This scientic American Mind (an off shoot of scientific American Magazine) had an article by the Barry Schwartz, the man who's book if referenced in the article.
- The Tyranny of Choice Logic suggests that having options allows people to select precisely what makes them happiest. But, as studies show, abundant choice often makes for misery
We have an intiative here where I work, (1000s of seats). Turn computers off at night. This over the last couple months has saved a significant amount of power, much more that I thought it would. This has reduced our power bill (and not everyone is doing it).
The biggest thing MS could do, is to use the screen saver to black the screen (put monitor into standby aka orange mode). This would at least reduce screen power comsumption. Its amazing when roaming around the city, the number of default windows screen savers/login screens you see running all night.
MS has lost Billions trying to get a foothold in the console business. The economics of "slight" loss leader console make money on games has been turned into "loose money for 5+ years" by a company(MS) that can afford to loose as much money as it wants to drive Nintendo and Sony out of the market.
This assault of the Market is paid for by windows and office.
Ultimately this is bad for the whole business as a whole. I suspect Nintendo will be the first out, (unless they can inovate there way to some profits like apple computer).
Why digital distubution for Movies will win in time
I've bought a few albums off itunes recently. I don't like the DRM hassles, and I like CDs. Here is why.
Selection. The last 3 CDs I bought I checked 3 record stores and 1 big box chain. They had none. Itunes had them. Itunes had them, and I got them for cheaper and in less time than if they were at the store. The tradeoff is a slight quality degradation and that DRM. I burn them to audio CDs anyway as one backup so I don't care. I miss the packaging but some CDs you buy online come with PDFs of the liner notes.
Itunes has lots of music and never runs out (I don't think it can.... Maybe bandwidth could kill the site). Any online sales of music have these advantages.
This is why ultimately I choose to buy online.
Movies will eventually come around for the same reason. Selection. Now only if we could get bigger pipes (and not clogged pipes) to get these movies faster..
Maybe its just me, but Next Gen holds no appeal to me at this current time. I'd rather buy a ps2 for cheap, but I already have one. Tons of games, most reasonably priced.
Also without an HD TV I don't freel I'm missing much. Gameplay is important and I see nothing about the Next Gen gameplay that makes me want to rush out a buy one. I do think the WII is more interesting than the 360/ps3, but I'm not that excited by it.
Boom boxes died when they got too big and heavy to carry around. So now they are driven around (and come with a built in gas powered generator). On the plus side the noise these vehicles make doesn't last too long because they move fairly quickly.
With all the "practicing" people do with guitar hero, and contests etc.. Does it occur to anyone if they spent that much time playing a real guitar, they' probably be on there way to a creative/ usefull skill. Real guitars aren't that expensive compared to the game either..
The trouble with wifi, although it seems like a great idea, is that its slow, takes a lot of battery power, and you can't charge the device using it. They could do a lot more with it, but it would kill the battery of a portable device fairly quickly.
I really can't figure this device out. Knowing how the Zune is an MS only device (Linux and Mac users need not apply), its seems likely to me the reason for zune is an "get locked into MS Windows/ Windows Media Player". MS is not making a profit on the device, and content sale revenues are tiny.
Zune only works with windows. Ipod works with the 2 most popular OS's Windows and Mac. It will work with linux too, if you don't want to deal with itunes.
The Zune is all about keeping consumers from swithing off windows, thats why they sell it so cheaply with no way to make the money back, except from keeping people buying into the windows family. Thats got to be MS's motivation, since the web and firefox make which platform you are running less and less relevant.
I don't get why people never get this. To manufacture a cd costs very little. I can make cds of me singing and sell them. But my singing is really really bad (It hurts my own ears).
Content is more than the cost of the media. If I make a movie that costs 10 million dollars, and sell it on DVD. How many movies do I have to sell before I make my first dollar. (say I make 10 dollars per dvd sold).
10,000,000$/10$ = 1 million copies. Thats a lot of DVDs.
Everyone who does your thinking thinks of "blockbusters", movies that are so popular the cost per dvd sold is a very very small percentage of the cost of the disk. For less popular movies a good chunk of the cost of the DVD has already been spent on production.
Your right about the elasticity of demand though, cheaper means more buyers.
Basicly they have to compete with MS. MS has lost Billions in entering the console market and continue to lose tons of money at it. They can afford to do this because of the windows/office cash cows. MS still has no plans to make money at this (the game business) for a number of years.
How do you compete with a company that can afford not to make a profit? Sony and Nintendo have to be more inovative to compete. Sony went for interesting new architecture and the lure of a Hi-Def drive. Wii with the new controller. Sometimes when your cutting edge you experience delays.
Some things people never point out is that XBOX has a recuring cost to get the most out of the console (Xbox live). Also XBOX lasted 2 years less than the ps2 as a platform. Who knows how it will shake out. I like cheap and Fun so it will probably we a wii at first. then a playstation (I have a lot of ps2 games I play occationally, so it makes sense for me).
