Well...
- There seems to be a slot on the side. It may be for SD or MCC expansion.
- There is one button (it seems to be a 'home' or a 'back' button from the preview videos but I'm not sure). I think the on-screen keyboard could be very good, however I am also sure that an add-on keyboard will be available 'real soon'.
- Well... it seems to be able to run any Widget (from what they showed), so I bet there are quite a few applications that can be thrown onto it for little to no money that don't exist on the Blackjack.
- Who the heck says it doesn't offer 3G Data? It includes EDGE, which is 3G, despite what you or other detractors care to think, and is supported in most markets in the world.
Seeing as how the phone has been developed for GSM (read: World WIde deployment), they decided to use 2G/3G tech EDGE.
The lack of CDMA based 3G data technology is probably for the same reason they decided not to go with CDMA for the iPhone: it would have limited the market to the U.S.A. and Japan. While those might be big markets, the U.S. also had GSM carriers (Cingular and T-Mobile), and that meant the potential market could include the rest of the world (especially the lucrative European market), without necessarily sacrificing the U.S. market.
The lack of a built-in keyboard isn't a problem, IMHO. I think that is something best left to 3rd party vendors to perfect: mini Bluetooth-enabled input devices.
I bet there's an even easy solution. I think the thing has an iPod DOCK connector on the bottom, just make a thumb-board that plugs into that. Viola. Instant Keyboard welded onto the system. If you want, you can even give it its own battery pack to boost the iPhone's (or additional storage?)
I believe I read somewhere that the slot is for your SIM card.
If you're a Verizon or Sprint victim you might not be familiar with SIM cards. Check Wikipedia for more information.
Well, as a VoiceStream/T-mobile user for the last 7 years, let me say that I have NEVER seen a GSM phone where the SIM card was as accessible to the outside as that slot was. Usually the SIM card is either under the battery door, or under the battery itself.
Of course we haven't heard about user swappable batteries for this either, but since they still include that as a feature in their laptops, I'll assume they'll include it in a Cell Phone.
As part of this declaration, a proclamation was issued by Entropia's in-game elected governing body, declaring a mandatory 10 year maximum for Copyright, and very liberal "Fair Use" rights.
The RIAA and MPAA immediately filed for a DMCA take-down notice against Entropia's ISP.
Entropia in-game governing body could not be reached for comment.
Sony is working with the Blu-Ray group to push their standard, which decided (as a group), that they weren't going to enable the flag (just yet), so that people could get used to the format, and so as not to penalize early adopters on HD (TVs, Computers, etc.).
MicroSoft is working with the HD-DVD consortium, who decided "screw the early adopters", upgrade your hardware, or take a hike.
So what you're saying is that on Vista, MicroSoft's "Next Gen" operating system, Sony backed Blu-Ray disks are more likely to work than MS backed HD-DVD.
However, HD won't just go away overnight. Microsoft's pockets are simply too deep. They will do everything they can to make it work and won't stop pouring money into it until there's no carcass left to beat.
Considering how much money MS has lost in their Games division that makes the XBox360, this shouldn't be a surprise.
Do you know how many people said they'd never stop using VHS since they already had invested in that format? Yeah, how many of them still are today?
Well... my wife and I recently got an HDTV. First thing she wanted to do was hook up our old VCR and start watching VHS movies.
Granted, this was to watch them, and then give them away, but it still made me cringe. On the plus side, it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. While the picture certainly isn't as clear as a DVD or DVR, the picture was much better than it had been on our analog set (for the lightly watched movies).
I'd agree with you, except that the deciding factor is not just price, but content, and right now, I don't see the "Major Movie Studios" lining up to put out their movies on EVD or FVD disks.
In contrast they are mostly choosing sides on Blu-Ray and HD-DVD.
As a telling point, Disney has already signed on to the Blu-Ray Bandwagon. Considering Disney's connection to Apple, consider what would happen if apple comes out with an iTV, and it includes a Blu-Ray drive in it so you can also play your Blu-Ray/DVD/CD disks in it?
If this happens then the war is effectively over (although it may have to play out through attrition).
Problem is that PLAYSTATION 3 doesn't work well in 1080i mode. Specifically, CRTs that take only 1080i will run in 480p mode in software that supports only 480i, 480p, and 720p.
Okay, so you're complaining that CRTs that only support 1080i and 480p when used with games that only support 480i, 480p and 720p choose the highest resolution they have in common?
