Man, I think this is just awful. You pay your taxes to ensure that teh government can prosecute anti-trust cases, and then the company that gets sued (who makes billions of dollars in PROFIT every quarter from their business practices) decides to pass along the costs of losing to the consumers. No matter what happens, the consumer pays for it.
Shame on Microsoft. I think this is the first time that they REALLY pissed me off about this.
Like most/.ers, I think we've all been following this story about the DS for sometime. I was skeptical at first, but now that I've had the opportunity to see the device, I am really not that overly impressed with the design. It looks like an old Compaq Pocket PC!
This format just gives game developers opportunities to make more gimmicks into their games. It's a new paradigm, and so the games will fundamentally change to accomodate this. I bet you only 25% of the games that come out in the first year will use those two screens effectively. Let's look at the numbers the other way. That means my estimate is 75% of the games that come out in the first year for the DS will get the dual screen WRONG. It's a new platform, a new paradigm. I hope for the best, but I expect the worst. And I am not even going to shell out any money for this gimmick device.
I think that if they wanted a shot at attracting an older market, they should have made a screen that was like 4"-5" wide and have built in APIs to split the screen side by side into 2"-2.5" halves. Give gamers the opportunity to see handheld games in a wider format. Maybe use a 16:9 ratio, and give your device half a chance of succeeding outside of Japan...
Honestly, I smell another Virtual Boy on the horizon...
Well I keep playing this game. It is insanely hard, and I finally made it to the last stage of the game, with the last boss... and 2 seconds into the last god boss, I die... what fun is that? I have unlocked about 30 or so ships, and I will keep playing the game until I unlock all of them. I played the game on baby mode to get some of the ships and to increase the duration I play the game for, but I think I've put in a lot of time since I bought the damn game. It won't be a game that I trade or throw away... it's just too damn good!
My friend made me a best man in his wedding, and his brother got a medieval costume from the local costume place... everyone else had their costume hand made. His costume came with skulls, spikes on the shoulder pads, and fake battle marks with blood. It was tacky...
I was developing tendonitis in my wrists, and I went to a chiropractor. He totally relieved the pressure in my wrists by adjusting them and helped me heal most the problems I was having. I can now self adjust. I also got a stationary mouse and split keyboard. I am now in control of the pain.
Hear, fucking, hear! There is no place for fucktards in this world! Name your kid with a proper language, not catering to some juvenile fantasy. To quote Red Foreman, your wife should "kick your ass so hard your nose will bleed" if she had half a mind.
Wrath of Khan... yeah... Wrath of Khan... it's not every day you get to see an enemy down the Enterprise's shields and slice through it's hull with Kirk at the helm. He got through by the skin of his teeth, but he also got his ass served to him. "Revenge is a dish served cold..." - Khan
Add a shortcut to a.bat file in your victim's Startup folder in a Windows 2K or XP setup (using some clever social engineering way to get the person away from their terminal), and put the following line in the.bat file:
shutdown -r -f -t 00
This will reboot the victim's computer every time they start up their computer! It's harmless, and very annoying.
I am going to tape a white piece of paper to all of the optical sensors on the office mice, and I'm going to stash all of the non-optical mice balls. People won't know what happened. I am likely to unplug the mice too just for a high one.
I won't ever buy an XBox because I have a PS2 and a PC and my wife would kill me if I bought another console. I bought the PS2 because it had the game that my wife wanted to play, and that's what set the trend. The number of games I own for the system means I've made an investment into the platform, and I don't think I could justify the purchase. Also, I will stick to the PlayStation line for backwards compatibility of my games. I'm sure I'd like the XBox and playing games on it, but I won't be owning one.
The Panasonic SL-CT800 supports VBR according to a number of websites. At least two websites I've come across have said this particular model supports VBR. I haven't specifically experimented with this feature of the player, but I am convinced that at least a few of my tracks I've played on this player are VBR.
