I agree. Java and Linux have not always gotten along, but that's changing now. It's even more important that this happens in order to provide an alternative to.NET. Now if only we could get a good open source/free software JVM . . . (anyone know of one other than Kaffe?)
Sun isn't driving it as hard? What planet are you on? Sun just finished a complete rehaul of the java.sun.com site. Java is still very alive, though it may not be getting the press it once did.
PHP is very nice, and very easy to use (especially compared to J2EE), but if you're doing some serious heavy enterprise/distributed application work, then it just doesn't cut it. I've been working in enterprise java applications for about a year and a half now and I've found that most developers who aren't very familiar with java have no idea how powerful it is, how much it is used, and how much support there still is for it. Of course Microsoft is trying to drop java, it's been one of their key targets for years. Now that they're trying to drop it on the desktop, people start to think that java is dead. Well, server side it sure isn't and it has quite a bit of headway on the newer.NET technology.
That's not to say java is perfect and will never be replaced, but it's still a player now and to just dismiss it is to make a gross mistake.
If you didn't read the Mandrake article yet, I would really, really recommend you do so. It's wonderfully written and an excellent explaination of what a distribution is and how software should be developed. For example:
It is extremely hard for us to understand why some software publishers and hardware manufacturers only support one Linux distribution.
Each hardware manufacturer should develop drivers directly with the appropriate Free Software project. Network card manufacturers should cooperate with the Linux kernel project, videocard manufacturers should collaborate with the XFree86 project, and so on. For example, when a network card module is included directly in the Linux kernel it becomes a de facto standard supported by all Linux distributions.
In the same spirit, all software publishers should certify their products for a given version of the LSB (Linux Standard Base), not for a particular brand of Linux. Therefore, that software would work equally well with any Linux distribution that is in conformity with the LSB.
This article has really increased by respect of Mandrake and shown that they really do understand the Open Source/Free Software methods.
I have all but the clustering documentation. They've been decent. Not perfect, but often better than nothing and worth the $10. However the SAMS book that you can get the preview for(at least the edition I got a little while ago) is for the 2.3 & 2.4 series, NOT 3.0. You can get 3.0 documentation at sourceforge (look for the Quickstart pdf). Mostly I found the documentation was more for a serious programmer, not often good for someone new to J2EE. Also the 3.0 quickstart documentation is still in revision -- it's uncomplete. In general, when I need information, I check out the JBoss forums. They're up and running again.
Look, I'll admit that I really like GNOME as far as desktops go. More often than not I end up just using blackbox or evolution or windowMaker, but I do like the GNOME desktop and I've been looking forward to the 2.0 release. Anyways, I'd like to offer the thought that it's too soon to be judging GNOME 2.0. A lot of the apps aren't ported to it yet. Distributions aren't shipping it yet. A project like Gnome isn't like Mozilla where you expect everything in one package. There's a lot of other projects, not officially part of Gnome that go together to make it. When all these parts have been put together and companies like Ximian and RedHat start shipping a complete Gnome 2.0 product, then I'll start getting critical with it. Until then, I think it's too early to pass judgement.
Right now one of the main reasons you need a Windows install for the Linux server is because the Linux server needs the 1.19 patch. Currently, the only way to get the patch is to use the in-game update. The patch files have not yet been released for manual patching of the game. Hopefully these will be released soon. When they are released, then it will probably be possible to extract the other files needed from your CD (no guarentee here). My point is, if you can be patient for a little longer, those without a Windows partition are probably going to be able to install this.
I know that despite the release of the server, some people are still upset with Bioware about the delayed Linux support and/or the EULA. I'd just like to point out that this is still a significant step for Linux gaming. That a Linux client was even considered from the start is significant. Bioware has been incredibly open with this game. The toolset is amazing. You can even open up Bioware's own modules to see how they wrote the NWN chapters shipped with the game. The situation is not perfect, but I have to give Bioware more credit than many other gaming companies.
