This is what boggles me. When I was younger I was on 16 player Quake servers all the time. This easily uses as much bandwidth as my current VPN usage. So why is VPN, a very practical and legitimate usage of a home internet connection, banned while gaming for hours on end during peak time accepted? It seems like these policies are being created by your friendly technology MBA "expert".
Keep in mind that this article took place before they dropped the price to $149. If they were losing a small amount at $199, they're probably losing more now. Profits are going up because they are Nintendo, not some American company with no experience in the console industry. You've got to give MS time before you critique them.
Based on the context this is based on the CameCube business, not the console as an individual product. The GameCube business is based on the accesseries and games that they sell. What they are doing is making an assumption that the GC will have a sustaining or increasing attach rate, and based on that attach rate that they will profit after about 4 million units sold. Nowhere did they say that there was a profit margin on the actual production of the consoles.
Do companies not have the freedom to have different business models? You're given a choice - cheap hardware but closed, or more expensive hardware but open. You can do what you want - you don't have to buy a console if you don't like the cost (the cost being it's closed architecture).
Take a good look at Sony, your main source of competition. What have they done? Released a Linux kit... and therefore eventual Mame compatibility.
Sony may have released a Linux kit, but that is irrelevant because it's not a "hack" but it's an authorized CD. You are kidding yourself if you think that you can use that CD to make and distribute your own Linux distro, or any other software for the PS2. You are also kidding yourself if you think that Sony doesn't fight hard against pirates and the devices they use (eg mod chips).
This is a very immature attitude that will not allow for a clear understanding of the business.
I'm not going to bottle up my enjoyment of life for the benefit of a corporation.
Simply put, you wouldn't have the enjoyment of said product because said product would never exist (or it would exist well outside of most peoples budget) so you wouldn't be able to enjoy it anyway.
Microsoft, like Nintendo and Sony, spends millions developing anti-piracy technology and now they're mad about the cracks - what a surprise. Remember, consoles also thrive on licensing. If anyone could develop software for a console, it would defeat the purpose of the entire business. Of course, Sony's Linux kit is a bit of an exception, but you can't distribute any software for it.
What you are explaining is a social effort to enforce a set of guidlines or laws to maximize the happiness of the people. This is not morality though. The entire concept of "what's moral is what makes you happy" is a complete human fabrication. I'm not saying that we need some kind of religion - that's not my point. I agree that the concept of morality makes sense logically, but that doesn't prove it's existance by any means. You can not prove anything by logic alone.
We can very logically conclude that, for example, murder is wrong.
What is murder? Who defines it? Should we kill bin Laden? Is that murder? If you take a world vote are you confident that the majority would rule that killing bin Laden is not murder (or "morally wrong")? And are you prepared to live your life and define what's "morally right" based on everyone elses opinion? There was a time not too long ago in history where the majority was catholic, and you would get persecuted if you had any sexual relations with anyone outside of marraige. I'm sorry, but I do not want the "majority" defining what's "morally right" for me.
Microsoft's problem is that they lose a fat pile of money every time they sell an XBox. They lose so much money that they can't possibly make it back by selling games.
Please show me the data to back this up. No one knows how many games or accessories needs to be sold to break even, but considering that XBox has the highest attach rate, this is not a bad (or uncommon) business model. Not only is the PS2 loosing a small amount of money now (Please, no links to Gord the biased speculator), but the PS2 lost a lot more when it was launched. The benefit is, the PS2 has the volume to keep costs down. The XBox will probably never get that volume so it will always cost a lot to build, however, that doesn't mean that it will never profit.
Your assertion that morality can only be supported by appeal to superstition is patently ridiculous. I don't have to believe in your creation myth to know that killing people is unacceptable.
Whethor or not one is an atheist, monotheist, panantheist, etc. is irrespective of the fact that morality, from a scientific standpoint, does not exist. You mock "superstition" but the concept of morality is no different then a Jew's concept of the "holy land". Jew's believe such things based on historical and cultural teachings, which is how most people reconcile the concepts of morality, and what is "right" or "wrong" (if there is such a thing).
