World of Warcraft has a huge base of Blizzard fans and the company is generally one of the best in the business. Is the City of Heroes team (and other developers) scared of it?
"As far as use of outlook, I'd say a good chunk of people that I work with use outlook on a daily basis."
Uh, Outlook isn't included with the system. Outlook Express doesn't even share a code base. That said, both Outlook and Outlook Express stopped behaving the way you're describing about 4 years ago.
I stopped reading about there. It's clear you have absolutely no knowledge of anything Windows-related, which is a shame when you're trying to argue against it.
Yes. With the advent of always on connections, the existance of worms began an increase the likes of which has never been seen before..."
And at the same time, nearly every IE plugin is unavailable for Mac. There are hundreds, nay, thousands of sites that don't render correctly in Safari. Standards be damned, browsing the internet on Mac can be an exercise in frustration.
"Is a Mac 'superior' at sending/recieving email? No.
Again the answer is yes. A windows PC by default would download and activate embedded programs and files in emails..."
I'm a little curious what email program does this. Outlook Express, which comes with the OS, stopped doing this years ago. You're also going under the assumption that the average computer user will use OE for Windows. As far as I know, most people use the program that came with their ISP (or a web-based client).
"Is a Mac 'superior' at performing standard office taks? (Make a spreadsheet, text document and so on.) Again, no.
This is once again another yes answer..."
I use my computer to work, and part of my work is sharing documents with others. I have noticed, many, MANY times that programs on Mac (Appleworks, Office, etc.) don't display Word/Excel/etc. documents made on a PC correctly. Again, standards be damned: I'm trying to work.
"Even non-professional and professional photo editing can be performed very adequetely on a Windows Based PC.
The key word here is adequetely. With a mac, it can be performed well. Infact, all the basic tools are included with the system, not only Photo, but video, DVD production, music production, all part of the basic tool set."
Methinks you've never been in a true production studio. I've seen very few recording studios that used exclusively Macs. Also, the DVD program built-in is paltry at best. You really need Final Cut Pro, and that's expensive as hell.
"Sure, you might see some speed increase for some photo editing tasks on a Mac, but from what I have seen, shaving 10 seconds here and there, upwards of a minute here or there, means nothing to *home* users.
You underestimate what time means to a home user. Every 2 seconds wasted searching for a feature that isn't where it's supposed to be, every minute spent deciphering an error, every 30 seconds spent doing a mindlessly repetative series of steps that should be automated is a large chunk of time, and that time adds up to frustration."
Exactly. Every moment recreating a file so that it displays correctly, every moment wasted trying to get Safari to display my checking account right, every moment deciphering a kernel panic in OS X. Different problems, same frustration.
You are absolutely, completely, utterly correct. I don't know why Apple doesn't ship more of their models with better video cards (you can get the top-of-the-line model with a top-of-the-line card, but you can't get more midrange models with more midrange cards). If they did, they'd win a lot more gaming converts.
It's less of a technical challenge and more of a business decision. Developers don't port games to platforms that have small groups of gamers. That's why PS2 typically gets big-name 3rd-party titles first (GTA 4), and ports slowly trickle out a year later (well, that and exclusivity agreements).
There's also the problem with the API. Linux STILL doesn't have a comprehensive DirectX API. At least, none that are dominant. Porting basic apps is a snap, but I had a very bad experience porting a game I made with sound. The million plus sound APIs are a blessing and a curse.
Nah, actually was trying for a few -1 Trolls. That's what is really dissapointing. Well, that and Slashdot is still backing the iPod despite it slowly becoming ungeek-friendly.
It would've been better if he augmented the iPod premise:
1.) Tape old pizza crusts to the body. Say to others he is "DRM-encrusted" and see if anyone gets it. 2.) Display photos on the screen and slap an insanely-high price tag on his back when doing so. 3.) Have a "special edition" costume with his favorite indie band scrawled along the back. When people say the band sucks, claim "You have to spend the extra 50 bucks to really understand 'artistic intergrity', like the folks at Apple. Hail Steve and the almighty turtleneck!"
