That said, IE is the only browser where you can easily configure it enterprise wide, extremely easily. Want to lock down specific websites to text & images only for thousands of machines remotely?
I would argue that this isn't the sort of thing that a browser should be doing. If you want to strip Javascript out of particular sites or something similar, you should set up a transparent proxy at your router to do that to all outbound traffic. Why modify software on hundreds of computers when you could just do it on one instead? Not to mention that in that case, you don't have to worry about anybody installing an alternative browser or plugging an unauthorized computer into the network. They'll still get filtered, too.
There are wireless KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) units that allow you to keep your computer at a distance.
Not with any sort of video that's actually good. For example, let's take a 1280x1024 display -- that's a normal resolution by today's standards. Assuming 24-bit color and a 60 Hz update rate (also low, if you're on a CRT), that's 1280x1024x3x60 bytes per second. 225 MB/s; alternately, 1.8 Gb/s. That's beyond what even an 802.11n connection could keep up with. If you want a decent display, it has to be wired.
The main page of the wiki says, "Currently it is not suitable for users. The state of the software at the moment is pre-alpha. If you order a Neo1973, DO NOT expect to be able to use it as an everyday phone for several months." There you go.
You could of course open your mind and take into account programs that others use too before accusing the parent of spreading rumors!
"Open my mind"? The parent said that you could count the number of apps that support 64-bit Windows on one hand, which is patently false, because I use more applications than I can count on one hand. What other people use doesn't even matter.
There are two issues here - the original said "You can count the number of apps that currently support 64 bit windows on one hand." this is cynical but true. Most 32-bit apps can run in emulation under x64 XP but thats different.
I see, so if you change the definition of "support 64 bit windows" to mean "has a natively compiled 64-bit version", then somehow that makes his argument true. Just for the sake of argument, let's pretend that it's impossible for a 32-bit application to be supported on 64-bit Windows. Off the top of my head, here's a few programs I use that have native 64-bit versions: All of my drivers, obviously, and because I'm nice we'll count them as one program. Logitech's mouse control center. Half-life 2. 7-zip. Avast Anti-virus. Java. Motorola's phone tools. (we're over one hand now, but I'll go on a bit more) PeerGuardian. We'll lump some of MS's applications together: Internet Explorer, Windows Defender, Outlook Express, etc. Daemon Tools. Firefox. And more, but this is getting tiring. Here is a list of some native 64-bit applications that popped up as the first link on Google. I hope your hands have lots of fingers.
Look, I know it's popular to hate on 64-bit Windows here on Slashdot, but the fact is that there are lots of native 64-bit applications out there, and the vast majority of existing 32-bit applications work perfectly unless they try to install drivers.
You may have iTunes installed, but if you did what I think you did, you had to copy files from a 32bit Windows install. Meaning, iTunes does not support your OS.
No, I don't even have a 32-bit installation of Windows. I downloaded the iTunes installer and installed it. I'm telling you that iTunes works just fine, straight from the Apple web site to a 64-bit Windows XP installation. Does that not make sense to you?
I use 64-bit Windows XP on my computer. All of my software works. All of my hardware works, including things like a bluetooth mouse, a firewire DVD burner, and a fancy GeForce video card. Long ago there were many problems, but those days are gone. The only current programs I can think of that I have problems with are the installers for the Oblivion downloadable content, which is very stupid because if you extract the files from the installers via other means, they work fine. I've played many other games that worked just fine, too.
Do you have any actual evidence that the number of apps that support 64-bit Windows is "close" to being countable on one hand, or are you just spreading rumors?
Uh, no it's not. It's a small, niche genre that gets a lot of publicity in America just because it's so completely unlike anything here. In reality, go look at any top-ten game chart -- you will almost never see a hentai game or dating sim on the chart. Occasionally the absolute most popular ones (Tokimeki Memorial, for example) will make a mark, but most of them just fade away into oblivion. The charts are typically dominated by the (comparatively) squeaky-clean games produced by the likes of Square-Enix and Nintendo.
Most of the splatbooks are poorly written, unbalanced pieces of drivel.
I would actually disagree with the "unbalanced" part. Sure, there are some that have some things in them that are just plain broken, but I'd say that most of the new material is more balanced than the core books.
