The implementation of Java on Netscape when it came out was so slow and broken it was ridiculous. The appletviewer or HotJava ran programs faster than Netscape did.
If you want to sample an artist's music before buying a disc, why not listen to the radio, MTV, or the short samples available on Amazon.com (or wherever) to get an idea of what the artist is like?
PBS is just as guilty of leaning to the left as O'Reilly is leaning to the right. Well, except for the fact that PBS never invites convservative guests to express their views, and O'Reilly does.
I have an older model ReplayTV, so I don't know for sure what they offer. And I agree with you about the $99 upgrade. I think it's something they should offer for free, but then again, I'm not sure how much I'd use it. I'd originally thought that the $99 fee was required to get the wireless networking to work properly, and even at that price it would be MORE than worth it for me... I wouldn't do it for just the MP3s and pictures though.
I'd be interested in hearing how people's experiences with building a Linux-based PVR, or using one of those PC-based PVR setups have gone. I've heard the quality just isn't as good, but don't have any first hand reports from people with both devices that can give a comparison.
If you build one of those things, there are bunch of silent PC sites out there that'll help you get the stuff to make it quiet enough. In my experience, getting everything quiet in a PC is pretty straight forward. For my PCs at home, the drives are the noisiest components, and I'm going to replace those with Barracuda drives (or something else, if someone can recommend something) soon.
I've owned one from the beginning, and lived through the SonicBlue buyout of the original ReplayTV company. Their biggest problem was that they didn't go for a subscription for these things from the beginning. The "lifetime" subscription was built into the cost of the unit. This made the price point much higher than TiVo, and given the choice between the initial cost of a ReplayTV and a TiVo, people picked the TiVO. Nevermind that a lifetime subscription buyout for TiVo made it the same price as a ReplayTV... People didn't look at it that way.
After they fixed that, the biggest problem was that they never got "mind share" (did I really use that phrase....shoot me now!) for the product the way TiVo did. Tell anyone about a ReplayTV, and they're more than likely to say "Oh, like a TiVo". I don't think I've ever seen a ReplayTV commercial in all the time I've owned one.
They had been trying to OEM these things to other companies that do set-top boxes, but I think in the end, the companies decided to do it for themselves, rather than partner with SonicBlue.
Original ReplayTVs, way back at the beginning, had a lifetime subscription built into the cost. Sometime after that, they went to a subscription model of about $10 (or so) a month, or you had the option to buy a "lifetime" subscription. What this did was allow them to lower the initial cost of the units to be more in-line with that TiVo did.
I don't know of any other way to receive program data, so I think we ReplayTV owners will be SOL for program guides. It'll still function as a VCR like device...I think. I'm not sure about that though. I've never let the program guide run out or be erased to check.
I've had a ReplayTV since the very beginning, and I love it. When news of this bankruptcy hit, I bought a TiVo that same day.
Unfortunately, the D&M deal fell through. It may be that D&M picks up the assets at auction later this month, but until the auction happens things are still up in the air. Until then, we just have the word of ReplayTV that the guides will last until the end of this month. After that, it's completely up in the air.
That is, if we just stick with their service. I haven't done a single bit of hacking on my Replay, but I would imagine we'd be able to get some code written to get SOME sort of guide working.... does anyone have any idea if a project like that is underway?
BTW, the 30 second skip feature has been there since the beginning. Love that feature.:-)
Regarding TiVO, a couple of things:
The TiVo only records on educated guesses using unused space on the device.
It has USB ports for ethernet (and other stuff, I would guess..haven't looked into that too much) so program guides can be set through the net. This was a great thing for me, because I have one of the original ReplayTVs and didn't have an mods for Ethernet.
The new 4.0 software upgrade will support wireless USB ethernet devices. The (cough) $99 HomeMedia option will allow streaming MP3s and pictures to be sent from your PC, and will allow sharing of programs between multiple TiVos in the house. The first upgrade costs $99, the upgrades for additional TiVos are $49 each.
Anyway to the original poster, bottom line, if you can wait, just wait until this Replay thing sorts itself out. It'll only be a couple of more weeks. If ReplayTV survives, find a friend with one and check it out. Find a friend with a TiVo and check that out too.
But whatever happens, get a PVR. These things are freakin' awesome.
About two or three weeks ago, you could get that 18" display for about $400 on sale, with free shipping. I saw the deal, didn't act quick enough, and missed it. A friend got it though, and loves the display.
Just gotta watch for the deals... But Dell does have good monitors.
So, what fundamental right does the ACLU stand up for when they sue a small community for putting up a nativity scene in front of a public building, but fail to sue any non-Christian (but still religious) display in front of another public building. You can't name one case where they've done that. If you can, please provide the link.
True...but considering the number of "normals" out there that can't even program their VCR, I doubt most of them would even realize there's a location option in the phone.
The worse thing is, some of these dorks would have just ignored the instructions if they had just been told to turn it off.
