Exactly. I have a DS and gameplay wise I think it's superior to the GBA and PSP. Great games, the whole GBA library at your disposal. As hip, though? No. So I'm a dorky 30-something with a DS. I don't care.
Because some adults think it's cool to listen to their iPod while grocery shopping, in the can, etc. but "uncool" to play a Gameboy Advance or a DS, so they had to make it small and hip.
And I was just going to start learning AJAX. Sounded like a nice way to get some fat client capabilities. Like all things, maybe a little too good to be true.
Re:Really did innovate- not recently
on
Palm's Mistakes
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· Score: 1
First off, not everyone wants to be tethered to work via email constantly.
Secondly, Windows CE is now as good as Palm OS and the hardware Palm is putting out (minus the phones) bites. That's why Palm is dying.
This is exactly the problem that so many are missing. The problem isn't just the OS. Palm OS has its issues, but largely it's elegant and works well. The problem is that Palm hardware sucks. And they're virtually the only company making Palm OS-based hardware these days. So really your best bet is a Pocket PC. If only because the hardware is at least decent and you have some choice.
Competition is indeed a good thing, but Palm OS has festered and been neglected for years. I know it's elegant. But that doesn't matter. Microsoft caught up to them in terms of reliability and features and then lapped them. I use Linux as my desktop. Have done so for 5 years. But recently when faced with a dying Palm M130 I chose a Pocket PC instead. The OS hasn't gotten any better and the hardware has gotten much worse.
I've used Linux as my sole OS for almost 5 years now. I recently switched from an old dying Palm to Pocket PC because, frankly, the Palm hardware sucked. Minus the Treo (I already had a cell phone) the new hardware sucks. The screens are either painful to look at or they produce this high pitched whine after a couple months. They're really not made as well anymore. Which is indeed sad, but I think all technologists should be pragmatic. And I made the pragmatic choice to give up on Palm, because they've ceased making good products. And somewhere along the line they did something that made Sony, Handera and other good hardware makers abandon ship. So Palm OS died because of Palm and PalmSource. They have only themselves to blame. They sat around and rested while Windows-based hardware got better and the OS got liveable (I still like Palm OS better, but if the hardware is garbage it doesn't matter).
My wife loves her Zire 31 as well. And God bless those who do, because the screen on the Zire 31 gives me a headache. It's far too blurry and garish for me.
Me too. I had a Jornada 720 for a while. An HPC. It was *this* close, but just way too big and far too "Windows-centric", i.e. Start Menu, etc.
My wife, on the other hand, had a Diamond Mako (Psion Revo rebadged) and that frickin thing rocked. It was very elegant in terms of design and use. The problem is it never took off, so there was never enough software. The main app (other than calendar and contacts) that I use on my Pocket PC is this really good calorie tracking software. Something I probably wouldn't be able to find a comparable equivalnet of on the Psion, even if they still existed in their old form.
It's sad, though, because I think they made superior products, both OS-wise and in terms of hardware.
The reason for this is because the companies producing Pocket PC hardware are producing superior hardware. I'll grant you that Pocket PC may not be the most elegant OS for a PDA. I prefer Palm in this regard. But I own a Pocket PC, even though I use Linux and thus have to install all my software via Windows running over VMWare, precisely because the Pocket PCs are better devices, IMHO. I don't know what's happened lately, but Palm, in my opinion again, has gone downhill with regards to their hardware. The screens are often hard on the eyes. Or they often develop in a few months this problem where the screen buzzes or makes a high-pitched whine. I just find they're not making quality products, currently. And all the other players (Sony, Handspring, etc.) were either bought out or don't make Palms any longer.
It's sad to see, but I think it's important to recognize that Microsoft is "winning" in this case because Palm is doing a really poor job.
Your point? I don't think anyone said it was the prettiest machine. Nor the most ergonomic. Just that it was one of the most innovative and fun to play to come out in quite some time.
It is an excellent title. The DS is an excellent system. The non-reviewer rightfully points out that there are other games on this system that are similarly innovative. Meteos, Electroplankton, Kirby: Canvas Curse... the system is really hitting its stride with games that truly are totally different experiences.
