True enough. But my point is that major retailers have no incentive to include things like nice video cards, enough ram, etc... because they have neither the clueful sales force or sufficent mass of educated consumers to sell to. What you end up with is uninformed people buying junk from idiots.
Consumer: Ummmm. [checks crumpled slip of paper] Intel inside.
Salesman: Is it certified for Windows ME?
Consumer: Dunno. I think it has Microsoft.
Salesman: There's your problem. If it doesn't have the Windows ME logo, you can't run the new fast windows. You've got to upgrade.
Consumer: That sounds expensive.
Salesman: No way. I can sell you a windows ME machine for $600. It's got 1.2 Ghz.
Consumer: Is that a lot?
Salesman: Way more Ghz than you need. You really only need one. The.2 is extra.
Consumer: Wow. How many megs has it got?
Salesman: 128. Windows ME needs 64. That's double.
Consumer [to equally clueless spouse]: Sue, can you get the checkbook?
Salesman: Don't forget about the wonderfull internet access package it comes with. Only $300 extra. If you didn't get it, you'd probably end up with viruses.
Consumer: But I've already got AOL.
Salesman: They put that on at the factory. There's nothing we can do.
The All-for-one cinema 7 is the greatest remote since time began. It's got a simple interface (none of that LCD game-boy crap), it's fully programmable, it has pre-programmed and learning modes, has a nice size and weight. It's a hacker favorite- Here's the FAQ. I mean c'mon, you can't get a better remote at any price, let alone $20.
Ummm... pricewatch says the PII 450 is going for $89. That's a lot higher than the Athlon 1ghz or the pIII 667! Methinks the sweet spot is the Duron 750 at $31.
I think the reason the art establishment frowns on computer graphics is the same reason a an assembly language coder frowns on a VB programmer. Painting on physical media requires not only an idea, but a high degree of skill to put that idea into a media transformation... (i.e. a blank canvas into an El Greco). The skills necessary to do classical "fine arts" are well beyond the reach of me or you. The computer in computer graphics is a tool that shields the artist from needing these skills. It's just the same as if an assembly language coder decides to write a word processor VS the VB programmer... even if it has the same features (read- including the same ideas). We appreciate the "geek" factor the same way the art community appreciates the "physical skill" factor. Maybe "art" should be defined as a purely intellectual pursuit, independent of medium, but even most artists aren't that high minded. It's simply a matter of skill appreciation VS idea appreciation.
Many of you know that the reason music CDRs are more expensive than regular CDRs- in fact the ONLY difference in the two types of CDRs is that in the case of the music CDR, a fee has been paid to the RIAA because the CDRs might be used by the legions of evil consumers to copy a copyrighted CD. It doesn't matter if you actually copy one of the RIAA's tracks, you pay for the right to do it anyway... sound familiar? But don't fret... this fee gives you the inalieable right to copy cd's produced by the RIAA! Maybe this hasn't been tested in court, but their lawyers would be hard pressed to explain what the consumer gets in exchange for that fee if not the right to copy. By that logic, all you need to do to LEGALLY OWN your MP3's you got off napster is to burn them on MUSIC CDRs, (even as a data CD). The fee is still paid, right? You bought the right to copy, might as well use it.
This is true to some extent. This was NOT the directors cut. In fact, (I have the tape) the director is Alan Smithee. David Lynch had nothing to do with it and petitioned the director's guild to remove his name from the credits. Fox didn't produce it either. I think it was CBS, which must have syndicated it or something.
Here's why I think Lucas isn't releasing a DVD yet... He can make more money this way. He's going for market saturation on the VHS front, then waiting until a critical mass of the market has a DVD player, then he can sell these poor saps a SECOND COPY OF THE FILM on the new format. He'll clearly get a lot more second buys than if he sold it on DVD right now. The man's knows how to make money... reminds me of a whiney geek up in Redmond. I'm going to buy stock in Lucasfilm while I bitch and moan about the lack of a DVD.
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True enough. But my point is that major retailers have no incentive to include things like nice video cards, enough ram, etc... because they have neither the clueful sales force or sufficent mass of educated consumers to sell to. What you end up with is uninformed people buying junk from idiots.
