"Documents filed with the US financial watchdog show that Microsoft's Home and Entertainment division, which includes the Xbox, lost $177m (£112m) in the three months to 30 September. "The documents also reveal that five of the seven divisions of the company are operating at a loss."
Could you possible sensationalize this article anymore? "XBox falls from orbit, kills wife and kids!" The XBox did not lose $117 million. The Home and Entertainment Division did. Not only that, Five other divisions of Microsoft are also operating at a loss, not that those deserve mentioning.
Jeez, Taco, can't you screen these articles just a tad bit better?
Common, if you're gonna hit microsoft on this practice, you're going to have to hit Nintendo, Sony and the late-great Sega on it as well. They all sell their consoles at a loss in order to hit the consumer's impulse buy range. The only real difference here is that Microsoft has deeper pockets with which to do this with. It gives them the ability to market superior hardware while hitting the same impulse buy zone. And yes, it also creates hideously large loss numbers.
As for putting Sony and Nintendo out of business, somebody really isn't in touch with the real world. First, the XBox is nearly dead last in console sales. That differential will decrease over time, but unless Sony and Nintendo do something incredibly stupid or MS incredibly brilliant, that's not likely to change in this round of the console wars. Second, Sony is a big boy. It has a diversified market beyond gaming. Their products have global reach and ideal penetration within their respected markets. Sony isn't going anywhere. Nintendo, on the other hand, has a far smaller foundation and hasn't exactly been making stellar decisions as of late. They haven't had a great console since the SNES, and the Gameboy is STILL their principle source of income. They're more likely to kill themselves off rather than be a victim of any MS "dumping" campaign that everybody else also seems to be engaged in.
But it's just another day in the anti-MS neighborhood, I guess...
Ok, lets assume for a moment in a galaxy far, far away that this senario is even remotely possible. Are you there yet? No,no,no... You have to focus. There. Now is it just me, or is Taiwan THE LAST COUNTRY you want to be sending anything valuble concerning your software to??? We're talking piracy central here, or at least it's major orbiting satillite. As wonderful as the fanboys might find this, I'd have to side against it. I mean really-- Microsoft's product would be turned inside out within days and blasted across the net at faster than light speeds. I sure as hell wouldn't want that happening to my product... But then, this is Penguine/Mac country, so what the hell, right?
How about this: when the shit hits the fan, there will be three Red Chinese for every one of you...When Jiang says jump, you make like a fucking frog, okay?
Such an obvious little troll. "Feed me! Feed me!" Awwww... So cute... Ok, just a tidbit now...
Numeric superiority only matters when you insist on playing their game or you have no other choice. Funny how Britain, Germany, Japan and Russia have all told us to 'jump' at one time or another too... Did a shit load a good, didn't it:)
Wait, NASA actually has a page for rigging a cheasy disposible camera to a kite, but nothing along the lines of an X10? China IS going to beat us back to the moon at this rate...
And to think I did a report on this as a high school freshman.
But seriously, I seem to remember you can use geological record to track this shift across the ocean floors, which implies, at least to me, that the field didn't nessisarily weaken. I seriously doubt we'll have a huge problem here. Sure, your compass is gonna get screwed the hell up and you'll be buying a new one every few years until they stabilize, but hey...
That said, how hard would it be to create a city sized magnetic field generator? Assuming on the off chance this guy is right and it will substantially weaken. Tie in a couple nuclear power plants an viole! (that's wa-la! in french;) Blah, blah blah, radiation, blah blah blah,cancer...:p
And that has to be the most insightful observation ever made in this entire MS versus the Fanboy war. I'd give you a few more point's myself, if I could.
I don't think it's so much myth as it is the fact that nobody ants their hands on the political fallout of accidentally shooting down some poor idiot who passed out or something.
Using the infinite power of God to illustrate the infinite weakness of God isn't exactly a solid foundation for any argument, especially when diving into concepts you don't understand in the first place.
Except that this system will be used principly for shooting down shells, not people. It'll most likely be aimed up, 24/7 to do it's job. If a Hind should wander into it's attack radius, maybe it'll lock on, maybe it won't, but I serverly doubt it will specifically target the people inside, just the big radar blob that represents the helo. Tough shit for them. If you could ban it on that point, well hell, lets ban all surface to air weapondry while we're at it.
As far as the ABL against terrorsists, sure, why not. That's why the white house has SAM sites and marines equipped with Stingers. Again, the effect is the same.
I don't know how expensive a tile is to produce, but you probably just stated the best material to counter this system. And all it does is have to survive for a few seconds, not a prolonged, gut wrenching re-entry, so you probably wouldn't need several inches. I'm guessing the lasers will "flash" the shell with thermal energy before quickly moving on to the next instead of riding it all the way to the ground. Likewise, I doubt the entire thing need be made of the stuff. Just enough to insulate the HE inside.
