It's interesting that this sudden focus on compressed music as opposed to uncompressed (iTunes Plus) has cropped up so soon after Steve's demise. IIRC, Steve was a music nut and was always pushing for DRM-free, higher fidelity digital downloads through iTunes. My foil-hat says that this might be an attempt to sell shitty quality music at a higher price. However, it could also ease network burden when streaming audio on the go. That said, one should still have access to high quality, uncompressed music for when you want to pump up the volume on your home system.
The Zune's biggest problem was horrible branding. I've used one a couple of times and it was a solid device. But the marketing agent who decided making a 'squirt' service available on a device available in poo-brown was a good idea doomed the device and was hopefully fired. Frankly, I'm surprised the name lasted even longer than the device. Killing a bad brand name like that is a wise decision.
Okay, I went a little overboard on the metaphor, but my point stands. "Except for the Memory Stick..." That's actually a huge deal considering it's an all digital platform. I got away with the included-in-the-box memory card when I had my PSP-2000 because all the games were on UMD, but now that ALL the things are digital, it's a big deal. A 32GB Memory Stick Pro card will run you about $95-100 (newegg/amazon). The same size SD card is less than half that. Now, they even have a proprietary connector for the cable, as opposed to the mini-usb connection present on the PSP. Add to that the fact that they have the audacity to charge (full price - 15%) to re-buy your games in a digital format...I start to see a pattern.
Yes, the Vita is an impressive hardware platform. Yes, the PS3 runs circles around the competition. However, Sony continues to get worse and worse with their lock-down on peripherals and games. I'll acknowledge that the games are probably beautiful on the Vita...but seeing how they've handled peripherals on the PSP and software on the PS3, I'll pass. Best of luck with your new toy, and note that I meant no offense.
I just hope owning this thing isn't the pain in the ass I fear it will be.
Dude, Sony is the big black dude you see licking his chops as you walk into the prison community showers. I'm glad you're happy with your hardware so far, but this is Sony we're talking about. Nothing they've done in the past few years has shown anything but their desire to make money, often at the customer's expense. Prepare yourself, because that big black guy just put a smile on his face and, unless I'm mistaken (and I hope I am), is about to pound your ass hard.
Sony has been defined by overpriced accessories, rootkits, removed features, draconian network DRM, and in recent times, a lack of concern for protection of customer data. The only thing Sony that I've even remotely enjoyed recently has been my Sony monitor headphones, a simple, cheap and good quality hardware device. If this CEO wants to get Sony back on the right track, he'll solve these problems. Looks like he's getting off on the right foot, at least.
At least we're still in a position to fix it. In five years, we'll be beyond the point of no return, and I wouldn't be surprised if it ends in war with China sometime 10 years down the road.
Here's our country on a silver platter." Seriously, in twenty years, we're going to regret moving our of production and debt to China. We're going be left with no leg to stand on, and only ourselves to blame.
If by "exceptionally well" you mean "locking up the market and raping (figuratively, of course) your customers with overpriced services."
Local governments should be able to make the decision as to whether or not they want to subsidize a public broadband option, as they will know their local markets better than the state ever would.
The fact that this was a 5-4 decision is scary. How they didn't unanimously rule planting a GPS device on a private citizen's car without a warrant as unconstitutional is beyond me.
They'll have more tales of idiocy, and you won't feel like you need to take a shower afterwards. Seriously, InfoWorld, SIX pages? That's a WTF in itself.
I'm only two years out of college, and unless things have magically corrected themselves in that time, the college text book business remains completely frakked up. They've taken the 'Edition' distribution model and have used it to very much hurt the used book business, all while pushing prices higher and higher, yet adding no real value. They've literally got students (and to a smaller sense, professors) by the balls. I gladly welcome Apple's entry to the market; somebody needs to shake things up and eat the lunch of these archaic publishers. Not everyone loves them, but Apple is one of a few companies that has shown their ability to enter a market do just that.
Slashdot Mirror
That was a very interesting article, and is surprisingly apt even three years later. Thank you very much for the link.
Touché, sir. Touché.
It's okay, I'm sure SNAPE will still find a way to ruin the kids' childhoods.
