Especially if you're only going to be running the OS, and not other applications.
My local Best Buy was selling Vista systems that had as little as 256MB of RAM that was shared with the on-board video card. True, these only had Home-Basic on them, but still, you can't tell me that a box with only 128-192MB of system RAM is going to be running Vista very well.
I was recently shopping for a new computer for my in-laws. I didn't want Vista. All the big-box stores had practically gotten rid of their XP PCs. Best Buy and MicroCenter had some left, but they were marked down.
What I found most disturbing was that the majority of the Vista PCs were severely under equipped for the job. Sure, they had a plenty fast processor, but most only came with 256MB or 512MB of RAM and integrated video cards that used up to 50% of the system's main RAM! Still, the PC area was packed by folks looking for a new Vista-installed PC.
The clerks in the area immediatly tried to show me one of these worthless systems, but I firmly told them I was not interested in Vista. One took me aside saying he didn't blame me and confirmed my assessment that most of the systems they were selling wouldn't even run Vista very well. Instead he pointed me to the small stack of XP systems they had left which were marked down 20%. We ended up choosing a Gateway system that has a Pentium D processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive for $600.
If you want a little game with your story, check out the Xenosaga games. Be warned, they have cutscenes that will run 20, even 40 minutes.
For TBS, the PC is still the king with its tradition of 4x type titles. I've heard good things about Dominion3 as a sort of Master of Magic clone. The game is supposed to have a huge learning curve and comes with a pretty extensive (printed!) manual - something that's all too rare for games nowadays.
Although I don't know of any TBS games with a strong story, other than the so-called "Strategy RPGs" on the consoles which are mostly subjected to the same story cliches most other console RPGs suffer from.
Video game hardware has almost always been sold initially at a loss. It's one way to attract consumers in the begining. Meanwhile, the companies make that money back (and more, hopefully) through the licensing agreements they have with the software publishers as well as through the sale of extra controllers, memory cards, etc. It's essentially the same strategy started with razors - sell the handle cheap but charge a lot for the blades - not to mention inkjet printers ($50 for the printer - $30 for the ink?!)
So yes, Sony's losing about $300 per PS3 sold according to guesses by industry experts. The PS2, as I recall, originally was costing Sony about $150-200 when it was first released.
Unlike the PS2, however, the PS3 is suffering from a severe lack of decent games. Even initial PS3 sales were pretty disappointing since many of those PS3s were bought by people intending to sell the system on Ebay - so they didn't buy any accessories or games.
Right now, the PS3 only has 1 good exclusive game, and a selection of games that are available on the 360 as well. These multi-platform games look and play almost identically on the 360 - which costs less than the PS3. In addition, many of those games are already part of the 360's bargin line so even the games are cheaper on the 360 as well.
That's exactly how I look at it. I bought a PS2 at launch because there were 3 games out that I wanted to play - SSX, DOA2, and Dynasty Warriors 2. $300 console, 3 games.
The PS3 is $600, so there had better be a library of about 6 titles that are either exclusive to the PS3, or somehow better on the PS3 than other platforms (360, PC, etc.) Until a game is actually released, it doesn't count towards this amount. I've seen way too many games get cancelled or delayed to base a purchase on something that doesn't exist yet.
Looking at the lineup of planned releases, this won't occur until roughly mid-2008. This assumes we won't see additional changes in release dates, or see formerly exclusive games suddenly go multi-platform. The latter is the biggest fear I have for the PS3. With low sales, game studios may rethink their business plans regarding the PS3, which could lead to a nasty cycle of "no games -> no sales -> no developers -> no games..."
What you want is a strategy game, not a straight up RPG.
Honestly, get a PS2 and track down a copy of Disgaea 1 or 2, perhaps the best strategy RPGs out there. You control Laharl, a demon prince whose father has just passed away. Now Laharl has to prove that he has what it takes to be the King of the underworld. Along with him is his childhood friend and servant, Etna, who controls an army of Prinnies - psychotic plushie penguins which will explode if you throw them (D00d!), and Flonne, an angel sent to the underworld to find out what happend to the demon king.