There is a reason that IBM's Deep Blue was not a P3 1Ghz - it needed tons of CPU power to compete with Kasparov. In theory, with the same chess engines, the faster computer will win the game each time. That is the point of these tests.
Also, considering the Athlon is rated at 2000, the P4 should win each time. It would be also be more beneficial to ignore said "ratings", and look at the budget. If they spent $5 building the P4, and $3K building the Athlon, then it's an unfair comparison because they weren't equal budgets. Unless, however practically useless, you want to see who has the fastest CPU regardless of price.
I found the following interesting: the opportunity to create a network of consoles through which all kinds of entertainment content, including films, games and music, can be distributed. That was Sony's original aim with the PlayStation 2.
All of the XBox naysayers talk about how the "XBox is a PC" and how MS won't focus on the gaming experience but try to bundle it (see the recent PVR leak). However, it is obvious that Sony is trying to do the exact same thing - this is not the first time I've seen mention of a "Sony digital media center". So, really, the only "true" console is the GC, which of course a silly contention.
...one Nation, under your choice of a single diety, a pantheon of dieties, or no dieties at all, indivisible, except by their religions and world views...:-)
I wish the entire idea of a forced Pledge of Allegiance would be done away with.
Although I normally stood up in class as respect, after Junior High I rarely if ever pledged allegiance to the flag. I think it's a speratist and nationalistic attitude that is wrong. Sure, I personally hope our nation is under God, but that is not for a room of kids to be forced to recite. My Dad always backed me up if there was a problem with me abstaining from "pledging my allegiance".
This is very good - I mean consider all of the damage that DOS could do to your machine. It's insecure, lacks multitasking, and requires users to configure EMM386 and HIMEM.SYS just to play Doom. Let's just hope that bin Laden doesn't have the technology available to perform a DOS install/attack on all of our machines.
Everywhere publishes press releases verbatim, and Slashdot is not a journalistic site for the most part, it's a community commenting on pre-existing articles.
Seriously, I've been running Win2K since SP1 without security or stupid virus/worm issues. I don't even run a virus shield - I just run a web-based scan once every couple months when I'm bored. My box has also been extremely stable (especially considering my "Consumer Beta" VIA chipset). The secret? No MS Office, no MS Outlook. I still use IE most of the time (and Opera sometimes), and I use IIS (localhost only), Sql Server developers addition, and VS.NET. Just stay away from Office and Outlook, and run the IIS Lock Down utility that essentially does what you should have done in the first place (eg: not made sample code publically accessible).
I think it is going to take more than just a few years to crack a hole in that shell.
Apple has, since the introduction of the iMac and especially since OS X, definitely cracked a hole in their shell. Linux doesn't need legislation, it needs a decent end-user product.
Re:In another article....
on
Is Linux Dead?
·
· Score: 2
This is poorly modded as Funny because MSNBC is probably the HARSHEST against MS (second to Salon).
A lot of your data is wrong based on my sources (I know ppl in redmond). An no, I do not consider Mr. Gord and his speculative rants to count as a source:-).
Current royalties per game are generally below $10.
I've seen and heard of so many numbers regarding this it's not even funny. Again, most of it is speculation, but I guaruntee that most 3rd party titles are not below $10, and most 1st party titles (which have been selling extremely well) earn much more.
Microsoft has already squeezed all of the price out of the XBox, and they are still selling at a huge loss.
Yes, they are taking a loss. The latest numbers "speculate" $150 per box. Other then the GPU most parts will be going down over time - especially since the XBox "rev 2" will be hitting the streets in less then 12 months (similar to the PS2 "rev 2"). What's more interesting, is that many specualte that the PS2 "rev 2" is still loosing a little bit of money, unlike your claim.
I could go on, but your entire arguments of the XBox being a horrible business venture is based on speculation not fact. I wouldn't underestimate this initiative. MS is recieving a lot of pessimism because they are the new kid on the block, but most of it is unwarrented.
Slashdot Mirror
Comparing ATT NarrowBroadband and Earthlink DSL (which, so far, seems to have very good privacy and acceptable use policies.) there is only a $5.
ATT:$45 Speeds:1.5Mb/128k
Earthlink DSL:$50 Speeds: 384k/128k, 1.5Mb/384k burstable.
