Joe Sixpack isn't going to buy Vista though - to install on their current computer. Their going to get rid of the computer they have, and buy a new one with Vista on it.
Yes, and the price of a MacMini is very competitive, and lets him use his existing Video, Keyboard and Mouse, and get all the "latest" hardware bells and whistles in a small package.
Exactly my thoughts. Why bother patching XP, when they can simply force people to "upgrade" to Vista instead.
... because once people are getting a new machine, they might not do what you think they will.
Linux might not be ready for Joe Sixpack, but he might buy a Mac ("I hear it can run windows too", "they sure do have good ads on TV", "timmy swears BY his. All I've done is swear AT my computer.")
Making people feel "warm and fuzzy" about their OS (i.e. releasing a big update like a service pack to show you haven't forgotten about them), might keep them from jumping ship till your new OS is more established in the market. This might help keep you from going to the competition. If you don't HAVE to upgrade just yet, then maybe by the time you do, they'll be all of this good press about Vista.
Then again, maybe it'll tank like Windows ME. (except on 64-bit machines), leaving MS to support XP and Vista-64.... Sound familiar?
But is it really Microsoft's responsibility to tell publishers what they can or cannot sell?
Oddly this is reminiscent of the UMD fiasco with Sony.
SCE provided the tools and ability to create movie UMDs without setting any standards like price, or special features.
Movie houses jumped on the format and offered crappy movies, without commentary, for an outrageous price.
Sony is going to try to relaunch the format, but they are also going to set standards for price-points and what has to be on the disk.
Likewise MS is probably going to start being more critical of price-points.
I think its just a natural reaction to greed on the part of the content providers, when finally let loose from the control they've traditionally been under.
All this means is those who want the PS3 are more likely to have to buy it at some time after production is better able to keep up with demand.
There, I fixed that for you (and the typo also):)
If the PS3 is going to tank so bad, then it doesn't matter how many units Sony ships.
If the PS3 is going to take off (albeit slower if there aren't enough units out there to go around), then getting it in November, or February isn't going to kill someone.
With only a million by Christmas, there was only going to be a launch in name.
Gee.... reminds me of the XBox 360 launch then. They seem to have done just fine (despite a lot of the negative hype that they were getting pre-launch). I think the PS3 will be just fine.
Zonk, from his own articles and admission is a die hard XBox user. There is certainly a rivalry, and Slashdot makes no bones about slant in its editors (no "Fair and Balanced"(TM-LOL) here).
On the other end, while I certainly hope Sony succeeds, and plan on buying a PS3 (in the second wave of adopters), there have been lots of negative articles in the press about both Sony and the PS3.
The media don't really care about the long list of grievances that most Slshdotters trot out, but they need to fill articles, and headlines. As we've seen in the nightly news, sensationalism sells. Sony hasn't exactly made it difficult, but playing the 'lets bash Sony' game seems big right now in the media. (as an aside, I noticed the CNet had a Showdown between the DS and PSP, and they chose the PSP:) ).
Unless Sony truly Fs up, the PS3 will be just fine. It might not be the out and out dominant master of its generation (like the PS2 was), but I don't think it will crater. The real question will be how things look next March, June and October.
If the PS3 is still selling out and is hard to get in March, it might be a bad sign (can't produce enough quantity), or a good sign (the demand keeps growing).
If the PS3 has sold enough by June the second wave of games should be hitting (assuming there isn't a summer slump:/ ) and we should be seeing more of what it can do (assuming the launch titles don't thrill as much as expected).
By next October we'll have a better handle on wether the PS3 tanked, or soared based on availability, game line-up, market-share, etc.
Of course, you can't expect a game company (or anyone responsible for a "games" column), to simply post "We don't know how it will do, so we're not going to print anything until it happens".
On a related note, take a look at the PSP. People started by writing it off (primarily because of UMD, similarly to how PS3 is being written off because of Blu-Ray). It had a slow start at good games. It launched in the US in march 25th 2005. This is its second "Holiday Season", the units are still selling and gaining popularity, availability is good, and lots of games are coming out (some stinkers, some ports, a lot more new and original content though).
Has it toppled Nintendo? No. Has it carved a niche into the hand-held market where lots of others have failed? Yes.
OpenGL should be able to take advantage of the same features a chip can provide, as long as there are drivers to support it.
My comment about DirectX10 was just that it was being presented as an absolute standard to adhere to, unlike its predecessors, if you want to get certified, you have to have certain features. This provides a much more concrete standard that people can look at and say 'can that graphic Card/Chip do X?'.
