Actually, no...my VHS movies look like crap now because the tapes wear out. Luckily, I never saw the point in wanting to own a copy of a movie that I'd only watch a few times over the span of several years, so the financial loss was not meaningful. Now, I can just rent HD movies through my Apple TV or Xbox 360.
Apple is a hardware company, despite what some people around here might say. It's in their best interest for updates to the Mac OS (note I didn't use the term "OS X") to make their systems snappier. In fact, because they are a hardware company, they have no qualms about abandoning their older system software and tapping the resources of the open source community, hence they now have a UNIX-based OS.
Microsoft doesn't sell their own line of personal computers, they only sell the OS. Therefore, each subsequent version needs to insist upon itself more than the previous. This strategy even lingers when they do produce their own hardware. Instead of promoting the hardware (ie Xbox 360, Zune) and letting it shine, the hardware promotes Microsoft. This last statement will probably only make sense if you've ever used your Xbox 360 as a DLNA client for videos and music.
Windows NT started with version 3 because it was sort of the spiritual successor to OS/2, with version 1 being the DOS family altogether. Keep in mind that OS/2 was originally developed by IBM *and* Microsoft.
The rentals are for 30 days, but I'm talking about regular TV shows that you could buy for $2.00 each. I'm not worried about rentals because I understand it's just a 30 day license. Any movie worth keeping I'll just buy on DVD.
Right now I'm using an Xbox 360 for exactly the same purpose. However, it only "works good enough" for me because I have the patience and know-how to get the most out of my Xbox. Aside from games and a built-in (but NOISY) DVD player, Apple TV has the following things going for it over Xbox 360:
-Your purchases get backed up to iTunes on your PC. It annoys me to no end that every other week or so I have to delete shows I've paid for because you can't back up programming to your computer.
-Your purchases are denominated in actual currency, not "Microsoft Points." Enough said on that point.
-Built-in video podcast browsing...once the software update hits Apple TV, of course. There is no straightforward way to watch these on Xbox 360. There is a lot of good, free, legal programming out there (Web Drifter, Diggnation, Stranger Things, NASA). With the 360, you need either the Zune software, Miro or iTunes to aggregate the podcasts. In the 2 latter cases, you then need a UPNP/DLNA server to serve the videos out to the 360.
-Better video support. The 360 plays H.264 videos (my DVD rips) just fine...however, Windows Media Player does not catalogue them into my library. I should not have to hack my registry to force it to do so. Importantly, I should not have to rely upon 3rd party software (TVersity) to serve out such videos. The other way to do it is to download Microsoft's Zune software, which natively catalogues H.264...one hell of a way to run a company, Microsoft, no consistency across the board and every step is taken to lock me in, which results in crippled hardware.
Netflix for movies (ripped & streamed to Apple TV). iTunes for video podcasts & TV shows (which I'm more impulsive about). Although I'll probably try out some HD movies from iTunes, since I'm not ready to commit to BluRay or HDDVD at this point.
The portability is important to me. The Apple TV will sync back to my desktop. Anything I download from Xbox Live has to be deleted over time to make space for new programs (I have the 20 gig HD). If Apple TV had a DVD drive (which won't happen ever), it would make my Xbox 360 obsolete, except for gaming.
True, Quanta makes them, but they are still built to the specs of the designer...HP, Apple, etc. It is still very possible for a computer company to ask their contractor to use a cheaper part for something destined for Walmart.
This doesn't make any sense. A/.er with a girlfriend? Kidding aside, she could have ripped the CD into MP3, WMA, AAC or whatever format she wanted. Windows Media Player rips to WMA by default, but IIRC the "copy protect" box is unchecked by default.
"The LHC seems like a good tool to start probing the basic fabric of reality."
Awesome, I'm all for it! We'll need some sour cream and onion chips, with some dip, man. Some beef jerky, and some peanut butter. Get some Haggen Daz ice cream bars, make sure chocolate, gotta have chocolate, man. Some popcorn, bread, popcorn -- Graham crackers! Graham crackers with the marshmallows, the little marshmallows, and the little chocolate bars, and we'll make some smores, man! Also, celery, grape jelly, uh, Captain Crunch with the little crunch berries! Pizzas. We need two big pizzas, man, with everything on them, with water, a whole lot of water, and... Funions... yeah!
Slashdot Mirror
But putting up with your sense of humour seems to balance things out :-)
I abandoned Yahoo when they began helping the Chinese govt. murder their own people.
Meanwhile, who's the one building a gigantic clone army and giving Darth Vader life-sustaining bionic enhancements?
Sorry, wrong fairytale!
And what, dear Slashdot reader, would your reference be to see if they look real enough or not?
Actually, no...my VHS movies look like crap now because the tapes wear out. Luckily, I never saw the point in wanting to own a copy of a movie that I'd only watch a few times over the span of several years, so the financial loss was not meaningful. Now, I can just rent HD movies through my Apple TV or Xbox 360.