One of the things about "DRM" and audio, is that it is very easy to remove. For apple, just burn and audio cd. Ta-da DRM free music. unless you think cds won't be around much longer.... Every other audio format is subject to the "Analog hole".
Video is another story. Harder to remove the DRM, when they won't let you burn to DVD.
This is nonsense. Both Blu-ray and HDVDVD support the same codecs Mpeg2, mpeg 4 (h.264) and VC1 (Windows Media). For some reason Blu-ray creation software didn't support the other codecs initially, but the player does.
Its a somewhat chicken and egg problem. Usefull software won't be written unless there is a market. There can't be a market unless there is usefull software.
The more people using linux the higher probability that more usefull code (free and $$$) will be written.
Better drivers and HW support as well.
You can only write/ find so much free software yourself. You need enough people to continue using linux to create a vibrant community. Otherwise it stagnates.
The thing about Xbox is that if you keep charging for more and more functionality. MS finally has the AOL model, where they have you credit card and are going to chanrge for all sorts of things on top of the recuring subscription fee. As a casual gamer, I can't see paying all those fees. I like to buy the game and be done with it.
There was a couple in the apple store next to me looking at a mac book talking about playing back some of the movies they had ripped for traveling. They were new to the apple world so wern't sure if they could play them back. I told them about some of the multimedia apps other than quicktime (handbrake, vlc). The employee quipped "I'm not supposed to talk about those" half joking and wandered away..
AAC is just a format. Advanced Audio Codec played by apple some Sony players and a bunch of others. Its the audio portion of h.258 mpeg4. Lots of software player can play it.
AAC+Fairplay is whay apple uses in its itunes music store.. It used to be trivial to remove and leave just an AAC file. Now you have to burn to CD and rip back, which is pretty fast, and you should backup anyway.
Slashdot Mirror
This scientic American Mind (an off shoot of scientific American Magazine) had an article by the Barry Schwartz, the man who's book if referenced in the article.
0 56941-1933-1196-906983414B7F0000&pageNumber=1
-
The Tyranny of Choice
Logic suggests that having options allows people to select precisely what makes them happiest. But, as studies show, abundant choice often makes for misery
http://www.sciammind.com/article.cfm?articleID=00
---
Uggg. I'm talking office buildings.... The ones with the big glass windows on the ground floor...
Though I did laugh at your comment.
We have an intiative here where I work, (1000s of seats). Turn computers off at night. This over the last couple months has saved a significant amount of power, much more that I thought it would. This has reduced our power bill (and not everyone is doing it).
The biggest thing MS could do, is to use the screen saver to black the screen (put monitor into standby aka orange mode). This would at least reduce screen power comsumption. Its amazing when roaming around the city, the number of default windows screen savers/login screens you see running all night.
MS has lost Billions trying to get a foothold in the console business. The economics of "slight" loss leader console make money on games has been turned into "loose money for 5+ years" by a company(MS) that can afford to loose as much money as it wants to drive Nintendo and Sony out of the market.
This assault of the Market is paid for by windows and office.
Ultimately this is bad for the whole business as a whole. I suspect Nintendo will be the first out, (unless they can inovate there way to some profits like apple computer).
Why digital distubution for Movies will win in time
I've bought a few albums off itunes recently. I don't like the DRM hassles, and I like CDs. Here is why.
Selection. The last 3 CDs I bought I checked 3 record stores and 1 big box chain. They had none. Itunes had them. Itunes had them, and I got them for cheaper and in less time than if they were at the store. The tradeoff is a slight quality degradation and that DRM. I burn them to audio CDs anyway as one backup so I don't care. I miss the packaging but some CDs you buy online come with PDFs of the liner notes.
Itunes has lots of music and never runs out (I don't think it can.... Maybe bandwidth could kill the site). Any online sales of music have these advantages.
This is why ultimately I choose to buy online.
Movies will eventually come around for the same reason. Selection. Now only if we could get bigger pipes (and not clogged pipes) to get these movies faster..
Maybe its just me, but Next Gen holds no appeal to me at this current time. I'd rather buy a ps2 for cheap, but I already have one. Tons of games, most reasonably priced.
Also without an HD TV I don't freel I'm missing much. Gameplay is important and I see nothing about the Next Gen gameplay that makes me want to rush out a buy one. I do think the WII is more interesting than the 360/ps3, but I'm not that excited by it.
Boom boxes died when they got too big and heavy to carry around. So now they are driven around (and come with a built in gas powered generator). On the plus side the noise these vehicles make doesn't last too long because they move fairly quickly.
Nine inch Nails put out a track and allowed it to be remixed..
s html?tid=141&tid=3
see
http://apple.slashdot.org/apple/05/04/16/1417205.
Gamasutra has a section called postmortem, with commentary on already written games.
p hp?category=5
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/article_display.
2 companies, same pronounsiation.
sysco - provider of food stuff to eateries
http://www.sysco.com/
cisco - provider of network equipment.
