Microsoft owns "MS-DOS", but there have been many other DOS products (DR-DOS comes to mind). DOS is simply an acronym for Disk Operating System. In a very real way, Linux is, at least partially, a DOS, as are any other operating systems that run on a disk. The term just isn't used anymore because nobody wants to have anything to do with it, since it implies old MS-DOS for most.
Then again, I thought windows were pretty generic too...
Not sure how the interface works or if they are still doing it, but I know VW was selling a special New Beetles with some kind of iPod interface to the sound system.
I love, or should say "loved" Tivo. Unfortunately, it DOESN'T work with all cable boxes. Here in Colorado, at least, Comcast uses crappy "General Instruments/Motorola" digital cable boxes that don't accept Tivo's remote commands properly. (Actually, they don't even accept their own very well- very slow). There have been discussions in the various Tivo forums for years about work-arounds. The most common is to tape the Tivo IR sender directly over the IR receiver on the cable box, and then cover the front of both the Tivo and cable box with black electrical tape.
Apparently the Tivo itself has an IR sender built into the front, and the cable box gets easily confused by any other IR activity besides its own remote (and simply locks is IR receiver temporarily), so the extra Tivo IR activity, along with the Tivo remote, really screw it up. Even doing this, Tivo was only able to change the channels properly about 50% of the time at best. With channels above 99, it had less than a 10% success rate. So- I ended up with hours of crap I wouldn't want to watch if I was paid to, while missing my favorite shows.
On the other hand, I had a DirecTV receiver (by Sony) before that worked flawlessly with Tivo, and had a DirecTivo (also by Sony) that worked fantastic. With the exception of a couple of really nasty thunderstorms (with hail), I had no problems at all with my DirecTV system for over 3 years.
The only reason I have cable is my significant other gets it for free because she works for Comcast. If I had to pay for one or the other, I wouldn't hesitate to get DirecTV again and dust off my Tivo.
I have to agree with what most are saying here. The computer industry right now is in flux in a bad way. Almost everyone I know who had a computer/networking job in the last ten years is either unemployed or has taken much lower skilled jobs at half or less their original salary. I've managed to hold on to my job (with a reduction in compensation over the last three years). I'm sure lots of other people here on/. can tell you the same. Jobs are being outsourced in droves to foreign countries (India is most often named), and what used to be one of the best industries to be employed in has rapidly lost its luster and demand. For years, before the computer/networking boom of the last decade, there were only two industries that were pretty-much guaranteed to be profitable career choices- Medicine and Law.
These seem to have once-again reached supremacy, especially the lawyers- who seem to be the only ones making money anymore. If I was a doctor and looking for something else- that's where I'd go. At least the many years you spent in school will look really favorable when you try to get into a law school. I don't believe school is really all that important in the computer industry. Sometimes you need a degree to get your foot in the door, but once you are in- it is your experience and ability to adjust to an endlessly changing world that will make you most valuable. (And even that might not save your from having your job outsourced in a year or two.) A good, or at least decent, doctor or lawyer can always find work.
I've had a first edition for the last few years. It is the most-used reference book I have. It is full of dog-eared pages and Post-It note tabs. Most of the pages aren't even held by the binding anymore (it has almost reached the point of not being a "book" anymore), and over the years I've written in revisions to many of the functions that have occurred since it was first published. The online docs are excellent, but it is just more convenient (and often FASTER) to flip through a book on my desk to look up a seldom-used function than to look it up online.
I just bought a new house in a new community and was so excited because the whole thing is wired for network, cable, satellite, and phone. The bad news is there was no broadband Internet available. I had a great in-home network that didn't go anywhere.
Just in the last month, we finally were able to get DSL service. Before that, the only option was to get microwave service from a local wireless provider with $500 in up-front equipment charges and about $60/Month for use.
I really wish all new developments would include broadband Internet in some form. I don't feel it would be that big of a deal to buy a few T1s (or better) and provide broadband to everyone in the community. They could just figure the costs into the HOA dues.
Re:I drove a VW Diesel
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Just a side note that I forgot to include in my original post...
One of the biggest things I was worried about was cold weather, which is known to cause problems with diesels. Not a problem with my VW TDI. It has a heated fuel system, and I've never had a problem with it in cold weather in the Colorado mountains. I drove it in below-zero temps in Montana last year (using type 1 premium diesel) also without any problem. It started right up and ran great! VW recommends using diesel additives in really cold weather (much the same as gasoline engines like to have them), but I haven't needed to use them yet.
Re:I drove a VW Diesel
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I know people have had a lot of problems with them in the past, and I was skeptical too. I drove one in Germany a couple of years ago and that changed my mind. I've got a 2001 VW Golf TDI (Turbo-Diesel). It runs smooth and quiet, has great acceleration, and gets almost 50MPG. It is much quieter than the last gasoline-driven car I owned. The only extra expense is it costs more for oil changes (because VW wants you to use synthetic oil), but it only needs an oil change every 10K miles. I do notice the exhaust can be a bit more obnoxious, especially while the engine is warming up (its still much better than the buses and construction trucks in the area). This could be solved with better fuel which will be more available if more people take advantage of diesel cars.
If you live in a metro area like I do, you quickly learn where the local gas stations are that sell diesel (about half do). There are also wildly varying prices on the stuff, but it tends to cost about as much as regular unleaded gas. It is great on the highway because there are truck stops with (inexpensive) diesel every few miles. With the fuel economy, I can go another 100+ miles after the low fuel light comes on!