Apple is a hardware company, despite what some people around here might say. It's in their best interest for updates to the Mac OS (note I didn't use the term "OS X") to make their systems snappier. In fact, because they are a hardware company, they have no qualms about abandoning their older system software and tapping the resources of the open source community, hence they now have a UNIX-based OS.
Microsoft doesn't sell their own line of personal computers, they only sell the OS. Therefore, each subsequent version needs to insist upon itself more than the previous. This strategy even lingers when they do produce their own hardware. Instead of promoting the hardware (ie Xbox 360, Zune) and letting it shine, the hardware promotes Microsoft. This last statement will probably only make sense if you've ever used your Xbox 360 as a DLNA client for videos and music.
Windows NT started with version 3 because it was sort of the spiritual successor to OS/2, with version 1 being the DOS family altogether. Keep in mind that OS/2 was originally developed by IBM *and* Microsoft.
"Scotty! I need you to copy these 20g bars of latinum for me. I need to go back to the surface and tip one of those green strippers."
Latinum cannot be replicated without being detected as "counterfeit." That's why it is used as a currency.
Actually, I meant that I read Slashdot, like the GP.
This.
Or...simply don't arrest them in the first place.
It sounds like they may have already won!
Yeah, but if the technology really worked, everyone in New Zealand would already be a billionaire several times over.
The rentals are for 30 days, but I'm talking about regular TV shows that you could buy for $2.00 each. I'm not worried about rentals because I understand it's just a 30 day license. Any movie worth keeping I'll just buy on DVD.
??? iTunes has been available for Windows & OS X for a long time now.
Right now I'm using an Xbox 360 for exactly the same purpose. However, it only "works good enough" for me because I have the patience and know-how to get the most out of my Xbox. Aside from games and a built-in (but NOISY) DVD player, Apple TV has the following things going for it over Xbox 360:
-Your purchases get backed up to iTunes on your PC. It annoys me to no end that every other week or so I have to delete shows I've paid for because you can't back up programming to your computer.
-Your purchases are denominated in actual currency, not "Microsoft Points." Enough said on that point.
-Built-in video podcast browsing...once the software update hits Apple TV, of course. There is no straightforward way to watch these on Xbox 360. There is a lot of good, free, legal programming out there (Web Drifter, Diggnation, Stranger Things, NASA). With the 360, you need either the Zune software, Miro or iTunes to aggregate the podcasts. In the 2 latter cases, you then need a UPNP/DLNA server to serve the videos out to the 360.
-Better video support. The 360 plays H.264 videos (my DVD rips) just fine...however, Windows Media Player does not catalogue them into my library. I should not have to hack my registry to force it to do so. Importantly, I should not have to rely upon 3rd party software (TVersity) to serve out such videos. The other way to do it is to download Microsoft's Zune software, which natively catalogues H.264...one hell of a way to run a company, Microsoft, no consistency across the board and every step is taken to lock me in, which results in crippled hardware.
Netflix for movies (ripped & streamed to Apple TV). iTunes for video podcasts & TV shows (which I'm more impulsive about). Although I'll probably try out some HD movies from iTunes, since I'm not ready to commit to BluRay or HDDVD at this point.
The portability is important to me. The Apple TV will sync back to my desktop. Anything I download from Xbox Live has to be deleted over time to make space for new programs (I have the 20 gig HD). If Apple TV had a DVD drive (which won't happen ever), it would make my Xbox 360 obsolete, except for gaming.
True, Quanta makes them, but they are still built to the specs of the designer...HP, Apple, etc. It is still very possible for a computer company to ask their contractor to use a cheaper part for something destined for Walmart.
This doesn't make any sense. A /.er with a girlfriend? Kidding aside, she could have ripped the CD into MP3, WMA, AAC or whatever format she wanted. Windows Media Player rips to WMA by default, but IIRC the "copy protect" box is unchecked by default.
The typical /.'er will not have this problem after years of...practice.
Does a bigger one guarantee a better chance at winning the election? I guess that old stereotype will be put to the test this November!
"The LHC seems like a good tool to start probing the basic fabric of reality."
Awesome, I'm all for it! We'll need some sour cream and onion chips, with some dip, man. Some beef jerky, and some peanut butter. Get some Haggen Daz ice cream bars, make sure chocolate, gotta have chocolate, man. Some popcorn, bread, popcorn -- Graham crackers! Graham crackers with the marshmallows, the little marshmallows, and the little chocolate bars, and we'll make some smores, man! Also, celery, grape jelly, uh, Captain Crunch with the little crunch berries! Pizzas. We need two big pizzas, man, with everything on them, with water, a whole lot of water, and... Funions... yeah!
Oh, Large Hadron Collider...fsck.
Somebody once said it's a helluva drug! But he's now dead...from unrelated causes.
I've always found their publication soft and absorbent.