I agree, it seemed like the author assumed that development of a game on the GC, PS2, and Xbox are similar, while developing for the Xbox2 would be different. I'm not sure how valid that is considering the GC is PPC-based, Xbox is Pentium-based, and the PS2 is Sony-based. All three have different GPUs, too (GC = ATI, PS2 = Sony, Xbox = Nvidia). If the code is portable then maybe adding Xbox2 wouldn't be that big of a deal. Also, won't all three next gen consoles be PPC-based? I'm sure Xbox2 and the next GC will be powered by PPC CPU's and ATI GPU's. That would make developing for the Xbox2 similar to designing for the current GC and next gen GC, based purely on similar hardware.
I'm not a fan of the Xbox and the lack of development tools for the Xbox will be a major problem (like the early toolkits for the PS2), but saying that coding for non-existant Xbox2 will be so much harder than coding for GC, PS2, and Xbox at the same time seems to be a bad argument.
Overheating on the original Mac form factor and the Apple ][ were common, which is why I bought Kensington System Savers for both machines. What good is a near silent machine if it freezes up on you?
About stuffing a HD in the Mac. The main problem was the price. $600 for a 120MB HD, that's the first HD I ever owned (external SCSI for a MacSE with 2 floppies). It was purchased around 1987-8. I don't know how much a 20MB HD was in 1984, but I would guess it was more than $600.
That would have made the original Mac $1000 more expensive.
Yes, as the article linked-to says. It also mentions that only 80% of voters actually signed and returned the forms -- but apparently the other 20% got to vote anyway. So the whole thing doesn't really seem to be taken seriously.
If participation is 80-100% for Oscar voting and that's not considered being taken seriously, how light do we, the people of the USA, take elections with only 30-60% of eligible voters voting?
I remember watching a show on PBS about nuclear energy and they talked about how the DOE had programs to find 1) an easier way to recycle nuclear waste into something usable by the reactor, but not "clean" enough for a nuclear weapon, and 2) a new type of fuel rod that made it near impossible for a meltdown/explosion. Supposedly, they had been running a test reactor with the new rods using fuels from their new cleaning technology and showed that under controlled stress conditions they could not get the reactor core hot enough for meltdown to occur.
This fuel rod was made of segments. During normal operation, the segments were close enough together to allow the chain reaction to occur to produce heat->electricity. However, if the temperature got too hot, then the segments would expand away from each other, immediately dampening the reaction.
I'm not a nuclear physicist and so I have no idea about the distances involved or the mass/kind of radioactive material. However, since the rods themselves have the ability to help control the chain reaction, this solution seems simple and more elegant solution to the reactor control issue.
I've been trying to dig up a link to this reasearch, but I can't seem to dig up anything relevant on google, yet.
All a double-blind test would prove is that the reviewer can indeed hear a difference between various bitrates of MP3 and AAC, and between MP3 and AAC, and between all those and the original CD.
So what?
Then the testee can pick which they preferred. This is of great interest especially if the testee has been spouting off about the superiority of one format or the need for kilobuck cables or whatever. If testee prefers the sound of the original CD through kilobuck cables, then testee really has "Golden Ears". If not, then testee is full of shite.
Well, at least it's a step in the right direction. What they really need to do is offer free downloads of either full length, lower bit (less than 96kbit) MP3's or high quality, 30sec samples of every track in their catalog. Free downloads because good stuff can then be passed to friends. This is the past, present and future of advertising. Nothing works better than a suggestion by a friend or family member. This would be the ultimate way to get "Word of Mouth". What the "common Joe/Jane" want is to sample music. They usually buy stuff they like. The problem is there is so much music out there and the radio stations are all homogenous. People don't know what to buy. Given the cost of even these reduced priced CD's, it's still a tad expensive to experiment.
Hardcore file traders don't do much to the "content" producers' bottom lines. Some would never spend the money. Others may still buy some CD's from some new bands they found. Basically harcore file traders are zero sum since they provide some advertising (and therefore, new sales), while satisfying some people (loss of sales). Basically balances out.
So, we have the homogenization of the "free" classic media, an economic downturn, and a lack of major label backed new, innovative, interesting content. File trading is just a scape goat.
I don't download music as the quality is too low for me. I might buy more if there was a better way to sample music (like http://www.apple.com/music/store).
I would only buy from iTMS if there were less than 2 tracks on an album that I wanted because AAC quality is too low for me. I would buy if there weren't any CD-singles available. I rip my CD's into FLAC (http://flac.sourceforge.net/)
I don't download movies as the quality is too low for me. I have, however, sent trailers that I could download to people. At least the movie peole have their heads on straight by allowing people to download their trailers.