You're making the assumption that the multiple screens will be in the same room and the two players will know exactly what stage the other player is at in the game. It's a presentation thing. Can you imagine playing up in the living room while a friend is in the basement, and suddenly (without you even finishing the level) you're forced to watch a cutscene?
But you're still comparing a $500 device vs. other devices (like the gMini) that run at least $100 less. And play movies. And have the same battery life. It's not a bargain if every competitor beats you.
"If you play video, the HD is constantly spinning. If you play music (or are viewing photos) the HD fills the buffer then spins down. Rinse and repeat."
Not so. Put a big enough buffer (like the one gMini has) and you've got hard disk access about every 2 minutes or so. Not as good as just music (that's about every 10 minutes), but the disk isn't "spinning continuously". I'm not entirely sure how much RAM the thing has on board, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's at least 64 MB.
DivX, legally acquired, non-DRMd. I own the DVDs. I put the DVDs in my computer, rip them and encode them in DivX. They never leave my computer/gMini, and they certainly don't go on P2P networks. I believe that's perfectly in line with my fair use rights.
TV-out maxes at 640x480. I personally have never tried it, although I have read reviews that say it all depends on how you code your video. Obviously if you code at 780kbps 320x240 it'll look fine on the LCD, but look like crap on the screen. I heard it's about the same quality as any composite source.
That said, I never code my video at a high resolution for TV. I always watch on my LCD, and having full movies under a GB (a 3-hour LOTR is about 1.4 GB) is worth it, in my opinion.
I just called, and the reason it doesn't work is because it's currently in a "test phase" in certain markets. Thanks Slashdot for getting my hopes up.
Actual conversation with Verizon:
Verizon: Yes, we're very excited about this service. What's your phone number. Me: *Give my phone number* Verizon *silence*: Let me speak with my manager. *comes back a little while later* Where did you hear about our FIOS service? Me: Uh, an internet site called "Slashdot". Lots of tech news. Verizon: We were wondering. I've been getting calls all day. We only have FIOS in test markets right now like Florida, Texas... rattles off a few more names. Me: Any idea when you're going to support the NY metropolitian area? Verizon: I'm sorry, I don't know at this time.
I don't think I understand what you're saying. My comment was that you had to pay $100 more the iPod accessory, which effectively brought the iPod Photo's price up to $600-700. Whereas with the Archos (and some other devices) you pay $400 and get it built-in.
"Nobody is going to be impressed by your klunky looking Archos but if you whip out an iPod, you know people would be staring."
Really? That's not what I've read. From a personal viewpoint, I've seen the NYC subways litered with these things. They get about as much attention nowadays as a walkman.
Whereas when I pull my "klunky" device out, I get questions like "What does it play? Full movies?!?" and "How much was that? The same price as my iPod?!?" Marketing always plays a role, but competition always wins.
If you're using a piece of electronics for "sex appeal" you have something seriously wrong with you. With your logic, carrying around one of these curvaceous things around should get you laid instantly.
This is shaping up to be the best holiday season in gaming history, from a breadth of titles standpoint. Tons of great games for all kinds of systems (some which have been in development forever).
Halo 2 Metroid Prime 2 GTA: San Andreas Half-Life 2 World of Warcraft
I've been playing for years, and this is the first holiday season I can truely say "Where am I going to find the time/money for all the good games?" Other years we've had one or two blockbusters, but this years there's a ton.
There are a lot of similar features between the gMini and the iRiver. I admit I got the gMini because it was out first (and was cheaper) but they function about the same. As for OSes, I'm not entirely sure what the gMini runs, but it works extremely well. The thing has never crashed on me, even with the largest video files (even my old iPod crashed a few times).
Slashdot Mirror
World of Warcraft has a huge base of Blizzard fans and the company is generally one of the best in the business. Is the City of Heroes team (and other developers) scared of it?
"As far as use of outlook, I'd say a good chunk of people that I work with use outlook on a daily basis."
Uh, Outlook isn't included with the system. Outlook Express doesn't even share a code base. That said, both Outlook and Outlook Express stopped behaving the way you're describing about 4 years ago.