I'm confused how this would make the CPU beholden to MS. Somehow the CPUs currently in our computers, primarily sold to run DOS and Windows, have managed to run SCO (wether you like it or not), Novell, Minux, Linux, BSD, Solaris, and even (shock) OS X. A remarkable number of those computers even contain graphics cards that are certified for DirectX (in one flavor or another).
I do have one other question though: As a linux user, do you usually find the need to swap out your GPU every 4 months?
Okay, I admit, I haven't RTFA yet, but if GPUs do get folded back into CPUs, I think we need to thank MS.
No.... Seriously. Think for a minute.
The major driving force right now in GPU development and purchase are games.
The major factor that they have to contend with is DirectX.
As of DirectXv10. A card either IS, or IS NOT compliant. None of this "We are 67.3% compliant".
This provides a known target that can be reached. I wouldn't be surprised if the DirectX10 (video) featureset becomes synonymous with 'VGA Graphics' given enough time.
Yeah, sure, MS will come out with DX11, and those CPUs won't be compatible, but so what?, If you upgrade your CPU and GPU regularly anyway to maintain the 'killer rig', why not just upgrade them together?:)
Well... if it hadn't been on after Heros, neither would I.:)
NBC used to known for great shows that put it in the top of the 'big three' networks. Since WB, UPN, and the prevalence of cable TV, its significance has dropped (although considering I watch SciFi channel owned by NBC, its influence may have grown).
I find it interesting that two of the "hot" shows produced by NBC right now are Battlestar Galactica and Heroes. Could this be the dawning of a "SuperHero blitz" of shows as everyone gets on the bandwagon? (a'la the 'reality TV' craze thats died down a lot)
you're right about the Original XBox launch being November 15th 2001, however I was discussing the lifespan of the original XBox so the 360's launch date is irrelevant.
Nvidia ceased production of the original XBox's GPU in Aug 2001. Given how fast boxes get build, you may be right, it may have been a bit over 3 and a half years of production, but I doubt they were making new Xboxes much longer than that.
C'mon now, the new console is 4 to 6 years off at least. Technology gets better and cheaper all the time. Uncross your eyes and get some perspective.
Yeah! I mean the XBox360 only launched a year ago, and look at how long a life the original XBox had!... [crickets]... [crickets]... almost 3 and half years.
Of course I doubt Microsoft would bring out the XBox Xtream in two years, but three? Who knows. I'd rather stick with either the Wii or the PS3. Both companies have shown their willingness to stick by their consoles over a longer haul. Even the PS3 will probably be more cost effective when viewed as 'total cost'/'years owned while in production' (as a function of 'if its still in production, they'll still be making games for it).
Nah, I just have a problem when the headline, and Zonk's blurb make it seem like a Grapefruit to Grapefruit comparison, instead of the Apple to Orange comparison it is.
Suddenly we were provided with an easy to see visual clue that the enclosed disk may not be able to be used as we expect. This helped people avoid those disks that weren't compliant with the CD standard.
First off, you're absolutely right about Alienware, however most PCs I've ended up building for myself seem to run about $1200-1500 (depending on parts). I will admit that I tend to go for a bit more oomph in some areas than most (Memory and Hard Drive), while neglecting Graphics though, so I think it balances.
I'll let you in on a little secret: You don't need anything over $1000 to have a gaming computer.
Just out of curiosity, are we including a legal license for WindowsXP and Virus Protection in that number? (yes I know there are free Virus Scanners, but I've found most of them to more often fisk the machine than help)
In fact I just bought one for under $600 and I have yet to see it start to go slow.
Again, just of curiosity what sort of specs does the machine have? (CPU/Memory/Video/Audio/Hard-Drive) Not asking for benchmarks, that would be silly (and wasteful of your time), just curious what the hardware itself is like.
So even though lots have advanced in graphics and physics and simulation and AI and crunching power, you get only what little the developers have been able to suck out of a 4 year old system.
True, however there seem to still be fun games coming out for the PS2, and it certainly is more than 5 years old (some of the graphics make my wife stop to watch:) ). Perhaps having one architecture also allows the developers to better customize their toolkit to the target platform, or motivates them to look for solutions that don't just involve 'better hardware'? (better algorithms?, better design?)
Assuming your analysis is true, it makes the decision an even wiser one.
The PS3 is going to be facing the XBox360 and Wii at launch. The XBox360 is already established in the U.S.A. and Europe and is currently a failure in Japan. The Wii is aiming at a different market, and if you're right about European discretionary spending, is likely to be the big winner there. The main 'battlefield' between the XBox360 and PS3 is going to be the US (and japan is the PS3 truly sucks).
