Well, no-one comes to your home, twists your arm and frog-marches you down to the store to buy a copy of Windows, no.
However, if the alternative OSs don't have the software or hardware support you need, you're stuck. The last time I tried to switch from Windows to Linux, everything was fine except that gnomemeeting was flat out refusing to connect to a remote netmeeting session, and my HP Deskjet 720c printer which produced a perfect test page was rendering garbage with OpenOffice. I spent more than enough time scouring help files, forums, and anything I could find that might contain a solution, but in the end I had to give up and go back to using Windows. I realise this is a problem with closed specs and not Linux itself, but these issues forced me to use Windows.
This weekend, I plan to try again. My shiny installation of XP, which is by far more stable than earlier versions of Windows, is starting to degrade. I religiously maintain a firewall, antivirus software and adware/spyware removals, yet something is now not finding the java classes it wants on startup, something has started frequently crashing on shutdown, and something else is randomly opening IE and displaying adverts.
Is this Microsoft's fault? Maybe you could argue it is their choice of architecture that allows adware and viruses to work so easily. Is it the fault of the adware/spyware/virus developers? Absolutely, I'd say. If a third party came during the night and modified my car so that a billboard flipped up in front of me while I was driving along to work in the morning, causing me to slam into several other vehicles, would I go sue Ford or go after the third party?
Ah well.. wish me luck with the installation! Third time lucky?;)
At least every 6 months, and much more when getting treatment, because it was covered by the NHS. Now I live in the US and need to pay, so I haven't been yet. Quite where this stereotype has come from is a mystery to me...
Do you want to [copy any use clips from DVD]? I've never met anyone who wants to do this. It's only recently that it's even been possible for most people.
Even if you didn't want to do this, or you think you don't know anyone else who might want to do this, why should there be artificially created restrictions stopping other people from doing this?
Couldn't agree more. I did the rounds with various VCs a couple of years ago in an attempt to fund development of software that primarily communicated over the internet. Just mentioning "internet" made these folks turn pale...
Calling your business a dotcom will likely have them burning you at the stake before you can use the word "leverage".
I've not worked on GameCube, but all the console manufacturers have huge checklists covering memory card use, naming conventions, screen use, demo lengths and all kinds of miscellaneous details. All games must meet these requirements before they are approved for publishing. It sounds like Nintendo hadn't specified an upper limit or that capacity could increase in the future, and definitely weren't checking titles for behavior with larger capacity memory cards.
Console hardware is generally predictable, so what works today will work tomorrow. If this large memory card was part of Nintendo's road plan from the beginning, it should have been clearly documented and tested from day 1, even if the consumer hardware is not yet available. If the documentation states that the largest capacity was memory card 251 and developers work to those specs, then this is more Nintendo's fault. If the only limit on larger capacity cards was cost, then Nintendo should be stating the maximum capacity handled by the hardware and testing to that limit instead.
Beware the late night office cleaner.
on
Is Caps Lock Dead?
·
· Score: 1
Having the power button on the keyboard was pretty cool, though, I'll give you that. That's definately something I'd like to have for convenience if nothing else.
I used to use an Apple Quadra at work, which had the big power button on the keyboard. It was quite nice, but had an unfortunate downside. The cleaning lady occasionally decided to give my keyboard wipe or dust down, pressing the power button and mashing the rest of the keys in the process. I could tell when this had happened, because the machine was turned on when I got in, and various desktop icons had been renamed to dfghvbhynjmiutrf, rytuyiohgfeetr or fdssadfsadfsg.
Also bear in mind that not all users are "idiots". I'm a software engineer with 20 years experience behind me, yet I'll admit to being stumped by the security configs on my Linksys wireless cards. Several times I've turned the encryption on, but keep finding it somehow disables itself later. When I get a spare hour or two, I'll try sorting it out again, but it shouldn't be this difficult. Fortunately, it's a seldom used link.
I remember reading an entry on techtales.com about a confused user who logged in on someone elses machine and couldn't understand why she didn't see her own desktop. Funny, but also insightful. Maybe this is how it'll turn out.. when you log into a computer, you see your desktop, your files, your applications, on whatever computer you happen to be using at the time. Whether this will be through a fast connection to a box you have sat at home or rented storage at some large central repository, I don't know. Imagine if Google took a step further than storing a gigabyte of your email to storing several gigabytes of your documents, desktop settings, licenced applications, etc...?
