn't the word you were looking for.
I want to hear how you are feeling.
I want to understand.
Are you going to give up on me?
You mean like this: http://sourceforge.net/projects/tcexplorer ?