Given all that, it make sense to concentrate most of the first run in the US to try and gain a foothold. It also makes sense to 'spend' some of the units in Japan to forestall the competition (if possible), and placate your user base.
It might not be a move that makes anyone happy (including Sony), but it does seem to be the best move they can make, given the resources and circumstances.
I agree with all of that, and even wish Sony well (I hope to purchase a PS3 either this year or next).
One concern on a lot of peoples minds is "But the XBox360 had no competition, while the PS3 will have to compete with the XBox360 which is much more established, and the Wii."
I'm not sure if this is an issue, because you could also say "The XBox360 had the PS2 and GameCube to compete with". Yes, the XBox360 was the first "NextGen" console, but the PS2 is still going strong (THIS year) with lots of great games coming out for it, and the GameCube certainly seems to be aiming for a different market than either of their competitors.
I think you're right that the PS3 will 'launch' over the next year or so and should be just fine, unfortunately people like to complain (and I guess by writing this I'm including myself:) ).
The real question though is whether the PS3 can overtake the XBox360 in terms of units sold, and whether that will be a deciding factor in exclusive titles, ports, and other available content.
I've especially been wondering about this. MicroSoft abandoned the XBox after a relatively short life, bringing out the XBox360. If they do that again, shortenting the lifespan of the console, in favor of a 'new and improved' version, versus Sony and Nintendo sticking closer to the '10 year lifespan', are they likely to tick off developers who have to redevelop toolchains to handle the new platform?
Since the toolchains are a sunk cost, you'd think they're more likely to favor longer life platforms (given a choice), with a higher install base.
Are owners also likely to be swayed more by a console with 'lasting power', instead of jumping to the next generation?
That said, the PS3 seems like it has more growing room (in terms of hardware capabilities), than the XBox360 (with the Wii taking an orthogonal approach to a different 'hardware experience':) ).
:Looks at list from Apple, checks off MacBook from list::Looks down at wife's Levano from a year ago. Checks off from list::Looks at sheet::Looks up in disbelief:
BINGO!:p
(now if only I could win something like "the lottery")
... about 10% of the people out there who have the budget for a several thousand dollar HDTV...
Ummm... there are sub $1000 HDTVs out there right now, for sale in lots of electronics stores. I'm not saying they are "Top of the line", "take 1080p and aren't just upconverting a lower res signal", or "as big as my wall".
On the other hand, not everyone needs/wants a TV big enough so the scale of the digital characters is 1:1. Most of the cheap sets are in the 30" and under range.
Not saying this path is as cheap as an $200 21" Trintitron yet, but several hundred is way different then several thousand.
Yes, I was being facetious, and yes, I agree that it would be nice if more users abandoned MS, however I think that at the point that the User understands what the directory IS, I don't think there is a major difference between 'Users' and 'home'.
They both are one word. They both serve the same function. and That one word is descriptive of that function, since the directory is the 'Home' directory for the 'User'.
Slashdot Mirror
Yes, and the price of a MacMini is very competitive, and lets him use his existing Video, Keyboard and Mouse, and get all the "latest" hardware bells and whistles in a small package.
Linux might not be ready for Joe Sixpack, but he might buy a Mac ("I hear it can run windows too", "they sure do have good ads on TV", "timmy swears BY his. All I've done is swear AT my computer.")
Making people feel "warm and fuzzy" about their OS (i.e. releasing a big update like a service pack to show you haven't forgotten about them), might keep them from jumping ship till your new OS is more established in the market. This might help keep you from going to the competition. If you don't HAVE to upgrade just yet, then maybe by the time you do, they'll be all of this good press about Vista.
Then again, maybe it'll tank like Windows ME. (except on 64-bit machines), leaving MS to support XP and Vista-64.
Oddly this is reminiscent of the UMD fiasco with Sony.
SCE provided the tools and ability to create movie UMDs without setting any standards like price, or special features.
Movie houses jumped on the format and offered crappy movies, without commentary, for an outrageous price.
Sony is going to try to relaunch the format, but they are also going to set standards for price-points and what has to be on the disk.
Likewise MS is probably going to start being more critical of price-points.
I think its just a natural reaction to greed on the part of the content providers, when finally let loose from the control they've traditionally been under.
There, I fixed that for you (and the typo also)
If the PS3 is going to tank so bad, then it doesn't matter how many units Sony ships.
If the PS3 is going to take off (albeit slower if there aren't enough units out there to go around), then getting it in November, or February isn't going to kill someone.