You have a couple of special characters, such as Laharl around which the story revolves, but you'll have to also create an army from wizards, clerics, fighters, etc. You can even capture enemy monsters, and later add them to your army! Each class has its own skills or spells that it can learn. Additional classes will become available as your characters progress. You can change classes as well, so if you want your lvl.10 fighter to start learning to be a cleric, so be it. He'll start off at lvl.1 but retain any skills he may have already learned. You can have something like 200 characters in your army, though you'll only be able to put 10-15 on the field at any time (memory's a bit fuzzy on the numbers.)
Combat is your standard square grid, with different types of terrain influencing attack/defense. You dispatch your army through a portal on the field where the various enemies are scattered. There's a lot of factors to be considered, and when you throw in the puzzle-like color-grid system, it can get pretty complicated.
In addition to the campaign scenarios you will need to win in order to move the story forward, you can venture inside any item or weapon in a series of random battlefields. Clearing these battles will increase the power of that item.
My current desktop is 7 years old, but was pretty close to the high-end when it was new. Yes, it could run Vista - even Aero.
My mother's desktop is 3-4 years old, and no, it won't run Vista. At least, not very well since it's only got 256M of RAM and a integrated video card that uses 64M of system RAM. Oh yeah, and forget about Aero.
Anyways, say for about $100 the system can be upgraded to have a video card with some dedicated memory, and max out the RAM. That's still $100 on a system that as far as my mom's concerned, works just fine. And then you want to spend another $100 or so on Vista itself?
Rememeber, the claim is "Vista is for consumers." How is spending $200 to just upgrade the OS, and who knows how much more to replace all the non-Vista-compatible software a consumer product? For what benefit? A prettier UI that requires her to learn how to use her computer all over again? What's the benefit in that? Heck, just spend the $100 improving the machine for XP would be a better use of the money.
I assure you, there are many, many, many times more people like my mom than there are tinkerers, hobbyists or others who consider messing with the computer's OS "fun".
From the consumers' point of view, the OS is not the reason for the computer - it's the applications. Also from the consumers' point of view, Vista provides high cost for little improvement - that doesn't seem like a smart buy regardless of who you are.
How is Vista "built for consumers"? At least tinkerers, hobbyists and sysadmins are used to having to tweak and be expert users - it comes with the territory of being on the leading edge. Consumers, on the other hand, don't care about any of that. They just want a computer that WORKS. If anything, they're harder to design for because of their requirements - something that Microsoft hasn't learned yet.
Meanwhile, Vista requires pretty stiff hardware upgrades, and even most systems IN STORES NOW are underpowered with regards to what Vista requires. Consumers don't run bleeding edge hardware. How is Vista for them?
There are tons of reported problems with existing hardware and applications - and this was after a long and extensive beta period?!? How does this make Vista a consumer product?
Seems to me that the only ones benefitting from Vista are tech support companies, hardware vendors, and of course Microsoft.
The sad part is that many people are eagerly bending over with a smile on their face...
Oh well. Their pain and suffering will mean that by the time the rest of us upgrade, Vista may actually be usable....either that or Vienna will be out and we can start this whole process. ALL. Over. Again.
Unfortunatly, you don't have much of a choice anymore...
If you want to buy a new PC or laptop - even for business - it's getting harder and harder to find one that DOESN'T come with Vista. As a gamer, this makes no sense to me since most of these systems don't have a proper "DX10" video card in them and as I've been told, DX10 won't work with a "DX9" video card (no, that doesn't make any sense to me either.) Sure, you'll be able to run Vista but as soon as you try running a game that requires DX10, you're, supposedly, SOL.
Meanwhile, stores are desparate to get rid of anything that DOESN'T have Vista on it, which could mean it's a good time to get a new PC or laptop. Best Buy, for instance, is selling non-Vista PCs for 20% off, non-Vista laptops are 15% off.
Most of the ancedotal stories I've heard from game store employees over the years is that when one of them TRIED to refuse a sale of a "M" game to a kid, said kid would get his enraged parent to come into the store and yell at the clerk and his manager for violating constitutional rights. Most stories ended with the parent storming out of the store, vowing never to return. Definitely not a red-letter day for customer service...