I download anime that is fansubbed and not available in the states, or to demo a series. I have bought entire series ($$$$ of dollars) because I was able to download and watch enough to get into it. I buy them because I want the higher quality video and audio. The fansubbers' subs destroy what can be done by the CC subbing built into set-top DVD players.
The music, movie, and software industries are idiots for funding the RIAA, MPAA, and BSA, respectively. These *A's are just trying to keep themselves relevant. They are cartels. They should be illegal as they form oligopolies (price fixing, collusion). They are hurting their respective industries by not allowing it to slowly evolve. M/G/S studios can do their own advertising directly to the people and save some $$$$$$$$. All they need is to allow downloading of samples from their catalogs and people will spend their own bandwidth advertising stuff they like.
Check out the links to the anandtech shoot out. They have 1 PC Power and Cooling PSU. Great electronics, but incredibly noisy. So if you have a server closet, it would be good purchase. I wouldn't want to be in the same room with one for long periods of time.
A further consideration is that 32V's overall organization may not even be protectable in the first place. Berkeley's license to use 32V protects 32V derivatives only to the extent that they contain certain proprietary information. If Berkeley excises the proprietary information (as it attempted to do with Net2), Berkeley is free to distribute derivatives without restriction.
Emphasis mine
Doesn't that sound like a judge's opinion on limits to the definition of "derivative works"? This comes from the 930303.ruling page in the 3rd to last paragraph Too bad that document isn't the final ruling.
So many people are slamming Apple for posting biased benchmarks. Yet, I found it very interesting that Apple posted one benchmark which showed the G5 being the slowest machine: the SPECin_base2000, single processor mark. For someone posting completely untrue and biased benchmarks, showing a last place finish shows that not everything was biased in favor of the G5.
Is the PowerMac G5 the "world's fastest personal computer"? Probably not, but it may be the first 64-bit personal computer to ship to the masses (ie. bought in a store like CompUSA). I wonder if AMD will move up the Opteron release now or if Intel will drop the price on their Itanium. If so, then people who want 64-bit x86-compat CPU's should thank Apple for bringing them their CPU's faster. =)
The only proper comparison involves a good hi-fi, a sensibly furnished room, and a comfortable chair. It is called "golden ear" testing and it's the ONLY way to compare psychoacoustic models.
"Golden Ears" also say that green pens make CD's sound warmer. I've even read "Golden Ear" reviews in Stereophile Magazine where changing the fiber orientation on the rug that the comfy chair was place on made the green-ringed CD sound expansive and warm instead of like shit.
The only way to compare anything is through double-blind testing. If the only thing changing is the encoder, then any differences heard will be due to the encoder. Heck you can even use your "good hi-fi, a sensibly furnished room, and a comfortable chair"! If you've always like MP3 and hated WMA, it wouldn't matter since you wouldn't know which encoder encoded the piece of music that you were listening to at that moment. You may prefer one enocder's psychoaccoustical model to another, but that is not the point of double-blind tests. Double-blind is so you can make unbiased, educated decisions between whatever it is you are comparing.
Oh, I suppose there is really nothing to be said against the camerawork and the editing - bang up job there.
Did you forget that "Godzilla-zoom" effect when Amidala, Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Anakin are chasing Dooku? That was some seriously BAD camera work. I guess Lucas wanted to cement the fact that AotC really is a B-movie in A-movie clothes.
It's interesting to see the pings time now, compared to ping times 10 years ago. Back when the Web was a toddler ping times were more like 1-5ms with slow hops being 25ms. Of course back then, 10 hops got you around the world. Now, 25 hops gets you out of the neighborhood.
Every geek-boy just likes deluding himself that it's some underappreciated subculture and he's some kind of connesuir, but really he can't tell good anime from bad anime and just eats up the shit they put on Cartoon Network.
Funny, that's where I first saw Cowboy Bebop, and decided to buy the DVD box set the next day.
And what is "good" anime and what is "bad" anime? I think Akira, Excel Saga, and Urotsukidouji were bad animes, but I think Omoide Poroporo, Project A-Ko 1, and Yoju Toshi (Wicked City) were good animes.
First off, I would like to disagree with submitter. I don't think the Cowboy Bebop movie is good enough for "non-anime" viewers since it's not even good enough for people not familiar with the series. The movie spends zero time introducing the four main characters. There is no way of knowing why there such a love-hate relationship between Faye and Spike/Jet. And why does Ein know the next move of Go? Or why does Spike have this whole devil-may-care attitude? Viewers of the series or readers of the manga could easily answer those questions. It's a good anime movie, but it is squarely aimed at the fans of the series.