I get you. I personally don't care who "wins", though. All I care about are the games, and right now IMHO, the DS has the games that are more fun to play. So the PSP doesn't even interest me.
That's sad, no silly that Nintendo hasn't released those games there. That's the meat of Nintendo's lineup. Meteos, Kirby, Advance Wars, Nintendogs and Electroplankton are all tremendous games. And you don't have most or all of them? That's a HUGE problem for Nintendo. What are they thinking?
Of course. Like the iPod, the PSP is the sexier device. The DS is very conceptual and strange and thus some people (although I think this attitude is silly) might be embarassed to whip their DS out and play it. But like a previous poster said, even between Kirby and Advance Wars you have two terrific games. Two of my favorite games ever. Nintendogs is fun. So is Electroplankton. Then later in the year we're (DS owners) getting Animal Crossing, Castlevania, all kinds of stuff. The DS has a better lineup now and a better lineup moving forward.
It is a salient point, but as far as the game lineup being better? Depends on your point of view, I suppose. The best game in the PSP lineup until a few weeks ago was Lumines. Meteos is roundly considered far superior. Then there's Kirby: Canvas Curse. Then this week we got Nintendogs and Advance Wars: Dual Strike, which also are quite good and arrived to rave reviews. So the DS was a little stuck in the mud at first, only having games like Mario 64 and Warioware to lean on, but right now I think the DS lineup is better. I owned a PSP (for Lumines) and was having ergonomic problems with the analog nub. So I started looking down the road. It was a very bleak road. Nothing really coming out that interested me. So I sold my PSP. The DS I'll never sell. Too many innovative, fun, interesting games to play. More on the way.
"That said... right now Nintendo's conceptual vision doesn't really line up with what I want to play. That's all. If I still owned a DS, right now I'd probably be really excited about Nintendogs and Electroplankton. And I doubt I could look at myself in the mirror without crying.:)"
Actually, you saying this says more about you than you actually playing these games. Nintendogs and Electroplankton are fun, relaxing and interesting experiences. No, you don't kill people, jack cars, score touchdowns, etc. but since when was there a limited scope of what games were supposed to be to be considered fun. I think what's out for the DS right now is far more interesting and creative than what's out for the PSP. And don't get me started on the analog nub. I've owned a PSP. I sold it because the analog nub was an ergonomic nightmare for me. I'm a computer programmer so my hands and arms give me trouble sometimes. So I have to stick to games that don't. And the DS touch-screen games are great in that respect. Plus they're fun and original and isn't that the point of gaming?
Exactly. If I want to blow stuff up and look real doing it, I have two systems to go to. If I want to play frisbee with a dog (yes, I play Nintendogs) or make plankton make music I have no choice but Nintendo. They time in and time out deliver interesting, fun, completely unrealistic experiences. And that's the charm. If I'm going to be "taken away" by a game, I want to be taken away to somewhere strange and different and fun. Even if it is kiddy.
I was always thought Ballmer was a little thick-necked.... looked like he was on the edge of rage.... Now it all makes sense. Any moment that shirt of his is going to rip open and you're going to see his hair turn black and his eyes turn green.
"RRrrrrrr. Hulk mad. Hulk smash Google!"
Re:signs you're a loser
on
PAX05 Writeup
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· Score: 1
The sign that you're not a loser, of course, is to make fun of those who are older and still enjoy having fun with their hobbies. A "real" adult buys a beamer, gets a trophy wife, buys a house (preferably a condo) has a couple kids and then proceeds to work 60 hour weeks so they can buy new plasma screen TVs. That's "real" adulthood, right?
Actually, real maturity or signs you aren't a loser are that...
A) You know what you want out of life and aren't afraid to go after it.
B) You understand that being happy and making connections with others is what life is all about.
C) You enjoy life.
I don't see what your problem is. I skateboard (or ride my bike) to the train everyday. On which I spend an hour or so a day playing my Nintendo DS before heading into work. I read Penny Arcade, laugh, do some work, head home and try to enjoy my evening hanging out with my wife and cats.
Slashdot Mirror
That's good. Especially because I'm picturing Alan Cox on "It's a Small World" or being hugged by Goofy. Good call.