Yes, the video at 480p is not as good as 720p. Complain to the developers for not supporting 1080i.
So, if at the end of the year, they hope to have a grand total of 6 million shipped, and saying that no one buys another 360, Sony will barely have over half as many units out there as MS. Those aren't promising numbers to me at all. Consider Wii sold 2 million in approx. 2 months. Sony needs 14 months to do what the Wii will most likely do in 6 months.
Um... the "end of the year" Sony is referring to is the end of their Fiscal year in March. So, lets figure 3 months from now (roughly).
If Sony ships 6 million units by then, then they will have shipped a total of ~7.5 million PS3 units (using the numbers from http://www.vgcharts.org/ ). Assuming MicroSoft's XBox360 maintains its current rates of shipment of ~567K units last November (generous since this is pre-holiday), then they will have added ~1.5-2 million units to bring their worldwide shipped units to ~10 million.
If this is true (don't know if it will be or not), then this would place the PS3 in a very good position to surpass the XBox360 by years end.
I think the Wii will probably outsell both of them (possibly by years end), but its selling to a different market (the much larger "casual gamer" market). I also think the Wii is still harnessed with a stigma of being a "Kids" system for a lot of regular gamers. Its price and appeal to non-gamers is also what will probably push a large number of XBox and PS3 owners to get one as well (at some point).
I think the PS3 will pass the XBox360 and while its numbers won't reach what the Wii is going to get, I bet its numbers aren't going to be much below the PS2 in the long term.
No, it's not DRM. It's a watermark.... I agree with shirizaki - this is the proper way for media to be distributed online. This watermark will never be an issue for you until after you've already, publicly violated someone else's copyright.
I agree also, and wish I had mod points to add an '+1 insightful'.
We've heard lots of complaints on SlashDot about DRM, and I'll agree that DRM is bad.
This ISN'T DRM though. You could transfer the file or convert it for the iPod (I'm assuming the Mac version will support this feature, as the Windows version does), and TiVo2Go will tag the file with your Media Access Key (unique to each TiVo account). Use the file as much as you want in any way you want. They aren't preventing you from doing anything with it. Share the file on-line? Guess what? You're violating Copyright. They can use the MAK to trace it back to you (assuming some tool doesn't come out to strip the MAK out of the file), but there is nothing that smacks of DRM in this.
You may not agree with Copyright, but thats a different argument.
Replace the Fuel Tanks with batteries and the pit-stops will become "which team can change the tires and the battery packs fastest":)... Of course, without the roar of the engines, they might need to add small sonic ducts to the front bumper to create the doppler effect that most fans will expect. As an added bonus, the drivers can use the sound of the air passing through the sonic ducts to help "Feel" how the car is doing.
I live in Los Angeles. In an apartment. Easily 2/3 or more people I associate with (friends and work) live in apartments or condos too. I lived in San Francisco for a while, and most people I knew lived in apartments/condos there too. Spent some time on the East Coast and New York and Boston are the same situation, if not much much worse.*
Why do I bring this up? People in apartments usually DON'T HAVE GARAGES. Some may have underground parking or a nearby outdoor lot** but in cities, a sizeable majority have to park on the street. If these cars are meant for city-dwellers this is going to be a major problem to overcome. At the very least there will have to be a LOT of charging stations, as it's obviously not feasible for much of urban America to run an extension cord out their window to charge their car..
* Should be noted that many who do own houses live a very long distance away, at least in LA, so much so that I would think they would not trust the electric car's range unless it was a hybrid or had a backup motor.
** And it should be added for those who live in a building with parking, it will not be an easy matter to install. Obviously the property owners aren't going to just put some plugs in the garage without a way to charge the car owner for the power they use.
First off, get an account, your comments are at least interesting food for though (wether you agree or not) and certainly raise the bar for most Anonymous Cowards.
Now, I live in New York, so I'll agree that the vast majority of people who live here live in Rental Apartments without garages, so hybrids are better choices (unless there are "quick charge stations" we can "refill" at).
There is something else to consider though, most of those in the apartments don't have cars, and if they do, its usually only one for the family, and used on weekends or holidays to go out of town. Yes, some people do a "reverse commute" (live in the city and commute to the outer boroughs or New Jersey/Connecticut), but the majority of people who live in New York use mass transit to commute to work (subways and busses). By the same token, a lot of those who commute TO the city from the suburbs (New Jersey, Connecticut, Long Island, the outer Boroughs of New York City) either take mass transit, or else drive in. I believe most of those who drive in usually have a garage (obviously not all of them, but a significant percentage).