I enjoyed the music from the movie more than the series. I guess it was more blues/rock-n-roll-like than jazz-like.
In addition, I was amazed with the script and the voice talent. This is coming from a Sub-over-dub guy. It appeared that lip syncing software was used, but this is the first time I thought the script did not suffer from it. I only cringed maybe 3 times at a weird sentence or an abnormal pause in the rhythm of speech. The translation was excellent.
I have watched the series as subs and only briefly checked out the dubs on the DVD's. Major kudos goes to Wendee Lee who actually out performs Megumi Hayashibara as Faye. Her performance really made Faye a multi-dimensional character. Also kudos to Melissa Charles for matching the perfection of Ed by Aoi Tada. "Faye-Faye, Stay Away-way." ^_^
I agree with another poster about Vincent and Elektra, very under developed. The series, in just 25-50 minutes, did a much better job of bringing depth to the "villians." Episodes like the 2-part "Jupiter Jazz" or "Pierrot Le Fou" really made you feel for the story's main character.
From what I've read, the time line for movie is between Session #22 and Session #23.
89 out of 100: For the amazing translation and acting performances of Wendee and Melissa. Points off for underdeveloped characters.
Sure, the extravagance of some pop stars may lead some with a Marxist bent to argue that they don't "deserve" their wealth, but the fact is that in a market economy, merit is rewarded with wealth, and the motive for any person to work hard is the possibility of this reward.
Only the truly mega-super stars are rich. Most other bands are not multi-millionaires. Most are probably still in debt after having 2 "hit" records. The ones that are getting rich are the music company execs. In a true markey economy, it would be the musicians that would be making the money since they can set up a direct marketing system and buy airtime at radio stations, etc. However, the current system is not even close to a true market economy.
People who constantly argue that "record companies should adapt their business model to piracy" are missing the point. They shouldn't have to: It's their intellectual property, not yours, and they have every right to dictate the terms of its distribution under existing law in every civilized country, even in Red China.
The IP shouldn't even be the property of the record companies. Shouldn't the IP reside with the artists who wrote the lyrics and who wrote the melodies? Singers and other musicians, who only play other people's songs, are more like employees than artists. At least the Chinese "system" makes these people work for a living, just like everyone else. Wang Lee Hom, in the article, sounds like he does everything himself from song writing to promotion. He also doesn't seem to be starving, either.
The article itself was basically very pro-RIAA. It would be nice to know how hard is it to "break into" the Chinese system as compared to the already-industry controlled system in the U.S and Europe.
Or consider "Song of the South" - You will NEVER see that movie again, because The Mouse is so Politically Correct that they would never air that movie (and I don't see why not - Uncle Remus's tales were NOT racist!) Since there is no profit in keeping the movie preserved, it will in all probability rot away in a vault next to Walt.
Slashdot Mirror
I agree, it seemed like the author assumed that development of a game on the GC, PS2, and Xbox are similar, while developing for the Xbox2 would be different. I'm not sure how valid that is considering the GC is PPC-based, Xbox is Pentium-based, and the PS2 is Sony-based. All three have different GPUs, too (GC = ATI, PS2 = Sony, Xbox = Nvidia). If the code is portable then maybe adding Xbox2 wouldn't be that big of a deal. Also, won't all three next gen consoles be PPC-based? I'm sure Xbox2 and the next GC will be powered by PPC CPU's and ATI GPU's. That would make developing for the Xbox2 similar to designing for the current GC and next gen GC, based purely on similar hardware.
I'm not a fan of the Xbox and the lack of development tools for the Xbox will be a major problem (like the early toolkits for the PS2), but saying that coding for non-existant Xbox2 will be so much harder than coding for GC, PS2, and Xbox at the same time seems to be a bad argument.
Overheating on the original Mac form factor and the Apple ][ were common, which is why I bought Kensington System Savers for both machines. What good is a near silent machine if it freezes up on you?
About stuffing a HD in the Mac. The main problem was the price. $600 for a 120MB HD, that's the first HD I ever owned (external SCSI for a MacSE with 2 floppies). It was purchased around 1987-8. I don't know how much a 20MB HD was in 1984, but I would guess it was more than $600.
That would have made the original Mac $1000 more expensive.
If participation is 80-100% for Oscar voting and that's not considered being taken seriously, how light do we, the people of the USA, take elections with only 30-60% of eligible voters voting?