Combine those with chaff producing shells that explode high above the strike zone to confuse radar and you could probably render the laser well and ineffective.
If we don't know where the shells are coming from, what's the chances that this system will be able to realistically identify a genuine incoming round, activate (from idle) and reliably shoot it down in time?
I'd imagine it'd be just like SAM site or Patriot missile battery. They aren't always on, but rather switched on if the situation warrents. On that note, I'd imagine you're right-- The average platoon soldier won't see it's benefit unless he is around a high value target or is part of a large scale action. I can't imagine this system being portable enough or cheap enough to guard anything less. I'm guessing vehical towed at least.
US has spent trillions to ensure that it doesn't have any more
Don't feel too bad. "They" don't have any money either so it all balances out:p
For that matter, what is this thing's power source? Granted, your laser only needs to be effective under a kilometer, but to intercept the amount of artillery in the average barrage is gonna take a butt-load of power. I remember in a popular science (heh) somebody was able to generate and ass-tonne of power using a C4 powered generator (no, really...) so I guess you could rig one to be powered off a belt of explossive ammunition? Sheesh...
As to the reflectivity, I just can't think of any coating that would survive that sort of abuse and be effective over a laser guarded target... At least it might take a longer "burn-time" to destroy it...
You can't get any cheaper than an artillery shell. That's why they are used so widely all over the world. The eqipment is far more rugged and battle tested than any drone to be fielded. Pipe dreams of rapid deployable cruise missile-like weapons are nice, but right now, they're pipe dreams for all but the largest of nations. And even those nations are going to stick with artillery. For the simple fact that it's simple to use and can be rapidly deployed. Maybe someday somebody will come up with the RPG of missile drones (simple to use, advanced AI with decent target recognition on the cheap for use in the rugged third world? Don't hold your breath), but you'll never be able to put more cheap drones into the air faster than I can saturate the area with artillery. Your point about decoys is probably the simplest, best bet, but I'm assuming target discrimination will improve as well. It's the same old game of move, counter-move over an over.
Blackmail. Make the cost of using the lasers too high. An example, they use overt lasers, you use covert biologicals in their civilian sectors. They use space, you contaminate their water in a major city. They use B-2's, you use a dozen or a hundred guys with bic lighters one night. They steal your natural resources when you are a small weak country, you ally with a strong non allied country and promise them 1/2 your resources for help. They do economic sanctions, you make their economic infrastructure non functional, the "backhoe whoops" syndrome, or code red part deux.
Just because you may be able to accomplish your objective by other means doesn't render a specific technology/strategy and/or weapons platform automatically irrelevant as you seem to be implying. In fact, it's the same argument you hear opposing ballistic missile shields. "Well hot damn. They may protect us from ICBMs, but they can still sneak a nuke in across the boarders, therefore a missile shield is completely useless!"
I've always found that particular leap of logic astounding, personally. I can wage war by other means, therefore, that particular defense is useless. No, wrong, BS. Every one of your counter arguments are great, until you add the statement, "but so can your enemy." Fighting the unlimited dirty war you propose against a well armed, well financed opponent will earn you a massive ration of shit in a hurry, no matter who the opponent is. Sure. Nerve gas a city. You just signalled your willing to fight a no holds barred campaign. Your well financed opponent will likely get a lot nastier rather than pliable as you seem to hope. Contaminate Frances major water supplies. It'll hurt them, sure, but mark my words they will get a handle on the situation on come gunning for whatever weak-assed organization that launched the attack. Yes, even France.
On a side note, check out David Drake and his Hammer's Slammers series. He fleshes out anti-artillery and guide artillery systems quite well in his works.
I can see why their shutting the anime portion of Adult Swim, personally. What are they showing that's going to appeal to anybody? They've pissed the hardcore audiance off by chopping the crap out of what they show and their simply isn't enough content to generate a critical mass of moderate viewers. I mean Inu-Yasha? That's hardly something that's gonna draw the average viewer back. Goddess Canidate (or whatever it was really called)? That just stunk. And I know, lets fill our time slots up with TWO Gundam series, one of which is damn near unwatchable to moderates and newcomers because it's so damn old, classic status be damned. Cowboy Beebop was a step in the right direction (clue: it's being kept in the line-up) as was Outlaw Star. But then they fill valuble time slots with that Spirit Detective crap. Their are 500 series out their better than the majority of what they're airing, and THIS is all they can get the rights to?