Okay,I'm getting confused here. I think one the one hand, you should be able to control the media once you've "purchased" it so to say. Meaning that once signal (if it's TV) or web page gets to my tv/computer, then I can mess with it all I want. Right? But what about the advertiser? I mean, the advertiser paid the station/site to broadcast my ad. Now there's no guarentee everyone won't just switch the channel, but if the signal gets messed with between the broadcaster and the viewer, then I'm screwed. What did I pay for? I guess the issue is at what point does the signal become "mine" as a viewer (if it ever really does)? I'm not sure if I'm being clear here, but it's a serious question. On the one hand I want to be able to control the media once it's in my home. On the other hand, if I'm an advertiser then I should have some assurance that my money is really buying me what I paid for (I would hope at least).
And in the case of Gator then there's the added issue that they're not only blocking ads, but replacing them. I don't like all the implications and I don't think the issue is very clear cut. There are serious pros and cons on both sides of the fence here.
Someone pointed out that they doubt the GPL is Microsoft's primary target -- that if that were the case Palladium is simply overkill. This is a good observation and I wanted to add to it. While Palladium potentially has very negative consequences for not only Open Source / Free Software but all software in general, Microsoft wins on several fronts with this approach. You might remember that Microsoft openly opposed the so-called Holling's Bill that would mandate this kind of technology. Why? Because while it would have similar results (actually the bills proposed would be more broad) the power would be in the hands of the lawmakers and more importantly in the hands of the copyright holders -- the movie and record industry. By pushing their own solution, rather than a legal one, Microsoft maintains control of the technology. To the legislators, they seem like the "good" guys (despite the monopoly convitions [how long before we finally punish these criminals?!]) and Microsoft will also get the backing of "Hollywood." It's about gaining the upper hand. They know that there are forces out there that want this kind of technology, however, it's in Microsoft's best interest to be the "innovators" and have everyone fall in line under their proposal. I think this is the real motivation -- it further secures their position as the dominant market leader. No one will want Microsoft to go away if they hold the keys to your security -- all your information, your applications, everything is in their hands. So not only does Microsoft become indispensable, but they also get to screw over the competition (which includes GPLed applications as the article points out). While security and "trustworthy" computing are nice ideas, Microsoft is the LAST company I want to hand over this kind of control to.
And if you read their biographies and histories you'll note that while they did not all support churches of a particular sort, most all were very "religious" in that they believed in a Supreme Being and most believed that what they were doing was inspired by that being. Few, if any, of the "founding fathers" were athiests.
You would find out that it is ILLEGAL to FORCE someone to recite the pledge of allegiance. This was determined by the Supreme Court and most of the articles about this new decision point that out. I agree that just reciting the pledge does little to nothing to help to proper patriotism, however, think about it this way: what if you didn't have to recite it? Would you remember it? Would you care? Is it a BAD thing to remind students, at least indirectly, once a day that they are part of a larger whole and they have a responsibility to be an active citizen? Forcing to recite a pledge is one thing, encouraging public awareness of your nation and a duty towards it is another.
Personally I think the biggest advantage to GNOME is that you can choose your window manager. Now to a Linux newbie that may not mean much, but for someone who has been using Linux for a little while that can be a very nice feature. KDE is great and it's probably best for someone with a Windows background just starting with Linux. KDE is more of an "all-in-one" package. This means a consistant look and feel. GNOME is more component oriented. I can take out one part of GNOME (like the window manager) and replace it with another. That feature adds some complexity and also the feel that some of the applications don't always belong together, but the flexibility is really nice. You can get all the advantages of a desktop, but run a light-weight windows manager that is specifically tuned for your needs.
I know it's been mentioned, but seriously, how much you wanna bet that some editor over at MSNBC said, "hey, we're low on hits this month. Get somebody to write an article that linux is dead and then get wind of it to Slashdot. That'll bump up the numbers."