Consumer: Windows is too slow on my computer.
.2 is extra.
Salesman: What [computer] do you have?
Consumer: Ummmm. [checks crumpled slip of paper] Intel inside.
Salesman: Is it certified for Windows ME?
Consumer: Dunno. I think it has Microsoft.
Salesman: There's your problem. If it doesn't have the Windows ME logo, you can't run the new fast windows. You've got to upgrade.
Consumer: That sounds expensive.
Salesman: No way. I can sell you a windows ME machine for $600. It's got 1.2 Ghz.
Consumer: Is that a lot?
Salesman: Way more Ghz than you need. You really only need one. The
Consumer: Wow. How many megs has it got?
Salesman: 128. Windows ME needs 64. That's double.
Consumer [to equally clueless spouse]: Sue, can you get the checkbook?
Salesman: Don't forget about the wonderfull internet access package it comes with. Only $300 extra. If you didn't get it, you'd probably end up with viruses.
Consumer: But I've already got AOL.
Salesman: They put that on at the factory. There's nothing we can do.
Consumer: Well. OK. [signs check for $900]
Moral of the story: BUILD YOUR OWN DAMN COMPUTER.
The All-for-one cinema 7 is the greatest remote since time began. It's got a simple interface (none of that LCD game-boy crap), it's fully programmable, it has pre-programmed and learning modes, has a nice size and weight. It's a hacker favorite- Here's the FAQ. I mean c'mon, you can't get a better remote at any price, let alone $20.
Once again, science is shot down in the light of overwhelming religious evidence.
A-Men brother. TESTIFY!
Ummm... pricewatch says the PII 450 is going for $89. That's a lot higher than the Athlon 1ghz or the pIII 667! Methinks the sweet spot is the Duron 750 at $31.
I think the reason the art establishment frowns on computer graphics is the same reason a an assembly language coder frowns on a VB programmer. Painting on physical media requires not only an idea, but a high degree of skill to put that idea into a media transformation... (i.e. a blank canvas into an El Greco). The skills necessary to do classical "fine arts" are well beyond the reach of me or you. The computer in computer graphics is a tool that shields the artist from needing these skills. It's just the same as if an assembly language coder decides to write a word processor VS the VB programmer... even if it has the same features (read- including the same ideas). We appreciate the "geek" factor the same way the art community appreciates the "physical skill" factor. Maybe "art" should be defined as a purely intellectual pursuit, independent of medium, but even most artists aren't that high minded. It's simply a matter of skill appreciation VS idea appreciation.
Many of you know that the reason music CDRs are more expensive than regular CDRs- in fact the ONLY difference in the two types of CDRs is that in the case of the music CDR, a fee has been paid to the RIAA because the CDRs might be used by the legions of evil consumers to copy a copyrighted CD. It doesn't matter if you actually copy one of the RIAA's tracks, you pay for the right to do it anyway... sound familiar? But don't fret... this fee gives you the inalieable right to copy cd's produced by the RIAA! Maybe this hasn't been tested in court, but their lawyers would be hard pressed to explain what the consumer gets in exchange for that fee if not the right to copy. By that logic, all you need to do to LEGALLY OWN your MP3's you got off napster is to burn them on MUSIC CDRs, (even as a data CD). The fee is still paid, right? You bought the right to copy, might as well use it.
This is true to some extent. This was NOT the directors cut. In fact, (I have the tape) the director is Alan Smithee. David Lynch had nothing to do with it and petitioned the director's guild to remove his name from the credits. Fox didn't produce it either. I think it was CBS, which must have syndicated it or something.
Here's why I think Lucas isn't releasing a DVD yet... He can make more money this way. He's going for market saturation on the VHS front, then waiting until a critical mass of the market has a DVD player, then he can sell these poor saps a SECOND COPY OF THE FILM on the new format. He'll clearly get a lot more second buys than if he sold it on DVD right now. The man's knows how to make money... reminds me of a whiney geek up in Redmond. I'm going to buy stock in Lucasfilm while I bitch and moan about the lack of a DVD.