Besides, it's not as though Gamestop is the only way to obtain this game. Kids will learn pretty quick NOT to shop at Gamestop for M games - and they'll figure out pretty quickly a way around this restriction. After all, we have actual LAWS with PUNISHMENTS for selling cigarettes, alcohol or porn to minors and I don't know about you, but I had ready access to all of that - and this was before the internet.
The problem with depending on the parents is that you could very well end up with some ignorant parent realizing after the fact that their kid got a hold of a game they weren't supposed to have, and then trying to sue the store for knowingly selling inappropriate material to a minor.
The main sticking point is that unlike porn, booze or cigarettes, there isn't a corresponding LAW forbidding the sale of "M" video games or "R" rated movie tickets - enforcement is entirely voluntary. So I'm not really sure what the outcome of the case would be if it were to go into the courts. My guess would be that the store would settle out of court, paying a chunk of money to the outraged parents.
The game's rated "M" anyways. According to the rating, no one under 17 is supposed to play, much less buy, the game. All Gamestop is doing is enforcing that rating. It's no different than the rare movie theater that prevents unaccompanied minors from buying tickets to R-rated movies. (I've personally never seen a theater do this, but I'm told they exist.)
Vista is just a conspiracy between Microsoft and the hardware companies to get everyone to spend at least $500 on hardware for an OS no one really needs.
Could someone PLEASE explain to me why it is that Aero NEEDS a 128MB video card when it doesn't do anything beyond what Stardock.com's Object Desktop has been doing for the past 8 years!?
This game doesn't just suck. It teases and tantalizes you with hints of greatness - and then just proceeds to obliterate your spirit and crush your hopes.
MOO3 is like the girl you dated who was really bad for you, and even though you know you're better off without her, every so often, you feel a twang of nostalgia, or think "maybe THIS time will be different..."
Fortunately I got rid of the game so I won't be tempted to reinstall it ever again.
I wouldn't worry about jumping around too much. So long as there's a good reason it's not usually a problem. I've also left a few jobs off my resume completely and simply put "miscellaneous contract positions".
People have been putting solar panels on their roofs for years. With convertors that allow them to sell excess electricity BACK to utility company at same pricess, an average installation generates enough electricity during the day to pay for electricity used at night. Many people end up with electric bills pretty close to $0 - AND without having the added complexity and danger of storing hydrogen gas. The only downside is that even with local and federal subsidies, you're still looking at about $10-15k, which is a ROI of about 12 years.
Still if the idea of watching your electric meter spin backwards appeals to you, these systems bear investigation.
Enjoying videogame music is no different than Enjoying movie, TV, or anime soundtracks.
The music helps you remember and relive those moments from that game/movie/show.
After all, who DOESN'T think of their favorite scene from Episode IV whenever they hear the main fanfare from the Star Wars theme? In fact, I bet there's a lot of people who can tell you what was happening on screen at the exact moment certain strains of music were playing.
Just because it doesn't contain the complexities of, say, Bach, or the melodic playfulness of Mozart doesn't change its emotional impact from within the game (or show/movie).
Blu-Ray? Blu-ray is irrelevant. I guarantee we'll hear plenty about players that can handle both Blu-Ran AND HD-DVD while also upscaling your regular DVDs (something the PS3 can't do!) AND will cost less than $500 by Christmas. Single format players, including the PS3, are now obsolete. Sony's plans of using the PS3 to help Blu-Ray conquer the market have failed.
That leaves games. Sony better realize that they only way to sell a GAMING CONSOLE is to help their developers produce lots of GAMES.
I'm not interested in IPTV - I already have Tivo and Netflix - that's already too much to keep up with. If I buy a PS3, it's going to be so I can play games. No games, no PS3.
There have been rumors of MGS being released on the 360. Nothing has been made definite, and for now, Konami denies the rumor. I think we'll see MGS on the 360 eventually, seeing as how it happend for the original Xbox.
