The Word, which I interpret the Flying or Floating Island, is in the Original Laputa; whereof I could never learn the true Etymology. Lap in the old obsolete Language signifieth High, and Untuh a Governor; from which they say by Corruption was derived Laputa, from Lapuntuh. But I do not approve of this Derivation, which seems to be a little strained. I ventured to offer to the Learned among them a Conjecture of my own, that Laputa was quasi Lap outed; Lap signifying properly the dancing of the Sun Beams in the Sea; and outed a Wing, which however I shall not obtrude, but submit to the judicious Reader.
In other words, the scientists of Laputa interpret the name of the island as meaning that they are the governors on high. Gulliver thinks that's a bit much, and that they are merely flying on wings in the sun. Prodded in that direction, the reader is left to derive the satirical barb, that in reality it's worse than that, and scientists are not the noble rulers of mankind, but mere whores to political and other interests.
I seem to recall Americans having a bit of a problem with taxation without representation.
Your recollection needs updating to include the time period after the American Civil War. There are hundreds of thousands of people in the USA who have to pay tax, but aren't allowed to vote, and it has been that way for many years.
I already pay taxes to support schools. I just got my 2006 notice, and I'm paying $4,414.44 this year to support Texas schools. Somehow I don't imagine that figure is going to go down if this stupid proposal passes, it's just an attempt to get more school funding in a way most people won't notice enough to whine about.
Democrats just need to face the fact that most Texans don't want to fund schools. If they did, they wouldn't keep voting for Republicans. So quit trying to save people from themselves, and give them what they're asking for: low taxes and chronically underfunded schools.
Instead of a tray, a single, innovative, self-loading media bay will play both 12-centimeter optical discs used for the new system as well as Nintendo GameCube discs.
Surely a top-loading CD drive like the Jaguar toilet seat would be more appropriate?
Congratulations, Nintendo. You're up against stiff competition, and we weren't sure you could pull it off; but with a branding decision like this, urine the running for sure. The guy who came up with this name must be a real whizz.
No doubt there will be a shower of solid gold hit software--a veritable golden shower of games. You'll be flush with cash in no time.
Bullshit! Prius is a great city car, but is just as bad as any other gas car on the highway. The mileage of a prius is 35-48 MPG. I get 60 MPG on the highway in my Golf TDI. A Prius can't compare. In the city I probably drop down to around 45-50.
Bullshit yourself. Consumer Reports measure the Golf TDI as getting 32mpg on the highway, 19mpg in cities; versus 50mpg/35mpg for the Prius.
We got 47mpg from the Prius, driving from MA to TX, AC on, mostly highway driving with cruise control.
I was told that Sony's success in the console market translated to success in the portable market, that the PSP would destroy the DS.
I never beleived that either. Looking at Nintendo's software lineup for the GBA, it's pretty clear that either they're going after entirely the wrong demographic, or the handheld software market is dominated by kids. Sure, they're trying to appeal to adult gamers as well with the DS, but look at all those racks of Pokemon games in the GBA section.
In contrast, Sony tried to repeat what they did with the PS1: focus on 20s and 30s adults who had grown up with video games. As yet, it doesn't seem to have worked. One factor maybe working against them is the back-compatibility issue; just as the PS2 was helped by being able to run PS1 software, so the DS is helped by being able to run GBA software.
No, you didn't understand the original issue. Whether or not *you* think the games are great doesn't matter. What matters is if the games MOVE SYSTEMS.
That's exactly what I said. Go back and look at the first thing you quoted. The question is whether Nintendo can produce games that sell consoles. They didn't succeed well enough with the GameCube. I bought one as a second console, for things like Metroid Prime, Pikmin and the Zelda games; but not enough other people found the software lineup compelling. In contrast, Sony had GTA3, Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy, and so on, all selling consoles by the boatload.
Nintendo games have always moved their consoles. Sony games have not.
I bought my PS1 to play Colony Wars and WipeOut. They were system movers for me. I know a gearhead who bought the PS2 for Gran Turismo; and if you don't think GTA sold consoles, well...
Look at the PS2 and Gamecube system sales versus software sales. Game sales were very high on the Gamecube. This is a reason why companies like Sega are staying close to Nintendo as all their games are selling the strongest on the Gamecube.