Just look at the base classes -- fighter is, bar none, the weakest class. Ok, they're decent for the first few levels when all of the melee classes basically use the same tactics, but after that, there is absolutely nothing they can do that another class can't do better. I have yet to see any new base classes that can do less than the fighter. I've seen a lot of people look at newer material and go, "It's more powerful than a fighter, it's broken!", but really, the fighter is a bad benchmark.
On the other hand, the four base full caster classes (cleric/druid/sorcerer/wizard) are easily more versatile and powerful than any of the others. A druid with the Natural Spell feat can break the game in ways that newer caster classes can only dream of, and they don't have to use anything that's not in the PHB and MM. I'll make an exception for a bard who focuses on diplomacy, though, because he can easily make the most hateful demons into his best friends with a single skill check.
Granted, there are occasional prestige classes that are more powerful than the base classes. However, first of all, in some cases that's just unavoidable -- look at the sorcerer, who basically gets *nothing* but spellcasting. Any prestige class that gave him a full caster progression plus anything else would have to be better than the sorcerer, simply because the base class gets nothing. Second, well, the point of prestige classes is really to make a character more powerful (or at least, more focused in certain areas) than they would be otherwise.
The balance for a lot of new material is quite good, in my opinion. The Tome of Battle is exactly what melee combatants needed; the base classes there are capable of keeping pace with the spellcasters, even at later levels. There are some that look broken at first glance, but are really pretty good. Psionics look bad at first glance, but after you actually understand the rules, it's arguably the most balanced system in the game. Seriously, if you don't believe me, go spend some time on WotC's forums, they'll clear up any misconceptions you have about it. Also, I know one DM who practically had a seizure when he saw the PHB2's duskblade, but we've actually been using it in a campaign, and as hard as we try to break it, it still can't touch a druid who has had the same amount of effort put into him. The Tome of Magic has been a hit, too; binders are wonderfully complex but not game-breaking, and they're arguably a little weak at low levels. The shadowcaster's fun, too, although they level a bit unevenly. Truenamers look too weak at first, but if you work on optimizing their skills properly, they're as good as any other non-broken spellcaster.
Next time I run a new campaign, I'm actually thinking about banning PHB classes (except maybe the rogue, whom I personally think is the best example of balance in the PHB). It's too early to tell for sure, but I'm actually willing to bet that the party will end up being more balanced. We won't have to deal with the monk who is frustrated because he never manages to hit anything or the paladin who is frustrated because the wizard kills everything before he can actually move up to it.
Anyway, that's just how I feel about it. I won't disagree that the writing is poor in many cases, though. They really need to polish up their flavor text and get some better editors.
First of all, if you've had stability problems, it is almost certainly due to third-party drivers. Despite popular anecdotes on Slashdot, Windows 2k and XP are both quite stable, and the majority of users don't have any more problems with one than the other.
Second, you're assuming that aside from the interface, 2k and XP are the same. XP actually has a number of features that 2k doesn't, including fast user switching, remote desktop access (you'll have to get 2k Server for that), system restore / driver rollback, data execution prevention, and encrypted offline file & folder support. For what it's worth, I also often hear people say that XP has better support for DOS and Windows 9x programs, but I haven't seen any specific examples or tested it, myself.
To be fair, the MacBooks are aimed at average consumers, not corporate workers. That's what the MacBook Pros are for. Also, the MacBook Pros do have 7200 RPM drives available -- and I can guarantee that they have for a least a year, because the one I got back then has a 7200 RPM drive. Finally, if you really need a docking station, third-party ones are available.
I'd much rather get updated versions of Chrono Trigger and the Soul Blazer trilogy.
Unfortunately, getting an update on the Soul Blazer series isn't likely to ever happen, given that it wasn't quite a best seller, and the people responsible for it have long since moved on from Square-Enix. However, you might be interested to know that it's not quite a trilogy.
This year alone, the Wii has sold over three times as many units as the PS3 in Japan. It's sold over fifteen times as many units as the Xbox 360. Why would Square-Enix, a Japanese company, want to release the next entry in their largest franchise for the weakest system? You should keep in mind that the rest of the world is a secondary concern for them.
Why you would choose to be anon in a world where reputation is growing in importance every day has always been beyond me.