As for Final Fantasy, that probably won't happen. However, Square-Enix has made some vague noises about putting out an RPG of some sort for the 360.
Sorry, but if a 7-year old kid can swing the controller hard enough to lose her grip, snap the strap, and still nail the TV hard enough to damage the screen, there's something wrong.
It would be one thing if the Wii wasn't intended for children. However, even Nintendo's demo kiosks show happy smiling children and adults swinging their arms with enough force to chuck the remote across the room.
And even if there wasn't a problem, why did Nintendo release the Wii in Europe with a much thicker lanyard compared to the US and Japan?
The only thing that keeps this from being a continuing comedy of errors is the fact that Nintendo has bowed to public pressure and is offering free, stronger, wrist straps to all customers. Hopefully this will end the problem.
Yes, yes, my sister had one of those when she was 7.
Anyways, not everyone is going to live in a shoebox with more PCs and other gadgets running in a small 10'x10'.
And besides, why would you want to stay in such a room? It'd be hot and noisy. Better to put your machines in a closet with some homemade, proper ventilation - such as duct that goes out to the garage or something.
Finally, I guarantee that a gas furnace is going to be much more efficient at heating a house than a handful of lightbulbs. Seriously.
In my city, they just outlawed recessed lighting due to fire concerns. We just made it under the the wire there. What's silly though is that if you have recessed lighting installed, you HAVE to put in the standard incandescent floodlamps for the inspection - even though EVERYONE swaps those out for CFLs.
In the kitchen, your primary light source must be a flourescent fixture - as in tubes, not CFLs. I don't know if this has changed or not.
Apparentally you have to put incandescents in your bathroom, so the building code in my city is a bit contradictory if you ask me, but then, what building code probably isn't a mess?
We have some older bulbs that are a weird pinkish-purple color which seems to get worse when the bulb is getting ready to die. However the newer bulbs are much brighter and whiter in terms of light.
Slashdot Mirror
Especially if you're only going to be running the OS, and not other applications.
My local Best Buy was selling Vista systems that had as little as 256MB of RAM that was shared with the on-board video card. True, these only had Home-Basic on them, but still, you can't tell me that a box with only 128-192MB of system RAM is going to be running Vista very well.
No! Don't you see? Vista was designed to do two things: sell hardware and stimulate the tech support service industry.
I was recently shopping for a new computer for my in-laws. I didn't want Vista. All the big-box stores had practically gotten rid of their XP PCs. Best Buy and MicroCenter had some left, but they were marked down.
What I found most disturbing was that the majority of the Vista PCs were severely under equipped for the job. Sure, they had a plenty fast processor, but most only came with 256MB or 512MB of RAM and integrated video cards that used up to 50% of the system's main RAM! Still, the PC area was packed by folks looking for a new Vista-installed PC.
The clerks in the area immediatly tried to show me one of these worthless systems, but I firmly told them I was not interested in Vista. One took me aside saying he didn't blame me and confirmed my assessment that most of the systems they were selling wouldn't even run Vista very well. Instead he pointed me to the small stack of XP systems they had left which were marked down 20%. We ended up choosing a Gateway system that has a Pentium D processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive for $600.
If you want a little game with your story, check out the Xenosaga games. Be warned, they have cutscenes that will run 20, even 40 minutes.
For TBS, the PC is still the king with its tradition of 4x type titles. I've heard good things about Dominion3 as a sort of Master of Magic clone. The game is supposed to have a huge learning curve and comes with a pretty extensive (printed!) manual - something that's all too rare for games nowadays.
Although I don't know of any TBS games with a strong story, other than the so-called "Strategy RPGs" on the consoles which are mostly subjected to the same story cliches most other console RPGs suffer from.
Video game hardware has almost always been sold initially at a loss. It's one way to attract consumers in the begining. Meanwhile, the companies make that money back (and more, hopefully) through the licensing agreements they have with the software publishers as well as through the sale of extra controllers, memory cards, etc. It's essentially the same strategy started with razors - sell the handle cheap but charge a lot for the blades - not to mention inkjet printers ($50 for the printer - $30 for the ink?!)