"A Linux-based open-source program called Evolution looks pretty much like a standard Windows desktop"
A "technical" writer who doesn't distringuish between an email program and a desktop doesn't deserve his job. Sorry if I sound pissed, but this is a classic example of a guy who thinks he understands computing, but has never touched anything other than his Dell sitting at his office. Though the desktop computer market is probably most visible, it is only a SMALL part of the larger computer sector. I know I'm only preaching to the choir here, but it sure upsets me to read this crap. Sometimes I think the/. editors purposely post this FUD just to get a kick out of all us geeks getting riled up!
I've got a nice Matrox dual-head video card for my workstation at work and quite honestly I don't know how I did anything before having two nice 20 inch monitors taking up all the desk space in my cubicle.:)
Matrox is noted more for it's workstation class video cards than it's 3-D gaming abilities, but after seeing some of the info on "surround gaming," I don't know . . . I sure wouldn't mind playing the lastest game spanning 3 nice LCD monitors.
For more info, you should check out http://www.matrox.com/mga/3d_gaming/surrgame.cfm or check out these screen shots of Jedi Knight II: http://www.matrox.com/mga/3d_gaming/enhanced_gam es / knt2.cfm.
When I saw the title I thought this would be about whether or not to get a DVD-R now before companies standardize on Digital Rights Technology that could effectively cripple the device in the future. In fact, that would be the only reason that I would consider getting a DVD-R (or +R or +RW or whatever other format and crazy acronym they come up with).
Personally, I don't really care if I can wave my fingers in front of my computer screen, or if the mouse follows my eye movements or something like that. I would much rather have a very efficient interface with the computer, which is why I often use just the command line (my laptop runs RedHat and I almost NEVER use X windows). It's just very efficient.
But it's not very intuitive. And that's the tradeoff. Intuitive interfaces are usually not very efficient when you really think about interfacing with the computer system and getting a lot of work done with little effort. I don't think there a problem with either approach. In fact, we need both. That's one reason I do like Unix/Linux -- when I need intuitive, I run X-windows (okay, it's not as intuitive as a Mac, but it's better than nothing), when I need speed and efficiency, I'm on the command line writing a script or perl or something.
Anyways, my point is, there are going to be lots of geeks who say, "heck, who needs finger pointing? I don't even use a mouse!" But that's the wrong attitude. Intuitive interfaces have their place and need to be improved upon.
I'm surprised there aren't more posts mentioning NWN. Maybe that's because a sizable portion of the/. crowd is glued to it tonight. I got my copy today. I must say, it looks great. Movement is a little awkward, maybe I'll get used to it eventually. But the real promise is with the toolset.
If you read the article or check Lindow's site you'll notice the part about they're Click 'N Run warehouse. With a $99/year membership you can get any software out of it you want. When you buy Lindows you get three free downloads to start.
The whole Click 'N Run Warehouse confused me when I first read about it. $99 a year to download essentially GPLed applications? If you check the warehouse, you'll notice most of the applications there are the sort that you'll usually find included in any large distrobution. Everything from gcc to OpenOffice is there. Now why in the world would you pay $99 a year to access applications that are already free? Well, that was my question, so I emailed Lindows and they responded promptly saying that: (1) Lindows is a debian based distro, so you can download.debs and install them yourself, (2) you can of course get the tools to make the software yourself from source, or (3) you can get it from the warehouse. Now why would you want to do that? Because it's "one click and you're up and running." No worry about configuration or install scripts. Considering this, I think Lindows is justified in charging for the software since they really are adding something of value (convenience) to the end user. Linux geeks can still install the software the old fashoned way too.
okay, correction, it's not like you get to play any game you want. You have to earn them playing Animal Crossing and then download them from your GameCube.
If I can seriously play a lot of older NES games on a GBA, then I'm definitely going to get one! I've been waiting for some legit way to play most of those games again without having to scavenge through local garage sales for old cartridges. Some of my favorite games of all time were good old 8 bit NES games (original Dragon Warrior anyone?).
But here's what I'm really interested in seeing: Nintendo offers a legitimate way to play your favorite old games. How many people will now take Nintendo up on the offer, or will you still keep using your emulated to play downloaded ROMS? We get all upset with companies for not providing a way to get to the material we want (ROMS, MP3s) thus 'justifying' our use of questionable methods for access (think pirating). So the question at hand is when one of those companies changes, do you take them up on the offer?