The reason why is that some people want to be able to say unpopular things without having their reputation ruined for it. Trolling on Slashdot is one example, but there are plenty of other perfectly valid reasons; for example, whistleblowing. You may need to expose a company's dirty practices, but let's face it -- if it's a matter of public record that you're willing to expose a company's secrets, nobody is ever going to hire you again. It may be immoral and even illegal, but that doesn't matter; they'll take a look at your application, do a quick background check, and then just let you know that you're not right for the position. Anonymity is very important.
Wait, what? Where are you getting that from? Every music-playing application I know of that has been updated within the last few years can play AAC files. A large number of "MP3" players can play AAC files as well -- for example, the world's most popular portable music player, the iPod. I don't see how transcoding the files to MP3 would do anything other than determine how well AAC transcodes to MP3, considering that the vast majority of people who buy music from iTunes will not be transcoding it.
On the other hand, since you used "ACC" twice, I haven't a feeling that you're really not at all familiar with the format.
Phantasy Star Universe is even better. They have official forums, but basically the only thing you're allowed to do there is talk about how much you love the game. Bug reports are deleted; reports of hacking and harassment are deleted; general complaints are deleted; suggestions from players are ignored; gameplay questions are answered with, "Find out for yourself, that's part of the fun!" They have a technical support forum, but the only people who ever provide tech support are other players.
Granted, it's possible that the situation is better in Sega of Japan. Sega's English-speaking customers have a history of being treated like proverbial red-headed stepchildren.
Come now, don't troll. Texas alone has brought us Dr. Pepper, Deus Ex, and three of the world's elite medical research centers. I'm not sure where you're getting this "complete lack of morals and ethics" from, since we've established that everybody's least favorite president of all time is a Northerner.
Didn't vote for Bush or Gore because they were both Southerners
Bush was born in Connecticut. Gore was born in Washington, D. C. Neither of them are Southerners, and besides that, that's a poor, uneducated reason to not vote for somebody.
Unfortunately, in both my and a friend's experiences, they have a miniscule coverage range, bad signal quality, and force you to buy crippled phones. On top of that, if you buy a phone that has a problem and you want to return it, their answer is basically, "Deal with it." I can't recommend them at all, regardless of the plans' prices.
I can see how you could consider Castlevania to be a product. If you shoehorn it a bit, you could probably also consider the production of a movie to mean they've entered into a "continuing contractual relationship with other businesses". However, I doubt the movie studio is operating "under the franchisor's trade name" in exchange for a fee.
Every other entry than the movie in the series is right out, considering that, last I checked, they're not farming production of them out to other companies.
I'm not quite sure I understand your complaint -- Slashdot gets about one story a month that mentions Castlevania in some way or another, frequently just as an aside to the main subject, and that's "a string of press releases"? Crazy. I don't know if I'd say the "franchise" "limped" through a couple of sequels, either, considering that it's still going quite strong. The CV games on the GBA & DS are among the best platformers on the systems. Few people will deny that Symphony of the Night is one of the greatest platformers ever made, and that came out well after the early Nintendo systems were dead. I don't think that anybody but you wants to end the series.
By the way, you might want to look up the definition for the word "franchise"; I don't think it means what you think it means. Check "press release", while you're at it.
You have to be a subscriber to see it, though. In a nutshell, Apple had the best score in every category. They had the best overall ratings by a considerable margin.
I think you're playing the wrong games. Just a few that I've recently found emotionally engrossing include Shadow of the Colossus, Tales of the Abyss, and Suikoden 5 -- hell, that game made my cry twice.
Slashdot Mirror
That said, IE is the only browser where you can easily configure it enterprise wide, extremely easily. Want to lock down specific websites to text & images only for thousands of machines remotely?
I would argue that this isn't the sort of thing that a browser should be doing. If you want to strip Javascript out of particular sites or something similar, you should set up a transparent proxy at your router to do that to all outbound traffic. Why modify software on hundreds of computers when you could just do it on one instead? Not to mention that in that case, you don't have to worry about anybody installing an alternative browser or plugging an unauthorized computer into the network. They'll still get filtered, too.
There are wireless KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) units that allow you to keep your computer at a distance.
