Sorry, this is outright wrong. We aren't talking about Linux PC gaming where you have to almost have different kernel configurations for every single game that exists... Rather, we are talking about Windows PC gaming where you put the CD into your drive, click "Install" when it autoruns, wait 5 minutes, and play the game.
Also, high-end PCs aren't even close to dead. Notice all those games coming out recently that require top-notch hardware? Well, guess what? Those wouldn't be selling if people didn't have the hardware to run them on...
Also, with many of the high-end PCs, it's not possible to build them yourself for 1/2 the price. It just isn't. Price out a PC with all the current high-end gaming-oriented software and then compare it to an offering by Alienware (or any similar company). The price differece isn't that much.
Sure, you could build that "gaming PC" for $1000 but it's going to suck in comparison to those speficially designed by someone that actually knows what he's doing (whether this be an indivdual gamer or any number of different companies).
My PC's current "worth" is about $4500 (CDN) ("worth" meaning the retail cost of the parts. Yes, I'm aware that I could not possibly hope to sell this to anybody for the same amount) and I challenge any cheapass sub $2000 "gaming pc" to even try to outperform it. It won't.
"[Regarding UPNP]It seems to provide all the functionality I want, but I don't like the fact that it is developed by Microsoft"
See, this is what defines a dumbass. The functionality is provided, the technology is here, you admit that this is what you need, but then you disparage it just because it was developed by microsoft.
Swallow your perceived pride and just use the damn stuff instead of looking for a less-functional alternative.
Every single time square wavers from the RPG genre the result is a game that really sucks.
I liked Final Fantasy all the way up to FF7. FF8 and onwards have been among my least favorite games.
Take Driving Emotion type S for instance. Many people would tell you that it's quite possibly the worst racing game ever programmed on ANY platform. Likewise with Ehrgeiz (sorry, I shouldn't have done that to the English language).
It could be that my tastes are evolving... Hell, it could be that I haven't really played a console game that I enjoyed since FF7; I don't know. Either way the conclusion is the same: Square is (or rather was) good at making one specific genre of game.
I predict that FFXI will be a failure and that even the biggest square fanboys will abandon it in a moments notice.
I also predict that it will be a failure on the PS2 for the following reasons:
You need the PS2 network adapter to connect.
You need the PS2 hard-drive to install and maintain the game.
Both of these accessories cost money. Almost as much as a second PS2. Almost every gaming accessory ever released for any console has failed miserably (Sega CD, 32X, etc...)
Square was one of those companies that used to be cool. Now however, it's just producing sub-stanard games with revolting storylines who's sales are driven by the memory of what Square once was.
So what you're basically saying is "WineX is good if you want to run games that nobody wants to play"
If it doesn't work then it doesn't work. There aren't really any excuses.
Of the 8 games that I installed and tried to use with WineX 2.1, only half actually worked.
Again, no excuses. His WineX experience was soured. He'll probably now go around telling people that it sucks despite all it's triumphs in the recent years.
What would happen if say... Doom 3, or something similar, was Linux only?
The answer to this is fairly simple:
The game would sell well in linux circles but it would most likely just be ignored by everybody else. You can't honestly expect somebody to switch operating systems just to play something that is dubbed as a killer game. Remember... The next time they get up in the morning and want to use their computer everything will be different.
This isn't meant as a troll, but linux has a very long way to go on the desktop. I had a linux partition on my PC which I immediately reformatted to NTFS as soon as I acquired a new Powerbook G4. Funny thing is, when I bought my Powerbook, I also bought the Yellow Hat Linux CDs but have neglected to install it... I don't see a point. I'll end up giving the cds to the first friend of mine who asks.
Do a little digging around and you'll find that various DVI connectors aren't compatible with each other.
The Apple-made DVI to ADC converter will allow you to run your monitor on PCs...
Here is a link to it on Apple's website. You can order the part from any Apple store. Most carry them in stock. This also will connect to your USB port to make the ports on the monitor function normally.
I have to point out that the difference would be immediately obvious.
CD Audio supports 2 channels with 16 bits per channel at 44.1 khz.
SACD supports 5.1 channels (IIRC) with 24 bits per channel at 96 khz.
The fact that there are more supported channels will immediately impact the sound quality and can make for some "trippy" effects.
Of course, you have to have a stereo that can take advantage of this. I'm not talking about an "audiophile" rig, but rather something that supports 5.1 channels in order to take advantage of it.