I've known quite a few people who have said, "Well, if the record companies would just offer good MP3's at a decent price, I'd support them rather than getting them off of Kazaa." or "No one makes these old games now anyways. If Nintendo offered their own emulator for a reasonable price, I'd do it. But they don't, so playing these ROMS I just downloaded is okay." I'm sure you've heard similar (somewhat faulty) logic. If that was you, well, now you don't have any excuse. So are people going to support Nintendo, or can big companies just never get it right?
I'm replying to this late and haven't read all of the posts yet, so don't kill me if this has been mentioned already.
Did anyone notice that Spiderman's powers apparently allow him to fall faster than the pull of gravity? Every time Mary Jane is falling from the sky, he somehows accelerates and catches up to her. I don't care that he may be in a more aerodynamic diving form, there's no way he could catch her in such a short distance. It's little physics things like this that so many people miss. The general public's concept of actual physical principles is fairly poor.
For all of you out there that are worried about whether some poor innocent PC user is going to pick up this Walmart PC/Lindows combo and become totally befuddled with this new fangled Linux thing and just be turned off to the whole idea, I'd like to just point one thing out: it's only available on the web. If someone is actually shopping at Walmart's web site it shows they already have some computer savvyness. The ONLY place I've heard about this is on linux-related sites. This isn't being marketed to everyone. It's not like they've got demos of linux PC's in aisle 10.
That being said, I am surpised that it's Lindows that's being used. It's in beta for one thing. Despite the claims for running Windows software, I'd almost rather they put Lycoris or even Mandrake on these computers just so that there aren't any dillusions of Win32 compatablility.
Slashdot Mirror
I agree. Java and Linux have not always gotten along, but that's changing now. It's even more important that this happens in order to provide an alternative to .NET. Now if only we could get a good open source/free software JVM . . . (anyone know of one other than Kaffe?)
Sun isn't driving it as hard? What planet are you on? Sun just finished a complete rehaul of the java.sun.com site. Java is still very alive, though it may not be getting the press it once did.
.NET technology.
PHP is very nice, and very easy to use (especially compared to J2EE), but if you're doing some serious heavy enterprise/distributed application work, then it just doesn't cut it. I've been working in enterprise java applications for about a year and a half now and I've found that most developers who aren't very familiar with java have no idea how powerful it is, how much it is used, and how much support there still is for it. Of course Microsoft is trying to drop java, it's been one of their key targets for years. Now that they're trying to drop it on the desktop, people start to think that java is dead. Well, server side it sure isn't and it has quite a bit of headway on the newer
That's not to say java is perfect and will never be replaced, but it's still a player now and to just dismiss it is to make a gross mistake.
If you didn't read the Mandrake article yet, I would really, really recommend you do so. It's wonderfully written and an excellent explaination of what a distribution is and how software should be developed. For example:
It is extremely hard for us to understand why some software publishers and hardware manufacturers only support one Linux distribution.
Each hardware manufacturer should develop drivers directly with the appropriate Free Software project. Network card manufacturers should cooperate with the Linux kernel project, videocard manufacturers should collaborate with the XFree86 project, and so on. For example, when a network card module is included directly in the Linux kernel it becomes a de facto standard supported by all Linux distributions.
In the same spirit, all software publishers should certify their products for a given version of the LSB (Linux Standard Base), not for a particular brand of Linux. Therefore, that software would work equally well with any Linux distribution that is in conformity with the LSB.
This article has really increased by respect of Mandrake and shown that they really do understand the Open Source/Free Software methods.
here
I have all but the clustering documentation. They've been decent. Not perfect, but often better than nothing and worth the $10. However the SAMS book that you can get the preview for(at least the edition I got a little while ago) is for the 2.3 & 2.4 series, NOT 3.0. You can get 3.0 documentation at sourceforge (look for the Quickstart pdf). Mostly I found the documentation was more for a serious programmer, not often good for someone new to J2EE. Also the 3.0 quickstart documentation is still in revision -- it's uncomplete. In general, when I need information, I check out the JBoss forums. They're up and running again.