Or playing games?
This is what boggles me. When I was younger I was on 16 player Quake servers all the time. This easily uses as much bandwidth as my current VPN usage. So why is VPN, a very practical and legitimate usage of a home internet connection, banned while gaming for hours on end during peak time accepted? It seems like these policies are being created by your friendly technology MBA "expert".
Keep in mind that this article took place before they dropped the price to $149. If they were losing a small amount at $199, they're probably losing more now. Profits are going up because they are Nintendo, not some American company with no experience in the console industry. You've got to give MS time before you critique them.
Since when did WM's DRM remove the ability to use WinAmp? Just don't buy "secure crap" music and you're fine.
Based on the context this is based on the CameCube business, not the console as an individual product. The GameCube business is based on the accesseries and games that they sell. What they are doing is making an assumption that the GC will have a sustaining or increasing attach rate, and based on that attach rate that they will profit after about 4 million units sold. Nowhere did they say that there was a profit margin on the actual production of the consoles.
Fah, Nintendo has the cheapest console and they actually make money selling them.
Could you please prove this using data, not speculation? Mr. Gord doesn't count has a reference either.
why can't I do what I want with it?
Do companies not have the freedom to have different business models? You're given a choice - cheap hardware but closed, or more expensive hardware but open. You can do what you want - you don't have to buy a console if you don't like the cost (the cost being it's closed architecture).
Take a good look at Sony, your main source of competition. What have they done? Released a Linux kit... and therefore eventual Mame compatibility.
Sony may have released a Linux kit, but that is irrelevant because it's not a "hack" but it's an authorized CD. You are kidding yourself if you think that you can use that CD to make and distribute your own Linux distro, or any other software for the PS2. You are also kidding yourself if you think that Sony doesn't fight hard against pirates and the devices they use (eg mod chips).
This is a very immature attitude that will not allow for a clear understanding of the business.
I'm not going to bottle up my enjoyment of life for the benefit of a corporation.
Simply put, you wouldn't have the enjoyment of said product because said product would never exist (or it would exist well outside of most peoples budget) so you wouldn't be able to enjoy it anyway.
Microsoft, like Nintendo and Sony, spends millions developing anti-piracy technology and now they're mad about the cracks - what a surprise. Remember, consoles also thrive on licensing. If anyone could develop software for a console, it would defeat the purpose of the entire business. Of course, Sony's Linux kit is a bit of an exception, but you can't distribute any software for it.
What you are explaining is a social effort to enforce a set of guidlines or laws to maximize the happiness of the people. This is not morality though. The entire concept of "what's moral is what makes you happy" is a complete human fabrication. I'm not saying that we need some kind of religion - that's not my point. I agree that the concept of morality makes sense logically, but that doesn't prove it's existance by any means. You can not prove anything by logic alone.
We can very logically conclude that, for example, murder is wrong.
What is murder? Who defines it? Should we kill bin Laden? Is that murder? If you take a world vote are you confident that the majority would rule that killing bin Laden is not murder (or "morally wrong")? And are you prepared to live your life and define what's "morally right" based on everyone elses opinion? There was a time not too long ago in history where the majority was catholic, and you would get persecuted if you had any sexual relations with anyone outside of marraige. I'm sorry, but I do not want the "majority" defining what's "morally right" for me.
Microsoft's problem is that they lose a fat pile of money every time they sell an XBox. They lose so much money that they can't possibly make it back by selling games.
Please show me the data to back this up. No one knows how many games or accessories needs to be sold to break even, but considering that XBox has the highest attach rate, this is not a bad (or uncommon) business model. Not only is the PS2 loosing a small amount of money now (Please, no links to Gord the biased speculator), but the PS2 lost a lot more when it was launched. The benefit is, the PS2 has the volume to keep costs down. The XBox will probably never get that volume so it will always cost a lot to build, however, that doesn't mean that it will never profit.
Your assertion that morality can only be supported by appeal to superstition is patently ridiculous. I don't have to believe in your creation myth to know that killing people is unacceptable.