Gee.
Bits of both.
:) ).
:/ ) and we should be seeing more of what it can do (assuming the launch titles don't thrill as much as expected).
Zonk, from his own articles and admission is a die hard XBox user. There is certainly a rivalry, and Slashdot makes no bones about slant in its editors (no "Fair and Balanced"(TM-LOL) here).
On the other end, while I certainly hope Sony succeeds, and plan on buying a PS3 (in the second wave of adopters), there have been lots of negative articles in the press about both Sony and the PS3.
The media don't really care about the long list of grievances that most Slshdotters trot out, but they need to fill articles, and headlines. As we've seen in the nightly news, sensationalism sells. Sony hasn't exactly made it difficult, but playing the 'lets bash Sony' game seems big right now in the media. (as an aside, I noticed the CNet had a Showdown between the DS and PSP, and they chose the PSP
Unless Sony truly Fs up, the PS3 will be just fine. It might not be the out and out dominant master of its generation (like the PS2 was), but I don't think it will crater. The real question will be how things look next March, June and October.
If the PS3 is still selling out and is hard to get in March, it might be a bad sign (can't produce enough quantity), or a good sign (the demand keeps growing).
If the PS3 has sold enough by June the second wave of games should be hitting (assuming there isn't a summer slump
By next October we'll have a better handle on wether the PS3 tanked, or soared based on availability, game line-up, market-share, etc.
Of course, you can't expect a game company (or anyone responsible for a "games" column), to simply post "We don't know how it will do, so we're not going to print anything until it happens".
On a related note, take a look at the PSP. People started by writing it off (primarily because of UMD, similarly to how PS3 is being written off because of Blu-Ray). It had a slow start at good games. It launched in the US in march 25th 2005. This is its second "Holiday Season", the units are still selling and gaining popularity, availability is good, and lots of games are coming out (some stinkers, some ports, a lot more new and original content though).
Has it toppled Nintendo? No. Has it carved a niche into the hand-held market where lots of others have failed? Yes.
OpenGL should be able to take advantage of the same features a chip can provide, as long as there are drivers to support it.
My comment about DirectX10 was just that it was being presented as an absolute standard to adhere to, unlike its predecessors, if you want to get certified, you have to have certain features. This provides a much more concrete standard that people can look at and say 'can that graphic Card/Chip do X?'.
I'm confused how this would make the CPU beholden to MS. Somehow the CPUs currently in our computers, primarily sold to run DOS and Windows, have managed to run SCO (wether you like it or not), Novell, Minux, Linux, BSD, Solaris, and even (shock) OS X. A remarkable number of those computers even contain graphics cards that are certified for DirectX (in one flavor or another).
I do have one other question though: As a linux user, do you usually find the need to swap out your GPU every 4 months?
I wasn't thinking so much DX10 being accepted, as the featureset that it requires to be there.
Okay, I admit, I haven't RTFA yet, but if GPUs do get folded back into CPUs, I think we need to thank MS.
... Seriously. Think for a minute.
:)
No.
The major driving force right now in GPU development and purchase are games.
The major factor that they have to contend with is DirectX.
As of DirectXv10. A card either IS, or IS NOT compliant. None of this "We are 67.3% compliant".
This provides a known target that can be reached. I wouldn't be surprised if the DirectX10 (video) featureset becomes synonymous with 'VGA Graphics' given enough time.
Yeah, sure, MS will come out with DX11, and those CPUs won't be compatible, but so what?, If you upgrade your CPU and GPU regularly anyway to maintain the 'killer rig', why not just upgrade them together?
Well
NBC used to known for great shows that put it in the top of the 'big three' networks. Since WB, UPN, and the prevalence of cable TV, its significance has dropped (although considering I watch SciFi channel owned by NBC, its influence may have grown).
I find it interesting that two of the "hot" shows produced by NBC right now are Battlestar Galactica and Heroes. Could this be the dawning of a "SuperHero blitz" of shows as everyone gets on the bandwagon? (a'la the 'reality TV' craze thats died down a lot)
you're right about the Original XBox launch being November 15th 2001, however I was discussing the lifespan of the original XBox so the 360's launch date is irrelevant.
Nvidia ceased production of the original XBox's GPU in Aug 2001. Given how fast boxes get build, you may be right, it may have been a bit over 3 and a half years of production, but I doubt they were making new Xboxes much longer than that.
Yeah! I mean the XBox360 only launched a year ago, and look at how long a life the original XBox had!