Infogames will be doing the port to Mac in the fall. Press release at http://www.bioware.com/bioware_info/press_releases / wnmac/
Look, I'll admit that I really like GNOME as far as desktops go. More often than not I end up just using blackbox or evolution or windowMaker, but I do like the GNOME desktop and I've been looking forward to the 2.0 release. Anyways, I'd like to offer the thought that it's too soon to be judging GNOME 2.0. A lot of the apps aren't ported to it yet. Distributions aren't shipping it yet. A project like Gnome isn't like Mozilla where you expect everything in one package. There's a lot of other projects, not officially part of Gnome that go together to make it. When all these parts have been put together and companies like Ximian and RedHat start shipping a complete Gnome 2.0 product, then I'll start getting critical with it. Until then, I think it's too early to pass judgement.
Right now one of the main reasons you need a Windows install for the Linux server is because the Linux server needs the 1.19 patch. Currently, the only way to get the patch is to use the in-game update. The patch files have not yet been released for manual patching of the game. Hopefully these will be released soon. When they are released, then it will probably be possible to extract the other files needed from your CD (no guarentee here). My point is, if you can be patient for a little longer, those without a Windows partition are probably going to be able to install this.
I know that despite the release of the server, some people are still upset with Bioware about the delayed Linux support and/or the EULA. I'd just like to point out that this is still a significant step for Linux gaming. That a Linux client was even considered from the start is significant. Bioware has been incredibly open with this game. The toolset is amazing. You can even open up Bioware's own modules to see how they wrote the NWN chapters shipped with the game. The situation is not perfect, but I have to give Bioware more credit than many other gaming companies.
Okay,I'm getting confused here. I think one the one hand, you should be able to control the media once you've "purchased" it so to say. Meaning that once signal (if it's TV) or web page gets to my tv/computer, then I can mess with it all I want. Right? But what about the advertiser? I mean, the advertiser paid the station/site to broadcast my ad. Now there's no guarentee everyone won't just switch the channel, but if the signal gets messed with between the broadcaster and the viewer, then I'm screwed. What did I pay for? I guess the issue is at what point does the signal become "mine" as a viewer (if it ever really does)? I'm not sure if I'm being clear here, but it's a serious question. On the one hand I want to be able to control the media once it's in my home. On the other hand, if I'm an advertiser then I should have some assurance that my money is really buying me what I paid for (I would hope at least).
And in the case of Gator then there's the added issue that they're not only blocking ads, but replacing them. I don't like all the implications and I don't think the issue is very clear cut. There are serious pros and cons on both sides of the fence here.
Someone pointed out that they doubt the GPL is Microsoft's primary target -- that if that were the case Palladium is simply overkill. This is a good observation and I wanted to add to it. While Palladium potentially has very negative consequences for not only Open Source / Free Software but all software in general, Microsoft wins on several fronts with this approach. You might remember that Microsoft openly opposed the so-called Holling's Bill that would mandate this kind of technology. Why? Because while it would have similar results (actually the bills proposed would be more broad) the power would be in the hands of the lawmakers and more importantly in the hands of the copyright holders -- the movie and record industry. By pushing their own solution, rather than a legal one, Microsoft maintains control of the technology. To the legislators, they seem like the "good" guys (despite the monopoly convitions [how long before we finally punish these criminals?!]) and Microsoft will also get the backing of "Hollywood." It's about gaining the upper hand. They know that there are forces out there that want this kind of technology, however, it's in Microsoft's best interest to be the "innovators" and have everyone fall in line under their proposal. I think this is the real motivation -- it further secures their position as the dominant market leader. No one will want Microsoft to go away if they hold the keys to your security -- all your information, your applications, everything is in their hands. So not only does Microsoft become indispensable, but they also get to screw over the competition (which includes GPLed applications as the article points out). While security and "trustworthy" computing are nice ideas, Microsoft is the LAST company I want to hand over this kind of control to.