As long as a purely electric car has enough range, it should be an ideal choice. In some ways it might be obviously better than a traditional gas car, since I imagine it would use less energy sitting, or moving slowly in traffic. So, while "pure" electric cars might not be the best choice for some those in the city itself, they still would be very beneficial to those who commute into the city every day/regularly, and those in the city (at least in New York), are already using Mass Transit for the most part, so the car wouldn't appeal to them directly either.
And the argument that people will buy the PS3 because it has a Blu-Ray player is circular, since your argument is that the PS3 is a Trojan horse for Blu-Ray, not vice-versa.
I'm not trying to argue that people will buy the PS3 because its a Blu-Ray player, however that certainly may be a factor in their purchase.
While waiting in line for mine, I was listening to one person talking about how they work in a hospital and all the doctors there got one specifically because they were Blu-Ray players (presumably to play on their High-Def TVs). At best though, I think people are going to think that this option might be one more reason in the PS3s favor, not a single factor to buy it.
My argument though, was that a lot of people buying the PS3 probably couldn't care less about the Blu-Ray movie format. For Blu-Ray to win though, it doesn't matter if people are buying the PS3 as a Blu-Ray player, or as a Game Console.
In either case (or both), those are still "Potential Blu-Ray Customers with working players".
Sony DVD players work well enough but until recently refused to allow other codecs such as divx or the use of re-writable DVDs. Again a pure technology company would have no reason not to follow the market and include these features.
Sony only included MP3 support in their music players last year. Another bonehead decision that every other company avoided because they don't have a content division calling the shots
(emphasis mine)
You're absolutely right. In the past they have been hamstrung, however I think they've already taken enough knocks that I think Sony as a whole has started to learn.
Notice that recently they have started allowing the very things you mentioned. Also take a look at their embrace of supporting other formats on the PSP and PS3 (including off the bat support for MP3 rips from CDs, out of the box).
I'll grant you though that the question is wether Sony has learned that it needs to embrace other standards, or wether it means that they are letting the individual groups have less influence over each other.
In either case the effect seems the same, more embracing of open other formats, and electronics that is less hamstrung by limits that no one else in the industry imposes.
Sony just refuses to do what is best for the consumer, be it root kits, memory card interoperability, or licensing rules like this.
You're in luck. The part of Sony behind the PS3 seems to have heard your complaints.
The PS3...... includes the ability to load Linux, which makes it the cheapest Cell development platform available.... includes support for "standard" memory cards in their 60GB model with the card-reader built-in. Pop one out of your camera and bring your saved games with you.... includes support for "standard" flash drives, none of the previous proprietary memory card formats that we're used to on consoles, just in case you only have a flash-drive.... includes support for "standard" Bluetooth wireless. Got a Bluetooth headset from your cellphone? Great, use it on your PS3.... includes only "standard" usb ports, which can be used to connect Keyboards and Mice (as well as PSPs and SIXAXIS controllers using... shocker... "standard" USB-USBmini cables).... includes support for using a "standard" HDMI cable (go on-line and find one for $20 including shipping and handling instead of shelling out $80-$100 on the MonsterCables).... includes support for "standard" 2.5" hard-drives. You can swap it out yourself if you want to.
The group working on the PS3 have incorporated standards practically every place that made sense. The few places they didn't:... Linux only has a frame-buffer, not GPU access. Most likely either NVidia or Sony made this decision. Would have been nice for the home-brew market, otherwise I don't see the issue.... Linux also does not have access to the part of the Hard Drive where the PS3 stores games and data.... gee... I wonder why they did that. Yes it prevents "legitimate" use, but they also include a backup utility which will back up most data from the PS3 partition. I can not think of a legitimate use for this that would be in Sony's interest, and would mitigate the fact that allowing access would break the security of the system, allow games to be easily pirated, and would allow a steep rise in non-supported apps, which could crash the system, propagate as viruses, etc.
Regarding Sony stance on Blu-Ray and their use of it in the PS3:
Yes, they decided to use an in-house developed format for the media storage. Since it WAS developed in-house I can hardly fault them for that.