All I can really say is- the next time you are looking at new cars, give the VW diesels a look. (Unfortunately, VW is the only manufacturer of diesel passenger cars available in the US right now. You can get some larger pickup trucks with diesel engines.)
The FAQ on their (Fossil's) Web site talks about changing the batteries. It also says you have to reset the time when you change them, and they estimate you can get about 4 days out of a set if you actually use the watch for 30 minutes a day. What a joke! Assuming you barely use it- you can probably get a week out of it.
Re:Watch only good for 4 days!!!
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According to the FAQ on their Web site- you have to CHANGE the batteries. That means it doesn't charge when syncing. What a joke!
I have a Terk antenna that looks like a computer mouse (slightly larger, but the same look). I don't have the docs with me, but I believe it can be painted, as long as the paint didn't have any metal pigments.
As far as mounting location, I don't see why the antenna couldn't be mounted on any horizontal surface, including even the hood. There may be reception problems (with XM in particular because of the location of their satellites) in this case if the vehicle was oriented so the satellite was behind it.
I suspect that the antennae will get smaller and be available in more designs as time goes on. I'm not sure how they are being built into OEM installations on new cars, but I believe I heard they are flush-mounted and located in various parts of the car to optimize reception. I know Sirius has deals with VW to add it as an option for their sound systems, so they will undoubtedly come up with a solution for the Cabrio. Other auto manufacturers will work it into the designs of their convertables as well. Hopefully there will be more aftermarket options in the future.
Well, since someone broke into my wife's car to steal a $79 CD deck from Wal*Mart last summer, I figure thieves will steal just about anything, regardless of the property damage they will cause or the actual value of what they are stealing.
A satellite receiver would be pretty much worthless because it can be permanently deactivated with a call to the provider, just like DSS smartcards and digital cell phones. I'm sure someone will figure out a way to hack them and get free service eventually, just like they have for the others, but it would be an uphill battle. I think "professional" auto electronics thieves would leave them alone. The problem is- there are enough amatures out there looking for a few quick bucks to buy more drugs or looking for something to make them look "cool" with their friends who aren't going to consider the actual value of what they are stealing.
I live in a neighborhood where local teenagers will break into someone's car just for kicks so they can add another stolen component to their low rider or tricked out Honda, or sell it to get more neon or a bigger subwoofer. My own teenagers have told me they know teenagers in the neighborhood that will steal anthing they want for a small price. The sad thing is- I'm pretty sure I know where my wife's CD deck is. An identical unit was being demonstrated to friends by a young man in the apartment complex next to mine the very next day, and the local Wal*Mart no longer sells car stereos). Of course- without serial numbers, the police won't even look at it.
Sirius doesn't have commercials on any of their music stations, and has very limited commercials on some of the "talk" and "entertainment" channels. This is mainly because they are broadcasting feeds from other sources they have limited control over (such as BBC, A&E, E!). They cost more than XM ($3/month more), but for me- not having commercials is worth it. My understanding is that XM buys a lot more of its programming from outside sources (probably mostly Clear Channel) than Sirius, and has less control over the content. Sirius programs all of their music channels from their own studios in New York.
As far as living in one's car- many of us don't have a choice. I spend roughly 2 hours a day in my car between a long commute to work and drives to the store, etc. There are also hundreds of thousands of truck drivers, sales reps, real estate agents, farmers, etc. who spend a great deal of their lives in their vehicles. These are the people who can benefit the most from satellite radio.
It also isn't necessarily just a car/truck thing. Satellite radio can provide continuous entertainment on aircraft and on ships, and hopefully the satellite radio folks are marketing to those companies as well. It will also eventually find its way into our homes and businesses.
Right now, as far as I know, neither company gives you a break for having more than one receiver, so I have limited interest in installing a system in my home. I hope this will change because then we will see home receivers and portable receivers, as well as systems designed for recreational vehicles and motorcycles. Sony has a rather clunky and expensive portable unit you can use at home and in your car (and I believe in a "boom box" style dock as well). Hopefully, other manufacturers will come up with a more workable solution.
If I could pay say $5/month more for another receiver (like you can with DSS), I'd rig a car-style tuner to my home stereo for the time-being.
All Digital radio does is give you a higher fidelity version of the same analog crap most of us are getting now from local radio stations. It does nothing to extend the range or programming quality of the station.
Frankly, if it wasn't for the fact that the FCC is going to shove it down everyone's throats like they are starting to do with digital/HD TV so they can eventually recover RF bandwidth- digital radio would have much less of a chance of success than satellite radio does.
Most people interested in satellite radio are either fed-up with local radio programming or are in areas where normal radio reception sucks. These two things won't be helped at all by digital radio, but can be helped a great deal by switching to satellite radio.
Satellite radio also provides continuous entertainment coast-to-cost for truck drivers and long-distance commuters, and can be used in airplanes and on ships. I get 100 channels of Sirius loud and clear up in the mountains of Colorado or driving in the middle of Kansas. Once again- digital radio can't offer this level of service.
If you live in an area with one or more radio stations you like and only commute a few miles to work each day- you probably would have no need for satellite radio. If you live in an area with good TV stations that can be picked up cleary by antenna- you probably don't need cable or DSS either. Some people are happy with modem connections to the Internet and no cell phone too. Chances are in these cases- you aren't going to shell out the money for digital radio either. It may not have a monthly fee (at least not until it is in widespread use and the FCC starts mandating the phase-out of analog radio), but you will still need to shell out $150-300 more for either a digital-ready receiver or an add-on tuner.
Satellite radio offers an excellent alternative to "normal" radio, and is available NOW.