Whethor or not one is an atheist, monotheist, panantheist, etc. is irrespective of the fact that morality, from a scientific standpoint, does not exist. You mock "superstition" but the concept of morality is no different then a Jew's concept of the "holy land". Jew's believe such things based on historical and cultural teachings, which is how most people reconcile the concepts of morality, and what is "right" or "wrong" (if there is such a thing).
There is a reason that IBM's Deep Blue was not a P3 1Ghz - it needed tons of CPU power to compete with Kasparov. In theory, with the same chess engines, the faster computer will win the game each time. That is the point of these tests.
Also, considering the Athlon is rated at 2000, the P4 should win each time. It would be also be more beneficial to ignore said "ratings", and look at the budget. If they spent $5 building the P4, and $3K building the Athlon, then it's an unfair comparison because they weren't equal budgets. Unless, however practically useless, you want to see who has the fastest CPU regardless of price.
I found the following interesting:
the opportunity to create a network of consoles through which all kinds of entertainment content, including films, games and music, can be distributed. That was Sony's original aim with the PlayStation 2.
All of the XBox naysayers talk about how the "XBox is a PC" and how MS won't focus on the gaming experience but try to bundle it (see the recent PVR leak). However, it is obvious that Sony is trying to do the exact same thing - this is not the first time I've seen mention of a "Sony digital media center". So, really, the only "true" console is the GC, which of course a silly contention.
It'd probably be a more accurate clause.
...one Nation, under your choice of a single diety, a pantheon of dieties, or no dieties at all, indivisible, except by their religions and world views... :-)
I wish the entire idea of a forced Pledge of Allegiance would be done away with.
Although I normally stood up in class as respect, after Junior High I rarely if ever pledged allegiance to the flag. I think it's a speratist and nationalistic attitude that is wrong. Sure, I personally hope our nation is under God, but that is not for a room of kids to be forced to recite. My Dad always backed me up if there was a problem with me abstaining from "pledging my allegiance".
One word: Formkeys.
This is very good - I mean consider all of the damage that DOS could do to your machine. It's insecure, lacks multitasking, and requires users to configure EMM386 and HIMEM.SYS just to play Doom. Let's just hope that bin Laden doesn't have the technology available to perform a DOS install/attack on all of our machines.
Everywhere publishes press releases verbatim, and Slashdot is not a journalistic site for the most part, it's a community commenting on pre-existing articles.
The answer? Disable Outlook
Seriously, I've been running Win2K since SP1 without security or stupid virus/worm issues. I don't even run a virus shield - I just run a web-based scan once every couple months when I'm bored. My box has also been extremely stable (especially considering my "Consumer Beta" VIA chipset). The secret? No MS Office, no MS Outlook. I still use IE most of the time (and Opera sometimes), and I use IIS (localhost only), Sql Server developers addition, and VS.NET. Just stay away from Office and Outlook, and run the IIS Lock Down utility that essentially does what you should have done in the first place (eg: not made sample code publically accessible).
I think it is going to take more than just a few years to crack a hole in that shell.
Apple has, since the introduction of the iMac and especially since OS X, definitely cracked a hole in their shell. Linux doesn't need legislation, it needs a decent end-user product.
This is poorly modded as Funny because MSNBC is probably the HARSHEST against MS (second to Salon).
A lot of your data is wrong based on my sources (I know ppl in redmond). An no, I do not consider Mr. Gord and his speculative rants to count as a source :-).
Current royalties per game are generally below $10.
I've seen and heard of so many numbers regarding this it's not even funny. Again, most of it is speculation, but I guaruntee that most 3rd party titles are not below $10, and most 1st party titles (which have been selling extremely well) earn much more.
Microsoft has already squeezed all of the price out of the XBox, and they are still selling at a huge loss.
Yes, they are taking a loss. The latest numbers "speculate" $150 per box. Other then the GPU most parts will be going down over time - especially since the XBox "rev 2" will be hitting the streets in less then 12 months (similar to the PS2 "rev 2"). What's more interesting, is that many specualte that the PS2 "rev 2" is still loosing a little bit of money, unlike your claim. I could go on, but your entire arguments of the XBox being a horrible business venture is based on speculation not fact. I wouldn't underestimate this initiative. MS is recieving a lot of pessimism because they are the new kid on the block, but most of it is unwarrented.