For what it's worth, I've been using Opera exclusively since version 3.something in 1998. When they switched to ads, I used a cracked version for a couple months, but then regged it after the guilt got to me. Considering that (excluding operating systems) I use this piece of software more than any other, I probably owed them a lot more than it cost. Though I must admit that I'm the only person I know who gave them any money, and I know about a half dozen other people who use it regularly. I assume most of their revenue comes from licensing deals w/ mobile phone makers.
If you're willing to learn the interface and customize it to your liking, there's no doubt in my mind that there's nothing faster. Most importantly, you can use it with either the mouse OR the keyboard without any loss of efficiency. From my experiences, most other browsers have functions that can only be done with one or the other.
Know how after you win, it asks if you want to deal again? I always wondered why it doesn't just close if you click no. Surely, if you did not want to deal again, you must be done playing, so why not save you the extra click and close the damn thing?
Bad interface design, tsk tsk.
Re:you *can* read the salon story freely...
on
SCO SCO SCO!
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· Score: 5, Informative
Re:HUGE FEES, but they get away with it
on
Mighty Amazon
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· Score: 1
Wow...I mean yeah, I knew I was a slacker, but...well, I guess I didn't realize how obvious I was making it. =]
Seriously though, I've done the buying/reselling/middle-man thing before and made a little cash, but it's not fun. Also my example didn't include a lot of the complexities (shipping costs, deadbeat sellers/buyers) that make it only worth your while if you do it frequently and with higher margins (300% plus) . And it's usually better when you're buying IRL (surplus auctions, thrift stores, etc) and then selling online.
HUGE FEES, but they get away with it
on
Mighty Amazon
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· Score: 5, Informative
An anecdotal comparison: I own an item that's been out of print for quite a while and is rather rare. Being a broke college student, I naturally was looking into selling it. A little searching showed that the item sells on ebay regularly for around $80-100; on amazon (where people go who don't know how to use ebay or are afraid to) it goes for $170-200.
Simple choice, right? Well get this, ebay's fees (in my case) are $0.93 plus 2.75%. Amazon charges $0.99 plus 15%! I really hate paying huge fees when they're doing hardly any work, but the visibility is what they're selling.
Sell on ebay: $90 minus $3.40 fees = $86.60 NET PROFIT
Sell on amazon: $170 minus $26.49 fees = $143.51 NET PROFIT
Would you give up $56.91 purely to avoid supporting an "evil" company and their stupid patents? For most people, it's just not worth it. I hate his guts but Bezos is smart as hell.
I don't know who's car it was, but my friend and I filmed it (however poorly) outside my old college dorm. This car's pretty old, so I would guess it's more likely a mechanical glitch than a software one, but maybe someone out there's seen this type of thing before and knows what causes it?
Although I'll admit that cost, ease of use, and superiority of games are the main reasons for the trend (like most poeple are saying), I did notice another factor that hasn't been mentioned here or in the article. If you and some friends just want to sit down (in the same room) and play a multiplayer game, do you really have a choice? How many PC games do you know of that allow more than one player on a single system at once? The consoles have that market cornered. People like playing games against their friends, and they especially like it when they can do so just sitting next to eachother on the couch.
Online multiplayer is really a different animal altogether. It will only supplement social console gaming, not replace it. Even once the consoles of the future are seemlessly online, the "controller #2" will still get a LOT of use.
Yes, I collect AOL CD, as do a lot of other people. It's truly amazing how many different styles and variations there are of these things (it's in the thousands). I feel like they've become icons of a generation.
Sorry to be nitpicky, but the Online Gaming League is the only OGL that I know of, and I don't see what it could possibly have to do with the Open Gaming Foundation. I mean seriously, the first person shooter geeks shouldn't be confused with the d&d dorks. They at least deserve that much.