Not with any sort of video that's actually good. For example, let's take a 1280x1024 display -- that's a normal resolution by today's standards. Assuming 24-bit color and a 60 Hz update rate (also low, if you're on a CRT), that's 1280x1024x3x60 bytes per second. 225 MB/s; alternately, 1.8 Gb/s. That's beyond what even an 802.11n connection could keep up with. If you want a decent display, it has to be wired.
The main page of the wiki says, "Currently it is not suitable for users. The state of the software at the moment is pre-alpha. If you order a Neo1973, DO NOT expect to be able to use it as an everyday phone for several months." There you go.
However, what to do with the 2 year contract you signed at the time you bought it???
You don't sign a contract at the time you buy it. Have you been ignoring all of the previous iPhone discussions?
You could of course open your mind and take into account programs that others use too before accusing the parent of spreading rumors!
"Open my mind"? The parent said that you could count the number of apps that support 64-bit Windows on one hand, which is patently false, because I use more applications than I can count on one hand. What other people use doesn't even matter.
There are two issues here - the original said "You can count the number of apps that currently support 64 bit windows on one hand." this is cynical but true. Most 32-bit apps can run in emulation under x64 XP but thats different.
I see, so if you change the definition of "support 64 bit windows" to mean "has a natively compiled 64-bit version", then somehow that makes his argument true. Just for the sake of argument, let's pretend that it's impossible for a 32-bit application to be supported on 64-bit Windows. Off the top of my head, here's a few programs I use that have native 64-bit versions:
All of my drivers, obviously, and because I'm nice we'll count them as one program.
Logitech's mouse control center.
Half-life 2.
7-zip.
Avast Anti-virus.
Java.
Motorola's phone tools.
(we're over one hand now, but I'll go on a bit more)
PeerGuardian.
We'll lump some of MS's applications together: Internet Explorer, Windows Defender, Outlook Express, etc.
Daemon Tools.
Firefox.
And more, but this is getting tiring. Here is a list of some native 64-bit applications that popped up as the first link on Google. I hope your hands have lots of fingers.
Look, I know it's popular to hate on 64-bit Windows here on Slashdot, but the fact is that there are lots of native 64-bit applications out there, and the vast majority of existing 32-bit applications work perfectly unless they try to install drivers.
You may have iTunes installed, but if you did what I think you did, you had to copy files from a 32bit Windows install. Meaning, iTunes does not support your OS.
No, I don't even have a 32-bit installation of Windows. I downloaded the iTunes installer and installed it. I'm telling you that iTunes works just fine, straight from the Apple web site to a 64-bit Windows XP installation. Does that not make sense to you?
The iPhone requires iTunes to work. Does iTunes support 64bit Vista or XP?
Uh, yes, yes it does. I've got my iPod hooked up to iTunes on 64-bit XP right now.
I don't see how you can make that mistake.
What mistake?
I use 64-bit Windows XP on my computer. All of my software works. All of my hardware works, including things like a bluetooth mouse, a firewire DVD burner, and a fancy GeForce video card. Long ago there were many problems, but those days are gone. The only current programs I can think of that I have problems with are the installers for the Oblivion downloadable content, which is very stupid because if you extract the files from the installers via other means, they work fine. I've played many other games that worked just fine, too.
Do you have any actual evidence that the number of apps that support 64-bit Windows is "close" to being countable on one hand, or are you just spreading rumors?
in fact its the biggest type of game over there
Uh, no it's not. It's a small, niche genre that gets a lot of publicity in America just because it's so completely unlike anything here. In reality, go look at any top-ten game chart -- you will almost never see a hentai game or dating sim on the chart. Occasionally the absolute most popular ones (Tokimeki Memorial, for example) will make a mark, but most of them just fade away into oblivion. The charts are typically dominated by the (comparatively) squeaky-clean games produced by the likes of Square-Enix and Nintendo.
Most of the splatbooks are poorly written, unbalanced pieces of drivel.
I would actually disagree with the "unbalanced" part. Sure, there are some that have some things in them that are just plain broken, but I'd say that most of the new material is more balanced than the core books.
Just look at the base classes -- fighter is, bar none, the weakest class. Ok, they're decent for the first few levels when all of the melee classes basically use the same tactics, but after that, there is absolutely nothing they can do that another class can't do better. I have yet to see any new base classes that can do less than the fighter. I've seen a lot of people look at newer material and go, "It's more powerful than a fighter, it's broken!", but really, the fighter is a bad benchmark.
