Buy an ATI graphics card. Or a SiS graphics card. Or an XGI graphics card. Or a Matrox graphics card.
Just because it's a "Way It's Meant To Be Played" game doesn't mean it doesn't run on every other Direct3D (and OpenGL, if you use the OpenGL mode) GPU.
In fact, UT2003 runs *better* on an ATI GPU when you turn on FSAA/AF. Better AA quality and better framerate too.
If you don't have a GPU at all, it still has a software renderer that does pretty well.
And what do you have against NVDIA? Did they kill your son or something?
"An x86 laptop like Toshiba makes gets about 1.5 - 2 hours of battery life. 3 if you only use things like Word, which let Speedstep and the like kick in. A 17" TiBook gets about 3-4 hours, again dependant on load."
I have a friend whose Dell Pentium-M powered notebook goes for 4+ hours.
"If your file system supported true symbolic links, your problem could be largely mitigated by using them."
Hint: It does
NTFS absolutely supports symbolic links. They are called "Junction Points". I use them to remap C:\program files to a RAID array. The OS treats them just like symlinks.
Right, so you are saying that if I purchased a PowerBook G4, I could make back a larger percentage of my original purchase price by selling it on eBay.
Or, I could buy a *used* PC notebook at a substantial discount on eBay, that's still a perfectly good product, and pay than you paid for the iBook - even after you count the resale price.
And don't you think that the iBook has more resale value because it's *newer*? A 500mhz iBook goes for $599 because it's a lot newer than my beat-up 1999 CSX. Also, I got an exceptionally cheap notebook because it had some cosmetic damage (the case had a minor crack - but I was able to fix it with some cyanoacrylate). Most CSX notebooks with 256M of memory and Windows 2000 go for around $450.
I tell my friends - don't buy a new notebook unless you want to play games or edit video. For web browsing, email, IM, DVD playback, development, image editing, and most other tasks, my CSX is absolutely fine.
Many apps do, but they usually provide an installer because it is more convenient. It is a single executable package which installs the application in the proper place (under Program Files if the application is half-ass decent) and adds a shortcut to the Start menu.
Compare this to the folder method. You have to download a compressed archive, extract it, drag it to the proper folder, and create a shortcut (or alias or symbolic link) to the proper executable or executables (if the application has more than one program, such as a game and a level editor) in the proper location.
Executable installers are generally very easy to work with:
- Click on download link - Click "open" - App downloads to temporary location (WWW cache) - When download is complete, installer automtically opens - Click next a few times, click "I agree", click finish - App is installed
"In the Microsoft world, the Printer is controlled by the printer companies." Yes, but whenever Microsoft releases a new OS, they release bare bones standardized versions of the proper drivers for lots of different hardware. I find that these are often far better than the garbage the manufacturer puts out.
"printer companies, in an effort to get rich in a low margin market segment, generate TERRIBLE software that is different for each manufacturer and uses completely different terminology" Yes, many drivers written for Windows are utter crap. However, WHQL has helped improve driver reliability.
"like the choices that Windows printing clients give me, but come on...when even simple options, like printing in landscape vs. printing in portrait, are hidden in six pages of "user friendly" options, something's wrong."
How is File > Page Setup "hidden in six pages of user friendly options"? Margins, orientation, and paper size are all set under Page Setup, not under the driver's options. Quality (e.g. DPI) settings, double-siding, paper source and destination - those are all set in the driver.
I have a four-year-old Dell CSX. It's absolutely fine. Some scratches on the case, but still fine. And trust me, it gets plenty of abuse. I have dropped it five feet onto concrete before (not in a case, but it was closed).
I also have a 3 year old Omnibook. It's fine too.
So don't tell me that they fall apart. They don't fall apart unless you abuse them. Get a good case.
That's simply not true. Dell offers a 15" widescreen (1400x1080 pixel or 1920x1200) display notebook with a Radeon 9600, 40GB HDD, 256M DDR, Pentium-M 1.4Ghz, and a DVD combo drive for around $1500. For under $2000 you can get a 2x DVD burner and the super high res screen, plus a Pentium-M 1.8Ghz, 80gb HDD, and 512M DDR.
The comparable 15" PowerBook has a lower resolution screen and *starts* at $2000, with a slower CPU (1GHz, and Pentium-M has higher IPC in most cases compared to G4), less memory, no DVD burner, and a smaller drive (60gb). Both notebooks have integratrd WiFi, both have good battery life (nearly five hours), both have FireWire and S-video out. The PC has USB 2.0 and PCMCIA. The PowerBook has FireWire 800, 802.11g (as opposed to b), and that nifty lighted keyboard.