Yeah, Adult Swim anime isn't going anywhere... Wonderfully self fullfilling prophesy these cancellations are too.
Which brings up an interesting point-- Where are all the freakin MacGyver reruns?!? That was the best show when I was growing up... Every other bad show and it's mother seem to have reruns, but Mac? NoooOOOOoooo...
-grumbles something about Night Rider and Air Wold-
Sure they have liquid... But I'm gonna make a leap and say it ain't 100% pure mountain spring water direct from the Canadian Rockies bottled for your convinience, thankyouverymuch. Some nasty elements floating around in those wonderful, life sustaining seas of abundance if I remember right...
I didn't say anything about the Ps2. It's another store entirely. And those awesome games is really debatable. I'll agree to Mario and Zelda if simply because they're classics. Maybe Monkeyball. That's three. But the rest? I'll even toss in Metroid for kicks and grins, be it not even out yet. For a name of Nintendo's magnitude, that's kinda weak. If the Box had a bunch of classics it could pull out of cryogenic storage, the situation would be much different. In fact, it's damn near the only thing that's saving the Cube right now. Yep, the Box is light on quality titles, but give it time. Name branding is the only thing keeping Nintendo in second.
Ok, I've read that the terminal velocity of a man falling is somewhere around 120mph. Since I never see the weight of these falling people mentioned, lets say he weighs around... 180 lbs sound good? Maybe 200 for kicks and grins. So lets divide 120 by 200... That's approximately.6 mph per pound. It's looking like (if my busted math is correct) that it'd take a sustained updraft of at least 13.2 mph to keep the thing aloft (keeping in mind it doesn't start out at 22 lbs), probably more given the density of a 22 lb block of ice. I'll cheat and say 20-25mph to keep it aloft. if I were just looking at the numbers I'd say it could work, but then you have to figure in crap like stability of the airmass, how long a 20 mph updraft can be sustained while the thing froze, ambient temperature, etc, etc... It seems pretty damn unlikely conditions would stay stable long enough for it to form. But then, I'm far from a meteorologist... I could see the ice parachute thing, but the conditions required to form such a delicate structure... Yeesh...
Slashdot Mirror
"Documents filed with the US financial watchdog show that Microsoft's Home and Entertainment division, which includes the Xbox, lost $177m (£112m) in the three months to 30 September.
"The documents also reveal that five of the seven divisions of the company are operating at a loss. "
Could you possible sensationalize this article anymore? "XBox falls from orbit, kills wife and kids!" The XBox did not lose $117 million. The Home and Entertainment Division did. Not only that, Five other divisions of Microsoft are also operating at a loss, not that those deserve mentioning.
Jeez, Taco, can't you screen these articles just a tad bit better?
Common, if you're gonna hit microsoft on this practice, you're going to have to hit Nintendo, Sony and the late-great Sega on it as well. They all sell their consoles at a loss in order to hit the consumer's impulse buy range. The only real difference here is that Microsoft has deeper pockets with which to do this with. It gives them the ability to market superior hardware while hitting the same impulse buy zone. And yes, it also creates hideously large loss numbers.
As for putting Sony and Nintendo out of business, somebody really isn't in touch with the real world. First, the XBox is nearly dead last in console sales. That differential will decrease over time, but unless Sony and Nintendo do something incredibly stupid or MS incredibly brilliant, that's not likely to change in this round of the console wars. Second, Sony is a big boy. It has a diversified market beyond gaming. Their products have global reach and ideal penetration within their respected markets. Sony isn't going anywhere. Nintendo, on the other hand, has a far smaller foundation and hasn't exactly been making stellar decisions as of late. They haven't had a great console since the SNES, and the Gameboy is STILL their principle source of income. They're more likely to kill themselves off rather than be a victim of any MS "dumping" campaign that everybody else also seems to be engaged in.
But it's just another day in the anti-MS neighborhood, I guess...
Those firewalls were made by evil forgein devils, of course. Especially those evil western foriegn devils.
Ok, lets assume for a moment in a galaxy far, far away that this senario is even remotely possible. Are you there yet? No,no,no... You have to focus. There. Now is it just me, or is Taiwan THE LAST COUNTRY you want to be sending anything valuble concerning your software to??? We're talking piracy central here, or at least it's major orbiting satillite. As wonderful as the fanboys might find this, I'd have to side against it. I mean really-- Microsoft's product would be turned inside out within days and blasted across the net at faster than light speeds. I sure as hell wouldn't want that happening to my product... But then, this is Penguine/Mac country, so what the hell, right?
How about this: when the shit hits the fan, there will be three Red Chinese for every one of you...When Jiang says jump, you make like a fucking frog, okay?