On the other hand, the four base full caster classes (cleric/druid/sorcerer/wizard) are easily more versatile and powerful than any of the others. A druid with the Natural Spell feat can break the game in ways that newer caster classes can only dream of, and they don't have to use anything that's not in the PHB and MM. I'll make an exception for a bard who focuses on diplomacy, though, because he can easily make the most hateful demons into his best friends with a single skill check.
Granted, there are occasional prestige classes that are more powerful than the base classes. However, first of all, in some cases that's just unavoidable -- look at the sorcerer, who basically gets *nothing* but spellcasting. Any prestige class that gave him a full caster progression plus anything else would have to be better than the sorcerer, simply because the base class gets nothing. Second, well, the point of prestige classes is really to make a character more powerful (or at least, more focused in certain areas) than they would be otherwise.
The balance for a lot of new material is quite good, in my opinion. The Tome of Battle is exactly what melee combatants needed; the base classes there are capable of keeping pace with the spellcasters, even at later levels. There are some that look broken at first glance, but are really pretty good. Psionics look bad at first glance, but after you actually understand the rules, it's arguably the most balanced system in the game. Seriously, if you don't believe me, go spend some time on WotC's forums, they'll clear up any misconceptions you have about it. Also, I know one DM who practically had a seizure when he saw the PHB2's duskblade, but we've actually been using it in a campaign, and as hard as we try to break it, it still can't touch a druid who has had the same amount of effort put into him. The Tome of Magic has been a hit, too; binders are wonderfully complex but not game-breaking, and they're arguably a little weak at low levels. The shadowcaster's fun, too, although they level a bit unevenly. Truenamers look too weak at first, but if you work on optimizing their skills properly, they're as good as any other non-broken spellcaster.
Next time I run a new campaign, I'm actually thinking about banning PHB classes (except maybe the rogue, whom I personally think is the best example of balance in the PHB). It's too early to tell for sure, but I'm actually willing to bet that the party will end up being more balanced. We won't have to deal with the monk who is frustrated because he never manages to hit anything or the paladin who is frustrated because the wizard kills everything before he can actually move up to it.
Anyway, that's just how I feel about it. I won't disagree that the writing is poor in many cases, though. They really need to polish up their flavor text and get some better editors.
First of all, if you've had stability problems, it is almost certainly due to third-party drivers. Despite popular anecdotes on Slashdot, Windows 2k and XP are both quite stable, and the majority of users don't have any more problems with one than the other.
Second, you're assuming that aside from the interface, 2k and XP are the same. XP actually has a number of features that 2k doesn't, including fast user switching, remote desktop access (you'll have to get 2k Server for that), system restore / driver rollback, data execution prevention, and encrypted offline file & folder support. For what it's worth, I also often hear people say that XP has better support for DOS and Windows 9x programs, but I haven't seen any specific examples or tested it, myself.
To be fair, the MacBooks are aimed at average consumers, not corporate workers. That's what the MacBook Pros are for. Also, the MacBook Pros do have 7200 RPM drives available -- and I can guarantee that they have for a least a year, because the one I got back then has a 7200 RPM drive. Finally, if you really need a docking station, third-party ones are available.
I'd much rather get updated versions of Chrono Trigger and the Soul Blazer trilogy.
Unfortunately, getting an update on the Soul Blazer series isn't likely to ever happen, given that it wasn't quite a best seller, and the people responsible for it have long since moved on from Square-Enix. However, you might be interested to know that it's not quite a trilogy.
Here's some statistics for you: http://www.the-magicbox.com/topten.htm
This year alone, the Wii has sold over three times as many units as the PS3 in Japan. It's sold over fifteen times as many units as the Xbox 360. Why would Square-Enix, a Japanese company, want to release the next entry in their largest franchise for the weakest system? You should keep in mind that the rest of the world is a secondary concern for them.
Why you would choose to be anon in a world where reputation is growing in importance every day has always been beyond me.