This is a unsubtle way of shifting even more of the financial risk of a project onto the developer rather than the publisher, especially the smaller teams who are relying on any profits to keep the place running for another six months. Anyone who finds this clause presented to them in a contract should make sure there are counter measures against the publisher imposing any of the following:
- An insufficient budget, forcing the developer the cut features that make the distiction between a good game and a average/mediocre game.
- Design changes at later stages or without renegotiation of the schedule and funding. Forced changes from those without a full understanding of the game can easily muddle the gameplay and result in a poor final product.
- A too short or too rigid deadline, forcing the developer to submit an unfinished or unpolished title.
It's all too easy to perceive the situation where WB or a similar publisher enforces situations like these resulting in an average (50%) game instead of a good (75%) game. They then pull out their own increased royalties and profit, leaving the developer with a smaller than expected sum that may not even break even.
I don't doubt it. I hate to be cynical, but those "Best of E3" lists they were all posting looked more like lists of "publishers and developers we hope to be securing advertising revenue from real soon now".
Games reviewers are not only running the risk of losing advertising income from publisher whose games they game poor ratings to, but they're potentially damaging future relationships with that publisher. The exclusive previews of a new game may well go to a competitor who game a less damning review.
I remember a game I worked on in the mid 90s - one magazine gave it around 40%, another magazine gave it 92%. The difference? The journos from the second magazine were treated to free dinner and beers. It really is that skewed.
I tested the theory out with my old junk hotmail account, which was originally created for untrusted online registrations. Eventually, the account was receiving about 50-70 junk messages a day, which for a few years ago was quite impressive. I wondered how high I could get the spam rate, and having heard that clicking unsubscribe links was a good way to attract more spam, I clicked every such link I could find. I was most surprised and disappointed to find the spam rate dropped to around 20 a day...
I think Mr Crawford has been out of the loop for too long. 1996 was the first time I encountered someone in a dedicated design role. Prior to that, working at a smaller development company, game designs were created by the programmers and artists on the teams developing them. Since then, all projects have had a dedicated designer, and over the past few years, a dedicated design team. None - not one single designer - that I have encountered has come from a technical background. Artists, testers, games magazine journalist, yes, but not one programmer.
On one hand, this is a good thing. As a programmer, I know it can be easy to get bogged down in the technical and implementation details and lose the bigger picture. Often, great ideas can overlooked before they're fully explored because they might initially seem like a bitch to implement. On the other hand, a little technical knowledge is required to understand the limits of the target console/hardware/software, so that the game is at least possible to implement. A good designer needs skills from both sides.
Where this notion that all designers are techies came from, I don't know. Chris Crawford deserves respect for his early work in computer games and design, but to be frank, he's talking out of his arse on this one.
That's a good point. However, I don't see anything saying that executable memory (ie. not marked NX) is not writable. So, you can't execute data, but you can write data to executable memory. Is this right?
This is unfortunate, because I don't think Intel were looking for "irritating, two-faced dinosaur" when selecting a name to represent their new product.
Still, for UK readers, it made for some interesting headlines. Courtesy of The Register:
We bought it second hand recently as we were racking up a fair amount of mileage in and around Austin, TX. We're very impressed with it and would definitely recommend them.
The bill before Congress would make it illegal to videotape, photograph, film, broadcast or record a naked person or someone in underwear anyplace where a "reasonable person would believe that he or she could disrobe in privacy."
The legislation also would make it illegal to sneak photos of a person's "private parts" when "their private parts would not be visible to the public, regardless of whether that person is in a public or private area."
A person convicted under the law could face a fine and as much as a year in jail. (Source)
Camera equipped mobiles phones are seen as the weapon of choice here. Still, it's no reason not to get one, it just reinforces the fact you shouldn't be using it to take pictures up your co-worker's skirt.
Slashdot Mirror
Couldn't you at least set it up a custom build tool? Then again, this is one of those useful things they'd probably strip out...
But if you compile the final release version up with their free c++ compiler and libs, then there's no limit on distributing the app.
For c++ apps, anyway. Or have I missed something?
Well, no-one comes to your home, twists your arm and frog-marches you down to the store to buy a copy of Windows, no.
;)
However, if the alternative OSs don't have the software or hardware support you need, you're stuck. The last time I tried to switch from Windows to Linux, everything was fine except that gnomemeeting was flat out refusing to connect to a remote netmeeting session, and my HP Deskjet 720c printer which produced a perfect test page was rendering garbage with OpenOffice. I spent more than enough time scouring help files, forums, and anything I could find that might contain a solution, but in the end I had to give up and go back to using Windows. I realise this is a problem with closed specs and not Linux itself, but these issues forced me to use Windows.