Slashdot Mirror
For what it's worth, I've been using Opera exclusively since version 3.something in 1998. When they switched to ads, I used a cracked version for a couple months, but then regged it after the guilt got to me. Considering that (excluding operating systems) I use this piece of software more than any other, I probably owed them a lot more than it cost. Though I must admit that I'm the only person I know who gave them any money, and I know about a half dozen other people who use it regularly. I assume most of their revenue comes from licensing deals w/ mobile phone makers.
If you're willing to learn the interface and customize it to your liking, there's no doubt in my mind that there's nothing faster. Most importantly, you can use it with either the mouse OR the keyboard without any loss of efficiency. From my experiences, most other browsers have functions that can only be done with one or the other.
just my $.02
Know how after you win, it asks if you want to deal again? I always wondered why it doesn't just close if you click no. Surely, if you did not want to deal again, you must be done playing, so why not save you the extra click and close the damn thing?
Bad interface design, tsk tsk.
Open this page, then open this one.
Bingo, free salon story, no ads.
nevermind, I somehow missed that they had an entire article about the doom^3 one with links and all.
bittorrent, enjoy
Wow...I mean yeah, I knew I was a slacker, but...well, I guess I didn't realize how obvious I was making it. =]
Seriously though, I've done the buying/reselling/middle-man thing before and made a little cash, but it's not fun. Also my example didn't include a lot of the complexities (shipping costs, deadbeat sellers/buyers) that make it only worth your while if you do it frequently and with higher margins (300% plus) . And it's usually better when you're buying IRL (surplus auctions, thrift stores, etc) and then selling online.
An anecdotal comparison: I own an item that's been out of print for quite a while and is rather rare. Being a broke college student, I naturally was looking into selling it. A little searching showed that the item sells on ebay regularly for around $80-100; on amazon (where people go who don't know how to use ebay or are afraid to) it goes for $170-200.
Simple choice, right? Well get this, ebay's fees (in my case) are $0.93 plus 2.75%. Amazon charges $0.99 plus 15%! I really hate paying huge fees when they're doing hardly any work, but the visibility is what they're selling.
Sell on ebay: $90 minus $3.40 fees = $86.60 NET PROFIT
Sell on amazon: $170 minus $26.49 fees = $143.51 NET PROFIT
Would you give up $56.91 purely to avoid supporting an "evil" company and their stupid patents? For most people, it's just not worth it. I hate his guts but Bezos is smart as hell.
Psycho Headlights
I don't know who's car it was, but my friend and I filmed it (however poorly) outside my old college dorm. This car's pretty old, so I would guess it's more likely a mechanical glitch than a software one, but maybe someone out there's seen this type of thing before and knows what causes it?
Although I'll admit that cost, ease of use, and superiority of games are the main reasons for the trend (like most poeple are saying), I did notice another factor that hasn't been mentioned here or in the article. If you and some friends just want to sit down (in the same room) and play a multiplayer game, do you really have a choice? How many PC games do you know of that allow more than one player on a single system at once? The consoles have that market cornered. People like playing games against their friends, and they especially like it when they can do so just sitting next to eachother on the couch.
Online multiplayer is really a different animal altogether. It will only supplement social console gaming, not replace it. Even once the consoles of the future are seemlessly online, the "controller #2" will still get a LOT of use.
Agreed, and I dont think it would be possible for this guy's picture to fit his comment any more than it does.
Yes, I collect AOL CD, as do a lot of other people. It's truly amazing how many different styles and variations there are of these things (it's in the thousands). I feel like they've become icons of a generation.
~GP
Doh, guess I should give /. editors a little more credit. My mistake.
Sorry to be nitpicky, but the Online Gaming League is the only OGL that I know of, and I don't see what it could possibly have to do with the Open Gaming Foundation. I mean seriously, the first person shooter geeks shouldn't be confused with the d&d dorks. They at least deserve that much.
Tom's Hardware
I don't think many of us need all the stuff this guy carries, but it's a nice article to get you started.
why bother having it message you? just have it shut the damn thing down