"It is the norm in the electronics industry to come out with multiple formats in the hope of locking the users into your service. This is true of the Satelite radio services. So, once I buy a radio I am stuck with either the service I originally chose, or a large $500 hockey puck."
It's about a $200 hockey puck right now, and a lot of people went through the same thing with VHS/Beta and DSS. Any new technology is a risk- both to the companies promoting them and to the consumers. In a way- this is less of a risk becuase chances are good if one of these companies goes out of business- the other will buy it to get their assets (including customers) dirt-cheap. If they both go under- either another company will take over or we will all lose and have to continue to listen to the garbage that Clear Channel is giving most of us.
"Can't Try-Before-Buy - I can't try before I buy, instead I have to shell out 300-500 buck-a-ronis and then pay a monthly fee - all to find out if it is worth having."
Why not? Best Buy lets you try anything (except computers) for 30-days. Most other large electronics retailers do the same. Best Buy only charged me for materials to install my unit, and told me they would uninstall it for free if I wanted to return it within the 30-days. Buy it and try it- if you don't like it- return it. You may be out a bit of money for installation if you didn't do it yourself, and one month's service fee. There isn't a contract to sign with either Sirius or XM (that I am aware of), so you can cancel at any time.
"Fear of Bankruptcy - Even if I love my new stations, if my particular service goes belly up, my pre-paid time is lost, my radio turns into the hockey puck, and I am out of luck. In this business climate, it is a very real consideration to me."
This is a legitimate fear that I already addressed. I'm confident that no matter what happens- I will still be able to get satellite radio service in one form or another. Even the anjoyment I have gotten from it in the last month or so has been enough to justify what I have paid for it. It was certainly cheaper than the last time I upgraded my computer, and hasn't given me as many headaches.
"Fear of Declining service - once they have you, they have you. If they need to actually make money, or failing that, loose less, the first thing to go will be the DJ's."
Not likely if enough people use the service. They have fairly fixed expenses and have already invested the major capital they need for the next couple of years. They will get enough money from subscribers and in the case of XM and some of the talk stations on Sirius- from the little advertising revenue they get. The music stations don't NEED DJs, although it is nice to have them for a bit of personality. One of the things I like about Sirius is the lack of DJs. I don't need some shmuck to tell me the name and artist of a song when it is displayed on my receiver. And, as far as lame programming and repetition- we have enough of that with regular radio stations now. Sirius (and I'm assuming XM) has extensive libraries for each of their "stations", and seems to do a really good job of mixing things up. I can drive home from work here in Denver and hear the same songs on my way home that I heard on my way into work on local radio. That hasn't happened yet on Sirius. I also don't have to listen to crappy drive-time shows with lame jokes and stunts.
A lot of you are missing the point! There have been too many posts here about the virtues of "digital radio" and how it is going to kill satellite radio.
Satellite radio is appealing to people who live in cities with crappy local radio, or none at all.
It is VERY appealing to people in Clear Channel controlled cities that are sick of listening to the same crappy music over and over again with stupid syndicated drive-time radio shows. It is also appealing to people who are sick of hearing 10-minute blocks of commercials on local radio stations.
It is also VERY appealing to people who live in areas of the country where there is limited or no decent radio service. It is also very appealing to cross-country truck drivers, people with long commutes in areas with bad radio reception, and for recreational use in areas with bad or no radio reception.
All "digital radio" does is allow you to get the same shitty programming in areas that already have decent radio reception, but with much better quality. In other words- digital radio does almost nothing to compete with satellite radio.
All digital radio really does is allow the company that is licensing the technology to make a butt-load of money, while it allows the FCC to drool over the possibility that it can eventually get back radio bandwidth by forcing people to go "digital" in 5-10 years (just like they are trying to do with TV now).
I think in the long run that anything digital is a good idea, and I like the idea of digital radio in the future (although I don't particularly like the current plan for it).
I don't believe that hailing digital radio as a satellite radio killer in the next couple of years and extolling its virtues as a "free" service is valid. One of the biggest advantages to digital service is it can be much more easily controlled by the source than an analog signal. Sure- it's free now because there is no way to control who listens to it. What happens when all radio is digital? Do you honestly think it will be free then? In the mean-time- how do you think all these "free" radio stations are going to pay to upgrade all their equipement for digital service? Yep- more commercials. A lot of people complain that there are more commercials on TV now than ever before- ever wonder why? Sure, we can chalk a lot of it up to greed, but we also have to look at all these TV stations that are now being forced by the FCC to upgrade all their equipement to digital/HDTV.
Have you ever seen satellite antennae? At least it isn't a dish. Antennas need to be "tuned" for the frequency range they are intended to pick up, so factory antennas are designed to pick up FM (AM will pretty much come in on anything, so they don't need to do much for it). There is really no reliable technical way to use the factory antenna to recieve satellite radio. The only problem with convertables is if they have hard tops. The satellite signal travels right through soft-tops, so the antenna can be mounted on the trunk lid or rear deck.
I can see where the black satellite antenna (which I think looks more like a computer mouse than a shark fin) might stand out on a yellow sports car, for example. It is barely noticeable on my black Golf. I'm more concerned about my own entertainment and driving experience while I am in my car than what other people think of the way my car looks.
The only real concern I have about the antenna is it very obviously announces to the world that you have a fairly expensive satellite radio system installed in your car. A good security system is a must in a lot of areas, even though the system would be completly useless to any moron that steals it or buys it stolen.
I'm a big proponent of Sirius, because I use it and because I am anti-Clear Channel and they own part of XM.