Gateway has a decent 17" notebook for $1400. A 17" PowerBook *starts* at over $2500.
The iBook G4 is $1100. For $800, I got a smaller, lighter notebook (Averatech 3150P; 4.3lbs) with the same buit in DVD combo drive, same 12" XGA screen, larger 40gb HDD, integrated 802.11b, USB 2.0, 256M DDR memory, and Windows XP Pro.
All of the informatiion in that 2D barcode (or the magstripe, for that matter) is in the DMV database. With your license number, they can look it up easily.
Try T-Mobile. Hold times are generally under 10 minutes, and they replace your handset at the drop of the hat. They ship you a box with a new phone and a prepaid mailing label to send back the old phone.
"The Apple G5 case is the best designed case around IMHFO and the BTX is still behind it on a number of fronts."
It is far easier to design a case that works with a single power supply and a single motherboard than it is to design a case that works with a whole class of power supplies, motherboards, CPUs, and other technologies that haven't even been invented.
ATX does a great job in many regards. Anyone can take any ATX compatible board and put it in an ATX compatible case. The power supply is standard, and so is the form factor.
Do note that many PC companies use special thermal solutions that expel hot air directly out the back of the case already. Dell in particular comes to mind. BTX simply standardizes this so it works in whitebox PCs as well.
Unlikely. The updates are digitally signed, and nothing that isn't signed with Microsoft's private key will install. And if you can get access to Microsoft's private key, then bad things will happen.
"Have you never read a bit of text and completely missed a word?"
No, but next time I point out how the parent is wrong, I'd get my facts right. You even quote the parent in your own post.
This is Slashdot. Did you think that getting a major fact wrong wouldn't cause you some criticism?
"Have you never read a bit of text and completely missed a word?"
Of course not. That's why I read the post multiple times *before* I reply. Often, while I am quoting text, I decide that I don't really have a point and abort my post. Posting incorrect information does no one any good. Get your facts straight before you post. "Are you some kind of godlike being with your amazing grasp on the obvious?"
No. But I do pay attention to the post I am quoting before I go and rant about how wrong the parent is. Oh, and I don't go attacking people who point out my mistakes.
" Is your life so sad and pathetic that you have nothing better to do than to point out the shortcomings of others?"
This is what I call "globalization". Because someone points out a flaw in your post, suddenly they have "...nothing better to do than to point out the shortcomings of others?". You are trying to give the impression that this is something I do for fun on Slashdot. It is not. But when someone posts information that is false, I correct them. When they ignore the post that they quote, I write "did you even read the post?". That is an acceptable and sensible response.
If you have a DirecTV system with APG (advanced program guide), such as the DirecTV DVR or the newer Samsung recievers, the guide info comes up *nearly instantly*. You also get 7-14 days of guide data, and you can move through the guide very quickly. Particularly on the Samsung recievers, the guide is very snappy.
Sidenote: The DirecTV DVR is in fact a TiVo. It uses TiVo software, so you get all of the goodies like Season Passes and WishLists. It also records two shows at once. It has better picture quality than any other SD DVR, and it records >30 hours on a 40gb HDD. You can easily add another HDD, too.
The original comment refers to the *high definition* Dish PVR. You got a *standard definition* Dish PVR + 2 *standard definition* recievers for $99. Many stores offer the same deal with the DirecTV DVR (1 DVR + 2 Recievers for $99, installed)
The DirecTV DVR has TiVo software. so it has all of the features of a TiVo (excluding the Home Media Option). It also has vastly superior picture quality, Dolby Digital, no need to download guide data (it gets it off the satellite), and 2 tuners to record 2 things at once.
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Hy, dn't mae fn. I'm usng A&Ts EGE srvce o sed ths rig nw.
Buy an ATI graphics card. Or a SiS graphics card. Or an XGI graphics card. Or a Matrox graphics card.
Just because it's a "Way It's Meant To Be Played" game doesn't mean it doesn't run on every other Direct3D (and OpenGL, if you use the OpenGL mode) GPU.
In fact, UT2003 runs *better* on an ATI GPU when you turn on FSAA/AF. Better AA quality and better framerate too.
If you don't have a GPU at all, it still has a software renderer that does pretty well.
And what do you have against NVDIA? Did they kill your son or something?
UT2004 has a "pixomatic" renderer that is supposed to make the game farily playable without 3D acceleration.
And, by the way, you *can* play UT2003 with Intel Extreme AGP Graphics. It's not as good of an experience as a 9800XT, but it's playable.
"An x86 laptop like Toshiba makes gets about 1.5 - 2 hours of battery life. 3 if you only use things like Word, which let Speedstep and the like kick in. A 17" TiBook gets about 3-4 hours, again dependant on load."