:)
Such an obvious little troll. "Feed me! Feed me!" Awwww... So cute... Ok, just a tidbit now...
Numeric superiority only matters when you insist on playing their game or you have no other choice. Funny how Britain, Germany, Japan and Russia have all told us to 'jump' at one time or another too... Did a shit load a good, didn't it
Imagine a beowold cluster of-- No, wait... That'd be a black hole. Nevermind.
Wait, NASA actually has a page for rigging a cheasy disposible camera to a kite, but nothing along the lines of an X10? China IS going to beat us back to the moon at this rate...
And lets talk "balance while we're at it. Don't put all your appliances in one end!
Ah, the asian women...
And to think I did a report on this as a high school freshman.
;) Blah, blah blah, radiation, blah blah blah,cancer... :p
But seriously, I seem to remember you can use geological record to track this shift across the ocean floors, which implies, at least to me, that the field didn't nessisarily weaken. I seriously doubt we'll have a huge problem here. Sure, your compass is gonna get screwed the hell up and you'll be buying a new one every few years until they stabilize, but hey...
That said, how hard would it be to create a city sized magnetic field generator? Assuming on the off chance this guy is right and it will substantially weaken. Tie in a couple nuclear power plants an viole! (that's wa-la! in french
And that has to be the most insightful observation ever made in this entire MS versus the Fanboy war. I'd give you a few more point's myself, if I could.
I don't think it's so much myth as it is the fact that nobody ants their hands on the political fallout of accidentally shooting down some poor idiot who passed out or something.
Using the infinite power of God to illustrate the infinite weakness of God isn't exactly a solid foundation for any argument, especially when diving into concepts you don't understand in the first place.
That was at least worth a chuckle or two :p
"...and no lasers aimed at people"
Except that this system will be used principly for shooting down shells, not people. It'll most likely be aimed up, 24/7 to do it's job. If a Hind should wander into it's attack radius, maybe it'll lock on, maybe it won't, but I serverly doubt it will specifically target the people inside, just the big radar blob that represents the helo. Tough shit for them. If you could ban it on that point, well hell, lets ban all surface to air weapondry while we're at it.
As far as the ABL against terrorsists, sure, why not. That's why the white house has SAM sites and marines equipped with Stingers. Again, the effect is the same.
I don't know how expensive a tile is to produce, but you probably just stated the best material to counter this system. And all it does is have to survive for a few seconds, not a prolonged, gut wrenching re-entry, so you probably wouldn't need several inches. I'm guessing the lasers will "flash" the shell with thermal energy before quickly moving on to the next instead of riding it all the way to the ground. Likewise, I doubt the entire thing need be made of the stuff. Just enough to insulate the HE inside.
Combine those with chaff producing shells that explode high above the strike zone to confuse radar and you could probably render the laser well and ineffective.
If we don't know where the shells are coming from, what's the chances that this system will be able to realistically identify a genuine incoming round, activate (from idle) and reliably shoot it down in time?
:p
I'd imagine it'd be just like SAM site or Patriot missile battery. They aren't always on, but rather switched on if the situation warrents. On that note, I'd imagine you're right-- The average platoon soldier won't see it's benefit unless he is around a high value target or is part of a large scale action. I can't imagine this system being portable enough or cheap enough to guard anything less. I'm guessing vehical towed at least.
US has spent trillions to ensure that it doesn't have any more
Don't feel too bad. "They" don't have any money either so it all balances out
For that matter, what is this thing's power source? Granted, your laser only needs to be effective under a kilometer, but to intercept the amount of artillery in the average barrage is gonna take a butt-load of power. I remember in a popular science (heh) somebody was able to generate and ass-tonne of power using a C4 powered generator (no, really...) so I guess you could rig one to be powered off a belt of explossive ammunition? Sheesh...
As to the reflectivity, I just can't think of any coating that would survive that sort of abuse and be effective over a laser guarded target... At least it might take a longer "burn-time" to destroy it...
"Solution, low altitude cheap drone cruise missiles..."
You can't get any cheaper than an artillery shell. That's why they are used so widely all over the world. The eqipment is far more rugged and battle tested than any drone to be fielded. Pipe dreams of rapid deployable cruise missile-like weapons are nice, but right now, they're pipe dreams for all but the largest of nations. And even those nations are going to stick with artillery. For the simple fact that it's simple to use and can be rapidly deployed. Maybe someday somebody will come up with the RPG of missile drones (simple to use, advanced AI with decent target recognition on the cheap for use in the rugged third world? Don't hold your breath), but you'll never be able to put more cheap drones into the air faster than I can saturate the area with artillery. Your point about decoys is probably the simplest, best bet, but I'm assuming target discrimination will improve as well. It's the same old game of move, counter-move over an over.