I think you had something backwards in your post- Sirius has very little need for ground repeaters because of their high-orbit satellites (they also have more satellites than XM). I believe I read that Sirius has 3 high-orbit satellites, while XM only has 2 low-orbit ones. (These are actually operating, I don't know about "spares".) XM NEEDS lots of ground repeaters because their satellite signal comes from low-orbit satellites near the equator and line-of-site isn't very good, especially in cities or mountain areas. Sirius' satellites, on the other hand, are in moving orbits high above the US, and need very few repeaters because at least one satellite normally has line-of-site to pretty much everywhere. Neither service works all that well (or at all) in tunnels or canyons (although Sirius seems to work fine in the mountains of Colorado), but then again- neither does regular FM radio. I've had Sirius for a little over a month, and the only place I have lost signal for more than half a second has been in a downtown Denver parking garage underneath a skyscraper.
I agree- Sirius has better technology. Unfortunately they have to catch up to XM, and as has already been said on/.- there are a lot of unhappy XM customers because their coverage just isn't that good. This has left a bad taste in their mouth- and they are unlikely to switch to Sirius because of it. They are also telling their friends that "satellite radio sucks" so they are unlikely to try it. In reality, as you have said, XM is really a nationwide ground-based radio network that uses satellites to fill in. For me- it really isn't satellite radio.
"First of all, you can only get a receiver for your car! Is this really the only place they expect people to listen to the radio? Sony makes a unit for the XM systems that is car removable, but I have been told that is just the headset and the "base unit" which mounts somewhere like under a car seat is separate."
Yep- this is true for Sirius. XM does have the Sony unit, but I have heard nothing but bad things about its clunky operation. This is something I believe needs to be addressed by both companies. The reason Sony did what they did is because you have to have a subscription for EACH radio you use- so if you have two cars and some kind of a unit in your home- you would need three subscriptions! That's why they made a portable unit you can use in multiple locations. The problem is- like many of these portable units, it just isn't very practical and is prone to problems from all the docking and undocking.
"Secondly, they need to come up with something better than "just tear out your factory deck". I LIKE my factory deck, and for those who don't know this already, you get better resale on a car that has the factory deck in it. Tearing out a custom unit when it comes time to sell a car is a pain."
This is not necessary for either service. I have a Kenwood Sirius reciever that uses an FM modulator and my factory deck. I bought a premium factory sound system when I bought my car- and I didn't want it ripped out either. Plus, I have a lease and I wanted to be able to return the car to factory condition. The whole Sirius system can be removed in about an hour (and put in my next car, if it doesn't already have Sirius built-in by then). I know XM offers similar systems. I was concerned that the FM modulator wouldn't give me very good quality- but it still sounds much better than regular FM radio, and I don't have to listen to the crap they play in Denver on local radio. (Like many large metro areas- most Denver radio is controlled by Clear Channel, the Microsoft of the Radio industry.)
Which brings me to point four: "Why can't I have a receiver that works on both Sirius and XM?" Yes, I realize they are competing for the same market segment. I DON'T CARE. I am a consumer. I want some guarantee that if Sirius(the network I'd probably choose due to a choice of programming) ends up in bankruptcy court, I want to know I have the option of getting service with XM. These devices are just too much money to be throwing away."
Actually, with the rebates that are currently being offered- they aren't all that expensive. I think I paid about $250 for my setup. Sure- $250 is a good chunk of money, but is comparable to the price of a good CD changer or a moderately good new in-dash radio. For me- being able to listen to static-free and commercial-free radio everywhere I go is worth it. As far as why there are no combo decks- this is common in this kind of industry. Look at Satellite TV as a good example. Each company has its own frequency range and encoding of their digital signal, and they partnered with manufacturers to build the hardware. Eventually, there may be dual-"band" units, but there will probably be a shake up in the industry first. I personally hope both companies can stay in business. I love Sirius too much to do without it, and would switch to XM (yes, including buying the new equipment) if they went out of business. I suspect, as have others, that if it did happen- someone else would just buy the assets at bargain-basement prices and renew the service at a lower cost.
"Sirius seems to offer a bit higher quality programming than XM. XM seems like a whole lot of the shit that is on television, only now I can listen to it. I can pretty well guarantee that most consumers who are willing to shell out $10 or more a month for this type of service, which is basically radio(something we're accustomed to getting for free), aren't going to willingly listen to a bunch of damn commercials. This is in fact the reason I would choose Sirius over XM. Because they have NPR. No commercials. I get to listen to the news in peace. Commercials are just plain annoying."
Cable TV wasn't supposed to have commercials either- but look where that has gone. I chose Sirius for two reasons- it was worth it for me to pay $3 more/month and not have any commercials on the music stations, and Clear Channel has nothing to do with them (they own part of XM). The only interruption to the music on Sirius is an occasional DJ comment or plug for another similar station. For example- the "Dance Hits" station plugs "The Vortex" (one of the other Dance stations) on occasion. Sirius has committed to not having commercials on their own produced music stations. Some of the "feeds" they get do have commercials, but they are limited.
Check out their Web site. It uses Lithium-Ion Polymer technology, and does have a much higher Wh/L then that of all of the other rechargeable battery technologies out there. Click "Company" and "Superpolymer Technology" from their front page to get to the techical info.
It's good for one machine. If you purchase a separate shrink-wrap for each machine you install it on, and register each of them separately, you can get one free account for each one. It is when you buy one shrink-wrap, and install it on several machines that they get you for $9/box.