Since even "poor PS3 sales" has already sold over 1 million units, thats quite a jump start on HD-DVD. Even if the system flops (which I hardly expect it to), If they ship 4-6 million units in North America in the next year, then they've probably cemented the lead for Blu-Ray over HD-DVD, unless stand-alone HD-DVD players drop in price dramatically, or the XBox360 add-on unit sells equally well.
Considering those possibilities its in Sony's best interest to hold on to the war of attrition as long as possible, since they probably can win it, with the help of the PS3.
Why would anyone have wanted to create such a device?
Can you point to an article about someone who did? (or wanted to?)
Unlike Blu-Ray and HD-DVD where the disks are the same size, and use basically the same hardware (with a slightly different wavelength to read I think), the only difference is software for the initial Media Format (heck even the compression codecs are identical).
I could swear that VHS and Beta used different cassette formats, and thats just the beginning of the issues.
A VHS-Beta combined player would be like a VHS DVD combined player. Yeah, sure they share a few components, but most of the hardware would be unique to each format, essentially duplicating the cost of two stand-alone players (or at best slightly minimizing the cost).
A Blu-Ray, HD-DVD combined player would be like your DVD player also being able to play CDs.
Sony games on the other hand is a totally separate division, who has brought us a PS3 with Linux support. Just as you remember when a company does evil I try to remember when a company does good - and realize that really large companies are made of divisions that are almost totally independent in deed and leadership.
Yup.
My favorite are the ones bashing Sony and therefore boycotting the PS3, while bashing MicroSoft and then playing their XBox/XBox360 (especially when then include tone of righteous indignation).
At least the ones boycotting the PS3 and XBox360 for the Wii can be thought to believe that while Nintendo has been an "Evil Organization" in the past (why most of the developers jumped ship for the PS2), they have probably reformed.
Personally I wish all the sides would just grow up and realize that different parts of a company do different things, and that the group making the PS3 isn't connected to Sony Music, anymore than the folks making the XBox360 also made Windows and Office.
Slashdot Mirror
Well ... ... it seems to be able to run any Widget (from what they showed), so I bet there are quite a few applications that can be thrown onto it for little to no money that don't exist on the Blackjack.
- There seems to be a slot on the side. It may be for SD or MCC expansion.
- There is one button (it seems to be a 'home' or a 'back' button from the preview videos but I'm not sure). I think the on-screen keyboard could be very good, however I am also sure that an add-on keyboard will be available 'real soon'.
- Well
- Who the heck says it doesn't offer 3G Data? It includes EDGE, which is 3G, despite what you or other detractors care to think, and is supported in most markets in the world.
Ah good, so I have to wait till the end of the year to run one on T-mobile :)
Seeing as how the phone has been developed for GSM (read: World WIde deployment), they decided to use 2G/3G tech EDGE.
The lack of CDMA based 3G data technology is probably for the same reason they decided not to go with CDMA for the iPhone: it would have limited the market to the U.S.A. and Japan. While those might be big markets, the U.S. also had GSM carriers (Cingular and T-Mobile), and that meant the potential market could include the rest of the world (especially the lucrative European market), without necessarily sacrificing the U.S. market.
I bet there's an even easy solution. I think the thing has an iPod DOCK connector on the bottom, just make a thumb-board that plugs into that. Viola. Instant Keyboard welded onto the system. If you want, you can even give it its own battery pack to boost the iPhone's (or additional storage?)
Cool if true
Well, as a VoiceStream/T-mobile user for the last 7 years, let me say that I have NEVER seen a GSM phone where the SIM card was as accessible to the outside as that slot was. Usually the SIM card is either under the battery door, or under the battery itself.
Of course we haven't heard about user swappable batteries for this either, but since they still include that as a feature in their laptops, I'll assume they'll include it in a Cell Phone.
As part of this declaration, a proclamation was issued by Entropia's in-game elected governing body, declaring a mandatory 10 year maximum for Copyright, and very liberal "Fair Use" rights.
The RIAA and MPAA immediately filed for a DMCA take-down notice against Entropia's ISP.
Entropia in-game governing body could not be reached for comment.
You know that Apple is part of the group behind Blu-Ray, right?
I bet they start including Blu-Ray drives "Real Soon" as an option.
Wait ... let me get this straight.
Sony is working with the Blu-Ray group to push their standard, which decided (as a group), that they weren't going to enable the flag (just yet), so that people could get used to the format, and so as not to penalize early adopters on HD (TVs, Computers, etc.).
MicroSoft is working with the HD-DVD consortium, who decided "screw the early adopters", upgrade your hardware, or take a hike.
