I haven't had time to read all the responses (so this is probably 'redundant') but it seems to me that Apple has one huge drawback: they can only ship to ONE carrier in the U.S. (ATT) for quite a while. Android is going to be able to hit all the carriers and a variety of manufacturers, which is going to give them much more potential market penetration. I'm a Verizon Wireless user, and I know quite a few other VZ customers who would have purchased an iPhone if they could have stayed with VZ. The Voyager, an inferior competitor to the iPhone IMO, sells so well that VZ has trouble keeping them in stock.
That being said, Apple and Google are the two best large companies in tech these days, and I'm looking forward to the battle - should be lots of great stuff for all of us.
The more I play this game the more I like it - unlike WoW which had the opposite effect. It hasn't exactly had the immediate impact of a game like Call of Duty 4, but of all the games currently on my hard drive, Lord of the Rings Online is probably the one I'll most likely be playing 6 months from now.
I own one, my brother owns one, my mother has one, my father has one. My boss has one, my 2 best friends each have one. You can't go outside without seeing people using them. Its hardly a marketplace flop; initial sales projections were off, and they are selling quite nicely.
I don't have one, niether of my brothers has one, my mother doesn't have one. My boss doesn't have one, none of my best friends have one. In fact, I have yet to see *anyone* using one while outside. However, I realize that this is strictly empirical data, so I'm not going to judge its sales success that way that you seem to have done.
Because a lot of people watch it on TV. So you have a lot of people to advertise to,AND you know at least one of their hobbies.
Which is already happening in South Korea. And may happen in the U.S. eventually as well - at least that's what the sponsors are hoping. The post seemed to imply that it was ludicrous spending money on someone to play a pointless game. Some people find golf to be pointless as well;)
And by the way, most people don't care about installing third party apps, and you only need to tweek setting if they were wrong to begin with.
"Most people". Bleh. I use a Palm Tx, and have come to depend on 3rd party apps like Datebk6 and Bonzai. I know that I'm in a niche market, but surely *someone* can figure out how to make money off of us. There are other people out there buying and using tech other than iPod-wielding teenagers. And yes, I have an iPod too. But when the battery runs out, I don't have to worry about not being able to do actual work or make a phone call.
On the flipside, provided that Blueray disks don't cost more than DVDs to press [???] boxsets would become cheaper as they would require fewer discs, less packaging, etc... So there is already incentive to offer them in that format.
Heh heh, don't bet on it. I heard the same arguments regarding DVD vs. VHS, and music CD's vs. cassettes, and in each case the new technology was sold at a HIGHER price when offered side-by-side. The entertainment industry has NO INTEREST WHATSOEVER in giving the consumer a single cent of savings on their entertainment budget. Quite the contrary, actually.
I think the iPhone looks fantastic, and Señior Job's presentation was enormously entertaining and convincing. However, the U.S. cell phone carriers are making me take a pass, at least for now, because: 1. Excessive monthly price of voice AND data plans 2. Interminably long contracts 3. limited carrier selection (one, for now)
Are the U.S. cell phone companies going to continue to be the roadblock to promising technologies?
When the Nintendo DS was launched in November 2004, it had a pretty week game lineup for quite a while. The real "killer apps" didn't come out until much later the following year. Until that point, the general consensus was that the (then) upcoming Sony PSP would clean Nintendo's clock. Well, along came Nintendogs, Mario Cart, Advance Wars, etc., and the DS was on its way to success.
Now, much like the DS in its early days, people are wondering if the Wii is a 'gimicky' platform. Like the DS, it will be up to game developers, and "killer apps", to make it fly.
I usually lump FICA/Medicare together since 1) they were created in the same month, 2) they come out of my paycheck as a single item (Fed OASDI/MED) and 3) since I'm 36, I can expect to never see either of them.
I agree with you about MediCare - the whole issue of taking care of a rapidly aging population is a HUGE issue, but why don't you think that you'll never see any Social Security? It's a pay as you go system, and even if NOTHING is done to it except only using the funds that are being paid into it, it will still pay out at least 70% of its commitments through 2056, based on studies by the Social Security Trust Fund using very conservative economic growth models. The biggest threat to Social Security, IMO, will come in the form of a government attept to "save" it.
No user-replaceable battery. No spare batteries? Are they serious? Not a problem with an iPod, you just lose your music for a while. Annoying but liveable. For a phone however, that's a much bigger hassle.