So yes, Sony's losing about $300 per PS3 sold according to guesses by industry experts. The PS2, as I recall, originally was costing Sony about $150-200 when it was first released.
Unlike the PS2, however, the PS3 is suffering from a severe lack of decent games. Even initial PS3 sales were pretty disappointing since many of those PS3s were bought by people intending to sell the system on Ebay - so they didn't buy any accessories or games.
Right now, the PS3 only has 1 good exclusive game, and a selection of games that are available on the 360 as well. These multi-platform games look and play almost identically on the 360 - which costs less than the PS3. In addition, many of those games are already part of the 360's bargin line so even the games are cheaper on the 360 as well.
That's exactly how I look at it. I bought a PS2 at launch because there were 3 games out that I wanted to play - SSX, DOA2, and Dynasty Warriors 2. $300 console, 3 games.
The PS3 is $600, so there had better be a library of about 6 titles that are either exclusive to the PS3, or somehow better on the PS3 than other platforms (360, PC, etc.) Until a game is actually released, it doesn't count towards this amount. I've seen way too many games get cancelled or delayed to base a purchase on something that doesn't exist yet.
Looking at the lineup of planned releases, this won't occur until roughly mid-2008. This assumes we won't see additional changes in release dates, or see formerly exclusive games suddenly go multi-platform. The latter is the biggest fear I have for the PS3. With low sales, game studios may rethink their business plans regarding the PS3, which could lead to a nasty cycle of "no games -> no sales -> no developers -> no games..."
What you want is a strategy game, not a straight up RPG.
Honestly, get a PS2 and track down a copy of Disgaea 1 or 2, perhaps the best strategy RPGs out there. You control Laharl, a demon prince whose father has just passed away. Now Laharl has to prove that he has what it takes to be the King of the underworld. Along with him is his childhood friend and servant, Etna, who controls an army of Prinnies - psychotic plushie penguins which will explode if you throw them (D00d!), and Flonne, an angel sent to the underworld to find out what happend to the demon king.
You have a couple of special characters, such as Laharl around which the story revolves, but you'll have to also create an army from wizards, clerics, fighters, etc. You can even capture enemy monsters, and later add them to your army! Each class has its own skills or spells that it can learn. Additional classes will become available as your characters progress. You can change classes as well, so if you want your lvl.10 fighter to start learning to be a cleric, so be it. He'll start off at lvl.1 but retain any skills he may have already learned. You can have something like 200 characters in your army, though you'll only be able to put 10-15 on the field at any time (memory's a bit fuzzy on the numbers.)
Combat is your standard square grid, with different types of terrain influencing attack/defense. You dispatch your army through a portal on the field where the various enemies are scattered. There's a lot of factors to be considered, and when you throw in the puzzle-like color-grid system, it can get pretty complicated.
In addition to the campaign scenarios you will need to win in order to move the story forward, you can venture inside any item or weapon in a series of random battlefields. Clearing these battles will increase the power of that item.
My current desktop is 7 years old, but was pretty close to the high-end when it was new. Yes, it could run Vista - even Aero.
My mother's desktop is 3-4 years old, and no, it won't run Vista. At least, not very well since it's only got 256M of RAM and a integrated video card that uses 64M of system RAM. Oh yeah, and forget about Aero.
Anyways, say for about $100 the system can be upgraded to have a video card with some dedicated memory, and max out the RAM. That's still $100 on a system that as far as my mom's concerned, works just fine. And then you want to spend another $100 or so on Vista itself?
Rememeber, the claim is "Vista is for consumers." How is spending $200 to just upgrade the OS, and who knows how much more to replace all the non-Vista-compatible software a consumer product? For what benefit? A prettier UI that requires her to learn how to use her computer all over again? What's the benefit in that? Heck, just spend the $100 improving the machine for XP would be a better use of the money.
I assure you, there are many, many, many times more people like my mom than there are tinkerers, hobbyists or others who consider messing with the computer's OS "fun".
From the consumers' point of view, the OS is not the reason for the computer - it's the applications.
Also from the consumers' point of view, Vista provides high cost for little improvement - that doesn't seem like a smart buy regardless of who you are.