I have a friend whose Dell Pentium-M powered notebook goes for 4+ hours.
With $40 billion in cash and many extremely successful products, they sure as hell aren't dead yet.
The Microsoft we see in 10 years may be very different from the Microsoft we see today, but it will still be around.
"If your file system supported true symbolic links, your problem could be largely mitigated by using them."
Hint: It does
NTFS absolutely supports symbolic links. They are called "Junction Points". I use them to remap C:\program files to a RAID array. The OS treats them just like symlinks.
Right, so you are saying that if I purchased a PowerBook G4, I could make back a larger percentage of my original purchase price by selling it on eBay.
Or, I could buy a *used* PC notebook at a substantial discount on eBay, that's still a perfectly good product, and pay than you paid for the iBook - even after you count the resale price.
And don't you think that the iBook has more resale value because it's *newer*? A 500mhz iBook goes for $599 because it's a lot newer than my beat-up 1999 CSX. Also, I got an exceptionally cheap notebook because it had some cosmetic damage (the case had a minor crack - but I was able to fix it with some cyanoacrylate). Most CSX notebooks with 256M of memory and Windows 2000 go for around $450.
I tell my friends - don't buy a new notebook unless you want to play games or edit video. For web browsing, email, IM, DVD playback, development, image editing, and most other tasks, my CSX is absolutely fine.
Don't buy more notebook than you need.
"Install scripts are left for system files, kernel drivers, non-app stuff."
Than why did iTunes have a version whose install script deleted your hard drive in some cases?
"A few moments later a window appears with a single icon and maybe a readme. Drag the icon somewhere, double click it and it runs."
Somewhere? Oh, so you mean that you open your hard drive, find the applications folder, drag the icon in, and make an alias in the Dock.
Thanks, but I'll take the Windows style.
"Exhibit A will be that TOS agreement, exemplifying the self-inflicted legal quagmire that brought America to its' knees."
Right, because one nutcase person who feels like posting a rediculous, non-enforcable TOS agreement clearly speaks for all of the "American Empire".
Oh, and I doubt that the "American Empire" will "fall". More likely is a gradual slide to third-world status.
Many apps do, but they usually provide an installer because it is more convenient. It is a single executable package which installs the application in the proper place (under Program Files if the application is half-ass decent) and adds a shortcut to the Start menu.
Compare this to the folder method. You have to download a compressed archive, extract it, drag it to the proper folder, and create a shortcut (or alias or symbolic link) to the proper executable or executables (if the application has more than one program, such as a game and a level editor) in the proper location.
Executable installers are generally very easy to work with:
- Click on download link
- Click "open"
- App downloads to temporary location (WWW cache)
- When download is complete, installer automtically opens
- Click next a few times, click "I agree", click finish
- App is installed
This works 98% of the time.
"In the Microsoft world, the Printer is controlled by the printer companies."
Yes, but whenever Microsoft releases a new OS, they release bare bones standardized versions of the proper drivers for lots of different hardware. I find that these are often far better than the garbage the manufacturer puts out.
"printer companies, in an effort to get rich in a low margin market segment, generate TERRIBLE software that is different for each manufacturer and uses completely different terminology"
Yes, many drivers written for Windows are utter crap. However, WHQL has helped improve driver reliability.
"like the choices that Windows printing clients give me, but come on...when even simple options, like printing in landscape vs. printing in portrait, are hidden in six pages of "user friendly" options, something's wrong."
How is File > Page Setup "hidden in six pages of user friendly options"? Margins, orientation, and paper size are all set under Page Setup, not under the driver's options. Quality (e.g. DPI) settings, double-siding, paper source and destination - those are all set in the driver.
I have a four-year-old Dell CSX. It's absolutely fine. Some scratches on the case, but still fine. And trust me, it gets plenty of abuse. I have dropped it five feet onto concrete before (not in a case, but it was closed).
I also have a 3 year old Omnibook. It's fine too.
So don't tell me that they fall apart. They don't fall apart unless you abuse them. Get a good case.
I have a Dell CSX that was made in 1999. It's absolutely fine, and still quite nippy.
Windows 2000 and Linux both run fine. Battery life is OK, around 2 hours (not bad for a used battery).
I got it on eBay for $350. Including a DVD/CD-RW combo drive, Windows 2000, 500mhz P3, 20GB HDD, 256M SDRAM, and a 13" XGA LCD.
See how much iBook you get on eBay for that price.
That's simply not true. Dell offers a 15" widescreen (1400x1080 pixel or 1920x1200) display notebook with a Radeon 9600, 40GB HDD, 256M DDR, Pentium-M 1.4Ghz, and a DVD combo drive for around $1500. For under $2000 you can get a 2x DVD burner and the super high res screen, plus a Pentium-M 1.8Ghz, 80gb HDD, and 512M DDR.