When Jason Haas was in a car acciedent linux PowerPC suffered. But eventually others pick up and run with it. He was alright
/ 089246&mode=thread
http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=00/03/24
Interesting to note the different temperment of slashdot articles 6 years ago. No jokes..
With all the "practicing" people do with guitar hero, and contests etc.. Does it occur to anyone if they spent that much time playing a real guitar, they' probably be on there way to a creative/ usefull skill. Real guitars aren't that expensive compared to the game either..
What am I missing here?
If sco had this to search through linux.. Just imagine..
SCO: You used our patented while loop over 4000 times in our code...
The trouble with wifi, although it seems like a great idea, is that its slow, takes a lot of battery power, and you can't charge the device using it. They could do a lot more with it, but it would kill the battery of a portable device fairly quickly.
I really can't figure this device out. Knowing how the Zune is an MS only device (Linux and Mac users need not apply), its seems likely to me the reason for zune is an "get locked into MS Windows/ Windows Media Player".
MS is not making a profit on the device, and content sale revenues are tiny.
Zune only works with windows.
Ipod works with the 2 most popular OS's Windows and Mac. It will work with linux too, if you don't want to deal with itunes.
The Zune is all about keeping consumers from swithing off windows, thats why they sell it so cheaply with no way to make the money back, except from keeping people buying into the windows family. Thats got to be MS's motivation, since the web and firefox make which platform you are running less and less relevant.
Does that invitation remind anyone of HAL 9000.
Steve: open the ipod DRM HAL
HAL:I'M SORRY STEVE, I CAN'T DO THAT..
Thanks, I'm here all night...
I don't get why people never get this. To manufacture a cd costs very little. I can make cds of me singing and sell them. But my singing is really really bad (It hurts my own ears).
/10$ = 1 million copies. Thats a lot of DVDs.
Content is more than the cost of the media. If I make a movie that costs 10 million dollars, and sell it on DVD. How many movies do I have to sell before I make my first dollar. (say I make 10 dollars per dvd sold).
10,000,000$
Everyone who does your thinking thinks of "blockbusters", movies that are so popular the cost per dvd sold is a very very small percentage of the cost of the disk. For less popular movies a good chunk of the cost of the DVD has already been spent on production.
Your right about the elasticity of demand though, cheaper means more buyers.
I think after the 3rd different processor in the new form factor imac, its time to change the icon.
Although I miss the monitor on the arm concep.
Basicly they have to compete with MS. MS has lost Billions in entering the console market and continue to lose tons of money at it. They can afford to do this because of the windows/office cash cows. MS still has no plans to make money at this (the game business) for a number of years.
How do you compete with a company that can afford not to make a profit? Sony and Nintendo have to be more inovative to compete. Sony went for interesting new architecture and the lure of a Hi-Def drive. Wii with the new controller. Sometimes when your cutting edge you experience delays.
Some things people never point out is that XBOX has a recuring cost to get the most out of the console (Xbox live). Also XBOX lasted 2 years less than the ps2 as a platform. Who knows how it will shake out. I like cheap and Fun so it will probably we a wii at first. then a playstation (I have a lot of ps2 games I play occationally, so it makes sense for me).
One of the things about "DRM" and audio, is that it is very easy to remove. For apple, just burn and audio cd. Ta-da DRM free music. unless you think cds won't be around much longer.... Every other audio format is subject to the "Analog hole".
Video is another story. Harder to remove the DRM, when they won't let you burn to DVD.
Your right about emusic.
This is nonsense. Both Blu-ray and HDVDVD support the same codecs Mpeg2, mpeg 4 (h.264) and VC1 (Windows Media). For some reason Blu-ray creation software didn't support the other codecs initially, but the player does.
Its a somewhat chicken and egg problem. Usefull software won't be written unless there is a market. There can't be a market unless there is usefull software.
The more people using linux the higher probability that more usefull code (free and $$$) will be written.
Better drivers and HW support as well.
You can only write/ find so much free software yourself. You need enough people to continue using linux to create a vibrant community. Otherwise it stagnates.
The thing about Xbox is that if you keep charging for more and more functionality. MS finally has the AOL model, where they have you credit card and are going to chanrge for all sorts of things on top of the recuring subscription fee. As a casual gamer, I can't see paying all those fees. I like to buy the game and be done with it.
There was a couple in the apple store next to me looking at a mac book talking about playing back some of the movies they had ripped for traveling. They were new to the apple world so wern't sure if they could play them back. I told them about some of the multimedia apps other than quicktime (handbrake, vlc). The employee quipped "I'm not supposed to talk about those" half joking and wandered away..
hmmmmmmm
sigh.........
AAC is just a format. Advanced Audio Codec played by apple some Sony players and a bunch of others. Its the audio portion of h.258 mpeg4. Lots of software player can play it.
AAC+Fairplay is whay apple uses in its itunes music store.. It used to be trivial to remove and leave just an AAC file. Now you have to burn to CD and rip back, which is pretty fast, and you should backup anyway.