Blackmail. Make the cost of using the lasers too high. An example, they use overt lasers, you use covert biologicals in their civilian sectors. They use space, you contaminate their water in a major city. They use B-2's, you use a dozen or a hundred guys with bic lighters one night. They steal your natural resources when you are a small weak country, you ally with a strong non allied country and promise them 1/2 your resources for help. They do economic sanctions, you make their economic infrastructure non functional, the "backhoe whoops" syndrome, or code red part deux.
Just because you may be able to accomplish your objective by other means doesn't render a specific technology/strategy and/or weapons platform automatically irrelevant as you seem to be implying. In fact, it's the same argument you hear opposing ballistic missile shields. "Well hot damn. They may protect us from ICBMs, but they can still sneak a nuke in across the boarders, therefore a missile shield is completely useless!"
I've always found that particular leap of logic astounding, personally. I can wage war by other means, therefore, that particular defense is useless. No, wrong, BS. Every one of your counter arguments are great, until you add the statement, "but so can your enemy." Fighting the unlimited dirty war you propose against a well armed, well financed opponent will earn you a massive ration of shit in a hurry, no matter who the opponent is. Sure. Nerve gas a city. You just signalled your willing to fight a no holds barred campaign. Your well financed opponent will likely get a lot nastier rather than pliable as you seem to hope. Contaminate Frances major water supplies. It'll hurt them, sure, but mark my words they will get a handle on the situation on come gunning for whatever weak-assed organization that launched the attack. Yes, even France.
On a side note, check out David Drake and his Hammer's Slammers series. He fleshes out anti-artillery and guide artillery systems quite well in his works.
I can see why their shutting the anime portion of Adult Swim, personally. What are they showing that's going to appeal to anybody? They've pissed the hardcore audiance off by chopping the crap out of what they show and their simply isn't enough content to generate a critical mass of moderate viewers. I mean Inu-Yasha? That's hardly something that's gonna draw the average viewer back. Goddess Canidate (or whatever it was really called)? That just stunk. And I know, lets fill our time slots up with TWO Gundam series, one of which is damn near unwatchable to moderates and newcomers because it's so damn old, classic status be damned. Cowboy Beebop was a step in the right direction (clue: it's being kept in the line-up) as was Outlaw Star. But then they fill valuble time slots with that Spirit Detective crap. Their are 500 series out their better than the majority of what they're airing, and THIS is all they can get the rights to?
Yeah, Adult Swim anime isn't going anywhere... Wonderfully self fullfilling prophesy these cancellations are too.
Typo. Kill me now.
Which brings up an interesting point-- Where are all the freakin MacGyver reruns?!? That was the best show when I was growing up... Every other bad show and it's mother seem to have reruns, but Mac? NoooOOOOoooo...
-grumbles something about Night Rider and Air Wold-
Sure they have liquid... But I'm gonna make a leap and say it ain't 100% pure mountain spring water direct from the Canadian Rockies bottled for your convinience, thankyouverymuch. Some nasty elements floating around in those wonderful, life sustaining seas of abundance if I remember right...
I didn't say anything about the Ps2. It's another store entirely. And those awesome games is really debatable. I'll agree to Mario and Zelda if simply because they're classics. Maybe Monkeyball. That's three. But the rest? I'll even toss in Metroid for kicks and grins, be it not even out yet. For a name of Nintendo's magnitude, that's kinda weak. If the Box had a bunch of classics it could pull out of cryogenic storage, the situation would be much different. In fact, it's damn near the only thing that's saving the Cube right now. Yep, the Box is light on quality titles, but give it time. Name branding is the only thing keeping Nintendo in second.
Ok, I've read that the terminal velocity of a man falling is somewhere around 120mph. Since I never see the weight of these falling people mentioned, lets say he weighs around... 180 lbs sound good? Maybe 200 for kicks and grins. So lets divide 120 by 200 ... That's approximately .6 mph per pound. It's looking like (if my busted math is correct) that it'd take a sustained updraft of at least 13.2 mph to keep the thing aloft (keeping in mind it doesn't start out at 22 lbs), probably more given the density of a 22 lb block of ice. I'll cheat and say 20-25mph to keep it aloft. if I were just looking at the numbers I'd say it could work, but then you have to figure in crap like stability of the airmass, how long a 20 mph updraft can be sustained while the thing froze, ambient temperature, etc, etc... It seems pretty damn unlikely conditions would stay stable long enough for it to form. But then, I'm far from a meteorologist... I could see the ice parachute thing, but the conditions required to form such a delicate structure... Yeesh...