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Microsoft owns "MS-DOS", but there have been many other DOS products (DR-DOS comes to mind). DOS is simply an acronym for Disk Operating System. In a very real way, Linux is, at least partially, a DOS, as are any other operating systems that run on a disk. The term just isn't used anymore because nobody wants to have anything to do with it, since it implies old MS-DOS for most.
Then again, I thought windows were pretty generic too...
Not sure how the interface works or if they are still doing it, but I know VW was selling a special New Beetles with some kind of iPod interface to the sound system.
I love, or should say "loved" Tivo. Unfortunately, it DOESN'T work with all cable boxes. Here in Colorado, at least, Comcast uses crappy "General Instruments/Motorola" digital cable boxes that don't accept Tivo's remote commands properly. (Actually, they don't even accept their own very well- very slow). There have been discussions in the various Tivo forums for years about work-arounds. The most common is to tape the Tivo IR sender directly over the IR receiver on the cable box, and then cover the front of both the Tivo and cable box with black electrical tape.
Apparently the Tivo itself has an IR sender built into the front, and the cable box gets easily confused by any other IR activity besides its own remote (and simply locks is IR receiver temporarily), so the extra Tivo IR activity, along with the Tivo remote, really screw it up. Even doing this, Tivo was only able to change the channels properly about 50% of the time at best. With channels above 99, it had less than a 10% success rate. So- I ended up with hours of crap I wouldn't want to watch if I was paid to, while missing my favorite shows.
On the other hand, I had a DirecTV receiver (by Sony) before that worked flawlessly with Tivo, and had a DirecTivo (also by Sony) that worked fantastic. With the exception of a couple of really nasty thunderstorms (with hail), I had no problems at all with my DirecTV system for over 3 years.
The only reason I have cable is my significant other gets it for free because she works for Comcast. If I had to pay for one or the other, I wouldn't hesitate to get DirecTV again and dust off my Tivo.
I have to agree with what most are saying here. The computer industry right now is in flux in a bad way. Almost everyone I know who had a computer/networking job in the last ten years is either unemployed or has taken much lower skilled jobs at half or less their original salary. I've managed to hold on to my job (with a reduction in compensation over the last three years). I'm sure lots of other people here on /. can tell you the same. Jobs are being outsourced in droves to foreign countries (India is most often named), and what used to be one of the best industries to be employed in has rapidly lost its luster and demand. For years, before the computer/networking boom of the last decade, there were only two industries that were pretty-much guaranteed to be profitable career choices- Medicine and Law.
These seem to have once-again reached supremacy, especially the lawyers- who seem to be the only ones making money anymore. If I was a doctor and looking for something else- that's where I'd go. At least the many years you spent in school will look really favorable when you try to get into a law school. I don't believe school is really all that important in the computer industry. Sometimes you need a degree to get your foot in the door, but once you are in- it is your experience and ability to adjust to an endlessly changing world that will make you most valuable. (And even that might not save your from having your job outsourced in a year or two.) A good, or at least decent, doctor or lawyer can always find work.
Verisign IS the Microsoft of security...
Be afraid, be very afraid!
I've had a first edition for the last few years. It is the most-used reference book I have. It is full of dog-eared pages and Post-It note tabs. Most of the pages aren't even held by the binding anymore (it has almost reached the point of not being a "book" anymore), and over the years I've written in revisions to many of the functions that have occurred since it was first published. The online docs are excellent, but it is just more convenient (and often FASTER) to flip through a book on my desk to look up a seldom-used function than to look it up online.
I just bought a new house in a new community and was so excited because the whole thing is wired for network, cable, satellite, and phone. The bad news is there was no broadband Internet available. I had a great in-home network that didn't go anywhere.
Just in the last month, we finally were able to get DSL service. Before that, the only option was to get microwave service from a local wireless provider with $500 in up-front equipment charges and about $60/Month for use.
I really wish all new developments would include broadband Internet in some form. I don't feel it would be that big of a deal to buy a few T1s (or better) and provide broadband to everyone in the community. They could just figure the costs into the HOA dues.
Just a side note that I forgot to include in my original post...
One of the biggest things I was worried about was cold weather, which is known to cause problems with diesels. Not a problem with my VW TDI. It has a heated fuel system, and I've never had a problem with it in cold weather in the Colorado mountains. I drove it in below-zero temps in Montana last year (using type 1 premium diesel) also without any problem. It started right up and ran great! VW recommends using diesel additives in really cold weather (much the same as gasoline engines like to have them), but I haven't needed to use them yet.
I know people have had a lot of problems with them in the past, and I was skeptical too. I drove one in Germany a couple of years ago and that changed my mind. I've got a 2001 VW Golf TDI (Turbo-Diesel). It runs smooth and quiet, has great acceleration, and gets almost 50MPG. It is much quieter than the last gasoline-driven car I owned. The only extra expense is it costs more for oil changes (because VW wants you to use synthetic oil), but it only needs an oil change every 10K miles. I do notice the exhaust can be a bit more obnoxious, especially while the engine is warming up (its still much better than the buses and construction trucks in the area). This could be solved with better fuel which will be more available if more people take advantage of diesel cars.
If you live in a metro area like I do, you quickly learn where the local gas stations are that sell diesel (about half do). There are also wildly varying prices on the stuff, but it tends to cost about as much as regular unleaded gas. It is great on the highway because there are truck stops with (inexpensive) diesel every few miles. With the fuel economy, I can go another 100+ miles after the low fuel light comes on!