So what you're saying is that on Vista, MicroSoft's "Next Gen" operating system, Sony backed Blu-Ray disks are more likely to work than MS backed HD-DVD.
Considering how much money MS has lost in their Games division that makes the XBox360, this shouldn't be a surprise.
Well
Granted, this was to watch them, and then give them away, but it still made me cringe. On the plus side, it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. While the picture certainly isn't as clear as a DVD or DVR, the picture was much better than it had been on our analog set (for the lightly watched movies).
I'd agree with you, except that the deciding factor is not just price, but content, and right now, I don't see the "Major Movie Studios" lining up to put out their movies on EVD or FVD disks.
In contrast they are mostly choosing sides on Blu-Ray and HD-DVD.
As a telling point, Disney has already signed on to the Blu-Ray Bandwagon. Considering Disney's connection to Apple, consider what would happen if apple comes out with an iTV, and it includes a Blu-Ray drive in it so you can also play your Blu-Ray/DVD/CD disks in it?
If this happens then the war is effectively over (although it may have to play out through attrition).
Okay, so you're complaining that CRTs that only support 1080i and 480p when used with games that only support 480i, 480p and 720p choose the highest resolution they have in common?
Yes, the video at 480p is not as good as 720p. Complain to the developers for not supporting 1080i.
What am I missing here?
Don't bet against it.
... just a coincidence perhaps, but a rather odd looking one.
The same month that "Computer Gaming World" is renamed "Games For Windows", they also decide to cancel the "Official Playstation Magazine".
Yeah
and if someone does come out with a tool like that, then they do. Its still not DRM, its just Copyright with all that implies.
Book sellers selling Stripped paper-backs is illegal also, and yet some still do it.
So you think Sony should make a unit that will work with any HDTV, and allow content to be streamed from the Internet to the TV.
How about if it includes a next-gen Media player also, like say Blu-Ray?
I think they made this unit already. They decided to call it the "Playstation 3". Perhaps you've heard of it?
Um
If Sony ships 6 million units by then, then they will have shipped a total of ~7.5 million PS3 units (using the numbers from http://www.vgcharts.org/ ).
Assuming MicroSoft's XBox360 maintains its current rates of shipment of ~567K units last November (generous since this is pre-holiday), then they will have added ~1.5-2 million units to bring their worldwide shipped units to ~10 million.
If this is true (don't know if it will be or not), then this would place the PS3 in a very good position to surpass the XBox360 by years end.
I think the Wii will probably outsell both of them (possibly by years end), but its selling to a different market (the much larger "casual gamer" market). I also think the Wii is still harnessed with a stigma of being a "Kids" system for a lot of regular gamers. Its price and appeal to non-gamers is also what will probably push a large number of XBox and PS3 owners to get one as well (at some point).
I think the PS3 will pass the XBox360 and while its numbers won't reach what the Wii is going to get, I bet its numbers aren't going to be much below the PS2 in the long term.
I agree also, and wish I had mod points to add an '+1 insightful'.
We've heard lots of complaints on SlashDot about DRM, and I'll agree that DRM is bad.
This ISN'T DRM though. You could transfer the file or convert it for the iPod (I'm assuming the Mac version will support this feature, as the Windows version does), and TiVo2Go will tag the file with your Media Access Key (unique to each TiVo account). Use the file as much as you want in any way you want. They aren't preventing you from doing anything with it. Share the file on-line? Guess what? You're violating Copyright. They can use the MAK to trace it back to you (assuming some tool doesn't come out to strip the MAK out of the file), but there is nothing that smacks of DRM in this.
You may not agree with Copyright, but thats a different argument.
Yeah, but just imagine NASCAR in 2020 :)
:) ... Of course, without the roar of the engines, they might need to add small sonic ducts to the front bumper to create the doppler effect that most fans will expect. As an added bonus, the drivers can use the sound of the air passing through the sonic ducts to help "Feel" how the car is doing.
Replace the Fuel Tanks with batteries and the pit-stops will become "which team can change the tires and the battery packs fastest"
First off, get an account, your comments are at least interesting food for though (wether you agree or not) and certainly raise the bar for most Anonymous Cowards.
Now, I live in New York, so I'll agree that the vast majority of people who live here live in Rental Apartments without garages, so hybrids are better choices (unless there are "quick charge stations" we can "refill" at).