Don't expect to hear a difference between CD and SACD on a pair of headphones, no matter how good they are.
I don't mean to troll, but it seems that a lot of people on here are looking for little loopholes that attempt to force companies to use open source.
Think about it this way:
MS tries to force people to use their software because they claim that anything else would be stupid.
The open source movement tries to force people to use their software because they claim that anything else would be stupid.
Soon, the argument is going to switch from "Use this software becase it's got these features" to "use this software because we say you have to".
In the end, it all comes down to functionality. An example:
GIMP is a nice little program. I recommend it to anybody who doesn't have the money to purchase an image editor. You can do cool things with GIMP including making your own plugins, running it from the command line (cool for web-scripts), and much more. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, GIMP isn't half the program that Photoshop is. Sure, GIMP was developed by a group of dedicated programmers that obviously are passionate about their work and are truly helping a "greater cause", but that hardly matters.
People... Software, be it closed or open source, has to be about functionality and not about pushing agendas.
In my opinion, copy-protected CDs should be packaged much like cigarettes in Canada. In other words, the government should mandate that not less than 50% of the package should be devoted to a warning similar to "This is not a conventional CD that may not play in a conventional CD player and may cause damage to hi-fi stereo equipment".
Of course, this warning label should be in big, bold, black text on a white background.
At the very least, this would make these CDs a very unattractive proposition.
But of course that is probably not likely to happen.
I have to disagree with this comment. It's nice to assume that everybody is good-spirited and well meaning, but as we all know, that is not the case.
Is the average "white/gray hat" hacker going to release a bastard of a program on P2P networks? Probably not.
The problem is that a lot of people, (collectively referred to as "script kiddies") don't even think about the consequences of their actions. When they are spread an infected copy of a popular program, they are doing it so that they can say to their friends "d00ds, look what I just did" and won't take the time to consider the morallity or ethics of their actions.
No, the networks aren't likely to come crashing down and self-destruct, but at some point, people are at least going to be wary of downloading binaries off of P2P networks.
"...but I'm hoping this version takes advantage of the Ps2's graphic capabilites, rather then what I've seen on EQ before."
Sorry to say it, but the PS2 (nor any other console on the market for that matter) cannot possibly compare itself to a half-decent PC. Sure, the PS2 looks great on a super-low resolution NTSC screen, but at the end of the day, is it going to run Max Payne at 1280x1024 at over 80fps? I don't think so.
No console on the market today has that kind of power no matter what the fanboys tell you.
Also, I forgot to include that my video card drivers were generic cause my GeForce, for whatever reason, wasn't detected.
This means going to nvidia, downloading the drivers, downloading GLX, not being able to start the xserver cause I accidently installed the wrong ones (again, they weren't immedately obvious) but luckily remember a keystroke to get back to a console.
Start up lynx, replace the files, fumble around with the command line version of RPM which I don't know how to use.
Watch the installation fail, download the tarball, compile, move files, fumble around with RPM a little bit more, edit my X config files.
FINALLY get it working.
First, I'll start off by saying that I consider myself "comfortable" with Linux. I can understand most of it and can basically blunder my way through the things that I don't totally get.
This is my biggest complaint and gripe with linux: Things are too dependent on one another which often makes for a hell of a lot of frustration.
This is how I started out:
I went to the store and bought a RedHat boxed distro (a long time ago). Blundered, blundered, blundered, eventually got internet connectivity, eventually learned the beauty of./configure, make, make install, etc, eventually got on IRC to ask for help on specific problems... The list goes on...
A few weeks ago I wanted to install a small game that looked kinda cool on my Linux box. The game was so obscure that I can't even remember the name of it now (BTW: It sucked and wasn't nearly as fun as the screenshots made it look), the process to install the game took many, many hours...
First, I tried to compile the source.
Can't because I need library x.
Surf the net to find library x.
Try to compile library x.
Can't need library y.
Connect to the net, download library y.
Try to compile library y.
Can't; need library z.
etc...
Frustrated, look for RPMS.
Ok, somewhat more useability.
Re-try to compile library z.
Can't because GCC wasn't compiled with certain options.
Recompile my compiler with options that weren't immediately obvious.
Make bails out because I forgot to download a different part of the compiler.
Download that, try to recompile again.
Successful, compile library z and y without problems.
Try to compile library x.
Can't, need new binutils.
Connect, find the binutils, try to compile.
Can't, need new glibc.