All I can really say is- the next time you are looking at new cars, give the VW diesels a look. (Unfortunately, VW is the only manufacturer of diesel passenger cars available in the US right now. You can get some larger pickup trucks with diesel engines.)
The FAQ on their (Fossil's) Web site talks about changing the batteries. It also says you have to reset the time when you change them, and they estimate you can get about 4 days out of a set if you actually use the watch for 30 minutes a day. What a joke! Assuming you barely use it- you can probably get a week out of it.
According to the FAQ on their Web site- you have to CHANGE the batteries. That means it doesn't charge when syncing. What a joke!
I have a Terk antenna that looks like a computer mouse (slightly larger, but the same look). I don't have the docs with me, but I believe it can be painted, as long as the paint didn't have any metal pigments.
As far as mounting location, I don't see why the antenna couldn't be mounted on any horizontal surface, including even the hood. There may be reception problems (with XM in particular because of the location of their satellites) in this case if the vehicle was oriented so the satellite was behind it.
I suspect that the antennae will get smaller and be available in more designs as time goes on. I'm not sure how they are being built into OEM installations on new cars, but I believe I heard they are flush-mounted and located in various parts of the car to optimize reception. I know Sirius has deals with VW to add it as an option for their sound systems, so they will undoubtedly come up with a solution for the Cabrio. Other auto manufacturers will work it into the designs of their convertables as well. Hopefully there will be more aftermarket options in the future.
Well, since someone broke into my wife's car to steal a $79 CD deck from Wal*Mart last summer, I figure thieves will steal just about anything, regardless of the property damage they will cause or the actual value of what they are stealing.
A satellite receiver would be pretty much worthless because it can be permanently deactivated with a call to the provider, just like DSS smartcards and digital cell phones. I'm sure someone will figure out a way to hack them and get free service eventually, just like they have for the others, but it would be an uphill battle. I think "professional" auto electronics thieves would leave them alone. The problem is- there are enough amatures out there looking for a few quick bucks to buy more drugs or looking for something to make them look "cool" with their friends who aren't going to consider the actual value of what they are stealing.
I live in a neighborhood where local teenagers will break into someone's car just for kicks so they can add another stolen component to their low rider or tricked out Honda, or sell it to get more neon or a bigger subwoofer. My own teenagers have told me they know teenagers in the neighborhood that will steal anthing they want for a small price. The sad thing is- I'm pretty sure I know where my wife's CD deck is. An identical unit was being demonstrated to friends by a young man in the apartment complex next to mine the very next day, and the local Wal*Mart no longer sells car stereos). Of course- without serial numbers, the police won't even look at it.
Sirius doesn't have commercials on any of their music stations, and has very limited commercials on some of the "talk" and "entertainment" channels. This is mainly because they are broadcasting feeds from other sources they have limited control over (such as BBC, A&E, E!). They cost more than XM ($3/month more), but for me- not having commercials is worth it. My understanding is that XM buys a lot more of its programming from outside sources (probably mostly Clear Channel) than Sirius, and has less control over the content. Sirius programs all of their music channels from their own studios in New York.
As far as living in one's car- many of us don't have a choice. I spend roughly 2 hours a day in my car between a long commute to work and drives to the store, etc. There are also hundreds of thousands of truck drivers, sales reps, real estate agents, farmers, etc. who spend a great deal of their lives in their vehicles. These are the people who can benefit the most from satellite radio.
It also isn't necessarily just a car/truck thing. Satellite radio can provide continuous entertainment on aircraft and on ships, and hopefully the satellite radio folks are marketing to those companies as well. It will also eventually find its way into our homes and businesses.
Right now, as far as I know, neither company gives you a break for having more than one receiver, so I have limited interest in installing a system in my home. I hope this will change because then we will see home receivers and portable receivers, as well as systems designed for recreational vehicles and motorcycles. Sony has a rather clunky and expensive portable unit you can use at home and in your car (and I believe in a "boom box" style dock as well). Hopefully, other manufacturers will come up with a more workable solution.
If I could pay say $5/month more for another receiver (like you can with DSS), I'd rig a car-style tuner to my home stereo for the time-being.
All Digital radio does is give you a higher fidelity version of the same analog crap most of us are getting now from local radio stations. It does nothing to extend the range or programming quality of the station.
Frankly, if it wasn't for the fact that the FCC is going to shove it down everyone's throats like they are starting to do with digital/HD TV so they can eventually recover RF bandwidth- digital radio would have much less of a chance of success than satellite radio does.
Most people interested in satellite radio are either fed-up with local radio programming or are in areas where normal radio reception sucks. These two things won't be helped at all by digital radio, but can be helped a great deal by switching to satellite radio.
Satellite radio also provides continuous entertainment coast-to-cost for truck drivers and long-distance commuters, and can be used in airplanes and on ships. I get 100 channels of Sirius loud and clear up in the mountains of Colorado or driving in the middle of Kansas. Once again- digital radio can't offer this level of service.
If you live in an area with one or more radio stations you like and only commute a few miles to work each day- you probably would have no need for satellite radio. If you live in an area with good TV stations that can be picked up cleary by antenna- you probably don't need cable or DSS either. Some people are happy with modem connections to the Internet and no cell phone too. Chances are in these cases- you aren't going to shell out the money for digital radio either. It may not have a monthly fee (at least not until it is in widespread use and the FCC starts mandating the phase-out of analog radio), but you will still need to shell out $150-300 more for either a digital-ready receiver or an add-on tuner.
Satellite radio offers an excellent alternative to "normal" radio, and is available NOW.