How is Vista "built for consumers"? At least tinkerers, hobbyists and sysadmins are used to having to tweak and be expert users - it comes with the territory of being on the leading edge. Consumers, on the other hand, don't care about any of that. They just want a computer that WORKS. If anything, they're harder to design for because of their requirements - something that Microsoft hasn't learned yet.
Meanwhile, Vista requires pretty stiff hardware upgrades, and even most systems IN STORES NOW are underpowered with regards to what Vista requires. Consumers don't run bleeding edge hardware. How is Vista for them?
There are tons of reported problems with existing hardware and applications - and this was after a long and extensive beta period?!? How does this make Vista a consumer product?
Seems to me that the only ones benefitting from Vista are tech support companies, hardware vendors, and of course Microsoft.
The sad part is that many people are eagerly bending over with a smile on their face...
Oh well. Their pain and suffering will mean that by the time the rest of us upgrade, Vista may actually be usable....either that or Vienna will be out and we can start this whole process. ALL. Over. Again.
Unfortunatly, you don't have much of a choice anymore...
If you want to buy a new PC or laptop - even for business - it's getting harder and harder to find one that DOESN'T come with Vista. As a gamer, this makes no sense to me since most of these systems don't have a proper "DX10" video card in them and as I've been told, DX10 won't work with a "DX9" video card (no, that doesn't make any sense to me either.) Sure, you'll be able to run Vista but as soon as you try running a game that requires DX10, you're, supposedly, SOL.
Meanwhile, stores are desparate to get rid of anything that DOESN'T have Vista on it, which could mean it's a good time to get a new PC or laptop. Best Buy, for instance, is selling non-Vista PCs for 20% off, non-Vista laptops are 15% off.
Um...that's what I said.
Exactly.
Most of the ancedotal stories I've heard from game store employees over the years is that when one of them TRIED to refuse a sale of a "M" game to a kid, said kid would get his enraged parent to come into the store and yell at the clerk and his manager for violating constitutional rights. Most stories ended with the parent storming out of the store, vowing never to return. Definitely not a red-letter day for customer service...
Besides, it's not as though Gamestop is the only way to obtain this game. Kids will learn pretty quick NOT to shop at Gamestop for M games - and they'll figure out pretty quickly a way around this restriction. After all, we have actual LAWS with PUNISHMENTS for selling cigarettes, alcohol or porn to minors and I don't know about you, but I had ready access to all of that - and this was before the internet.
The problem with depending on the parents is that you could very well end up with some ignorant parent realizing after the fact that their kid got a hold of a game they weren't supposed to have, and then trying to sue the store for knowingly selling inappropriate material to a minor.
The main sticking point is that unlike porn, booze or cigarettes, there isn't a corresponding LAW forbidding the sale of "M" video games or "R" rated movie tickets - enforcement is entirely voluntary. So I'm not really sure what the outcome of the case would be if it were to go into the courts. My guess would be that the store would settle out of court, paying a chunk of money to the outraged parents.
The game's rated "M" anyways. According to the rating, no one under 17 is supposed to play, much less buy, the game. All Gamestop is doing is enforcing that rating. It's no different than the rare movie theater that prevents unaccompanied minors from buying tickets to R-rated movies. (I've personally never seen a theater do this, but I'm told they exist.)
Vista is just a conspiracy between Microsoft and the hardware companies to get everyone to spend at least $500 on hardware for an OS no one really needs.
Could someone PLEASE explain to me why it is that Aero NEEDS a 128MB video card when it doesn't do anything beyond what Stardock.com's Object Desktop has been doing for the past 8 years!?
Ugh. Moo3.
This game doesn't just suck. It teases and tantalizes you with hints of greatness - and then just proceeds to obliterate your spirit and crush your hopes.
MOO3 is like the girl you dated who was really bad for you, and even though you know you're better off without her, every so often, you feel a twang of nostalgia, or think "maybe THIS time will be different..."
Fortunately I got rid of the game so I won't be tempted to reinstall it ever again.
You hear me, Moo3? NEVER AGAIN!