*I start to get pissed*
Re-compile glibc with a new version.
Compile library x.
Can't, need new QT
*Really pissed now*
Get QT, compile.
Finally compile library x.
Finally compile/install game.
Spend forever looking for the game binary because the documentation didn't tell you where it put it.
Get pissed and just df -a | grep "binname" cause I didn't know how to use the other utilities.
Finally find the game.
Finally play the game.
The game sucks.
This is what's annoying.
It took longer than 8 hours to get a little pidly game up and running. I know loki does a better job, but still, situations like these have to be remidied.
Since I like to learn, I bothred to recompile everything that I needed but it's obvious that people less inclined would just give up the first try.
I find it semi-amusing that FutureTech chooses to issue their own security certificate...
I guess it's imperative that you have a secure connection to see what kind of products they offer.
I realized this after I posted, however, I never did anything about it since you can't edit your comments.
My train of thought has derailed several times today.
It it just me or has anybody else noticed that the Playstation2 has failed to live up to the hype?
Currently, there are still no _good_ games out on the market. It is most certainly not up to the caliber of other systems such as the Sega Dreamcast or even the Super Nintendo (possibly the best console ever made).
The more I think about it, the more I regret my purchase. Currently, the Playstation2 is a DVD player that happens to play games instead of the other way around.
Maybe with time it will change, however, 90% of all console accessories ever released failed.
N64 released it's video ram expansion and added an option on some games to run them in high-resolution mode. Imagine my surprise when I ran a game in "hi-res" mode only to discover that it skipped frames and was essentially unplayable.
Slashdot Mirror
A graphics chipset is a graphics chipset...
It isn't going to run any cooler just because it's integrated into the motherboard.
To be fair, installing Adobe Acrobat on Windows gives you the print-to-PDF driver too.
One problem. Adobe Acrobat costs $250. The print-to-PDF driver isn't included with free, downloadable version.
Under OSX, the print-to-PDF feature is built in. You don't have to pay extra for it.
Sorry, this is outright wrong.
We aren't talking about Linux PC gaming where you have to almost have different kernel configurations for every single game that exists... Rather, we are talking about Windows PC gaming where you put the CD into your drive, click "Install" when it autoruns, wait 5 minutes, and play the game.
Also, high-end PCs aren't even close to dead. Notice all those games coming out recently that require top-notch hardware? Well, guess what? Those wouldn't be selling if people didn't have the hardware to run them on...
Also, with many of the high-end PCs, it's not possible to build them yourself for 1/2 the price. It just isn't. Price out a PC with all the current high-end gaming-oriented software and then compare it to an offering by Alienware (or any similar company). The price differece isn't that much.
Sure, you could build that "gaming PC" for $1000 but it's going to suck in comparison to those speficially designed by someone that actually knows what he's doing (whether this be an indivdual gamer or any number of different companies).
My PC's current "worth" is about $4500 (CDN) ("worth" meaning the retail cost of the parts. Yes, I'm aware that I could not possibly hope to sell this to anybody for the same amount) and I challenge any cheapass sub $2000 "gaming pc" to even try to outperform it. It won't.
"[Regarding UPNP]It seems to provide all the functionality I want, but I don't like the fact that it is developed by Microsoft"
See, this is what defines a dumbass. The functionality is provided, the technology is here, you admit that this is what you need, but then you disparage it just because it was developed by microsoft. Swallow your perceived pride and just use the damn stuff instead of looking for a less-functional alternative.
I liked Final Fantasy all the way up to FF7. FF8 and onwards have been among my least favorite games.
Take Driving Emotion type S for instance. Many people would tell you that it's quite possibly the worst racing game ever programmed on ANY platform. Likewise with Ehrgeiz (sorry, I shouldn't have done that to the English language).
It could be that my tastes are evolving... Hell, it could be that I haven't really played a console game that I enjoyed since FF7; I don't know. Either way the conclusion is the same: Square is (or rather was) good at making one specific genre of game.
I predict that FFXI will be a failure and that even the biggest square fanboys will abandon it in a moments notice.
I also predict that it will be a failure on the PS2 for the following reasons:
Both of these accessories cost money. Almost as much as a second PS2. Almost every gaming accessory ever released for any console has failed miserably (Sega CD, 32X, etc...)
Square was one of those companies that used to be cool. Now however, it's just producing sub-stanard games with revolting storylines who's sales are driven by the memory of what Square once was.