"It is the norm in the electronics industry to come out with multiple formats in the hope of locking the users into your service. This is true of the Satelite radio services. So, once I buy a radio I am stuck with either the service I originally chose, or a large $500 hockey puck."
It's about a $200 hockey puck right now, and a lot of people went through the same thing with VHS/Beta and DSS. Any new technology is a risk- both to the companies promoting them and to the consumers. In a way- this is less of a risk becuase chances are good if one of these companies goes out of business- the other will buy it to get their assets (including customers) dirt-cheap. If they both go under- either another company will take over or we will all lose and have to continue to listen to the garbage that Clear Channel is giving most of us.
"Can't Try-Before-Buy - I can't try before I buy, instead I have to shell out 300-500 buck-a-ronis and then pay a monthly fee - all to find out if it is worth having."
Why not? Best Buy lets you try anything (except computers) for 30-days. Most other large electronics retailers do the same. Best Buy only charged me for materials to install my unit, and told me they would uninstall it for free if I wanted to return it within the 30-days. Buy it and try it- if you don't like it- return it. You may be out a bit of money for installation if you didn't do it yourself, and one month's service fee. There isn't a contract to sign with either Sirius or XM (that I am aware of), so you can cancel at any time.
"Fear of Bankruptcy - Even if I love my new stations, if my particular service goes belly up, my pre-paid time is lost, my radio turns into the hockey puck, and I am out of luck. In this business climate, it is a very real consideration to me."
This is a legitimate fear that I already addressed. I'm confident that no matter what happens- I will still be able to get satellite radio service in one form or another. Even the anjoyment I have gotten from it in the last month or so has been enough to justify what I have paid for it. It was certainly cheaper than the last time I upgraded my computer, and hasn't given me as many headaches.
"Fear of Declining service - once they have you, they have you. If they need to actually make money, or failing that, loose less, the first thing to go will be the DJ's."
Not likely if enough people use the service. They have fairly fixed expenses and have already invested the major capital they need for the next couple of years. They will get enough money from subscribers and in the case of XM and some of the talk stations on Sirius- from the little advertising revenue they get. The music stations don't NEED DJs, although it is nice to have them for a bit of personality. One of the things I like about Sirius is the lack of DJs. I don't need some shmuck to tell me the name and artist of a song when it is displayed on my receiver. And, as far as lame programming and repetition- we have enough of that with regular radio stations now. Sirius (and I'm assuming XM) has extensive libraries for each of their "stations", and seems to do a really good job of mixing things up. I can drive home from work here in Denver and hear the same songs on my way home that I heard on my way into work on local radio. That hasn't happened yet on Sirius. I also don't have to listen to crappy drive-time shows with lame jokes and stunts.
A lot of you are missing the point! There have been too many posts here about the virtues of "digital radio" and how it is going to kill satellite radio.
Satellite radio is appealing to people who live in cities with crappy local radio, or none at all.
It is VERY appealing to people in Clear Channel controlled cities that are sick of listening to the same crappy music over and over again with stupid syndicated drive-time radio shows. It is also appealing to people who are sick of hearing 10-minute blocks of commercials on local radio stations.
It is also VERY appealing to people who live in areas of the country where there is limited or no decent radio service. It is also very appealing to cross-country truck drivers, people with long commutes in areas with bad radio reception, and for recreational use in areas with bad or no radio reception.
All "digital radio" does is allow you to get the same shitty programming in areas that already have decent radio reception, but with much better quality. In other words- digital radio does almost nothing to compete with satellite radio.
All digital radio really does is allow the company that is licensing the technology to make a butt-load of money, while it allows the FCC to drool over the possibility that it can eventually get back radio bandwidth by forcing people to go "digital" in 5-10 years (just like they are trying to do with TV now).
I think in the long run that anything digital is a good idea, and I like the idea of digital radio in the future (although I don't particularly like the current plan for it).
I don't believe that hailing digital radio as a satellite radio killer in the next couple of years and extolling its virtues as a "free" service is valid. One of the biggest advantages to digital service is it can be much more easily controlled by the source than an analog signal. Sure- it's free now because there is no way to control who listens to it. What happens when all radio is digital? Do you honestly think it will be free then? In the mean-time- how do you think all these "free" radio stations are going to pay to upgrade all their equipement for digital service? Yep- more commercials. A lot of people complain that there are more commercials on TV now than ever before- ever wonder why? Sure, we can chalk a lot of it up to greed, but we also have to look at all these TV stations that are now being forced by the FCC to upgrade all their equipement to digital/HDTV.
Have you ever seen satellite antennae? At least it isn't a dish. Antennas need to be "tuned" for the frequency range they are intended to pick up, so factory antennas are designed to pick up FM (AM will pretty much come in on anything, so they don't need to do much for it). There is really no reliable technical way to use the factory antenna to recieve satellite radio. The only problem with convertables is if they have hard tops. The satellite signal travels right through soft-tops, so the antenna can be mounted on the trunk lid or rear deck.
I can see where the black satellite antenna (which I think looks more like a computer mouse than a shark fin) might stand out on a yellow sports car, for example. It is barely noticeable on my black Golf. I'm more concerned about my own entertainment and driving experience while I am in my car than what other people think of the way my car looks.
The only real concern I have about the antenna is it very obviously announces to the world that you have a fairly expensive satellite radio system installed in your car. A good security system is a must in a lot of areas, even though the system would be completly useless to any moron that steals it or buys it stolen.
I'm a big proponent of Sirius, because I use it and because I am anti-Clear Channel and they own part of XM.