Kinda makes you wonder what other fundamental flaws are there in NT4.0 that will prevent fixes from happening....And Microsoft wants to be known as a company you can trust with security. This should throw them back a couple of eons.
So, out of curiosity, HOW well does it work for you? Pizza money? Cool toy money? Computer system money? New Car money? House money? Screw this full time job money?
Sorry, dude, but you've never worked in a unionized workplace.
Getting rid of people that aren't doing their job or are complete assholes is a complete bitch.
Ever been to a tradeshow where they have unions in the convention center? You can't even plug in a freakin computer, let alone carry one in, without a union guy. If you do, and they catch you at it, they'll close the whole show down until the "problem" is fixed. Oh, and as a bonus, all that work costs you BIG bucks for them to do it.
First off, if the company continues to lay off people in round after round, don't keep your head in the sand because you could be next. Be sure and have some feelers out for a new place to go NOW if it all possible...who knows, you could end up with a better job.
I've worked at places like you described. Unless the company, or at the very least, your immediate management itself commits to making it a better place to work, it's not going to happen.
Things the company can do (not in any order here):
1) Free drinks 2) Flex time 3) Comp-time for overtime work 4) Food brought in 5) Lighten up on the dress code 6) Flexibility on web access 7) Promotions.... even if it's just in title 8) Explain what the hell the plan is. 9) Increased vacation time
Things the company should NOT do:
1) Organized pot-luck (how depressing) 2) Hand out company-logoed crap
I'm sure there are more for each list. I just can't think of any at the moment.
You and the rest of the folks you work with can do things outside the company (go out to movies, play sports after work, lan-parties...whatever you're all into...you get the idea), and that'll help the moral with the folks you work with, but it's not going to help with the place you work.
Again, the downside of all this, if moral is great, and the company continues to lay people off, getting ripped out of there at some point for a layoff will hit you like a ton of bricks. And one hell of a lot more because you liked to work there.
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Agreed about JWZ...
The implementation of Java on Netscape when it came out was so slow and broken it was ridiculous. The appletviewer or HotJava ran programs faster than Netscape did.
If you want to sample an artist's music before buying a disc, why not listen to the radio, MTV, or the short samples available on Amazon.com (or wherever) to get an idea of what the artist is like?
No, no...I mean shows like Bill Moyer's propaganda fest.
Why? Because the LA Times did something unethical? There's a shocker.
Next headline: "Smoking Bad For You", Doctor says.
PBS is just as guilty of leaning to the left as O'Reilly is leaning to the right. Well, except for the fact that PBS never invites convservative guests to express their views, and O'Reilly does.
Oh, yeah...sorry. They hate the Jews too. Forgot about that.
I have an older model ReplayTV, so I don't know for sure what they offer. And I agree with you about the $99 upgrade. I think it's something they should offer for free, but then again, I'm not sure how much I'd use it. I'd originally thought that the $99 fee was required to get the wireless networking to work properly, and even at that price it would be MORE than worth it for me... I wouldn't do it for just the MP3s and pictures though.
:-)
I'd be interested in hearing how people's experiences with building a Linux-based PVR, or using one of those PC-based PVR setups have gone. I've heard the quality just isn't as good, but don't have any first hand reports from people with both devices that can give a comparison.
If you build one of those things, there are bunch of silent PC sites out there that'll help you get the stuff to make it quiet enough. In my experience, getting everything quiet in a PC is pretty straight forward. For my PCs at home, the drives are the noisiest components, and I'm going to replace those with Barracuda drives (or something else, if someone can recommend something) soon.
Good luck with that project.
I've owned one from the beginning, and lived through the SonicBlue buyout of the original ReplayTV company. Their biggest problem was that they didn't go for a subscription for these things from the beginning. The "lifetime" subscription was built into the cost of the unit. This made the price point much higher than TiVo, and given the choice between the initial cost of a ReplayTV and a TiVo, people picked the TiVO. Nevermind that a lifetime subscription buyout for TiVo made it the same price as a ReplayTV... People didn't look at it that way.
After they fixed that, the biggest problem was that they never got "mind share" (did I really use that phrase....shoot me now!) for the product the way TiVo did. Tell anyone about a ReplayTV, and they're more than likely to say "Oh, like a TiVo".
I don't think I've ever seen a ReplayTV commercial in all the time I've owned one.
They had been trying to OEM these things to other companies that do set-top boxes, but I think in the end, the companies decided to do it for themselves, rather than partner with SonicBlue.
It's a great device....and fun while it lasted.
Original ReplayTVs, way back at the beginning, had a lifetime subscription built into the cost. Sometime after that, they went to a subscription model of about $10 (or so) a month, or you had the option to buy a "lifetime" subscription. What this did was allow them to lower the initial cost of the units to be more in-line with that TiVo did.
I don't know of any other way to receive program data, so I think we ReplayTV owners will be SOL for program guides. It'll still function as a VCR like device...I think. I'm not sure about that though. I've never let the program guide run out or be erased to check.
