Considering things of that nature are already available with current technology, shitcanning CDs in favor of these little cards isn't really necessary.
However, if they're willing to sell these things at a reasonable price as the primary medium for music, and end the gouging that exists with CDs, I'd consider it a step forward. If it's just a new medium the industry can overcharge for, then screw it.
Short term gains don't outweigh the longterm fact that Nintendo isn't competing with Sony and MS. They do what they do, and they do it well, but the massive price cut and its resulting sales certainly don't mean it's the king of the mountain.
I didn't say the XBox was battling the PS2, I said MS was battling Sony, and nowhere did I say MS expected to win this round. MS's success will still be measured in many ways against Sony, and as I pointed out, Nintendo isn't part of the equation.
If MS is worried about Nintendo, they have their heads farther up a dark cavity than I thought. Nintendo fills a niche market, and fills it quite well. The only company MS is battling for console supremacy is Sony, and they've been getting their asses handed to them.
The only way they're going to make a real gain (even if it's shortlived) is a decent sized price cut compared to the PS2.
Now after all of this chest thumping (which is even cuter as an AC) are you actually going to boycott Slashdot, or did you just want to join the masses of people that will complain about Slashdot without actually doing anything about it?
Obviously Slashdot isn't the government, but the average person who's going to whine about an 'elite hackers' comment from a reader and blame it on Slashdot usually is dumb enough to cry censorship when the situation is turned around.
I always find reviews extremely useful on the nuts and bolts side to decide what platform would be best to get a given game for. Frequently, the PC/PS2/GC/XBox versions will have certain advantages/disadvantages that you just flat out can't tell from reading the package or watching someone play it for 5 minutes. Since reviewers usually point out the differences between versions of a given game, it allows me to make a much better decision on how I can most enjoy that game.
But more to the subject, I absolutely would rather know how a game works, how the controls are, how the graphics are as opposed to how it makes someone 'feel.' If I'm bothering to read a review on something, the odds are good I'm already interested in it, and am basically making sure there's nothing terrible about it. Besides, everyone is going to derive different feelings from games...what one reviewer is bored by, I may get really into. However, playability, graphics, and other technical aspects are much more objectively measureable, and therefore a better focus for reviews.
The elite hackers comment was part of the original submission, as shown by the fact that it's italicized. Granted, Hemos could have edited that part out, but don't blame Slashdot for the lameness of some of its readers.
The story wasn't about units sold (you did read the entire teaser, didn't you?), it was about the number of people actually playing it online - ie, not counting those that just play it by themselves.
SuSE is based in Germany, but from reading an article at CNet (I didn't bother to RTFA attached to this thread;-) ), it sounds as though Novell is going to allow them to stay in Germany, with an obvious degree of cross-pollination between the engineering staffs.
For me, there are few if any games that I'm really itching for like I did back in the day when I wanted Super Mario World and SF2. The closest thing to a must have today is Half-Life 2. Am I just getting old and jaded? Or are games just not as fun anymore?
A little from Column A, a little from Column B...I've found that the attraction I had to video games when I was 7 - 12 years old isn't what it was, but games like Vice City, Half-Life 2, Max Payne 2, etc. still deserve anticipation and excitement. It's just in an entirely differetn context. When I was 9 years old, all I had to worry about was a page of math problems, a 3 paragraph essay, and then I could get ramped up about gaming. Now, it's worrying about meeting project deadlines at work, bills...life in general. The excitement is still there, it just doesn't take up as much energy as it used to.
And they were dead right - there are enough games I've been interested in for the platform (Zelda, Metroid, Rogue Squadron to name a few) that once the price came down, I decided it was worth it as a second console system.
PS2's software variety still kills GameCube, but as you alluded to, Nintendo's price drop allows them to attract the geeks that are interested in some of the Nintendo-exclusive games but didn't want to buy a second console at full price.
Give a geek a price break and catch him with a bit too much caffeine, and you've got yourself a sale!