I stopped reading about there. It's clear you have absolutely no knowledge of anything Windows-related, which is a shame when you're trying to argue against it.
So that means a younger, sexier version of the website that flaunts it plumage better is somewhere alive out there?
Ho boy.
"Is a Mac 'superior' at surfing the Internet? No.
Yes. With the advent of always on connections, the existance of worms began an increase the likes of which has never been seen before..."
And at the same time, nearly every IE plugin is unavailable for Mac. There are hundreds, nay, thousands of sites that don't render correctly in Safari. Standards be damned, browsing the internet on Mac can be an exercise in frustration.
"Is a Mac 'superior' at sending/recieving email? No.
Again the answer is yes. A windows PC by default would download and activate embedded programs and files in emails..."
I'm a little curious what email program does this. Outlook Express, which comes with the OS, stopped doing this years ago. You're also going under the assumption that the average computer user will use OE for Windows. As far as I know, most people use the program that came with their ISP (or a web-based client).
"Is a Mac 'superior' at performing standard office taks? (Make a spreadsheet, text document and so on.) Again, no.
This is once again another yes answer..."
I use my computer to work, and part of my work is sharing documents with others. I have noticed, many, MANY times that programs on Mac (Appleworks, Office, etc.) don't display Word/Excel/etc. documents made on a PC correctly. Again, standards be damned: I'm trying to work.
"Even non-professional and professional photo editing can be performed very adequetely on a Windows Based PC.
The key word here is adequetely. With a mac, it can be performed well. Infact, all the basic tools are included with the system, not only Photo, but video, DVD production, music production, all part of the basic tool set."
Methinks you've never been in a true production studio. I've seen very few recording studios that used exclusively Macs. Also, the DVD program built-in is paltry at best. You really need Final Cut Pro, and that's expensive as hell.
"Sure, you might see some speed increase for some photo editing tasks on a Mac, but from what I have seen, shaving 10 seconds here and there, upwards of a minute here or there, means nothing to *home* users.
You underestimate what time means to a home user. Every 2 seconds wasted searching for a feature that isn't where it's supposed to be, every minute spent deciphering an error, every 30 seconds spent doing a mindlessly repetative series of steps that should be automated is a large chunk of time, and that time adds up to frustration."
Exactly. Every moment recreating a file so that it displays correctly, every moment wasted trying to get Safari to display my checking account right, every moment deciphering a kernel panic in OS X. Different problems, same frustration.
"Well that all depends on how much the priviledge of using OSX is worth to you."
I hope that was meant to be said with sarcasm.
You are absolutely, completely, utterly correct. I don't know why Apple doesn't ship more of their models with better video cards (you can get the top-of-the-line model with a top-of-the-line card, but you can't get more midrange models with more midrange cards). If they did, they'd win a lot more gaming converts.
It's less of a technical challenge and more of a business decision. Developers don't port games to platforms that have small groups of gamers. That's why PS2 typically gets big-name 3rd-party titles first (GTA 4), and ports slowly trickle out a year later (well, that and exclusivity agreements).
There's also the problem with the API. Linux STILL doesn't have a comprehensive DirectX API. At least, none that are dominant. Porting basic apps is a snap, but I had a very bad experience porting a game I made with sound. The million plus sound APIs are a blessing and a curse.
Nah, actually was trying for a few -1 Trolls. That's what is really dissapointing. Well, that and Slashdot is still backing the iPod despite it slowly becoming ungeek-friendly.
It would've been better if he augmented the iPod premise:
1.) Tape old pizza crusts to the body. Say to others he is "DRM-encrusted" and see if anyone gets it.
2.) Display photos on the screen and slap an insanely-high price tag on his back when doing so.
3.) Have a "special edition" costume with his favorite indie band scrawled along the back. When people say the band sucks, claim "You have to spend the extra 50 bucks to really understand 'artistic intergrity', like the folks at Apple. Hail Steve and the almighty turtleneck!"
On the other hand, it's very hard to slashdot a website without graphics.
Anonymous coward???
What a loser.