Sega. Well, I only have 1 Sega game, and that's Rez, which was PS2 only. I'm tempted to say that cartoon hedgehogs appeal to the same demographic as cartoon plumbers...
So, where's the GameCube version of Burnout Revenge or Burnout 3? I have Burnout 2 for the cube, but for some reason that's where support ended.
How about Star Wars? Dropped again for Star Wars Battlefront. NHL 2K5? NASCAR 06? Dropped the cube. So much for strongest sales.
Look, I own a GameCube. I used to buy GC versions of cross-platform games when possible, because the graphics were better and the hardware didn't sound like a vacuum cleaner. But over time, I noticed more and more that the cube versions of games were late to release, or cancelled entirely.
Then I got an HDTV and upgraded to a silent slimline PS2 with progressive scan, and it was all over. Nintendo don't support progressive scan (current cubes don't have it), and they often don't support widescreen either. Often the PS2 version of a game has extra levels, as well as added widescreen support. So now I skip Resident Evil 4 on GameCube, in favor of the PS2 version with progressive 16:9 and more game.
But I have no particular allegiance to Sony. I'm not going to be buying the PS3 when it first comes out; I'll do what I did with the PS2--wait around and see what the games are like. If Nintendo deliver a good library of software with robust widescreen support and a nice quiet hardware package, I'll get a Revolution.
The Quantel XOR cursor patent is one of the classic examples of a ridiculously obvious software patent. I independently reinvented the idea when I was around 12 years old, for example.
All I wanted was a quad band phone that wasn't from Motorola, because every Motorola phone I've had has fallen apart in less than a year. Took a long time before someone offered something that met the bill.
Contrary to cmd.exe and Unix/Linux shells it operates on objects, not text when passing data between scripts and executables. Easy access to.NET classes allows users to create quite advanced solutions in short time.
Wow. It took them a long time to copy AppleScript.
iPhoto may not support phones, but Bluetooth file transfer on OS X will let you open the folders of the phone's filing system and drag photos and other files in and out. That's how I install applications, ringtones, backgrounds and the like on my Sony Ericsson.
Just because your corporate PCs are from some time in the 90s, doesn't mean we all have that problem. My ThinkPad has Bluetooth and IR, has since I got it. ThinkPads are the laptop of choice for business, which makes both features pretty mainstream.
No, I believe the future (until fuel cells are available) lays in hybrids [hybridcars.com], like the Toyota Prius, even though they're still not completely environmental friendly - fuel consumption is not better than most diesel powered cars.
Myth. Prius fuel consumption in the real world is better than any diesel car currently available new. Check Consumer Reports' tests.
Wind Waker. Ha! Basically the same game as Ocarina of Time on the 64, with slightly better graphics and new locations, and a rather tedious sailing mechanic. (I say that because I played them back to back, and was very disappointed by Wind Waker.)
Metroid Prime. Ooh, a first-person shooter!
Resident Evil 4. Ooh, survival horror. Where have I seen that before?
I won't even start on Mario.
Sure, the GameCube has a few truly original games, like Pikmin. But the PS2 has plenty of truly original games too, and you're blinded by fanboyishness if you can't see it.
Whether Nintendo can target a wider demographic with a console remains to be seen. They've clearly failed with the GameCube, and even if they've arguably managed with their handhelds, that doesn't necessarily mean they'll succeed with a console.
And all of that is beside the point. I was replying to someone who claimed that Sony couldn't make good first party software. I simply provided counterexamples.
DRM exists, a lot of digital media is protected using it, and unless piracy suddenly becomes as unacceptable as murder or somebody invents a new kind of economic system to replace copyright it'll probably be around for a long time to come.
There's a third possibility you ignore: that DRM reduces software sales. I'm not aware of any credible research on the topic, but I know that there are albums I plan to buy from the iTunes Music Store, but only if JHymn is fixed to allow me to strip the DRM. Similarly, I've skipped buying CDs as soon as I saw the "rootkit inside" warning on the packaging.
As for the PS3, if it's secure enough to prevent cheat systems like Action Replay Max, that's going to have an impact on sales. Other than that and DRMed media playback, I can't really see any point in a complicated security system for a console--it's not like PS2 viruses or rootkits are a problem.
No school with a CS department worth its salt would end up with a deal like this. If a school ends up with a deal like this, guess what? Their CS department is not very good.