Of course I doubt Microsoft would bring out the XBox Xtream in two years, but three? Who knows. I'd rather stick with either the Wii or the PS3. Both companies have shown their willingness to stick by their consoles over a longer haul. Even the PS3 will probably be more cost effective when viewed as 'total cost'/'years owned while in production' (as a function of 'if its still in production, they'll still be making games for it).
Nah, I just have a problem when the headline, and Zonk's blurb make it seem like a Grapefruit to Grapefruit comparison, instead of the Apple to Orange comparison it is.
Its called "OS X" :)
Actually, yes, it did.
Suddenly we were provided with an easy to see visual clue that the enclosed disk may not be able to be used as we expect. This helped people avoid those disks that weren't compliant with the CD standard.
Humor is a human coping mechanism.
The best example I know of this is a book called Laughter in Hell: Humor During the Holocaust.
It was an interesting read and a perfect example of this sort of thing.
You should be sorry! ...
Made me laugh so much the person in the cube next to me "Prairie dogged". (and yes, I hope she is alive and well, and they find her soon).
Just out of curiosity, are we including a legal license for WindowsXP and Virus Protection in that number? (yes I know there are free Virus Scanners, but I've found most of them to more often fisk the machine than help)
Again, just of curiosity what sort of specs does the machine have?
(CPU/Memory/Video/Audio/Hard-Drive) Not asking for benchmarks, that would be silly (and wasteful of your time), just curious what the hardware itself is like.
True, however there seem to still be fun games coming out for the PS2, and it certainly is more than 5 years old (some of the graphics make my wife stop to watch
Assuming your analysis is true, it makes the decision an even wiser one.
The PS3 is going to be facing the XBox360 and Wii at launch. The XBox360 is already established in the U.S.A. and Europe and is currently a failure in Japan. The Wii is aiming at a different market, and if you're right about European discretionary spending, is likely to be the big winner there. The main 'battlefield' between the XBox360 and PS3 is going to be the US (and japan is the PS3 truly sucks).
Given all that, it make sense to concentrate most of the first run in the US to try and gain a foothold. It also makes sense to 'spend' some of the units in Japan to forestall the competition (if possible), and placate your user base.
It might not be a move that makes anyone happy (including Sony), but it does seem to be the best move they can make, given the resources and circumstances.
I agree with all of that, and even wish Sony well (I hope to purchase a PS3 either this year or next).
:) ).
One concern on a lot of peoples minds is "But the XBox360 had no competition, while the PS3 will have to compete with the XBox360 which is much more established, and the Wii."
I'm not sure if this is an issue, because you could also say "The XBox360 had the PS2 and GameCube to compete with". Yes, the XBox360 was the first "NextGen" console, but the PS2 is still going strong (THIS year) with lots of great games coming out for it, and the GameCube certainly seems to be aiming for a different market than either of their competitors.
I think you're right that the PS3 will 'launch' over the next year or so and should be just fine, unfortunately people like to complain (and I guess by writing this I'm including myself
The real question though is whether the PS3 can overtake the XBox360 in terms of units sold, and whether that will be a deciding factor in exclusive titles, ports, and other available content.
I've especially been wondering about this. MicroSoft abandoned the XBox after a relatively short life, bringing out the XBox360. If they do that again, shortenting the lifespan of the console, in favor of a 'new and improved' version, versus Sony and Nintendo sticking closer to the '10 year lifespan', are they likely to tick off developers who have to redevelop toolchains to handle the new platform?
:) ).
Since the toolchains are a sunk cost, you'd think they're more likely to favor longer life platforms (given a choice), with a higher install base.
Are owners also likely to be swayed more by a console with 'lasting power', instead of jumping to the next generation?
That said, the PS3 seems like it has more growing room (in terms of hardware capabilities), than the XBox360 (with the Wii taking an orthogonal approach to a different 'hardware experience'
BINGO!
(now if only I could win something like "the lottery")
Understandable, I've still got my "Basic Programming" and "Codebreaker" cartridges from the Atari 2600 on my shelf
Sorry, dozed off, must be time for my nap or something.
Ummm
On the other hand, not everyone needs/wants a TV big enough so the scale of the digital characters is 1:1. Most of the cheap sets are in the 30" and under range.
Not saying this path is as cheap as an $200 21" Trintitron yet, but several hundred is way different then several thousand.
Yes, I was being facetious, and yes, I agree that it would be nice if more users abandoned MS, however I think that at the point that the User understands what the directory IS, I don't think there is a major difference between 'Users' and 'home'.
They both are one word.
They both serve the same function.
and
That one word is descriptive of that function, since the directory is the 'Home' directory for the 'User'.