WPA and WPA2 are sorely lacking in the DS Lite, but I'm not inclined to "upgrade." Why? Because the ability to play GBA games is important to me. I can see where Nintendo is going, trying to appeal to older and more casual gamers to broaden the market, but I've read conflicting reports about their DS sales. Somewhere else I read that sales were doing well, but this article says:
"Despite the availability of the new DSi, Nintendo's handheld sales dropped nearly 20% in 2009"
It's also interesting to read in this article that the success of Nintendo's handhelds has been in part due to incremental, rather than generational, changes, and backwards compatibility. Well, this is an incremental change, but it was a very sad day that the DSi came in without a GBA slot, especially since several high-profile DS games make use of it (Guitar Hero requires it? Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum has interface features with Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald?).
What I want, that will make me (and probably every other serious handheld gamer around) upgrade even if it's at a full $200, is a DS with this larger screen, DSi features, WPA2, and a GBA slot that doesn't protrude out the bottom. The increased screen size makes this last part possible when it wasn't in the DS Lite (my model).
Though, another killer feature would be something like the Wii Shop Channel for DS, to download virtual console games, or even DS games, and web browser for the DS. This would be best facilitated with a modest flash chip, say 4gb or 8gb. This would go straight after both the PSP and the iPhone markets, while increasing profits through online content distribution, reduce the average consumer's demand for piracy, all for a relatively small investment. This, however, might be a generational change, and if the DSi is the model for Nintendo's changes I would greatly fear that this kind of shift would be like to PSP Go (which got rid of the UMD; slashdotted a week ago)
Who needs terrorists to take down the entire West Coast power grid when you've got Enron? It WILL happen again, especially with the current state of the California government.
Sorry for the bad formatting, even with the preview I had assumed my new lines would be converted to line breaks.
Besides the issues already mentioned (OS name? Seriously? Major hardware differences on test machines? No actual speed tests of any kind?) there are several parts of the article which are just plain wrong:
1. Installation. You do have to decide with Snow Leopard if you want to upgrade or clean install--it's just that normally that decision is suggested for you. Anybody competent enough to be upgrading their operating system should know that typically, inserting the disk while booted will start an OS upgrade, and booting from the disk will allow a clean install. There's also no mention in this section of the fact that of course Snow Leopard won't have any driver issues; Apple has a limited set of hardware to work with, while Microsoft has to deal with everything. I think Microsoft's solution of installing basic drivers, then getting the correct ones through Windows Update, is a lot better than the alternative of installing most or all of the possible drivers you might need, bloating your installation a several GB.
2. Launching Applications. Yes, when running Internet Explorer in Windows, separate tabs will show up as thumbnails, but only in Internet Explorer. I'm surprised the reviewer didn't even try Firefox, since he apparently did in Snow Leopard. I guess some people think Firefox is more acceptable as a replacement for Safari than Internet Explorer? Additionally, it mentioned Jump Lists. I have Snow Leopard, and I can personally attest to the fact that there ARE jump lists in Snow Leopard, and they function EXACTLY like in Windows, i.e. the application can add menu items to it. Also, Snow Leopard has Alt-Tab (actually Command-Tab), that also activates with a four-finger multitouch swipe on the trackpad of a laptop (and multitouch gesture drivers are now available for older macbooks and macbook pros, which previously didn't have such gestures).
3. Enterprise Readiness. Major Blud made note of the fact that this reviewer has thrust Windows 7 into a de facto position of corporate standard. Frankly, just because businesses use Windows doesn't make Windows more enterprise ready. I happen to work in an environment that administers both Windows and Mac systems. Macintosh has had major management and IT tools for a while now, and some of the advanced features are a lot easier to manage, I think. These tools are mostly available through the Apple developer network, and through Mac OS X Server. The remote administration, imaging, and configuration services in Server are, in my opinion, on the level with Windows administration tools.
That all said, the review isn't all bad. It offers an important look at the features that are important to the everyday user, and while most of us Slashdotters would be more interested in benchmarks, it's important not to lose sight of the average user. I just wish the reviewer had gotten his facts straight.
