So will Tecmo buy me a new memory card for their programming flaws, or will they send me a coupon for $X off of Xtreme Beach Volleyball 2? Core owners are expected to pay more money for Tecmo's mistake?
Besides, you're going to fix a bug that screws up memory card data with... memory card data. I don't see that working very well.
"The preference Bracke states for Solaris-only on servers smacks of being a 'go with the status quo IT decison' with just a hint of 'OS religion' thrown in."
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. They're using Solaris because they've always used Solaris and they have yet to see a compelling reason to switch to anything else. Even if Linux did everything that Solaris did in exactly the same way (which it doesn't), there would be no compelling reason to switch.
Would you rather an operation as large as JPL's jump ship every time there's a new OS Flavor of the Month? Are you one of those people who don't understand why real Windows admins don't like applying patches as soon as they're released? I'm sure even upgrading to a new version of Solaris is a major headache over there.
"I suspect the boys at NASA are too busy smashing things into Mars to worry too much about changing operating systems."
NASA ordered the probe from the manufacturer with metric specifications, it was Lock-Mart that screwed up the units. If there is any blame for NASA in that fiasco, it is in their insistance on meters when the rest of the aerospace industry around the world measures altitude in feet.
"I've got a first-run PS2 and memory cards that are getting a little long in the tooth, and I have concerns about data corruption on those cards. I really wish some manufacturer would bring a first-party backup device to market."
It's called "Final Fantasy XI." You can move PSX and PS2 saves from memory cards to a directory on the HDD and back.
"Can't someone make a console that takes CompactFlash or SDs? Heck, I'll take Memory Sticks if I have to"
IIRC, PS3 will be using Memory Sticks (and only Memory Sticks), and it seems likely Sony will release a first-party device to transfer PSX and/or PS2 saves from their native memory cards onto Memory Sticks.
"Most importantly, Japan is the first market for many video game systems."
Except the DS was first launched in North America, followed by a Japanese launch a little later. And that was only the first time hardware was sold in North America first. Nintendo has been making a habit of selling certain games in North America first, even if they were written in Japan and require translation/localization first (e. g. the Metroid GBA games).
Japan isn't the gaming Mecca it used to be as far as Nintendo is concerned, especially since the N64 days (where the console did better in North America than in Japan)
"where the two-screened console is not only outselling the 360,"
Come on, I'm sure even the old Bandai Playdia is still outselling the 360 in Japan. My grandmother can outsell the 360 in Japan. The meaningful comparison is how it's doing compared to the PSP, GCN, PS2, or (dare I say it) the GBA.
"Gawds. We used to have actual Field Service contracts which guaranteed two hour response time, and that meant someone was on site in two hours, not returning a call within that time."
Back then hardware was reliable enough that the manufacturers could afford that luxury for the few times things did break down. Nowadays, they want to cut costs to stay "competitive," and the first thing to go it seems is reliability.
Is there any laptop manufacturer left that isn't evil? I have a Vaio I bought before the rootkit fiasco, and I got it because it had an AMD (read "non-Intel") processor. Not even Apple can promise that any more.
""If Og can make his raft float, we'll have aircraft carriers in a few years"."
Materials science advances more quickly nowadays than it did back in Ogg's day, and Ogg didn't even have a scientific method to explain why his raft floated ("It floats because wood is lighter than water! You can't make a raft out of metal!"). Simply because it won't happen tomorrow doesn't mean it won't happen in our lifetimes, especially since advances in materials towards making this device would have major reprocussions in other industries as well (e. g. I'm sure this would help spur superconductor research).
When it comes to antimatter drive, building the rockets is easy; fueling it is the real pain in the ass. Making antimatter is insanely expensive (second law of thermo means it takes more energy than you'll get out of annihilating it). You'd be better off using a fuel that has been provided for by the Big Bang (i. e. hydrogen for fusion) or other prior stellar activity (fissionable material, etc.).
"what else is there to motivate Groening into continuing the series? He's always been vocal about his dismay of the Fox execs cancelling the show in the first place."
True, but he's found love on a Time-Warner owned network. I think [as] has given allowed Groening to give Fox their comeuppance and forced Fox to approach the negotiations with some humility.
Slashdot Mirror
So will Tecmo buy me a new memory card for their programming flaws, or will they send me a coupon for $X off of Xtreme Beach Volleyball 2? Core owners are expected to pay more money for Tecmo's mistake?
Besides, you're going to fix a bug that screws up memory card data with... memory card data. I don't see that working very well.
"In DOA 4, Team Ninja has focused their attention on making the most visually pleasing fighter available on consoles today."
Translation: revamped* jiggle physics!
*(pun partially intended)
And would you be able to play said game online if you do not have the latest patch installed? More than enough PC games are picky like that.
My Final Fantasy "III" cart has the Relm sketch bug (to my consternation). If you peruse some of the ROM DAT files, you'll note that many images are marked (v1.0) or (v1.1).
"The preference Bracke states for Solaris-only on servers smacks of being a 'go with the status quo IT decison' with just a hint of 'OS religion' thrown in."