I've had a ReplayTV since the very beginning, and I love it. When news of this bankruptcy hit, I bought a TiVo that same day.
:-)
Unfortunately, the D&M deal fell through. It may be that D&M picks up the assets at auction later this month, but until the auction happens things are still up in the air. Until then, we just have the word of ReplayTV that the guides will last until the end of this month. After that, it's completely up in the air.
That is, if we just stick with their service. I haven't done a single bit of hacking on my Replay, but I would imagine we'd be able to get some code written to get SOME sort of guide working.... does anyone have any idea if a project like that is underway?
BTW, the 30 second skip feature has been there since the beginning. Love that feature.
Regarding TiVO, a couple of things:
The TiVo only records on educated guesses using unused space on the device.
It has USB ports for ethernet (and other stuff, I would guess..haven't looked into that too much) so program guides can be set through the net. This was a great thing for me, because I have one of the original ReplayTVs and didn't have an mods for Ethernet.
The new 4.0 software upgrade will support wireless USB ethernet devices. The (cough) $99 HomeMedia option will allow streaming MP3s and pictures to be sent from your PC, and will allow sharing of programs between multiple TiVos in the house. The first upgrade costs $99, the upgrades for additional TiVos are $49 each.
Anyway to the original poster, bottom line, if you can wait, just wait until this Replay thing sorts itself out. It'll only be a couple of more weeks. If ReplayTV survives, find a friend with one and check it out. Find a friend with a TiVo and check that out too.
But whatever happens, get a PVR. These things are freakin' awesome.
About two or three weeks ago, you could get that 18" display for about $400 on sale, with free shipping. I saw the deal, didn't act quick enough, and missed it. A friend got it though, and loves the display.
Just gotta watch for the deals... But Dell does have good monitors.
So, what fundamental right does the ACLU stand up for when they sue a small community for putting up a nativity scene in front of a public building, but fail to sue any non-Christian (but still religious) display in front of another public building. You can't name one case where they've done that. If you can, please provide the link.
Name one law that's impacted our fundamental liberties, please.
The worse thing is, some of these dorks would have just ignored the instructions if they had just been told to turn it off.
Or, they could just use Iridum (however you spell it) like the other journalists in the NPR piece.
Kinda makes you wonder what other fundamental flaws are there in NT4.0 that will prevent fixes from happening. ...And Microsoft wants to be known as a company you can trust with security. This should throw them back a couple of eons.
Yes, I want an alternative, because we live in TODAY, not the yesteryear that union backers always bring up.
Look at it this way. Tech workers make a lot of money because they have useful skills and (mostly) decent work ethics.
All without unions.
Thanks for the info. I've been thinking of trying ease into doing some shareware.
Good luck on your projects. Sounds like you're on the right track.
Hands down, Snowcrash.
So, out of curiosity, HOW well does it work for you? Pizza money? Cool toy money? Computer system money? New Car money? House money? Screw this full time job money?
Hey, not for a looong time, is my guess. They tried to do this quite a while ago (before Linux), and it didn't go anywhere.
Sorry, dude, but you've never worked in a unionized workplace.
Getting rid of people that aren't doing their job or are complete assholes is a complete bitch.
Ever been to a tradeshow where they have unions in the convention center? You can't even plug in a freakin computer, let alone carry one in, without a union guy. If you do, and they catch you at it, they'll close the whole show down until the "problem" is fixed. Oh, and as a bonus, all that work costs you BIG bucks for them to do it.
Oh, yeah...unions..what a GREAT thing...pffft.
First off, if the company continues to lay off people in round after round, don't keep your head in the sand because you could be next. Be sure and have some feelers out for a new place to go NOW if it all possible...who knows, you could end up with a better job.
I've worked at places like you described. Unless the company, or at the very least, your immediate management itself commits to making it a better place to work, it's not going to happen.
Things the company can do (not in any order here):
1) Free drinks
2) Flex time
3) Comp-time for overtime work
4) Food brought in
5) Lighten up on the dress code
6) Flexibility on web access
7) Promotions.... even if it's just in title
8) Explain what the hell the plan is.
9) Increased vacation time
Things the company should NOT do:
1) Organized pot-luck (how depressing)
2) Hand out company-logoed crap
I'm sure there are more for each list. I just can't think of any at the moment.
You and the rest of the folks you work with can do things outside the company (go out to movies, play sports after work, lan-parties...whatever you're all into...you get the idea), and that'll help the moral with the folks you work with, but it's not going to help with the place you work.
Again, the downside of all this, if moral is great, and the company continues to lay people off, getting ripped out of there at some point for a layoff will hit you like a ton of bricks. And one hell of a lot more because you liked to work there.
Er, except at no point was Gore leading in the election recounts. If he was, the counting would have stopped right at that moment....
I bet they go back to beige macs....