As opposed to the insecure shits that devote their time and money to the Catholics, Jehovahs, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Baptists, Heaven's Gate, and Branch Davidians?
While I'm not particularly fond of organized religion myself, judging him mainly on the fact that he's a mormon seems a bit shortsighted on principle.
Besides, how does he have time for his mormon cult when he's dedicating his time to the SCO cult?
Credibility and technical knowledge go only so far considering the odds are good that the VP I alluded to (or whatever level of management you'd like to use) is going to have to justify their decision later on, and if they're talking to a CEO, the line "my geeky technical advisor said this was the way to go" probably isn't going to help them as much as we'd all like.
In a small company environment, personal credibility goes a long way, but in a coporate environment, where there's an eternal cycle of justification to upper management, shareholders, etc., the opinion of one technical staffer only goes so far. In that regard, Sun is going to beat non-Enterprise distros of Linux 9 times out of 10, even with their recent issues. Name recognition goes a long way when one's technical knowledge is limited.
And when it comes to the high-end, corporate market, it's a pretty valid comparison.
If you went into a VP's office with CD-Rs of Slackware (or your favorite distro) and tried to sell those as being better than Solaris, you probably wouldn't get very far based upon name recognition and perception of stability.
However, if you went in there and compared Solaris against Red Hat Enterprise, you'd have a better shot at selling the Linux angle, because Red Hat has taken the Enterprise line and given it the perception of being superior to 'normal' Linux and packaged it with all the support.
Perception is reality with management, so in most corporate environments, smaller Linux distros won't even enter the equation. Though I disagree somewhat with Schwartz's comments, I can't say I fault his logic or his analogy.
Not that it's going to stop the RIAA per se, but it's at least nice to see some ISPs making the RIAA work a little harder and waste a few more resources to sue people.
I'm not against chronic lawbreakers to face the consequences of their actions, but I would think (hope?) that better challengers from ISPs would make the RIAA think twice about being more heavy-handed than they need to be, and encourage them to pick their targets for lawsuits more wisely.
Blaming colleges is a complete copout - if colleges aren't teaching the proper skills, then employers should be rejecting applicants with inadequate skills.
The fact is, most companies couldn't give half a shit about security on a day-to-day basis, and therefore don't really care if people fresh out of college have a clue about secure programming, or even security in general.
The goal of college, in the context of our current society, is to prepare students to get a job - if employers aren't demanding it, then people aren't going to expect it to be part of a college curriculum.
Don't get me wrong, I fully agree it should be a core part of computer education right from the start, but until the technology industry recognizes it as a day-to-day need (other than the 2 weeks after you've been hacked), it won't be considered an important part of the educational process.
Re:Java vs. .Net
on
Java vs .NET
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
Saying.NET will never take off, just because it hasn't yet isn't entirely fair.
I'm certainly a Java proponent, but I know full well.NET has the entire Microsoft Machine behind it, and considering they usually do a good job of getting product acceptance regardless of whether or not its the 'better' product, I wouldn't count it out.
Between the friendliness and name-value that Visual Studio has, and the fact that when a manager is making a choice about a product platorm for project, they don't always factor in the developer's best interest (if ever;-) ), I'd actually be quite nervous about.NET gaining ground.
No, it was NASA's fault - when Canada sends power back down to us, it's in Canadian units. The boys at NASA just haven't mastered the concept of unit conversion yet.
A year and a half ago I downloaded MusicMatch and I remember that I was disappointed in the sound quality, but I think it was only 64 or 128kpbs. Then, a few months ago I got Sonic Foundry's Siren Jukebox for free (after rebate of course) and started ripping mp3's at 320kpbs, and the sound is actually clearer than my cd player. Granted, I have a subwoofer hooked up to my computer, but the sound quality is just amazing. If you like mp3's and have a discerning ear, it's worth the $20 for Siren Jukebox.