This weekend, I plan to try again. My shiny installation of XP, which is by far more stable than earlier versions of Windows, is starting to degrade. I religiously maintain a firewall, antivirus software and adware/spyware removals, yet something is now not finding the java classes it wants on startup, something has started frequently crashing on shutdown, and something else is randomly opening IE and displaying adverts.
Is this Microsoft's fault? Maybe you could argue it is their choice of architecture that allows adware and viruses to work so easily. Is it the fault of the adware/spyware/virus developers? Absolutely, I'd say. If a third party came during the night and modified my car so that a billboard flipped up in front of me while I was driving along to work in the morning, causing me to slam into several other vehicles, would I go sue Ford or go after the third party?
Ah well.. wish me luck with the installation! Third time lucky?
Found this gem in the eurogamer forum...
http://www.ukresistance.co.uk/driv3r.jpg
Well, these were the days before New Labour(tm) took the helm...
At least every 6 months, and much more when getting treatment, because it was covered by the NHS. Now I live in the US and need to pay, so I haven't been yet. Quite where this stereotype has come from is a mystery to me...
Do you want to [copy any use clips from DVD]? I've never met anyone who wants to do this. It's only recently that it's even been possible for most people.
Even if you didn't want to do this, or you think you don't know anyone else who might want to do this, why should there be artificially created restrictions stopping other people from doing this?
Couldn't agree more. I did the rounds with various VCs a couple of years ago in an attempt to fund development of software that primarily communicated over the internet. Just mentioning "internet" made these folks turn pale...
Calling your business a dotcom will likely have them burning you at the stake before you can use the word "leverage".
I've not worked on GameCube, but all the console manufacturers have huge checklists covering memory card use, naming conventions, screen use, demo lengths and all kinds of miscellaneous details. All games must meet these requirements before they are approved for publishing. It sounds like Nintendo hadn't specified an upper limit or that capacity could increase in the future, and definitely weren't checking titles for behavior with larger capacity memory cards.
Console hardware is generally predictable, so what works today will work tomorrow. If this large memory card was part of Nintendo's road plan from the beginning, it should have been clearly documented and tested from day 1, even if the consumer hardware is not yet available. If the documentation states that the largest capacity was memory card 251 and developers work to those specs, then this is more Nintendo's fault. If the only limit on larger capacity cards was cost, then Nintendo should be stating the maximum capacity handled by the hardware and testing to that limit instead.
Having the power button on the keyboard was pretty cool, though, I'll give you that. That's definately something I'd like to have for convenience if nothing else.
I used to use an Apple Quadra at work, which had the big power button on the keyboard. It was quite nice, but had an unfortunate downside. The cleaning lady occasionally decided to give my keyboard wipe or dust down, pressing the power button and mashing the rest of the keys in the process. I could tell when this had happened, because the machine was turned on when I got in, and various desktop icons had been renamed to dfghvbhynjmiutrf, rytuyiohgfeetr or fdssadfsadfsg.
Good call... that was the scene that got the show added to my "must watch" list!
Also bear in mind that not all users are "idiots". I'm a software engineer with 20 years experience behind me, yet I'll admit to being stumped by the security configs on my Linksys wireless cards. Several times I've turned the encryption on, but keep finding it somehow disables itself later. When I get a spare hour or two, I'll try sorting it out again, but it shouldn't be this difficult. Fortunately, it's a seldom used link.
I remember reading an entry on techtales.com about a confused user who logged in on someone elses machine and couldn't understand why she didn't see her own desktop. Funny, but also insightful. Maybe this is how it'll turn out.. when you log into a computer, you see your desktop, your files, your applications, on whatever computer you happen to be using at the time. Whether this will be through a fast connection to a box you have sat at home or rented storage at some large central repository, I don't know. Imagine if Google took a step further than storing a gigabyte of your email to storing several gigabytes of your documents, desktop settings, licenced applications, etc...?
This is a unsubtle way of shifting even more of the financial risk of a project onto the developer rather than the publisher, especially the smaller teams who are relying on any profits to keep the place running for another six months. Anyone who finds this clause presented to them in a contract should make sure there are counter measures against the publisher imposing any of the following:
- An insufficient budget, forcing the developer the cut features that make the distiction between a good game and a average/mediocre game.