Let's make this very clear: if you want to find people too cheap to buy an operating system, try looking at windows users.
Yeah, it's not like they pay for windows when they buy their name-brand pre-loaded computers.
Of course, you could just bite the bullet and download Windows Media Player for Mac OS X.
Funny thing is that it's still called "Windows Media Player" when you install it.
So what you're basically saying is "WineX is good if you want to run games that nobody wants to play"
If it doesn't work then it doesn't work. There aren't really any excuses.
Of the 8 games that I installed and tried to use with WineX 2.1, only half actually worked.
Again, no excuses. His WineX experience was soured. He'll probably now go around telling people that it sucks despite all it's triumphs in the recent years.
What would happen if say... Doom 3, or something similar, was Linux only?
The answer to this is fairly simple:
The game would sell well in linux circles but it would most likely just be ignored by everybody else. You can't honestly expect somebody to switch operating systems just to play something that is dubbed as a killer game. Remember... The next time they get up in the morning and want to use their computer everything will be different.
This isn't meant as a troll, but linux has a very long way to go on the desktop. I had a linux partition on my PC which I immediately reformatted to NTFS as soon as I acquired a new Powerbook G4. Funny thing is, when I bought my Powerbook, I also bought the Yellow Hat Linux CDs but have neglected to install it... I don't see a point. I'll end up giving the cds to the first friend of mine who asks.
Do a little digging around and you'll find that various DVI connectors aren't compatible with each other.
The Apple-made DVI to ADC converter will allow you to run your monitor on PCs...
Here is a link to it on Apple's website. You can order the part from any Apple store. Most carry them in stock. This also will connect to your USB port to make the ports on the monitor function normally.
I have to point out that the difference would be immediately obvious.
CD Audio supports 2 channels with 16 bits per channel at 44.1 khz.
SACD supports 5.1 channels (IIRC) with 24 bits per channel at 96 khz.
The fact that there are more supported channels will immediately impact the sound quality and can make for some "trippy" effects.
Of course, you have to have a stereo that can take advantage of this. I'm not talking about an "audiophile" rig, but rather something that supports 5.1 channels in order to take advantage of it.
Don't expect to hear a difference between CD and SACD on a pair of headphones, no matter how good they are.
Sorry, this is hardly true...
Generic PC - spend a few hundred dollars and you can try just about everything _except_ Mac OS X.
Mac - spend over a grand and you can try just about everything except MS Windows.
Remember, the "PPC" lettering on linux distributions aren't just there to make the box look sexier.
If Microsoft has it's way, what makes you think that everybody is going to switch to Linux?
I know that most users, given the choice, much prefer working in Aqua than in KDE or Gnome.
Granted, there's the hardware issue, but I personally don't see a mass exodus from Windows to Linux happening anytime soon.
I know the parent is just a joke, but if you don't buy the console in the first place, isn't Microsoft eating a $350 loss instead of just $150?
With that kind of logic, you should seriously consider a career at the RIAA.
I don't mean to troll, but it seems that a lot of people on here are looking for little loopholes that attempt to force companies to use open source.
Think about it this way:
MS tries to force people to use their software because they claim that anything else would be stupid.
The open source movement tries to force people to use their software because they claim that anything else would be stupid.
Soon, the argument is going to switch from "Use this software becase it's got these features" to "use this software because we say you have to".
In the end, it all comes down to functionality. An example:
GIMP is a nice little program. I recommend it to anybody who doesn't have the money to purchase an image editor. You can do cool things with GIMP including making your own plugins, running it from the command line (cool for web-scripts), and much more. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, GIMP isn't half the program that Photoshop is. Sure, GIMP was developed by a group of dedicated programmers that obviously are passionate about their work and are truly helping a "greater cause", but that hardly matters.
People... Software, be it closed or open source, has to be about functionality and not about pushing agendas.
In my opinion, copy-protected CDs should be packaged much like cigarettes in Canada. In other words, the government should mandate that not less than 50% of the package should be devoted to a warning similar to "This is not a conventional CD that may not play in a conventional CD player and may cause damage to hi-fi stereo equipment".
Of course, this warning label should be in big, bold, black text on a white background.
At the very least, this would make these CDs a very unattractive proposition.
But of course that is probably not likely to happen.
I have to disagree with this comment.
It's nice to assume that everybody is good-spirited and well meaning, but as we all know, that is not the case.
Is the average "white/gray hat" hacker going to release a bastard of a program on P2P networks? Probably not.