The comparable 15" PowerBook has a lower resolution screen and *starts* at $2000, with a slower CPU (1GHz, and Pentium-M has higher IPC in most cases compared to G4), less memory, no DVD burner, and a smaller drive (60gb). Both notebooks have integratrd WiFi, both have good battery life (nearly five hours), both have FireWire and S-video out. The PC has USB 2.0 and PCMCIA. The PowerBook has FireWire 800, 802.11g (as opposed to b), and that nifty lighted keyboard.
Gateway has a decent 17" notebook for $1400. A 17" PowerBook *starts* at over $2500.
The iBook G4 is $1100. For $800, I got a smaller, lighter notebook (Averatech 3150P; 4.3lbs) with the same buit in DVD combo drive, same 12" XGA screen, larger 40gb HDD, integrated 802.11b, USB 2.0, 256M DDR memory, and Windows XP Pro.
Right...
All of the informatiion in that 2D barcode (or the magstripe, for that matter) is in the DMV database. With your license number, they can look it up easily.
Try T-Mobile. Hold times are generally under 10 minutes, and they replace your handset at the drop of the hat. They ship you a box with a new phone and a prepaid mailing label to send back the old phone.
Home Depot does indeed sell metric screws. Pretty cheap, too.
"The Apple G5 case is the best designed case around IMHFO and the BTX is still behind it on a number of fronts."
It is far easier to design a case that works with a single power supply and a single motherboard than it is to design a case that works with a whole class of power supplies, motherboards, CPUs, and other technologies that haven't even been invented.
ATX does a great job in many regards. Anyone can take any ATX compatible board and put it in an ATX compatible case. The power supply is standard, and so is the form factor.
Do note that many PC companies use special thermal solutions that expel hot air directly out the back of the case already. Dell in particular comes to mind. BTX simply standardizes this so it works in whitebox PCs as well.
Unlikely. The updates are digitally signed, and nothing that isn't signed with Microsoft's private key will install. And if you can get access to Microsoft's private key, then bad things will happen.
"Have you never read a bit of text and completely missed a word?"
No, but next time I point out how the parent is wrong, I'd get my facts right. You even quote the parent in your own post.
This is Slashdot. Did you think that getting a major fact wrong wouldn't cause you some criticism?
"Have you never read a bit of text and completely missed a word?"
Of course not. That's why I read the post multiple times *before* I reply. Often, while I am quoting text, I decide that I don't really have a point and abort my post. Posting incorrect information does no one any good. Get your facts straight before you post.
"Are you some kind of godlike being with your amazing grasp on the obvious?"
No. But I do pay attention to the post I am quoting before I go and rant about how wrong the parent is. Oh, and I don't go attacking people who point out my mistakes.
" Is your life so sad and pathetic that you have nothing better to do than to point out the shortcomings of others?"
This is what I call "globalization". Because someone points out a flaw in your post, suddenly they have "...nothing better to do than to point out the shortcomings of others?". You are trying to give the impression that this is something I do for fun on Slashdot. It is not. But when someone posts information that is false, I correct them. When they ignore the post that they quote, I write "did you even read the post?". That is an acceptable and sensible response.
"Piss off."
Go fuck yourself, asshole.
"read"
/. "readers" don't even read the article. Many don't even read the summary before they post. Many don't read comments before replying to them.
Most
"think"
If goatse.cx jokes are considered thinking, then we are all screwed.
"interact"
Point taken.
If you have a DirecTV system with APG (advanced program guide), such as the DirecTV DVR or the newer Samsung recievers, the guide info comes up *nearly instantly*. You also get 7-14 days of guide data, and you can move through the guide very quickly. Particularly on the Samsung recievers, the guide is very snappy.
Sidenote: The DirecTV DVR is in fact a TiVo. It uses TiVo software, so you get all of the goodies like Season Passes and WishLists. It also records two shows at once. It has better picture quality than any other SD DVR, and it records >30 hours on a 40gb HDD. You can easily add another HDD, too.
Did you even read the original comment?
The original comment refers to the *high definition* Dish PVR. You got a *standard definition* Dish PVR + 2 *standard definition* recievers for $99. Many stores offer the same deal with the DirecTV DVR (1 DVR + 2 Recievers for $99, installed)
The DirecTV DVR has TiVo software. so it has all of the features of a TiVo (excluding the Home Media Option). It also has vastly superior picture quality, Dolby Digital, no need to download guide data (it gets it off the satellite), and 2 tuners to record 2 things at once.