Exactly. I have a DS and gameplay wise I think it's superior to the GBA and PSP. Great games, the whole GBA library at your disposal. As hip, though? No. So I'm a dorky 30-something with a DS. I don't care.
Because some adults think it's cool to listen to their iPod while grocery shopping, in the can, etc. but "uncool" to play a Gameboy Advance or a DS, so they had to make it small and hip.
Idiots.
It's like a better distro than Fedora. I use it on my laptop and it works great. CentOS goes on my desktop.
And I was just going to start learning AJAX. Sounded like a nice way to get some fat client capabilities. Like all things, maybe a little too good to be true.
First off, not everyone wants to be tethered to work via email constantly.
Secondly, Windows CE is now as good as Palm OS and the hardware Palm is putting out (minus the phones) bites. That's why Palm is dying.
The Onion predicted this day would came.
This is exactly the problem that so many are missing. The problem isn't just the OS. Palm OS has its issues, but largely it's elegant and works well. The problem is that Palm hardware sucks. And they're virtually the only company making Palm OS-based hardware these days. So really your best bet is a Pocket PC. If only because the hardware is at least decent and you have some choice.
Competition is indeed a good thing, but Palm OS has festered and been neglected for years. I know it's elegant. But that doesn't matter. Microsoft caught up to them in terms of reliability and features and then lapped them. I use Linux as my desktop. Have done so for 5 years. But recently when faced with a dying Palm M130 I chose a Pocket PC instead. The OS hasn't gotten any better and the hardware has gotten much worse.
I've used Linux as my sole OS for almost 5 years now. I recently switched from an old dying Palm to Pocket PC because, frankly, the Palm hardware sucked. Minus the Treo (I already had a cell phone) the new hardware sucks. The screens are either painful to look at or they produce this high pitched whine after a couple months. They're really not made as well anymore. Which is indeed sad, but I think all technologists should be pragmatic. And I made the pragmatic choice to give up on Palm, because they've ceased making good products. And somewhere along the line they did something that made Sony, Handera and other good hardware makers abandon ship. So Palm OS died because of Palm and PalmSource. They have only themselves to blame. They sat around and rested while Windows-based hardware got better and the OS got liveable (I still like Palm OS better, but if the hardware is garbage it doesn't matter).
My wife loves her Zire 31 as well. And God bless those who do, because the screen on the Zire 31 gives me a headache. It's far too blurry and garish for me.
Me too. I had a Jornada 720 for a while. An HPC. It was *this* close, but just way too big and far too "Windows-centric", i.e. Start Menu, etc.
My wife, on the other hand, had a Diamond Mako (Psion Revo rebadged) and that frickin thing rocked. It was very elegant in terms of design and use. The problem is it never took off, so there was never enough software. The main app (other than calendar and contacts) that I use on my Pocket PC is this really good calorie tracking software. Something I probably wouldn't be able to find a comparable equivalnet of on the Psion, even if they still existed in their old form.
It's sad, though, because I think they made superior products, both OS-wise and in terms of hardware.
The reason for this is because the companies producing Pocket PC hardware are producing superior hardware. I'll grant you that Pocket PC may not be the most elegant OS for a PDA. I prefer Palm in this regard. But I own a Pocket PC, even though I use Linux and thus have to install all my software via Windows running over VMWare, precisely because the Pocket PCs are better devices, IMHO. I don't know what's happened lately, but Palm, in my opinion again, has gone downhill with regards to their hardware. The screens are often hard on the eyes. Or they often develop in a few months this problem where the screen buzzes or makes a high-pitched whine. I just find they're not making quality products, currently. And all the other players (Sony, Handspring, etc.) were either bought out or don't make Palms any longer.
It's sad to see, but I think it's important to recognize that Microsoft is "winning" in this case because Palm is doing a really poor job.
Your point? I don't think anyone said it was the prettiest machine. Nor the most ergonomic. Just that it was one of the most innovative and fun to play to come out in quite some time.
It is an excellent title. The DS is an excellent system. The non-reviewer rightfully points out that there are other games on this system that are similarly innovative. Meteos, Electroplankton, Kirby: Canvas Curse... the system is really hitting its stride with games that truly are totally different experiences.