The problem is that a lot of people, (collectively referred to as "script kiddies") don't even think about the consequences of their actions. When they are spread an infected copy of a popular program, they are doing it so that they can say to their friends "d00ds, look what I just did" and won't take the time to consider the morallity or ethics of their actions.
No, the networks aren't likely to come crashing down and self-destruct, but at some point, people are at least going to be wary of downloading binaries off of P2P networks.
"...but I'm hoping this version takes advantage of the Ps2's graphic capabilites, rather then what I've seen on EQ before." Sorry to say it, but the PS2 (nor any other console on the market for that matter) cannot possibly compare itself to a half-decent PC. Sure, the PS2 looks great on a super-low resolution NTSC screen, but at the end of the day, is it going to run Max Payne at 1280x1024 at over 80fps? I don't think so. No console on the market today has that kind of power no matter what the fanboys tell you.
Sorry, I meant
du -a
Also, I forgot to include that my video card drivers were generic cause my GeForce, for whatever reason, wasn't detected.
This means going to nvidia, downloading the drivers, downloading GLX, not being able to start the xserver cause I accidently installed the wrong ones (again, they weren't immedately obvious) but luckily remember a keystroke to get back to a console.
Start up lynx, replace the files, fumble around with the command line version of RPM which I don't know how to use.
Watch the installation fail, download the tarball, compile, move files, fumble around with RPM a little bit more, edit my X config files.
FINALLY get it working.
First, I'll start off by saying that I consider myself "comfortable" with Linux. I can understand most of it and can basically blunder my way through the things that I don't totally get.
./configure, make, make install, etc, eventually got on IRC to ask for help on specific problems... The list goes on...
This is my biggest complaint and gripe with linux: Things are too dependent on one another which often makes for a hell of a lot of frustration.
This is how I started out:
I went to the store and bought a RedHat boxed distro (a long time ago). Blundered, blundered, blundered, eventually got internet connectivity, eventually learned the beauty of
A few weeks ago I wanted to install a small game that looked kinda cool on my Linux box. The game was so obscure that I can't even remember the name of it now (BTW: It sucked and wasn't nearly as fun as the screenshots made it look), the process to install the game took many, many hours...
First, I tried to compile the source.
Can't because I need library x.
Surf the net to find library x.
Try to compile library x.
Can't need library y.
Connect to the net, download library y.
Try to compile library y.
Can't; need library z.
etc...
Frustrated, look for RPMS.
Ok, somewhat more useability.
Re-try to compile library z.
Can't because GCC wasn't compiled with certain options.
Recompile my compiler with options that weren't immediately obvious.
Make bails out because I forgot to download a different part of the compiler.
Download that, try to recompile again.
Successful, compile library z and y without problems.
Try to compile library x.
Can't, need new binutils.
Connect, find the binutils, try to compile.
Can't, need new glibc.
*I start to get pissed*
Re-compile glibc with a new version.
Compile library x.
Can't, need new QT
*Really pissed now*
Get QT, compile.
Finally compile library x.
Finally compile/install game.
Spend forever looking for the game binary because the documentation didn't tell you where it put it.
Get pissed and just df -a | grep "binname" cause I didn't know how to use the other utilities.
Finally find the game.
Finally play the game.
The game sucks.
This is what's annoying.
It took longer than 8 hours to get a little pidly game up and running. I know loki does a better job, but still, situations like these have to be remidied.
Since I like to learn, I bothred to recompile everything that I needed but it's obvious that people less inclined would just give up the first try.
I find it semi-amusing that FutureTech chooses to issue their own security certificate...
I guess it's imperative that you have a secure connection to see what kind of products they offer.
I realized this after I posted, however, I never did anything about it since you can't edit your comments. My train of thought has derailed several times today.
It it just me or has anybody else noticed that the Playstation2 has failed to live up to the hype? Currently, there are still no _good_ games out on the market. It is most certainly not up to the caliber of other systems such as the Sega Dreamcast or even the Super Nintendo (possibly the best console ever made). The more I think about it, the more I regret my purchase. Currently, the Playstation2 is a DVD player that happens to play games instead of the other way around. Maybe with time it will change, however, 90% of all console accessories ever released failed. N64 released it's video ram expansion and added an option on some games to run them in high-resolution mode. Imagine my surprise when I ran a game in "hi-res" mode only to discover that it skipped frames and was essentially unplayable.