/.- there are a lot of unhappy XM customers because their coverage just isn't that good. This has left a bad taste in their mouth- and they are unlikely to switch to Sirius because of it. They are also telling their friends that "satellite radio sucks" so they are unlikely to try it. In reality, as you have said, XM is really a nationwide ground-based radio network that uses satellites to fill in. For me- it really isn't satellite radio.
I think you had something backwards in your post- Sirius has very little need for ground repeaters because of their high-orbit satellites (they also have more satellites than XM). I believe I read that Sirius has 3 high-orbit satellites, while XM only has 2 low-orbit ones. (These are actually operating, I don't know about "spares".) XM NEEDS lots of ground repeaters because their satellite signal comes from low-orbit satellites near the equator and line-of-site isn't very good, especially in cities or mountain areas. Sirius' satellites, on the other hand, are in moving orbits high above the US, and need very few repeaters because at least one satellite normally has line-of-site to pretty much everywhere. Neither service works all that well (or at all) in tunnels or canyons (although Sirius seems to work fine in the mountains of Colorado), but then again- neither does regular FM radio. I've had Sirius for a little over a month, and the only place I have lost signal for more than half a second has been in a downtown Denver parking garage underneath a skyscraper.
I agree- Sirius has better technology. Unfortunately they have to catch up to XM, and as has already been said on
"First of all, you can only get a receiver for your car! Is this really the only place they expect people to listen to the radio? Sony makes a unit for the XM systems that is car removable, but I have been told that is just the headset and the "base unit" which mounts somewhere like under a car seat is separate."
Yep- this is true for Sirius. XM does have the Sony unit, but I have heard nothing but bad things about its clunky operation. This is something I believe needs to be addressed by both companies. The reason Sony did what they did is because you have to have a subscription for EACH radio you use- so if you have two cars and some kind of a unit in your home- you would need three subscriptions! That's why they made a portable unit you can use in multiple locations. The problem is- like many of these portable units, it just isn't very practical and is prone to problems from all the docking and undocking.
"Secondly, they need to come up with something better than "just tear out your factory deck". I LIKE my factory deck, and for those who don't know this already, you get better resale on a car that has the factory deck in it. Tearing out a custom unit when it comes time to sell a car is a pain."
This is not necessary for either service. I have a Kenwood Sirius reciever that uses an FM modulator and my factory deck. I bought a premium factory sound system when I bought my car- and I didn't want it ripped out either. Plus, I have a lease and I wanted to be able to return the car to factory condition. The whole Sirius system can be removed in about an hour (and put in my next car, if it doesn't already have Sirius built-in by then). I know XM offers similar systems. I was concerned that the FM modulator wouldn't give me very good quality- but it still sounds much better than regular FM radio, and I don't have to listen to the crap they play in Denver on local radio. (Like many large metro areas- most Denver radio is controlled by Clear Channel, the Microsoft of the Radio industry.)
Which brings me to point four: "Why can't I have a receiver that works on both Sirius and XM?" Yes, I realize they are competing for the same market segment. I DON'T CARE. I am a consumer. I want some guarantee that if Sirius(the network I'd probably choose due to a choice of programming) ends up in bankruptcy court, I want to know I have the option of getting service with XM. These devices are just too much money to be throwing away."
Actually, with the rebates that are currently being offered- they aren't all that expensive. I think I paid about $250 for my setup. Sure- $250 is a good chunk of money, but is comparable to the price of a good CD changer or a moderately good new in-dash radio. For me- being able to listen to static-free and commercial-free radio everywhere I go is worth it. As far as why there are no combo decks- this is common in this kind of industry. Look at Satellite TV as a good example. Each company has its own frequency range and encoding of their digital signal, and they partnered with manufacturers to build the hardware. Eventually, there may be dual-"band" units, but there will probably be a shake up in the industry first. I personally hope both companies can stay in business. I love Sirius too much to do without it, and would switch to XM (yes, including buying the new equipment) if they went out of business. I suspect, as have others, that if it did happen- someone else would just buy the assets at bargain-basement prices and renew the service at a lower cost.
"Sirius seems to offer a bit higher quality programming than XM. XM seems like a whole lot of the shit that is on television, only now I can listen to it. I can pretty well guarantee that most consumers who are willing to shell out $10 or more a month for this type of service, which is basically radio(something we're accustomed to getting for free), aren't going to willingly listen to a bunch of damn commercials. This is in fact the reason I would choose Sirius over XM. Because they have NPR. No commercials. I get to listen to the news in peace. Commercials are just plain annoying."
Cable TV wasn't supposed to have commercials either- but look where that has gone. I chose Sirius for two reasons- it was worth it for me to pay $3 more/month and not have any commercials on the music stations, and Clear Channel has nothing to do with them (they own part of XM). The only interruption to the music on Sirius is an occasional DJ comment or plug for another similar station. For example- the "Dance Hits" station plugs "The Vortex" (one of the other Dance stations) on occasion. Sirius has committed to not having commercials on their own produced music stations. Some of the "feeds" they get do have commercials, but they are limited.
I just hope my wife doesn't read this. I wonder if this will become a trend?
Check out their Web site. It uses Lithium-Ion Polymer technology, and does have a much higher Wh/L then that of all of the other rechargeable battery technologies out there. Click "Company" and "Superpolymer Technology" from their front page to get to the techical info.
It's good for one machine. If you purchase a separate shrink-wrap for each machine you install it on, and register each of them separately, you can get one free account for each one. It is when you buy one shrink-wrap, and install it on several machines that they get you for $9/box.