There is something else to consider though, most of those in the apartments don't have cars, and if they do, its usually only one for the family, and used on weekends or holidays to go out of town. Yes, some people do a "reverse commute" (live in the city and commute to the outer boroughs or New Jersey/Connecticut), but the majority of people who live in New York use mass transit to commute to work (subways and busses). By the same token, a lot of those who commute TO the city from the suburbs (New Jersey, Connecticut, Long Island, the outer Boroughs of New York City) either take mass transit, or else drive in. I believe most of those who drive in usually have a garage (obviously not all of them, but a significant percentage).
As long as a purely electric car has enough range, it should be an ideal choice. In some ways it might be obviously better than a traditional gas car, since I imagine it would use less energy sitting, or moving slowly in traffic. So, while "pure" electric cars might not be the best choice for some those in the city itself, they still would be very beneficial to those who commute into the city every day/regularly, and those in the city (at least in New York), are already using Mass Transit for the most part, so the car wouldn't appeal to them directly either.
I'm not trying to argue that people will buy the PS3 because its a Blu-Ray player, however that certainly may be a factor in their purchase.
While waiting in line for mine, I was listening to one person talking about how they work in a hospital and all the doctors there got one specifically because they were Blu-Ray players (presumably to play on their High-Def TVs). At best though, I think people are going to think that this option might be one more reason in the PS3s favor, not a single factor to buy it.
My argument though, was that a lot of people buying the PS3 probably couldn't care less about the Blu-Ray movie format. For Blu-Ray to win though, it doesn't matter if people are buying the PS3 as a Blu-Ray player, or as a Game Console.
In either case (or both), those are still "Potential Blu-Ray Customers with working players".
(emphasis mine)
You're absolutely right. In the past they have been hamstrung, however I think they've already taken enough knocks that I think Sony as a whole has started to learn.
Notice that recently they have started allowing the very things you mentioned. Also take a look at their embrace of supporting other formats on the PSP and PS3 (including off the bat support for MP3 rips from CDs, out of the box).
I'll grant you though that the question is wether Sony has learned that it needs to embrace other standards, or wether it means that they are letting the individual groups have less influence over each other.
In either case the effect seems the same, more embracing of open other formats, and electronics that is less hamstrung by limits that no one else in the industry imposes.
You're in luck. The part of Sony behind the PS3 seems to have heard your complaints.
The PS3
The group working on the PS3 have incorporated standards practically every place that made sense.
The few places they didn't:
Regarding Sony stance on Blu-Ray and their use of it in the PS3:
Yes, they decided to use an in-house developed format for the media storage. Since it WAS developed in-house I can hardly fault them for that.
Since even "poor PS3 sales" has already sold over 1 million units, thats quite a jump start on HD-DVD. Even if the system flops (which I hardly expect it to), If they ship 4-6 million units in North America in the next year, then they've probably cemented the lead for Blu-Ray over HD-DVD, unless stand-alone HD-DVD players drop in price dramatically, or the XBox360 add-on unit sells equally well.
Considering those possibilities its in Sony's best interest to hold on to the war of attrition as long as possible, since they probably can win it, with the help of the PS3.
This has got to be a troll.
Why would anyone have wanted to create such a device?
Can you point to an article about someone who did? (or wanted to?)
Unlike Blu-Ray and HD-DVD where the disks are the same size, and use basically the same hardware (with a slightly different wavelength to read I think), the only difference is software for the initial Media Format (heck even the compression codecs are identical).
I could swear that VHS and Beta used different cassette formats, and thats just the beginning of the issues.
A VHS-Beta combined player would be like a VHS DVD combined player. Yeah, sure they share a few components, but most of the hardware would be unique to each format, essentially duplicating the cost of two stand-alone players (or at best slightly minimizing the cost).
A Blu-Ray, HD-DVD combined player would be like your DVD player also being able to play CDs.
Yup.
My favorite are the ones bashing Sony and therefore boycotting the PS3, while bashing MicroSoft and then playing their XBox/XBox360 (especially when then include tone of righteous indignation).
At least the ones boycotting the PS3 and XBox360 for the Wii can be thought to believe that while Nintendo has been an "Evil Organization" in the past (why most of the developers jumped ship for the PS2), they have probably reformed.
Personally I wish all the sides would just grow up and realize that different parts of a company do different things, and that the group making the PS3 isn't connected to Sony Music, anymore than the folks making the XBox360 also made Windows and Office.