Sadly not true. A counterexample is Cambridge University, where Roger Needham--the head of the CS department--decided to whore out the university's credibility to Bill Gates. The deal was kept very secret, and a lot of people were angry when it was announced, but by then it was too late. Needham got what he wanted, a directorship at Microsoft.
Because Sony and Microsoft cannot match the sheer quality and diversity of first party Nintendo games.
That's where I realized you'd left reality and gone into total fanboy land.
WipeOut, EyeToy, The Getaway (SCEE); Gran Turismo 4, Siphon Filter, Twisted Metal (SCEA), and you might want to look up what SCEI and SCEJ have produced.
I have a GameCube as well as a PS2, and I just wish there were as many games I want to play on the GameCube.
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That's why in the US, Canon do the smart thing and brand the low-end cameras "Rebel".
In the book, the origin of the name is discussed:
In other words, the scientists of Laputa interpret the name of the island as meaning that they are the governors on high. Gulliver thinks that's a bit much, and that they are merely flying on wings in the sun. Prodded in that direction, the reader is left to derive the satirical barb, that in reality it's worse than that, and scientists are not the noble rulers of mankind, but mere whores to political and other interests.
Wikipedia will tell you all about the "BSD is dead" troll.
And so as to be on-topic:
Of course Microsoft are investing heavily in China. They're going where the evil is.
Your recollection needs updating to include the time period after the American Civil War. There are hundreds of thousands of people in the USA who have to pay tax, but aren't allowed to vote, and it has been that way for many years.
I already pay taxes to support schools. I just got my 2006 notice, and I'm paying $4,414.44 this year to support Texas schools. Somehow I don't imagine that figure is going to go down if this stupid proposal passes, it's just an attempt to get more school funding in a way most people won't notice enough to whine about.
Democrats just need to face the fact that most Texans don't want to fund schools. If they did, they wouldn't keep voting for Republicans. So quit trying to save people from themselves, and give them what they're asking for: low taxes and chronically underfunded schools.
Did I miss something? Is this disk encryption going to be compulsory?
Surely a top-loading CD drive like the Jaguar toilet seat would be more appropriate?
Congratulations, Nintendo. You're up against stiff competition, and we weren't sure you could pull it off; but with a branding decision like this, urine the running for sure. The guy who came up with this name must be a real whizz.
No doubt there will be a shower of solid gold hit software--a veritable golden shower of games. You'll be flush with cash in no time.
Bullshit yourself. Consumer Reports measure the Golf TDI as getting 32mpg on the highway, 19mpg in cities; versus 50mpg/35mpg for the Prius.
We got 47mpg from the Prius, driving from MA to TX, AC on, mostly highway driving with cruise control.
So get a $20 Bluetooth adaptor if you need one. Sheesh.
I never beleived that either. Looking at Nintendo's software lineup for the GBA, it's pretty clear that either they're going after entirely the wrong demographic, or the handheld software market is dominated by kids. Sure, they're trying to appeal to adult gamers as well with the DS, but look at all those racks of Pokemon games in the GBA section.
In contrast, Sony tried to repeat what they did with the PS1: focus on 20s and 30s adults who had grown up with video games. As yet, it doesn't seem to have worked. One factor maybe working against them is the back-compatibility issue; just as the PS2 was helped by being able to run PS1 software, so the DS is helped by being able to run GBA software.
That's exactly what I said. Go back and look at the first thing you quoted. The question is whether Nintendo can produce games that sell consoles. They didn't succeed well enough with the GameCube. I bought one as a second console, for things like Metroid Prime, Pikmin and the Zelda games; but not enough other people found the software lineup compelling. In contrast, Sony had GTA3, Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy, and so on, all selling consoles by the boatload.
I bought my PS1 to play Colony Wars and WipeOut. They were system movers for me. I know a gearhead who bought the PS2 for Gran Turismo; and if you don't think GTA sold consoles, well...
Sega. Well, I only have 1 Sega game, and that's Rez, which was PS2 only. I'm tempted to say that cartoon hedgehogs appeal to the same demographic as cartoon plumbers...
So, where's the GameCube version of Burnout Revenge or Burnout 3? I have Burnout 2 for the cube, but for some reason that's where support ended.