Besides the issues already mentioned (OS name? Seriously? Major hardware differences on test machines? No actual speed tests of any kind?) there are several parts of the article which are just plain wrong:
1. Installation. You do have to decide with Snow Leopard if you want to upgrade or clean install--it's just that normally that decision is suggested for you. Anybody competent enough to be upgrading their operating system should know that typically, inserting the disk while booted will start an OS upgrade, and booting from the disk will allow a clean install. There's also no mention in this section of the fact that of course Snow Leopard won't have any driver issues; Apple has a limited set of hardware to work with, while Microsoft has to deal with everything. I think Microsoft's solution of installing basic drivers, then getting the correct ones through Windows Update, is a lot better than the alternative of installing most or all of the possible drivers you might need, bloating your installation a several GB.
2. Launching Applications. Yes, when running Internet Explorer in Windows, separate tabs will show up as thumbnails, but only in Internet Explorer. I'm surprised the reviewer didn't even try Firefox, since he apparently did in Snow Leopard. I guess some people think Firefox is more acceptable as a replacement for Safari than Internet Explorer? Additionally, it mentioned Jump Lists. I have Snow Leopard, and I can personally attest to the fact that there ARE jump lists in Snow Leopard, and they function EXACTLY like in Windows, i.e. the application can add menu items to it. Also, Snow Leopard has Alt-Tab (actually Command-Tab), that also activates with a four-finger multitouch swipe on the trackpad of a laptop (and multitouch gesture drivers are now available for older macbooks and macbook pros, which previously didn't have such gestures).
3. Enterprise Readiness. Major Blud made note of the fact that this reviewer has thrust Windows 7 into a de facto position of corporate standard. Frankly, just because businesses use Windows doesn't make Windows more enterprise ready. I happen to work in an environment that administers both Windows and Mac systems. Macintosh has had major management and IT tools for a while now, and some of the advanced features are a lot easier to manage, I think. These tools are mostly available through the Apple developer network, and through Mac OS X Server. The remote administration, imaging, and configuration services in Server are, in my opinion, on the level with Windows administration tools.
That all said, the review isn't all bad. It offers an important look at the features that are important to the everyday user, and while most of us Slashdotters would be more interested in benchmarks, it's important not to lose sight of the average user. I just wish the reviewer had gotten his facts straight.
Slashdot Mirror
So...this is going to protect us from the Flood?
WPA and WPA2 are sorely lacking in the DS Lite, but I'm not inclined to "upgrade." Why? Because the ability to play GBA games is important to me. I can see where Nintendo is going, trying to appeal to older and more casual gamers to broaden the market, but I've read conflicting reports about their DS sales. Somewhere else I read that sales were doing well, but this article says:
"Despite the availability of the new DSi, Nintendo's handheld sales dropped nearly 20% in 2009"
It's also interesting to read in this article that the success of Nintendo's handhelds has been in part due to incremental, rather than generational, changes, and backwards compatibility. Well, this is an incremental change, but it was a very sad day that the DSi came in without a GBA slot, especially since several high-profile DS games make use of it (Guitar Hero requires it? Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum has interface features with Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald?).
What I want, that will make me (and probably every other serious handheld gamer around) upgrade even if it's at a full $200, is a DS with this larger screen, DSi features, WPA2, and a GBA slot that doesn't protrude out the bottom. The increased screen size makes this last part possible when it wasn't in the DS Lite (my model).
Though, another killer feature would be something like the Wii Shop Channel for DS, to download virtual console games, or even DS games, and web browser for the DS. This would be best facilitated with a modest flash chip, say 4gb or 8gb. This would go straight after both the PSP and the iPhone markets, while increasing profits through online content distribution, reduce the average consumer's demand for piracy, all for a relatively small investment. This, however, might be a generational change, and if the DSi is the model for Nintendo's changes I would greatly fear that this kind of shift would be like to PSP Go (which got rid of the UMD; slashdotted a week ago)
Who needs terrorists to take down the entire West Coast power grid when you've got Enron? It WILL happen again, especially with the current state of the California government.
Sorry for the bad formatting, even with the preview I had assumed my new lines would be converted to line breaks.