Bingo! This the *potential* deal breaker for me. After less than one year my cell phone battery has significantly less batterly life, and needs replacing. Unless the iPhone has some kind of uber-battery technology, this seems like it could be a real problem. In other devices, like an iPod of Palm for example, this is a minor issue since these devices are used significantly less than a cell phone. But with an hour or two of daily phone use, in addition to being left in a constant state of stand-by, a year-old iPhone may be facing rapidly diminishing batterly life. The less-impressive yet highly functional Treo has a user-swappable battery.
And by the way, the party that cries "Lower taxes" wants lower taxes for everyone, not just the current generation. The party that cries, "Raise Taxes" knows that the only way to leave the social security system as it currently is, means that our children (those working in the year 2035) will be facing an 80% tax rate to support the baby boomers on Social Security. Now who's taxing the children?
Ah, you had me until this last bit of BS. You think it will take an 80% tax rate to maintain Social Security in 2035? You lose all credibility with a bogus statement like that. Medical care, on the other hand, will be a FAR bigger problem in regards to supporting an aging poplulation. Swap out "Social Security" with "MediCare", and you may have a bit of a (exagerated) point.
I don't see how anyone can draw any conclusions about the Console Wars at this point in time. We'll all know a lot more in a year or so when the new systems have more extensive software libraries available. As much as Sony deserves bashing, the PS3 will probably look a lot better when it's *Killer Apps* are avaiable - same for the Wii. And the 360 has Halo 3 coming. Just like in the past, this thing will be won by the system with the best gaming lineup. And it's a bit premature to conclude who that will be right now.
The anti-government press goes beyond reporting problems so that they can be fixed, and tries to play gotcha with our government. So government officials play CYA, instead of doing the right thing. It's a HORRIBLE mess, and it will take more than an emergency requisition of silly string to fix it.
Ugh. You're actually blaming the press for this? And you're modded '+5 Insightful'? Now I'm REALLY depressed.
Thanks to Slashdot, I've learned that Global Warming and Peak Oil are both myths. Now, hurry up and get that Slashdot Financial section up - and when I learn that massive debt doesn't matter, my brand new Hummer will be a done deal!
Oh that's been getting old since the Korean War. For fucks sake, it's a war. Was war officially declared? No. But let's say I walk up to you and punch you in the face. If you just fall down and don't hit back, well that's assault on my part. If you hit me back, that's a fight. Just because we didn't declare our intentions to fight, we still had a bloody fight.
War is when people kill eachother in an organized fashion. No piece of paper, silly declaration from congress, stamp, official gold star thingy, or anything is going to change that.
If there are men being ordered to kill other men by men in charge, it's a war.
Well, I'm glad that's settled. Now, we just have to fix the U.S. Constitution, and get rid of that whole section about requiring the Congress to vote for a declaration of war. Cuts down on the paperwork.
So I, as a casual player, will have to wait a few extra months before I can get crappy greens that are better than the best Naxx gear. On the other hand, I can keep on rep grinding and maybe hit exalted with warsong/arathi before they screw over the rep rewards system...which they may or may not do, depending on which forum posts you believe.
Currently, W Bush and Cheney are essentially convicted felons, which is enough grounds to fasttrack their impeachment come November (if the Democrats take Congress, which is not impossible).
Once Bush and Cheney are impeached, Pelosi (as a Speaker), becomes an acting President (and gets the PATRIOT and other 'powers').
Jeez, who's wearing the tinfoil hat here? Bush and Cheney would have to be *CONVICTED* by 67 votes in the Senate for the Speaker of the House to step in. That would obviously require a fair number of Republican senatorial votes for that to happen - which is obviously beyond the realm of possibility unless the President actually committed murder or something (and the victims were proven to be non-Democrats).
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I haven't had time to read all the responses (so this is probably 'redundant') but it seems to me that Apple has one huge drawback: they can only ship to ONE carrier in the U.S. (ATT) for quite a while. Android is going to be able to hit all the carriers and a variety of manufacturers, which is going to give them much more potential market penetration. I'm a Verizon Wireless user, and I know quite a few other VZ customers who would have purchased an iPhone if they could have stayed with VZ. The Voyager, an inferior competitor to the iPhone IMO, sells so well that VZ has trouble keeping them in stock.