How about Star Wars? Dropped again for Star Wars Battlefront. NHL 2K5? NASCAR 06? Dropped the cube. So much for strongest sales.
Look, I own a GameCube. I used to buy GC versions of cross-platform games when possible, because the graphics were better and the hardware didn't sound like a vacuum cleaner. But over time, I noticed more and more that the cube versions of games were late to release, or cancelled entirely.
Then I got an HDTV and upgraded to a silent slimline PS2 with progressive scan, and it was all over. Nintendo don't support progressive scan (current cubes don't have it), and they often don't support widescreen either. Often the PS2 version of a game has extra levels, as well as added widescreen support. So now I skip Resident Evil 4 on GameCube, in favor of the PS2 version with progressive 16:9 and more game.
But I have no particular allegiance to Sony. I'm not going to be buying the PS3 when it first comes out; I'll do what I did with the PS2--wait around and see what the games are like. If Nintendo deliver a good library of software with robust widescreen support and a nice quiet hardware package, I'll get a Revolution.
The "someone" in question is Quantel, best known for their Quantel Paintbox.
The Quantel XOR cursor patent is one of the classic examples of a ridiculously obvious software patent. I independently reinvented the idea when I was around 12 years old, for example.
Of course, this is not generally recommended.
Unfortunately, since depression has a strong genetic component, chances are she will.
That's why I go with Network Solutions!
All I wanted was a quad band phone that wasn't from Motorola, because every Motorola phone I've had has fallen apart in less than a year. Took a long time before someone offered something that met the bill.
Wow. It took them a long time to copy AppleScript.
iPhoto may not support phones, but Bluetooth file transfer on OS X will let you open the folders of the phone's filing system and drag photos and other files in and out. That's how I install applications, ringtones, backgrounds and the like on my Sony Ericsson.
Come on, Nokia. Get with the program, make it quad band.
Just because your corporate PCs are from some time in the 90s, doesn't mean we all have that problem. My ThinkPad has Bluetooth and IR, has since I got it. ThinkPads are the laptop of choice for business, which makes both features pretty mainstream.
Myth. Prius fuel consumption in the real world is better than any diesel car currently available new. Check Consumer Reports' tests.
Oh, so you want to talk about originality?
Wind Waker. Ha! Basically the same game as Ocarina of Time on the 64, with slightly better graphics and new locations, and a rather tedious sailing mechanic. (I say that because I played them back to back, and was very disappointed by Wind Waker.)
Metroid Prime. Ooh, a first-person shooter!
Resident Evil 4. Ooh, survival horror. Where have I seen that before?
I won't even start on Mario.
Sure, the GameCube has a few truly original games, like Pikmin. But the PS2 has plenty of truly original games too, and you're blinded by fanboyishness if you can't see it.
Whether Nintendo can target a wider demographic with a console remains to be seen. They've clearly failed with the GameCube, and even if they've arguably managed with their handhelds, that doesn't necessarily mean they'll succeed with a console.
And all of that is beside the point. I was replying to someone who claimed that Sony couldn't make good first party software. I simply provided counterexamples.
There's a third possibility you ignore: that DRM reduces software sales. I'm not aware of any credible research on the topic, but I know that there are albums I plan to buy from the iTunes Music Store, but only if JHymn is fixed to allow me to strip the DRM. Similarly, I've skipped buying CDs as soon as I saw the "rootkit inside" warning on the packaging.
As for the PS3, if it's secure enough to prevent cheat systems like Action Replay Max, that's going to have an impact on sales. Other than that and DRMed media playback, I can't really see any point in a complicated security system for a console--it's not like PS2 viruses or rootkits are a problem.
Sadly not true. A counterexample is Cambridge University, where Roger Needham--the head of the CS department--decided to whore out the university's credibility to Bill Gates. The deal was kept very secret, and a lot of people were angry when it was announced, but by then it was too late. Needham got what he wanted, a directorship at Microsoft.
$102 per head customer acquisition cost?
They'd better sell a shitload of advertising.
That's where I realized you'd left reality and gone into total fanboy land.
WipeOut, EyeToy, The Getaway (SCEE); Gran Turismo 4, Siphon Filter, Twisted Metal (SCEA), and you might want to look up what SCEI and SCEJ have produced.
I have a GameCube as well as a PS2, and I just wish there were as many games I want to play on the GameCube.