It's interesting that this sudden focus on compressed music as opposed to uncompressed (iTunes Plus) has cropped up so soon after Steve's demise. IIRC, Steve was a music nut and was always pushing for DRM-free, higher fidelity digital downloads through iTunes. My foil-hat says that this might be an attempt to sell shitty quality music at a higher price. However, it could also ease network burden when streaming audio on the go. That said, one should still have access to high quality, uncompressed music for when you want to pump up the volume on your home system.
The Zune's biggest problem was horrible branding. I've used one a couple of times and it was a solid device. But the marketing agent who decided making a 'squirt' service available on a device available in poo-brown was a good idea doomed the device and was hopefully fired. Frankly, I'm surprised the name lasted even longer than the device. Killing a bad brand name like that is a wise decision.
Yes, the Vita is an impressive hardware platform. Yes, the PS3 runs circles around the competition. However, Sony continues to get worse and worse with their lock-down on peripherals and games. I'll acknowledge that the games are probably beautiful on the Vita...but seeing how they've handled peripherals on the PSP and software on the PS3, I'll pass. Best of luck with your new toy, and note that I meant no offense.
I just hope owning this thing isn't the pain in the ass I fear it will be.
Dude, Sony is the big black dude you see licking his chops as you walk into the prison community showers. I'm glad you're happy with your hardware so far, but this is Sony we're talking about. Nothing they've done in the past few years has shown anything but their desire to make money, often at the customer's expense. Prepare yourself, because that big black guy just put a smile on his face and, unless I'm mistaken (and I hope I am), is about to pound your ass hard.
Sony has been defined by overpriced accessories, rootkits, removed features, draconian network DRM, and in recent times, a lack of concern for protection of customer data. The only thing Sony that I've even remotely enjoyed recently has been my Sony monitor headphones, a simple, cheap and good quality hardware device. If this CEO wants to get Sony back on the right track, he'll solve these problems. Looks like he's getting off on the right foot, at least.
your mom.
Richard Keil called, he wants his teeth back.
"Okay, lets get this over with. Assume the position."
fuck you, too.
At least we're still in a position to fix it. In five years, we'll be beyond the point of no return, and I wouldn't be surprised if it ends in war with China sometime 10 years down the road.
Here's our country on a silver platter." Seriously, in twenty years, we're going to regret moving our of production and debt to China. We're going be left with no leg to stand on, and only ourselves to blame.
http://blog.zx2c4.com/749
Gets into the memory specifics of the bug. I found it to be far better than the actual article.
Local governments should be able to make the decision as to whether or not they want to subsidize a public broadband option, as they will know their local markets better than the state ever would.
Yep, watch my karma disappear :)
Okay, okay, reading comprehension fail. Never mind my idiocy. They were divided as to why. Feel free to mod my comment into oblivion.
The fact that this was a 5-4 decision is scary. How they didn't unanimously rule planting a GPS device on a private citizen's car without a warrant as unconstitutional is beyond me.
Hopefully this will open more eyes in congress and generate some more pushback against the overgrown agency that the TSA has become.
They'll have more tales of idiocy, and you won't feel like you need to take a shower afterwards. Seriously, InfoWorld, SIX pages? That's a WTF in itself.
I'm only two years out of college, and unless things have magically corrected themselves in that time, the college text book business remains completely frakked up. They've taken the 'Edition' distribution model and have used it to very much hurt the used book business, all while pushing prices higher and higher, yet adding no real value. They've literally got students (and to a smaller sense, professors) by the balls. I gladly welcome Apple's entry to the market; somebody needs to shake things up and eat the lunch of these archaic publishers. Not everyone loves them, but Apple is one of a few companies that has shown their ability to enter a market do just that.
I'll be in the market for a phone in the next few months...I'll remember this.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/29/world/europe/despite-drop-in-borrowing-rates-italys-economic-travails-remain-acute.html?hp&gwh=EDDD7B35BB09C81DDA0899E0B59BC09C
changes to
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/29/world/europe/despite-drop-in-borrowing-rates-italys-economic-travails-remain-acute.html
Bam, all the free New York Times content you want.