I really wish they'd make a sequel to Tronne Bonn.
It was a cute quirky game even though I never liked the original Mega Man games.
I wouldn't worry about jumping around too much. So long as there's a good reason it's not usually a problem. I've also left a few jobs off my resume completely and simply put "miscellaneous contract positions".
People have been putting solar panels on their roofs for years. With convertors that allow them to sell excess electricity BACK to utility company at same pricess, an average installation generates enough electricity during the day to pay for electricity used at night. Many people end up with electric bills pretty close to $0 - AND without having the added complexity and danger of storing hydrogen gas. The only downside is that even with local and federal subsidies, you're still looking at about $10-15k, which is a ROI of about 12 years.
Still if the idea of watching your electric meter spin backwards appeals to you, these systems bear investigation.
Enjoying videogame music is no different than Enjoying movie, TV, or anime soundtracks.
The music helps you remember and relive those moments from that game/movie/show.
After all, who DOESN'T think of their favorite scene from Episode IV whenever they hear the main fanfare from the Star Wars theme? In fact, I bet there's a lot of people who can tell you what was happening on screen at the exact moment certain strains of music were playing.
Just because it doesn't contain the complexities of, say, Bach, or the melodic playfulness of Mozart doesn't change its emotional impact from within the game (or show/movie).
Blu-Ray? Blu-ray is irrelevant. I guarantee we'll hear plenty about players that can handle both Blu-Ran AND HD-DVD while also upscaling your regular DVDs (something the PS3 can't do!) AND will cost less than $500 by Christmas. Single format players, including the PS3, are now obsolete. Sony's plans of using the PS3 to help Blu-Ray conquer the market have failed.
That leaves games. Sony better realize that they only way to sell a GAMING CONSOLE is to help their developers produce lots of GAMES.
I'm not interested in IPTV - I already have Tivo and Netflix - that's already too much to keep up with. If I buy a PS3, it's going to be so I can play games. No games, no PS3.
There have been rumors of MGS being released on the 360. Nothing has been made definite, and for now, Konami denies the rumor. I think we'll see MGS on the 360 eventually, seeing as how it happend for the original Xbox.
As for Final Fantasy, that probably won't happen. However, Square-Enix has made some vague noises about putting out an RPG of some sort for the 360.
Sorry, but if a 7-year old kid can swing the controller hard enough to lose her grip, snap the strap, and still nail the TV hard enough to damage the screen, there's something wrong.
It would be one thing if the Wii wasn't intended for children. However, even Nintendo's demo kiosks show happy smiling children and adults swinging their arms with enough force to chuck the remote across the room.
And even if there wasn't a problem, why did Nintendo release the Wii in Europe with a much thicker lanyard compared to the US and Japan?
The only thing that keeps this from being a continuing comedy of errors is the fact that Nintendo has bowed to public pressure and is offering free, stronger, wrist straps to all customers. Hopefully this will end the problem.
Yes, yes, my sister had one of those when she was 7.
Anyways, not everyone is going to live in a shoebox with more PCs and other gadgets running in a small 10'x10'.
And besides, why would you want to stay in such a room? It'd be hot and noisy. Better to put your machines in a closet with some homemade, proper ventilation - such as duct that goes out to the garage or something.
Finally, I guarantee that a gas furnace is going to be much more efficient at heating a house than a handful of lightbulbs. Seriously.
The building codes will vary from city to city.
In my city, they just outlawed recessed lighting due to fire concerns. We just made it under the the wire there. What's silly though is that if you have recessed lighting installed, you HAVE to put in the standard incandescent floodlamps for the inspection - even though EVERYONE swaps those out for CFLs.
In the kitchen, your primary light source must be a flourescent fixture - as in tubes, not CFLs. I don't know if this has changed or not.
Apparentally you have to put incandescents in your bathroom, so the building code in my city is a bit contradictory if you ask me, but then, what building code probably isn't a mess?
We have some older bulbs that are a weird pinkish-purple color which seems to get worse when the bulb is getting ready to die. However the newer bulbs are much brighter and whiter in terms of light.