That being said, Apple and Google are the two best large companies in tech these days, and I'm looking forward to the battle - should be lots of great stuff for all of us.
If you think WoW is better than making babies then you clearly need to get out more.
Maybe he meant better for the health of the planet?
The more I play this game the more I like it - unlike WoW which had the opposite effect. It hasn't exactly had the immediate impact of a game like Call of Duty 4, but of all the games currently on my hard drive, Lord of the Rings Online is probably the one I'll most likely be playing 6 months from now.
I understand that it's cool to bash the president and blame Bush for everything.
Yeah, that's the only reason to bash Bush: because it's *cool*. FoxNews much?
Impeach THE White House with the middle finger For President-VICE Richard B. Cheney ( The World's Most Dangerous Person).
So... you DON'T like the new iPods?
I own one, my brother owns one, my mother has one, my father has one. My boss has one, my 2 best friends each have one. You can't go outside without seeing people using them. Its hardly a marketplace flop; initial sales projections were off, and they are selling quite nicely.
I don't have one, niether of my brothers has one, my mother doesn't have one. My boss doesn't have one, none of my best friends have one. In fact, I have yet to see *anyone* using one while outside. However, I realize that this is strictly empirical data, so I'm not going to judge its sales success that way that you seem to have done.
I've seen the Next Big Thing: it's watching a dog skateboarding on my phone. We truly live in a Golden Age!
that's the point. you spent $500 on the phone 3 years later you pay $80 to replace the battery, or spend another $500 on the new iPhone Nano.
3 years? If the iPhone battery lasts through 3 years of daily use and recharging, I'll be impressed!
Because a lot of people watch it on TV. So you have a lot of people to advertise to,AND you know at least one of their hobbies.
;)
Which is already happening in South Korea. And may happen in the U.S. eventually as well - at least that's what the sponsors are hoping. The post seemed to imply that it was ludicrous spending money on someone to play a pointless game. Some people find golf to be pointless as well
Companies are sponsoring gamers? To play a game? My question - WHY?
Companies are sponsoring golfers? To play golf? My question - WHY?
And by the way, most people don't care about installing third party apps, and you only need to tweek setting if they were wrong to begin with.
"Most people". Bleh. I use a Palm Tx, and have come to depend on 3rd party apps like Datebk6 and Bonzai. I know that I'm in a niche market, but surely *someone* can figure out how to make money off of us. There are other people out there buying and using tech other than iPod-wielding teenagers. And yes, I have an iPod too. But when the battery runs out, I don't have to worry about not being able to do actual work or make a phone call.
On the flipside, provided that Blueray disks don't cost more than DVDs to press [???] boxsets would become cheaper as they would require fewer discs, less packaging, etc... So there is already incentive to offer them in that format.
Heh heh, don't bet on it. I heard the same arguments regarding DVD vs. VHS, and music CD's vs. cassettes, and in each case the new technology was sold at a HIGHER price when offered side-by-side. The entertainment industry has NO INTEREST WHATSOEVER in giving the consumer a single cent of savings on their entertainment budget. Quite the contrary, actually.
I think the iPhone looks fantastic, and Señior Job's presentation was enormously entertaining and convincing. However, the U.S. cell phone carriers are making me take a pass, at least for now, because:
1. Excessive monthly price of voice AND data plans
2. Interminably long contracts
3. limited carrier selection (one, for now)
Are the U.S. cell phone companies going to continue to be the roadblock to promising technologies?
When the Nintendo DS was launched in November 2004, it had a pretty week game lineup for quite a while. The real "killer apps" didn't come out until much later the following year. Until that point, the general consensus was that the (then) upcoming Sony PSP would clean Nintendo's clock. Well, along came Nintendogs, Mario Cart, Advance Wars, etc., and the DS was on its way to success.
Now, much like the DS in its early days, people are wondering if the Wii is a 'gimicky' platform. Like the DS, it will be up to game developers, and "killer apps", to make it fly.
I usually lump FICA/Medicare together since 1) they were created in the same month, 2) they come out of my paycheck as a single item (Fed OASDI/MED) and 3) since I'm 36, I can expect to never see either of them.
I agree with you about MediCare - the whole issue of taking care of a rapidly aging population is a HUGE issue, but why don't you think that you'll never see any Social Security? It's a pay as you go system, and even if NOTHING is done to it except only using the funds that are being paid into it, it will still pay out at least 70% of its commitments through 2056, based on studies by the Social Security Trust Fund using very conservative economic growth models. The biggest threat to Social Security, IMO, will come in the form of a government attept to "save" it.
