Of the two extremes I'd say it's more likely that in five years Microsoft will be in tatters. Their business model is collapsing. They know it, and so they're trying to find a new one. There's hardly a guarantee that they will. All industry giants eventually come back to the pack or collapse altogether. It usually takes a long long time, but now we're traveling at internet speed.
Their market capitalization is fragile, based on things staying pretty dang rosy as far as MS is concerned. Once Wall Street no longer believes then the game is over. Suddenly all their best and brightest will be working for peanuts. At first they'll fool themselves into thinking it's just a blip, but eventually they'll start to leave. Once that happens MS will have to start paying real salaries. But they really can't afford to, because their accounting scheme is based upon rewarding with stock options they can print, not actual dollars they can't. So now they start missing quarters, and a few missed quarters in a row and then the stock price collapses down to conventional levels and below.
The above doesn't have to happen, it's certainly a real possibility and more likely than C# taking out Java.
No, all I was saying was that not everyone is "just a motherfucker who won't pay the 30 bucks a month." I would gladly pay twice that. I can, however, buy Cuban cigars. Want some?
You may be a 'hacker' in the true hardware/soldering iron/tweaking sense of the word, but don't use that to cover up the fact that you're just a motherfucker who won't pay the 30 bucks a month for satellite TV.
People in Latin American countries are not permitted to subscribe to the US version of DirecTV. They can instead subscribe to the cheesy Latin America version which is essentially identical to the regular cable. Those pirated cards and are very popular.
puns are what people without a sense of humor do when they want to be funny
So this duck goes into a drugstore and asks the clerk for some ChapStik. The clerk asks "Will that be cash or charge?" and the duck says... "Just put it on my bill."
Maybe Microsoft is waking up to the idea that people don't buy their stuff because it's good, they buy it because that's what everybody else has. Even the people who don't really know why they're skeptical of Microsoft products are shying away from this X-Box because there's no compelling reason to choose to buy from Microsoft.
how long before all the clothing i donate to school yard sales and the salvation army becomes illegal
Nobody's saying it's illegal for Amazon to offer used books. There are those who don't like that they do, and so they're protesting it. Right or wrong, is it so bad that these people are able to do so?
Would it be so bad if our government, laws, and ethics, revolved around a simple principle ?
An individual can do anything they like such that it doesn't infringe on anyone elses rights.
You mean like being able to ask people to not link to Amazon?
No business benefit is gained by the playing (restaurants, etc.)
Restaurants pay. They pay even if they have only a television. When I owned a bar the ASCAP boys came in and handed me a bill with itemized charges for live performances, the CD player, and the televisions. I felt like I was being shaken down by the mafia.
Minnesota Bill, Fats' lesser known younger brother. The highlight of his career was his big match against Reasonably Quick Bruce. Soon to be a made-for-TV movie on the USA network.
$75,000 to do the audio commentary for the Total Recall "Special Limited Edition" DVD. That kind of exploitation is going to run into a wall sooner or later
Well, if he got 20 million to do the movie and that took sixty days or so, then $75,000 for the day to do the commentary is a substantial pay cut.
And the studio won't balk at paying 75,000 because having his commentary on it will more than pay for itself in extra sales. It's the kind of thing that gets people who already own the Not-So-Special Not-So-Limited Edition to fork over more dough for this one.
Slashdot Mirror
I think his complaint was that it did it unexpectedly.
Me too! Except Thursdays. Thursdays seem to work out pretty well for using a GUI. Strange, huh?
Yes, quite a few people did.
Their market capitalization is fragile, based on things staying pretty dang rosy as far as MS is concerned. Once Wall Street no longer believes then the game is over. Suddenly all their best and brightest will be working for peanuts. At first they'll fool themselves into thinking it's just a blip, but eventually they'll start to leave. Once that happens MS will have to start paying real salaries. But they really can't afford to, because their accounting scheme is based upon rewarding with stock options they can print, not actual dollars they can't. So now they start missing quarters, and a few missed quarters in a row and then the stock price collapses down to conventional levels and below.
The above doesn't have to happen, it's certainly a real possibility and more likely than C# taking out Java.
No, all I was saying was that not everyone is "just a motherfucker who won't pay the 30 bucks a month." I would gladly pay twice that. I can, however, buy Cuban cigars. Want some?
Pretty nice, but it's obvious some heavy-duty ASCIIShop work was done on it. She doesn't really look this good.
So if I walk onto your property you feel you can just take all my money and then shoot me?
People in Latin American countries are not permitted to subscribe to the US version of DirecTV. They can instead subscribe to the cheesy Latin America version which is essentially identical to the regular cable. Those pirated cards and are very popular.
Clearly you are not a nerd.
Man I must be getting old. I have no idea what that means.
There's an account named slashdot there. If whoever has it would change the password to slashdot then we'd be all set.
So this duck goes into a drugstore and asks the clerk for some ChapStik. The clerk asks "Will that be cash or charge?" and the duck says... "Just put it on my bill."
Assuming, of course, that you value your time at $0.
You gave specifics. Big mistake. This is Slashdot. Someone is bound to respond with "Dude, that's nothing!! Me and my friends..."
Oops, too late.
Maybe Microsoft is waking up to the idea that people don't buy their stuff because it's good, they buy it because that's what everybody else has. Even the people who don't really know why they're skeptical of Microsoft products are shying away from this X-Box because there's no compelling reason to choose to buy from Microsoft.
How odd. I read a book just last week that didn't even mention tours.
I tried that, but the damn kids keep swimming under the ropes.
Nobody's saying it's illegal for Amazon to offer used books. There are those who don't like that they do, and so they're protesting it. Right or wrong, is it so bad that these people are able to do so?
You mean like being able to ask people to not link to Amazon?
Restaurants pay. They pay even if they have only a television. When I owned a bar the ASCAP boys came in and handed me a bill with itemized charges for live performances, the CD player, and the televisions. I felt like I was being shaken down by the mafia.
It was written in 1859.
Minnesota Bill, Fats' lesser known younger brother. The highlight of his career was his big match against Reasonably Quick Bruce. Soon to be a made-for-TV movie on the USA network.
A choice of two (2) smart-ass replies:
1) Dazzled them with your spelling, did ya?
2) What, you mean they weren't able to buy real estate with no money down?
I think you've invented the literary onomatopoeia.
Well, if he got 20 million to do the movie and that took sixty days or so, then $75,000 for the day to do the commentary is a substantial pay cut.
And the studio won't balk at paying 75,000 because having his commentary on it will more than pay for itself in extra sales. It's the kind of thing that gets people who already own the Not-So-Special Not-So-Limited Edition to fork over more dough for this one.