Slashdot Mirror
Considering things of that nature are already available with current technology, shitcanning CDs in favor of these little cards isn't really necessary.
However, if they're willing to sell these things at a reasonable price as the primary medium for music, and end the gouging that exists with CDs, I'd consider it a step forward. If it's just a new medium the industry can overcharge for, then screw it.
Short term gains don't outweigh the longterm fact that Nintendo isn't competing with Sony and MS. They do what they do, and they do it well, but the massive price cut and its resulting sales certainly don't mean it's the king of the mountain.
I didn't say the XBox was battling the PS2, I said MS was battling Sony, and nowhere did I say MS expected to win this round. MS's success will still be measured in many ways against Sony, and as I pointed out, Nintendo isn't part of the equation.
If MS is worried about Nintendo, they have their heads farther up a dark cavity than I thought. Nintendo fills a niche market, and fills it quite well. The only company MS is battling for console supremacy is Sony, and they've been getting their asses handed to them.
The only way they're going to make a real gain (even if it's shortlived) is a decent sized price cut compared to the PS2.
Sadly, your humility is below average... ;-)
Now after all of this chest thumping (which is even cuter as an AC) are you actually going to boycott Slashdot, or did you just want to join the masses of people that will complain about Slashdot without actually doing anything about it?
Obviously Slashdot isn't the government, but the average person who's going to whine about an 'elite hackers' comment from a reader and blame it on Slashdot usually is dumb enough to cry censorship when the situation is turned around.
I always find reviews extremely useful on the nuts and bolts side to decide what platform would be best to get a given game for. Frequently, the PC/PS2/GC/XBox versions will have certain advantages/disadvantages that you just flat out can't tell from reading the package or watching someone play it for 5 minutes. Since reviewers usually point out the differences between versions of a given game, it allows me to make a much better decision on how I can most enjoy that game.
But more to the subject, I absolutely would rather know how a game works, how the controls are, how the graphics are as opposed to how it makes someone 'feel.' If I'm bothering to read a review on something, the odds are good I'm already interested in it, and am basically making sure there's nothing terrible about it. Besides, everyone is going to derive different feelings from games...what one reviewer is bored by, I may get really into. However, playability, graphics, and other technical aspects are much more objectively measureable, and therefore a better focus for reviews.
And if they butchered up something you submitted, would you cry censorship?
The elite hackers comment was part of the original submission, as shown by the fact that it's italicized. Granted, Hemos could have edited that part out, but don't blame Slashdot for the lameness of some of its readers.
The story wasn't about units sold (you did read the entire teaser, didn't you?), it was about the number of people actually playing it online - ie, not counting those that just play it by themselves.
SuSE is based in Germany, but from reading an article at CNet (I didn't bother to RTFA attached to this thread ;-) ), it sounds as though Novell is going to allow them to stay in Germany, with an obvious degree of cross-pollination between the engineering staffs.
A little from Column A, a little from Column B...I've found that the attraction I had to video games when I was 7 - 12 years old isn't what it was, but games like Vice City, Half-Life 2, Max Payne 2, etc. still deserve anticipation and excitement. It's just in an entirely differetn context. When I was 9 years old, all I had to worry about was a page of math problems, a 3 paragraph essay, and then I could get ramped up about gaming. Now, it's worrying about meeting project deadlines at work, bills...life in general. The excitement is still there, it just doesn't take up as much energy as it used to.
And they were dead right - there are enough games I've been interested in for the platform (Zelda, Metroid, Rogue Squadron to name a few) that once the price came down, I decided it was worth it as a second console system.
PS2's software variety still kills GameCube, but as you alluded to, Nintendo's price drop allows them to attract the geeks that are interested in some of the Nintendo-exclusive games but didn't want to buy a second console at full price.
Give a geek a price break and catch him with a bit too much caffeine, and you've got yourself a sale!
As opposed to the insecure shits that devote their time and money to the Catholics, Jehovahs, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Baptists, Heaven's Gate, and Branch Davidians?