Electroplankton is one of my favorites.
I get you. I personally don't care who "wins", though. All I care about are the games, and right now IMHO, the DS has the games that are more fun to play. So the PSP doesn't even interest me.
Exactly. Like the people who wear iPods while grocery shopping. Especially on lanyards around their neck.
That's sad, no silly that Nintendo hasn't released those games there. That's the meat of Nintendo's lineup. Meteos, Kirby, Advance Wars, Nintendogs and Electroplankton are all tremendous games. And you don't have most or all of them? That's a HUGE problem for Nintendo. What are they thinking?
Of course. Like the iPod, the PSP is the sexier device. The DS is very conceptual and strange and thus some people (although I think this attitude is silly) might be embarassed to whip their DS out and play it. But like a previous poster said, even between Kirby and Advance Wars you have two terrific games. Two of my favorite games ever. Nintendogs is fun. So is Electroplankton. Then later in the year we're (DS owners) getting Animal Crossing, Castlevania, all kinds of stuff. The DS has a better lineup now and a better lineup moving forward.
It is a salient point, but as far as the game lineup being better? Depends on your point of view, I suppose. The best game in the PSP lineup until a few weeks ago was Lumines. Meteos is roundly considered far superior. Then there's Kirby: Canvas Curse. Then this week we got Nintendogs and Advance Wars: Dual Strike, which also are quite good and arrived to rave reviews. So the DS was a little stuck in the mud at first, only having games like Mario 64 and Warioware to lean on, but right now I think the DS lineup is better. I owned a PSP (for Lumines) and was having ergonomic problems with the analog nub. So I started looking down the road. It was a very bleak road. Nothing really coming out that interested me. So I sold my PSP. The DS I'll never sell. Too many innovative, fun, interesting games to play. More on the way.
"That said... right now Nintendo's conceptual vision doesn't really line up with what I want to play. That's all. If I still owned a DS, right now I'd probably be really excited about Nintendogs and Electroplankton. And I doubt I could look at myself in the mirror without crying. :)"
Actually, you saying this says more about you than you actually playing these games. Nintendogs and Electroplankton are fun, relaxing and interesting experiences. No, you don't kill people, jack cars, score touchdowns, etc. but since when was there a limited scope of what games were supposed to be to be considered fun. I think what's out for the DS right now is far more interesting and creative than what's out for the PSP. And don't get me started on the analog nub. I've owned a PSP. I sold it because the analog nub was an ergonomic nightmare for me. I'm a computer programmer so my hands and arms give me trouble sometimes. So I have to stick to games that don't. And the DS touch-screen games are great in that respect. Plus they're fun and original and isn't that the point of gaming?
Haha!!! That's a good one. Nice catch. Or find.
Exactly. If I want to blow stuff up and look real doing it, I have two systems to go to. If I want to play frisbee with a dog (yes, I play Nintendogs) or make plankton make music I have no choice but Nintendo. They time in and time out deliver interesting, fun, completely unrealistic experiences. And that's the charm. If I'm going to be "taken away" by a game, I want to be taken away to somewhere strange and different and fun. Even if it is kiddy.
I was always thought Ballmer was a little thick-necked.... looked like he was on the edge of rage.... Now it all makes sense. Any moment that shirt of his is going to rip open and you're going to see his hair turn black and his eyes turn green.
"RRrrrrrr. Hulk mad. Hulk smash Google!"
The sign that you're not a loser, of course, is to make fun of those who are older and still enjoy having fun with their hobbies. A "real" adult buys a beamer, gets a trophy wife, buys a house (preferably a condo) has a couple kids and then proceeds to work 60 hour weeks so they can buy new plasma screen TVs. That's "real" adulthood, right?
Actually, real maturity or signs you aren't a loser are that...
A) You know what you want out of life and aren't afraid to go after it.
B) You understand that being happy and making connections with others is what life is all about.
C) You enjoy life.
I don't see what your problem is. I skateboard (or ride my bike) to the train everyday. On which I spend an hour or so a day playing my Nintendo DS before heading into work. I read Penny Arcade, laugh, do some work, head home and try to enjoy my evening hanging out with my wife and cats.
Guess I'm a "loser" in your book also...