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. They're using Solaris because they've always used Solaris and they have yet to see a compelling reason to switch to anything else. Even if Linux did everything that Solaris did in exactly the same way (which it doesn't), there would be no compelling reason to switch.
Would you rather an operation as large as JPL's jump ship every time there's a new OS Flavor of the Month? Are you one of those people who don't understand why real Windows admins don't like applying patches as soon as they're released? I'm sure even upgrading to a new version of Solaris is a major headache over there.
"I suspect the boys at NASA are too busy smashing things into Mars to worry too much about changing operating systems."
NASA ordered the probe from the manufacturer with metric specifications, it was Lock-Mart that screwed up the units. If there is any blame for NASA in that fiasco, it is in their insistance on meters when the rest of the aerospace industry around the world measures altitude in feet.
"A patch is on the way shortly, apparently"
Then the people who are playing on an Xbox 360 Core System are up a creek?
Whatever happened to "No Xbox 360 game will require the hard drive?"
"I've got a first-run PS2 and memory cards that are getting a little long in the tooth, and I have concerns about data corruption on those cards. I really wish some manufacturer would bring a first-party backup device to market."
It's called "Final Fantasy XI." You can move PSX and PS2 saves from memory cards to a directory on the HDD and back.
"Can't someone make a console that takes CompactFlash or SDs? Heck, I'll take Memory Sticks if I have to"
IIRC, PS3 will be using Memory Sticks (and only Memory Sticks), and it seems likely Sony will release a first-party device to transfer PSX and/or PS2 saves from their native memory cards onto Memory Sticks.
The quote from the blurb:
"because there are too many flaws in main Linux kernel"
Whether or not there is "fluff" seems to be moot.
"Most importantly, Japan is the first market for many video game systems."
Except the DS was first launched in North America, followed by a Japanese launch a little later. And that was only the first time hardware was sold in North America first. Nintendo has been making a habit of selling certain games in North America first, even if they were written in Japan and require translation/localization first (e. g. the Metroid GBA games).
Japan isn't the gaming Mecca it used to be as far as Nintendo is concerned, especially since the N64 days (where the console did better in North America than in Japan)
"where the two-screened console is not only outselling the 360,"
Come on, I'm sure even the old Bandai Playdia is still outselling the 360 in Japan. My grandmother can outsell the 360 in Japan. The meaningful comparison is how it's doing compared to the PSP, GCN, PS2, or (dare I say it) the GBA.
Looks like somebody bought a Sony/BMG disk recently!
$SYS$"I loved it! It was much better than Cats! I'm going to see it again and again!"
"Gawds. We used to have actual Field Service contracts which guaranteed two hour response time, and that meant someone was on site in two hours, not returning a call within that time."
Back then hardware was reliable enough that the manufacturers could afford that luxury for the few times things did break down. Nowadays, they want to cut costs to stay "competitive," and the first thing to go it seems is reliability.
But wouldn't it be worth it to say you're computing with "two turntables and a microphone?"
"Make a downloadable PDF"
You misspelled "LaTEX."
Silly, that's what RAID is for!
Those are records. I don't know about you, but I don't have an LP-ROM drive.
Microsoft: Getting out of the cable news business
News Corp.: Still claims to be "fair and balanced."
But consider: how many male undergraduates would fit into an 18 in pipe? Personally, I'd have to have an arm chopped off.
Build a hypersonic wind tunnel and meet female undergrads!
I simply have Firefox remember my Slashdot password. The only extra step I have is hitting "login."
Maybe the feds should take a hint from Cookie Monster's new take and realize "A cookie is a sometimes file."
"What about IBM or Dell...or even HP?"
Chinese, evil and evil.
Is there any laptop manufacturer left that isn't evil? I have a Vaio I bought before the rootkit fiasco, and I got it because it had an AMD (read "non-Intel") processor. Not even Apple can promise that any more.
""If Og can make his raft float, we'll have aircraft carriers in a few years"."
Materials science advances more quickly nowadays than it did back in Ogg's day, and Ogg didn't even have a scientific method to explain why his raft floated ("It floats because wood is lighter than water! You can't make a raft out of metal!"). Simply because it won't happen tomorrow doesn't mean it won't happen in our lifetimes, especially since advances in materials towards making this device would have major reprocussions in other industries as well (e. g. I'm sure this would help spur superconductor research).
"Creating an antimatter rocket is trivial"
When it comes to antimatter drive, building the rockets is easy; fueling it is the real pain in the ass. Making antimatter is insanely expensive (second law of thermo means it takes more energy than you'll get out of annihilating it). You'd be better off using a fuel that has been provided for by the Big Bang (i. e. hydrogen for fusion) or other prior stellar activity (fissionable material, etc.).
Invest in something other than the stock market.
"what else is there to motivate Groening into continuing the series? He's always been vocal about his dismay of the Fox execs cancelling the show in the first place."
True, but he's found love on a Time-Warner owned network. I think [as] has given allowed Groening to give Fox their comeuppance and forced Fox to approach the negotiations with some humility.