- Design changes at later stages or without renegotiation of the schedule and funding. Forced changes from those without a full understanding of the game can easily muddle the gameplay and result in a poor final product.
- A too short or too rigid deadline, forcing the developer to submit an unfinished or unpolished title.
It's all too easy to perceive the situation where WB or a similar publisher enforces situations like these resulting in an average (50%) game instead of a good (75%) game. They then pull out their own increased royalties and profit, leaving the developer with a smaller than expected sum that may not even break even.
I don't doubt it. I hate to be cynical, but those "Best of E3" lists they were all posting looked more like lists of "publishers and developers we hope to be securing advertising revenue from real soon now".
Games reviewers are not only running the risk of losing advertising income from publisher whose games they game poor ratings to, but they're potentially damaging future relationships with that publisher. The exclusive previews of a new game may well go to a competitor who game a less damning review.
I remember a game I worked on in the mid 90s - one magazine gave it around 40%, another magazine gave it 92%. The difference? The journos from the second magazine were treated to free dinner and beers. It really is that skewed.
I tested the theory out with my old junk hotmail account, which was originally created for untrusted online registrations. Eventually, the account was receiving about 50-70 junk messages a day, which for a few years ago was quite impressive. I wondered how high I could get the spam rate, and having heard that clicking unsubscribe links was a good way to attract more spam, I clicked every such link I could find. I was most surprised and disappointed to find the spam rate dropped to around 20 a day...
I think Mr Crawford has been out of the loop for too long. 1996 was the first time I encountered someone in a dedicated design role. Prior to that, working at a smaller development company, game designs were created by the programmers and artists on the teams developing them. Since then, all projects have had a dedicated designer, and over the past few years, a dedicated design team. None - not one single designer - that I have encountered has come from a technical background. Artists, testers, games magazine journalist, yes, but not one programmer.
On one hand, this is a good thing. As a programmer, I know it can be easy to get bogged down in the technical and implementation details and lose the bigger picture. Often, great ideas can overlooked before they're fully explored because they might initially seem like a bitch to implement. On the other hand, a little technical knowledge is required to understand the limits of the target console/hardware/software, so that the game is at least possible to implement. A good designer needs skills from both sides.
Where this notion that all designers are techies came from, I don't know. Chris Crawford deserves respect for his early work in computer games and design, but to be frank, he's talking out of his arse on this one.
That's a good point. However, I don't see anything saying that executable memory (ie. not marked NX) is not writable. So, you can't execute data, but you can write data to executable memory. Is this right?
long working hours out of the sun
I'm a software engineer... when will my rickets set in??
This is unfortunate, because I don't think Intel were looking for "irritating, two-faced dinosaur" when selecting a name to represent their new product.
Still, for UK readers, it made for some interesting headlines. Courtesy of The Register:
"Intel finally launches Prescott" - sadly, this did not involve the use of a hefty catapult or trebuchet.
"Prescott pipeline longer than Northwood's" - could have been straight out of a Carry-On film.
"775-pin Prescott insides exposed on web" - was not an autopsy report.
"Prescott to clock higher at launch than anticipated" - was not advance notice about the guy attempting a new speed stunt record in one of his many Jaguars; and
"Intel outs Prescott, demos 4GHz desktop" - was certainly not an insight into the Deputy PM's sexuality that the tabloids were craving for.
If you ever see a little red Insight zipping up and down Mopac, give us a wave! ;)
...according to the latest update from my wife.
We bought it second hand recently as we were racking up a fair amount of mileage in and around Austin, TX. We're very impressed with it and would definitely recommend them.
Just heard this on the radio this morning.
The bill before Congress would make it illegal to videotape, photograph, film, broadcast or record a naked person or someone in underwear anyplace where a "reasonable person would believe that he or she could disrobe in privacy."
The legislation also would make it illegal to sneak photos of a person's "private parts" when "their private parts would not be visible to the public, regardless of whether that person is in a public or private area."
A person convicted under the law could face a fine and as much as a year in jail. (Source)
Camera equipped mobiles phones are seen as the weapon of choice here. Still, it's no reason not to get one, it just reinforces the fact you shouldn't be using it to take pictures up your co-worker's skirt.
Dan Quayle, that disguise is fooling no-one.
Gonzo porn? You mean like the muppet?
What the hell kind of mental image is that for a Thursday afternoon??