The original Gameboy was rated for 8 hours battery life, and that was on 4 AA. Look it up.
You're making the assumption that the multiple screens will be in the same room and the two players will know exactly what stage the other player is at in the game. It's a presentation thing. Can you imagine playing up in the living room while a friend is in the basement, and suddenly (without you even finishing the level) you're forced to watch a cutscene?
But you're still comparing a $500 device vs. other devices (like the gMini) that run at least $100 less. And play movies. And have the same battery life. It's not a bargain if every competitor beats you.
"If you play video, the HD is constantly spinning. If you play music (or are viewing photos) the HD fills the buffer then spins down. Rinse and repeat."
Not so. Put a big enough buffer (like the one gMini has) and you've got hard disk access about every 2 minutes or so. Not as good as just music (that's about every 10 minutes), but the disk isn't "spinning continuously". I'm not entirely sure how much RAM the thing has on board, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's at least 64 MB.
Deginerate it? It's a device, man. I'm not saying it's not good, but it's certainly not worthy of devout praise. Every product has flaws.
DivX, legally acquired, non-DRMd. I own the DVDs. I put the DVDs in my computer, rip them and encode them in DivX. They never leave my computer/gMini, and they certainly don't go on P2P networks. I believe that's perfectly in line with my fair use rights.
TV-out maxes at 640x480. I personally have never tried it, although I have read reviews that say it all depends on how you code your video. Obviously if you code at 780kbps 320x240 it'll look fine on the LCD, but look like crap on the screen. I heard it's about the same quality as any composite source.
That said, I never code my video at a high resolution for TV. I always watch on my LCD, and having full movies under a GB (a 3-hour LOTR is about 1.4 GB) is worth it, in my opinion.
I just called, and the reason it doesn't work is because it's currently in a "test phase" in certain markets. Thanks Slashdot for getting my hopes up.
Actual conversation with Verizon:
Verizon: Yes, we're very excited about this service. What's your phone number.
Me: *Give my phone number*
Verizon *silence*: Let me speak with my manager. *comes back a little while later* Where did you hear about our FIOS service?
Me: Uh, an internet site called "Slashdot". Lots of tech news.
Verizon: We were wondering. I've been getting calls all day. We only have FIOS in test markets right now like Florida, Texas... rattles off a few more names.
Me: Any idea when you're going to support the NY metropolitian area?
Verizon: I'm sorry, I don't know at this time.
"What next? Have to run around the corner to pee?"
Yes, but in this game if you pee on another guy's territory, "gangstas" will be on your ass so fast... it's a strategy game, you see?
I don't think I understand what you're saying. My comment was that you had to pay $100 more the iPod accessory, which effectively brought the iPod Photo's price up to $600-700. Whereas with the Archos (and some other devices) you pay $400 and get it built-in.
"Nobody is going to be impressed by your klunky looking Archos but if you whip out an iPod, you know people would be staring."
Really? That's not what I've read. From a personal viewpoint, I've seen the NYC subways litered with these things. They get about as much attention nowadays as a walkman.
Whereas when I pull my "klunky" device out, I get questions like "What does it play? Full movies?!?" and "How much was that? The same price as my iPod?!?" Marketing always plays a role, but competition always wins.
If you're using a piece of electronics for "sex appeal" you have something seriously wrong with you. With your logic, carrying around one of these curvaceous things around should get you laid instantly.
This is shaping up to be the best holiday season in gaming history, from a breadth of titles standpoint. Tons of great games for all kinds of systems (some which have been in development forever).
Halo 2
Metroid Prime 2
GTA: San Andreas
Half-Life 2
World of Warcraft
I've been playing for years, and this is the first holiday season I can truely say "Where am I going to find the time/money for all the good games?" Other years we've had one or two blockbusters, but this years there's a ton.
There are a lot of similar features between the gMini and the iRiver. I admit I got the gMini because it was out first (and was cheaper) but they function about the same. As for OSes, I'm not entirely sure what the gMini runs, but it works extremely well. The thing has never crashed on me, even with the largest video files (even my old iPod crashed a few times).