The reason why is that some people want to be able to say unpopular things without having their reputation ruined for it. Trolling on Slashdot is one example, but there are plenty of other perfectly valid reasons; for example, whistleblowing. You may need to expose a company's dirty practices, but let's face it -- if it's a matter of public record that you're willing to expose a company's secrets, nobody is ever going to hire you again. It may be immoral and even illegal, but that doesn't matter; they'll take a look at your application, do a quick background check, and then just let you know that you're not right for the position. Anonymity is very important.
Wait, what? Where are you getting that from? Every music-playing application I know of that has been updated within the last few years can play AAC files. A large number of "MP3" players can play AAC files as well -- for example, the world's most popular portable music player, the iPod. I don't see how transcoding the files to MP3 would do anything other than determine how well AAC transcodes to MP3, considering that the vast majority of people who buy music from iTunes will not be transcoding it.
On the other hand, since you used "ACC" twice, I haven't a feeling that you're really not at all familiar with the format.
Phantasy Star Universe is even better. They have official forums, but basically the only thing you're allowed to do there is talk about how much you love the game. Bug reports are deleted; reports of hacking and harassment are deleted; general complaints are deleted; suggestions from players are ignored; gameplay questions are answered with, "Find out for yourself, that's part of the fun!" They have a technical support forum, but the only people who ever provide tech support are other players.
Granted, it's possible that the situation is better in Sega of Japan. Sega's English-speaking customers have a history of being treated like proverbial red-headed stepchildren.
Come now, don't troll. Texas alone has brought us Dr. Pepper, Deus Ex, and three of the world's elite medical research centers. I'm not sure where you're getting this "complete lack of morals and ethics" from, since we've established that everybody's least favorite president of all time is a Northerner.
Didn't vote for Bush or Gore because they were both Southerners
Bush was born in Connecticut. Gore was born in Washington, D. C. Neither of them are Southerners, and besides that, that's a poor, uneducated reason to not vote for somebody.
For what it's worth, I'm in northwestern San Antonio. I'm using T-Mobile now, and I haven't had any problems with them.
Unfortunately, in both my and a friend's experiences, they have a miniscule coverage range, bad signal quality, and force you to buy crippled phones. On top of that, if you buy a phone that has a problem and you want to return it, their answer is basically, "Deal with it." I can't recommend them at all, regardless of the plans' prices.
Franchise:
http://www.investorwords.com/2078/franchise.html [investorwords.com]
See how this applies to the movie?
I can see how you could consider Castlevania to be a product. If you shoehorn it a bit, you could probably also consider the production of a movie to mean they've entered into a "continuing contractual relationship with other businesses". However, I doubt the movie studio is operating "under the franchisor's trade name" in exchange for a fee.
Every other entry than the movie in the series is right out, considering that, last I checked, they're not farming production of them out to other companies.
Press Release:
http://www.1stworldlibrary.org/Glossary.html#p [1stworldlibrary.org]
See how this applies to the regular SlashDot postings?
Did Konami issue all of those articles themselves? No? I'm afraid I don't see.
Feel free to ask if you need more help with your cognitive processes...
Feel free to let me know if you want to argue based on the matters at hand rather than nitpicks.
I'm not quite sure I understand your complaint -- Slashdot gets about one story a month that mentions Castlevania in some way or another, frequently just as an aside to the main subject, and that's "a string of press releases"? Crazy. I don't know if I'd say the "franchise" "limped" through a couple of sequels, either, considering that it's still going quite strong. The CV games on the GBA & DS are among the best platformers on the systems. Few people will deny that Symphony of the Night is one of the greatest platformers ever made, and that came out well after the early Nintendo systems were dead. I don't think that anybody but you wants to end the series.
By the way, you might want to look up the definition for the word "franchise"; I don't think it means what you think it means. Check "press release", while you're at it.
For the record, you can see last year's report here: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-com puters/laptop-desktop-computers/laptops-desktops-6 06/tech-support/index.htm?resultPageIndex=1&result Index=4&searchTerm=computer%20tech%20support%20rat ings
You have to be a subscriber to see it, though. In a nutshell, Apple had the best score in every category. They had the best overall ratings by a considerable margin.
I think you're playing the wrong games. Just a few that I've recently found emotionally engrossing include Shadow of the Colossus, Tales of the Abyss, and Suikoden 5 -- hell, that game made my cry twice.