And if you read their biographies and histories you'll note that while they did not all support churches of a particular sort, most all were very "religious" in that they believed in a Supreme Being and most believed that what they were doing was inspired by that being. Few, if any, of the "founding fathers" were athiests.
You would find out that it is ILLEGAL to FORCE someone to recite the pledge of allegiance. This was determined by the Supreme Court and most of the articles about this new decision point that out. I agree that just reciting the pledge does little to nothing to help to proper patriotism, however, think about it this way: what if you didn't have to recite it? Would you remember it? Would you care? Is it a BAD thing to remind students, at least indirectly, once a day that they are part of a larger whole and they have a responsibility to be an active citizen? Forcing to recite a pledge is one thing, encouraging public awareness of your nation and a duty towards it is another.
There were some bugs in the old java compiler (I think it was pre 1.1) so that when you converted bytes to Strings it didn't work right. Such as this:
String(byte[] ascii, int hibyte)
They're depricated now, but boy, stuff like this threw me for a loop for a while.
Personally I think the biggest advantage to GNOME is that you can choose your window manager. Now to a Linux newbie that may not mean much, but for someone who has been using Linux for a little while that can be a very nice feature. KDE is great and it's probably best for someone with a Windows background just starting with Linux. KDE is more of an "all-in-one" package. This means a consistant look and feel. GNOME is more component oriented. I can take out one part of GNOME (like the window manager) and replace it with another. That feature adds some complexity and also the feel that some of the applications don't always belong together, but the flexibility is really nice. You can get all the advantages of a desktop, but run a light-weight windows manager that is specifically tuned for your needs.
At least that's my $0.02
I know it's been mentioned, but seriously, how much you wanna bet that some editor over at MSNBC said, "hey, we're low on hits this month. Get somebody to write an article that linux is dead and then get wind of it to Slashdot. That'll bump up the numbers."
I almost stopped reading at this quote:
/. editors purposely post this FUD just to get a kick out of all us geeks getting riled up!
"A Linux-based open-source program called Evolution looks pretty much like a standard Windows desktop"
A "technical" writer who doesn't distringuish between an email program and a desktop doesn't deserve his job. Sorry if I sound pissed, but this is a classic example of a guy who thinks he understands computing, but has never touched anything other than his Dell sitting at his office. Though the desktop computer market is probably most visible, it is only a SMALL part of the larger computer sector. I know I'm only preaching to the choir here, but it sure upsets me to read this crap. Sometimes I think the
I've got a nice Matrox dual-head video card for my workstation at work and quite honestly I don't know how I did anything before having two nice 20 inch monitors taking up all the desk space in my cubicle. :)
m or check out these screen shots of Jedi Knight II: m es / knt2.cfm.
Matrox is noted more for it's workstation class video cards than it's 3-D gaming abilities, but after seeing some of the info on "surround gaming," I don't know . . . I sure wouldn't mind playing the lastest game spanning 3 nice LCD monitors.
For more info, you should check out
http://www.matrox.com/mga/3d_gaming/surrgame.cf
http://www.matrox.com/mga/3d_gaming/enhanced_ga
When I saw the title I thought this would be about whether or not to get a DVD-R now before companies standardize on Digital Rights Technology that could effectively cripple the device in the future. In fact, that would be the only reason that I would consider getting a DVD-R (or +R or +RW or whatever other format and crazy acronym they come up with).
Personally, I don't really care if I can wave my fingers in front of my computer screen, or if the mouse follows my eye movements or something like that. I would much rather have a very efficient interface with the computer, which is why I often use just the command line (my laptop runs RedHat and I almost NEVER use X windows). It's just very efficient.
But it's not very intuitive. And that's the tradeoff. Intuitive interfaces are usually not very efficient when you really think about interfacing with the computer system and getting a lot of work done with little effort. I don't think there a problem with either approach. In fact, we need both. That's one reason I do like Unix/Linux -- when I need intuitive, I run X-windows (okay, it's not as intuitive as a Mac, but it's better than nothing), when I need speed and efficiency, I'm on the command line writing a script or perl or something.