I remember watching a show on PBS about nuclear energy and they talked about how the DOE had programs to find 1) an easier way to recycle nuclear waste into something usable by the reactor, but not "clean" enough for a nuclear weapon, and 2) a new type of fuel rod that made it near impossible for a meltdown/explosion. Supposedly, they had been running a test reactor with the new rods using fuels from their new cleaning technology and showed that under controlled stress conditions they could not get the reactor core hot enough for meltdown to occur.
This fuel rod was made of segments. During normal operation, the segments were close enough together to allow the chain reaction to occur to produce heat->electricity. However, if the temperature got too hot, then the segments would expand away from each other, immediately dampening the reaction.
I'm not a nuclear physicist and so I have no idea about the distances involved or the mass/kind of radioactive material. However, since the rods themselves have the ability to help control the chain reaction, this solution seems simple and more elegant solution to the reactor control issue.
I've been trying to dig up a link to this reasearch, but I can't seem to dig up anything relevant on google, yet.
Then the testee can pick which they preferred. This is of great interest especially if the testee has been spouting off about the superiority of one format or the need for kilobuck cables or whatever. If testee prefers the sound of the original CD through kilobuck cables, then testee really has "Golden Ears". If not, then testee is full of shite.
I don't want to "Peer 2 Porn". I want to "Peer @ Porn". Quick, someone make a p@p network/client!
Well, at least it's a step in the right direction. What they really need to do is offer free downloads of either full length, lower bit (less than 96kbit) MP3's or high quality, 30sec samples of every track in their catalog. Free downloads because good stuff can then be passed to friends. This is the past, present and future of advertising. Nothing works better than a suggestion by a friend or family member. This would be the ultimate way to get "Word of Mouth". What the "common Joe/Jane" want is to sample music. They usually buy stuff they like. The problem is there is so much music out there and the radio stations are all homogenous. People don't know what to buy. Given the cost of even these reduced priced CD's, it's still a tad expensive to experiment.
Hardcore file traders don't do much to the "content" producers' bottom lines. Some would never spend the money. Others may still buy some CD's from some new bands they found. Basically harcore file traders are zero sum since they provide some advertising (and therefore, new sales), while satisfying some people (loss of sales). Basically balances out.
So, we have the homogenization of the "free" classic media, an economic downturn, and a lack of major label backed new, innovative, interesting content. File trading is just a scape goat.
I don't download music as the quality is too low for me. I might buy more if there was a better way to sample music (like http://www.apple.com/music/store).
I would only buy from iTMS if there were less than 2 tracks on an album that I wanted because AAC quality is too low for me. I would buy if there weren't any CD-singles available. I rip my CD's into FLAC (http://flac.sourceforge.net/)
I don't download movies as the quality is too low for me. I have, however, sent trailers that I could download to people. At least the movie peole have their heads on straight by allowing people to download their trailers.
I download anime that is fansubbed and not available in the states, or to demo a series. I have bought entire series ($$$$ of dollars) because I was able to download and watch enough to get into it. I buy them because I want the higher quality video and audio. The fansubbers' subs destroy what can be done by the CC subbing built into set-top DVD players.
The music, movie, and software industries are idiots for funding the RIAA, MPAA, and BSA, respectively. These *A's are just trying to keep themselves relevant. They are cartels. They should be illegal as they form oligopolies (price fixing, collusion). They are hurting their respective industries by not allowing it to slowly evolve. M/G/S studios can do their own advertising directly to the people and save some $$$$$$$$. All they need is to allow downloading of samples from their catalogs and people will spend their own bandwidth advertising stuff they like.
Anthony
Check out the links to the anandtech shoot out. They have 1 PC Power and Cooling PSU. Great electronics, but incredibly noisy. So if you have a server closet, it would be good purchase. I wouldn't want to be in the same room with one for long periods of time.
Anthony
Doesn't that sound like a judge's opinion on limits to the definition of "derivative works"? This comes from the 930303.ruling page in the 3rd to last paragraph Too bad that document isn't the final ruling.
Anthony
So many people are slamming Apple for posting biased benchmarks. Yet, I found it very interesting that Apple posted one benchmark which showed the G5 being the slowest machine: the SPECin_base2000, single processor mark. For someone posting completely untrue and biased benchmarks, showing a last place finish shows that not everything was biased in favor of the G5.
Is the PowerMac G5 the "world's fastest personal computer"? Probably not, but it may be the first 64-bit personal computer to ship to the masses (ie. bought in a store like CompUSA). I wonder if AMD will move up the Opteron release now or if Intel will drop the price on their Itanium. If so, then people who want 64-bit x86-compat CPU's should thank Apple for bringing them their CPU's faster. =)
Anthony
blech. That begins to sound like buying concert tickets from the big concert producers.