No user-replaceable battery. No spare batteries? Are they serious? Not a problem with an iPod, you just lose your music for a while. Annoying but liveable. For a phone however, that's a much bigger hassle.
Bingo! This the *potential* deal breaker for me. After less than one year my cell phone battery has significantly less batterly life, and needs replacing. Unless the iPhone has some kind of uber-battery technology, this seems like it could be a real problem. In other devices, like an iPod of Palm for example, this is a minor issue since these devices are used significantly less than a cell phone. But with an hour or two of daily phone use, in addition to being left in a constant state of stand-by, a year-old iPhone may be facing rapidly diminishing batterly life. The less-impressive yet highly functional Treo has a user-swappable battery.
Am I missing something here?
And by the way, the party that cries "Lower taxes" wants lower taxes for everyone, not just the current generation. The party that cries, "Raise Taxes" knows that the only way to leave the social security system as it currently is, means that our children (those working in the year 2035) will be facing an 80% tax rate to support the baby boomers on Social Security. Now who's taxing the children?
Ah, you had me until this last bit of BS. You think it will take an 80% tax rate to maintain Social Security in 2035? You lose all credibility with a bogus statement like that. Medical care, on the other hand, will be a FAR bigger problem in regards to supporting an aging poplulation. Swap out "Social Security" with "MediCare", and you may have a bit of a (exagerated) point.
I don't see how anyone can draw any conclusions about the Console Wars at this point in time. We'll all know a lot more in a year or so when the new systems have more extensive software libraries available. As much as Sony deserves bashing, the PS3 will probably look a lot better when it's *Killer Apps* are avaiable - same for the Wii. And the 360 has Halo 3 coming. Just like in the past, this thing will be won by the system with the best gaming lineup. And it's a bit premature to conclude who that will be right now.
The anti-government press goes beyond reporting problems so that they can be fixed, and tries to play gotcha with our government. So government officials play CYA, instead of doing the right thing. It's a HORRIBLE mess, and it will take more than an emergency requisition of silly string to fix it.
Ugh. You're actually blaming the press for this? And you're modded '+5 Insightful'? Now I'm REALLY depressed.
1. Insert disk, play game
2. My hardware is sufficient
Thanks to Slashdot, I've learned that Global Warming and Peak Oil are both myths. Now, hurry up and get that Slashdot Financial section up - and when I learn that massive debt doesn't matter, my brand new Hummer will be a done deal!
Oh that's been getting old since the Korean War. For fucks sake, it's a war. Was war officially declared? No. But let's say I walk up to you and punch you in the face. If you just fall down and don't hit back, well that's assault on my part. If you hit me back, that's a fight. Just because we didn't declare our intentions to fight, we still had a bloody fight.
War is when people kill eachother in an organized fashion. No piece of paper, silly declaration from congress, stamp, official gold star thingy, or anything is going to change that.
If there are men being ordered to kill other men by men in charge, it's a war.
Well, I'm glad that's settled. Now, we just have to fix the U.S. Constitution, and get rid of that whole section about requiring the Congress to vote for a declaration of war. Cuts down on the paperwork.
But when Katrina hit New Orleans, what other country (besides my Canada) offered aid or assistance to the US?
Actually, I was hoping that the U.S. would consider helping New Orleans as well.
So I, as a casual player, will have to wait a few extra months before I can get crappy greens that are better than the best Naxx gear. On the other hand, I can keep on rep grinding and maybe hit exalted with warsong/arathi before they screw over the rep rewards system...which they may or may not do, depending on which forum posts you believe.
And you're a CASUAL player?
Currently, W Bush and Cheney are essentially convicted felons, which is enough grounds to fasttrack their impeachment come November (if the Democrats take Congress, which is not impossible).
Once Bush and Cheney are impeached, Pelosi (as a Speaker), becomes an acting President (and gets the PATRIOT and other 'powers').
Jeez, who's wearing the tinfoil hat here? Bush and Cheney would have to be *CONVICTED* by 67 votes in the Senate for the Speaker of the House to step in. That would obviously require a fair number of Republican senatorial votes for that to happen - which is obviously beyond the realm of possibility unless the President actually committed murder or something (and the victims were proven to be non-Democrats).