Anyways, my point is, there are going to be lots of geeks who say, "heck, who needs finger pointing? I don't even use a mouse!" But that's the wrong attitude. Intuitive interfaces have their place and need to be improved upon.
I'm surprised there aren't more posts mentioning NWN. Maybe that's because a sizable portion of the /. crowd is glued to it tonight. I got my copy today. I must say, it looks great. Movement is a little awkward, maybe I'll get used to it eventually. But the real promise is with the toolset.
If you read the article or check Lindow's site you'll notice the part about they're Click 'N Run warehouse. With a $99/year membership you can get any software out of it you want. When you buy Lindows you get three free downloads to start.
.debs and install them yourself, (2) you can of course get the tools to make the software yourself from source, or (3) you can get it from the warehouse. Now why would you want to do that? Because it's "one click and you're up and running." No worry about configuration or install scripts. Considering this, I think Lindows is justified in charging for the software since they really are adding something of value (convenience) to the end user. Linux geeks can still install the software the old fashoned way too.
The whole Click 'N Run Warehouse confused me when I first read about it. $99 a year to download essentially GPLed applications? If you check the warehouse, you'll notice most of the applications there are the sort that you'll usually find included in any large distrobution. Everything from gcc to OpenOffice is there. Now why in the world would you pay $99 a year to access applications that are already free? Well, that was my question, so I emailed Lindows and they responded promptly saying that: (1) Lindows is a debian based distro, so you can download
okay, correction, it's not like you get to play any game you want. You have to earn them playing Animal Crossing and then download them from your GameCube.
If I can seriously play a lot of older NES games on a GBA, then I'm definitely going to get one! I've been waiting for some legit way to play most of those games again without having to scavenge through local garage sales for old cartridges. Some of my favorite games of all time were good old 8 bit NES games (original Dragon Warrior anyone?).
But here's what I'm really interested in seeing: Nintendo offers a legitimate way to play your favorite old games. How many people will now take Nintendo up on the offer, or will you still keep using your emulated to play downloaded ROMS? We get all upset with companies for not providing a way to get to the material we want (ROMS, MP3s) thus 'justifying' our use of questionable methods for access (think pirating). So the question at hand is when one of those companies changes, do you take them up on the offer?
I've known quite a few people who have said, "Well, if the record companies would just offer good MP3's at a decent price, I'd support them rather than getting them off of Kazaa." or "No one makes these old games now anyways. If Nintendo offered their own emulator for a reasonable price, I'd do it. But they don't, so playing these ROMS I just downloaded is okay." I'm sure you've heard similar (somewhat faulty) logic. If that was you, well, now you don't have any excuse. So are people going to support Nintendo, or can big companies just never get it right?
I'm replying to this late and haven't read all of the posts yet, so don't kill me if this has been mentioned already.
Did anyone notice that Spiderman's powers apparently allow him to fall faster than the pull of gravity? Every time Mary Jane is falling from the sky, he somehows accelerates and catches up to her. I don't care that he may be in a more aerodynamic diving form, there's no way he could catch her in such a short distance. It's little physics things like this that so many people miss. The general public's concept of actual physical principles is fairly poor.
For all of you out there that are worried about whether some poor innocent PC user is going to pick up this Walmart PC/Lindows combo and become totally befuddled with this new fangled Linux thing and just be turned off to the whole idea, I'd like to just point one thing out: it's only available on the web. If someone is actually shopping at Walmart's web site it shows they already have some computer savvyness. The ONLY place I've heard about this is on linux-related sites. This isn't being marketed to everyone. It's not like they've got demos of linux PC's in aisle 10.
That being said, I am surpised that it's Lindows that's being used. It's in beta for one thing. Despite the claims for running Windows software, I'd almost rather they put Lycoris or even Mandrake on these computers just so that there aren't any dillusions of Win32 compatablility.