$30 Ticket Fee
$5 Building Use Fee
$5 Building Service Fee
$10 Transaction Convenience Fee
$5 Sales Tax
===
$55 for a $30 dollar ticket
Or how about the banking system and the misc. banking fees?
Anthony
Oh you mean like this kinda viral?
Anthony
The only way to compare anything is through double-blind testing. If the only thing changing is the encoder, then any differences heard will be due to the encoder. Heck you can even use your "good hi-fi, a sensibly furnished room, and a comfortable chair"! If you've always like MP3 and hated WMA, it wouldn't matter since you wouldn't know which encoder encoded the piece of music that you were listening to at that moment. You may prefer one enocder's psychoaccoustical model to another, but that is not the point of double-blind tests. Double-blind is so you can make unbiased, educated decisions between whatever it is you are comparing.
Anthony
Oh, I suppose there is really nothing to be said against the camerawork and the editing - bang up job there.
Did you forget that "Godzilla-zoom" effect when Amidala, Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Anakin are chasing Dooku? That was some seriously BAD camera work. I guess Lucas wanted to cement the fact that AotC really is a B-movie in A-movie clothes.
Anthony
It's interesting to see the pings time now, compared to ping times 10 years ago. Back when the Web was a toddler ping times were more like 1-5ms with slow hops being 25ms. Of course back then, 10 hops got you around the world. Now, 25 hops gets you out of the neighborhood.
Anthony
And what is "good" anime and what is "bad" anime? I think Akira, Excel Saga, and Urotsukidouji were bad animes, but I think Omoide Poroporo, Project A-Ko 1, and Yoju Toshi (Wicked City) were good animes.
Anthony
First off, I would like to disagree with submitter. I don't think the Cowboy Bebop movie is good enough for "non-anime" viewers since it's not even good enough for people not familiar with the series. The movie spends zero time introducing the four main characters. There is no way of knowing why there such a love-hate relationship between Faye and Spike/Jet. And why does Ein know the next move of Go? Or why does Spike have this whole devil-may-care attitude? Viewers of the series or readers of the manga could easily answer those questions. It's a good anime movie, but it is squarely aimed at the fans of the series.
I enjoyed the music from the movie more than the series. I guess it was more blues/rock-n-roll-like than jazz-like.
In addition, I was amazed with the script and the voice talent. This is coming from a Sub-over-dub guy. It appeared that lip syncing software was used, but this is the first time I thought the script did not suffer from it. I only cringed maybe 3 times at a weird sentence or an abnormal pause in the rhythm of speech. The translation was excellent.
I have watched the series as subs and only briefly checked out the dubs on the DVD's. Major kudos goes to Wendee Lee who actually out performs Megumi Hayashibara as Faye. Her performance really made Faye a multi-dimensional character. Also kudos to Melissa Charles for matching the perfection of Ed by Aoi Tada. "Faye-Faye, Stay Away-way." ^_^
I agree with another poster about Vincent and Elektra, very under developed. The series, in just 25-50 minutes, did a much better job of bringing depth to the "villians." Episodes like the 2-part "Jupiter Jazz" or "Pierrot Le Fou" really made you feel for the story's main character.
From what I've read, the time line for movie is between Session #22 and Session #23.
89 out of 100: For the amazing translation and acting performances of Wendee and Melissa. Points off for underdeveloped characters.
Anthony
Only the truly mega-super stars are rich. Most other bands are not multi-millionaires. Most are probably still in debt after having 2 "hit" records. The ones that are getting rich are the music company execs. In a true markey economy, it would be the musicians that would be making the money since they can set up a direct marketing system and buy airtime at radio stations, etc. However, the current system is not even close to a true market economy.
The IP shouldn't even be the property of the record companies. Shouldn't the IP reside with the artists who wrote the lyrics and who wrote the melodies? Singers and other musicians, who only play other people's songs, are more like employees than artists. At least the Chinese "system" makes these people work for a living, just like everyone else. Wang Lee Hom, in the article, sounds like he does everything himself from song writing to promotion. He also doesn't seem to be starving, either.
The article itself was basically very pro-RIAA. It would be nice to know how hard is it to "break into" the Chinese system as compared to the already-industry controlled system in the U.S and Europe.
Anthony
No, they should be sent up to the big house for as long as the length of a copyright.
Or consider "Song of the South" - You will NEVER see that movie again, because The Mouse is so Politically Correct that they would never air that movie (and I don't see why not - Uncle Remus's tales were NOT racist!) Since there is no profit in keeping the movie preserved, it will in all probability rot away in a vault next to Walt.
I believe it was released on LD in Japan here.
Maybe it's scorable on e*bay.