Besides the issues already mentioned (OS name? Seriously? Major hardware differences on test machines? No actual speed tests of any kind?) there are several parts of the article which are just plain wrong:
1. Installation. You do have to decide with Snow Leopard if you want to upgrade or clean install--it's just that normally that decision is suggested for you. Anybody competent enough to be upgrading their operating system should know that typically, inserting the disk while booted will start an OS upgrade, and booting from the disk will allow a clean install. There's also no mention in this section of the fact that of course Snow Leopard won't have any driver issues; Apple has a limited set of hardware to work with, while Microsoft has to deal with everything. I think Microsoft's solution of installing basic drivers, then getting the correct ones through Windows Update, is a lot better than the alternative of installing most or all of the possible drivers you might need, bloating your installation a several GB.
2. Launching Applications. Yes, when running Internet Explorer in Windows, separate tabs will show up as thumbnails, but only in Internet Explorer. I'm surprised the reviewer didn't even try Firefox, since he apparently did in Snow Leopard. I guess some people think Firefox is more acceptable as a replacement for Safari than Internet Explorer? Additionally, it mentioned Jump Lists. I have Snow Leopard, and I can personally attest to the fact that there ARE jump lists in Snow Leopard, and they function EXACTLY like in Windows, i.e. the application can add menu items to it. Also, Snow Leopard has Alt-Tab (actually Command-Tab), that also activates with a four-finger multitouch swipe on the trackpad of a laptop (and multitouch gesture drivers are now available for older macbooks and macbook pros, which previously didn't have such gestures).
3. Enterprise Readiness. Major Blud made note of the fact that this reviewer has thrust Windows 7 into a de facto position of corporate standard. Frankly, just because businesses use Windows doesn't make Windows more enterprise ready. I happen to work in an environment that administers both Windows and Mac systems. Macintosh has had major management and IT tools for a while now, and some of the advanced features are a lot easier to manage, I think. These tools are mostly available through the Apple developer network, and through Mac OS X Server. The remote administration, imaging, and configuration services in Server are, in my opinion, on the level with Windows administration tools.
That all said, the review isn't all bad. It offers an important look at the features that are important to the everyday user, and while most of us Slashdotters would be more interested in benchmarks, it's important not to lose sight of the average user. I just wish the reviewer had gotten his facts straight.
Besides the issues already mentioned (OS name? Seriously? Major hardware differences on test machines? No actual speed tests of any kind?) there are several parts of the article which are just plain wrong: 1. Installation. You do have to decide with Snow Leopard if you want to upgrade or clean install--it's just that normally that decision is suggested for you. Anybody competent enough to be upgrading their operating system should know that typically, inserting the disk while booted will start an OS upgrade, and booting from the disk will allow a clean install. There's also no mention in this section of the fact that of course Snow Leopard won't have any driver issues; Apple has a limited set of hardware to work with, while Microsoft has to deal with everything. I think Microsoft's solution of installing basic drivers, then getting the correct ones through Windows Update, is a lot better than the alternative of installing most or all of the possible drivers you might need, bloating your installation a several GB. 2. Launching Applications. Yes, when running Internet Explorer in Windows, separate tabs will show up as thumbnails, but only in Internet Explorer. I'm surprised the reviewer didn't even try Firefox, since he apparently did in Snow Leopard. I guess some people think Firefox is more acceptable as a replacement for Safari than Internet Explorer? Additionally, it mentioned Jump Lists. I have Snow Leopard, and I can personally attest to the fact that there ARE jump lists in Snow Leopard, and they function EXACTLY like in Windows, i.e. the application can add menu items to it. Also, Snow Leopard has Alt-Tab (actually Command-Tab), that also activates with a four-finger multitouch swipe on the trackpad of a laptop (and multitouch gesture drivers are now available for older macbooks and macbook pros, which previously didn't have such gestures). 3. Enterprise Readiness. Major Blud made note of the fact that this reviewer has thrust Windows 7 into a de facto position of corporate standard. Frankly, just because businesses use Windows doesn't make Windows more enterprise ready. I happen to work in an environment that administers both Windows and Mac systems. Macintosh has had major management and IT tools for a while now, and some of the advanced features are a lot easier to manage, I think. These tools are mostly available through the Apple developer network, and through Mac OS X Server. The remote administration, imaging, and configuration services in Server are, in my opinion, on the level with Windows administration tools. That all said, the review isn't all bad. It offers an important look at the features that are important to the everyday user, and while most of us Slashdotters would be more interested in benchmarks, it's important not to lose sight of the average user. I just wish the reviewer had gotten his facts straight.