While I'm not particularly fond of organized religion myself, judging him mainly on the fact that he's a mormon seems a bit shortsighted on principle.
Besides, how does he have time for his mormon cult when he's dedicating his time to the SCO cult?
Credibility and technical knowledge go only so far considering the odds are good that the VP I alluded to (or whatever level of management you'd like to use) is going to have to justify their decision later on, and if they're talking to a CEO, the line "my geeky technical advisor said this was the way to go" probably isn't going to help them as much as we'd all like.
In a small company environment, personal credibility goes a long way, but in a coporate environment, where there's an eternal cycle of justification to upper management, shareholders, etc., the opinion of one technical staffer only goes so far. In that regard, Sun is going to beat non-Enterprise distros of Linux 9 times out of 10, even with their recent issues. Name recognition goes a long way when one's technical knowledge is limited.
And when it comes to the high-end, corporate market, it's a pretty valid comparison.
If you went into a VP's office with CD-Rs of Slackware (or your favorite distro) and tried to sell those as being better than Solaris, you probably wouldn't get very far based upon name recognition and perception of stability.
However, if you went in there and compared Solaris against Red Hat Enterprise, you'd have a better shot at selling the Linux angle, because Red Hat has taken the Enterprise line and given it the perception of being superior to 'normal' Linux and packaged it with all the support.
Perception is reality with management, so in most corporate environments, smaller Linux distros won't even enter the equation. Though I disagree somewhat with Schwartz's comments, I can't say I fault his logic or his analogy.
Not that it's going to stop the RIAA per se, but it's at least nice to see some ISPs making the RIAA work a little harder and waste a few more resources to sue people.
I'm not against chronic lawbreakers to face the consequences of their actions, but I would think (hope?) that better challengers from ISPs would make the RIAA think twice about being more heavy-handed than they need to be, and encourage them to pick their targets for lawsuits more wisely.
Blaming colleges is a complete copout - if colleges aren't teaching the proper skills, then employers should be rejecting applicants with inadequate skills.
The fact is, most companies couldn't give half a shit about security on a day-to-day basis, and therefore don't really care if people fresh out of college have a clue about secure programming, or even security in general.
The goal of college, in the context of our current society, is to prepare students to get a job - if employers aren't demanding it, then people aren't going to expect it to be part of a college curriculum.
Don't get me wrong, I fully agree it should be a core part of computer education right from the start, but until the technology industry recognizes it as a day-to-day need (other than the 2 weeks after you've been hacked), it won't be considered an important part of the educational process.
Saying .NET will never take off, just because it hasn't yet isn't entirely fair.
.NET has the entire Microsoft Machine behind it, and considering they usually do a good job of getting product acceptance regardless of whether or not its the 'better' product, I wouldn't count it out.
;-) ), I'd actually be quite nervous about .NET gaining ground.
I'm certainly a Java proponent, but I know full well
Between the friendliness and name-value that Visual Studio has, and the fact that when a manager is making a choice about a product platorm for project, they don't always factor in the developer's best interest (if ever
No, it's a Canadian unit - 1 Canadian meter is only worth .8 standard meters. ;-)
Well then it's a good thing that they only need to turn a _dial_, because I think almost any of us would get stuck trying to push one.
No, it was NASA's fault - when Canada sends power back down to us, it's in Canadian units. The boys at NASA just haven't mastered the concept of unit conversion yet.
A year and a half ago I downloaded MusicMatch and I remember that I was disappointed in the sound quality, but I think it was only 64 or 128kpbs. Then, a few months ago I got Sonic Foundry's Siren Jukebox for free (after rebate of course) and started ripping mp3's at 320kpbs, and the sound is actually clearer than my cd player. Granted, I have a subwoofer hooked up to my computer, but the sound quality is just amazing. If you like mp3's and have a discerning ear, it's worth the $20 for Siren Jukebox.