The XBox DOES use USB, but not the same plug style. There are products that let you convert an XBox controller to a standard flat USB plug. With these adapters and the right driver, you can connect the XBox controller to either a Windows or MacOS X computer.
I am probably the minority opinion here (I own a PS2 and won't ever buy an XBox), but gamers will be benefiting most, because the Windows and console platforms will be more likely to get the same games, rather than just exclusive for one platform over another. Microsoft will be able sign development houses to exlusive XNA development contracts, in addition to exclusive XBox or PC contracts. Gamers get more games on both platforms. Gamers get games that can play against each other on either platform with the joint networking code. Gamers get features that are accessible to both platforms.
Developers win because they don't have to learn and develop with two separate middleware products. One set of middle-ware means standardized development that saves time and money. Developers can spend more time designing and implementing games rather than struggling with the platform's issues and quirks. I see XNA like the Java or.NET for gaming platforms. No matter what platform you write for, you have a standard you can code against and rely on for the future.
With XNA, the Windows PC and the XBox will be both first-class citizens. Everyone wins, including MS.
One of the major things about security is assessing risk. If no one knows about a flaw, how can one exploit it? Risk is minimized by publishing patches in a timely fashion when a flaw exists. The vast majority of people who use and continually try to exploit flaws in Microsoft's software security are exploiting KNOWN issues. To just say "oh well there's Microsoft saying they are very secure" is hogwash, and frankly irresponsible of the poster to make such claims.
The lesson is: practice safe computing. All platforms have flaws, and since 90% of the desktop market is MS, that of course is going to be the target platform for viruses. I bet you anything that if Linux was the defacto standard for desktops in the home and enterprise, that we would see a hell of a lot more security issues arise on that platform.
Seriously... most people will react when you say something like "if I can't get this resolved shortly, I might have to pursue a legal recourse..."
People will usually jump....
I bet you anything that this is partially a result from people moving from their meager lives as teenagers and college students, to working world people with less time to entertain themselves. After all, the common denominator between gaming and music is the fact that they are forms of entertainment you purchase on a piece by piece basis.
I do find my movie-buying habits going up though. Go figure...
I'd like to know if Rogers AT&T Wireless will see any benefits from this purchase... We need better rates and better service in Canada. Maybe this union will trickle down *shrug*
I'm the same way... my money situation has improved, but I find that I am unwilling to just blow money on any game just to have it. I have things I work towards now financially, and I think over time us gamers learn that it takes a particularly good game to engross us. I am currently playing Maximo Vs. The Army of Zin and I find it incredibly challenging. Halo for the PC was my last biggie, however I have bought a few more games between buying Halo and Maximo, and I didn't play them as much as I "should" have... in fact, there's a game I have that I haven't even played for more than 1 hour! As we get older, I think we tend to parcel out our time better and are more likely to spend our time enriching or challenging our lives. Don't feel bad... it just means you have better things to do with your time.
We may slam Microsoft for all of it's bugs, but it's really hard to top a software bug triggering an international blackout the size of one last summer. I think I should sue GE for making me walk 3.5 hours home in the heat with no money in Toronto, uphill, because I couldn't take a subway home. I smell a lawsuit the size of the eastern seaboard.
I know I'll get some flame mail for this idea, but I think God is humanity's longest living kludge out there. 95% of all people accept God to be true, but have we found out either way? No. We can only believe and hope it's true.
If you constantly use a mouse that you have to move your wrist to operate, then you are setting yourself up for the potential world of pain. I found the only way to combat this problem when I'm at work is to use a stationary mouse (aka trackball shaped like a mouse) and it literally changed the way my wrist and hand feel. I use gel supports for both the split keyboard and trackball, and I tell you, my wrists only have momentary problems when I use a regular mouse for a prolonged period of time. Logitech makes good stationary mice (this one I have is called a Marble Mouse). It's old (since 1998) but I still have it and it works like no other mouse I own! The Marble Mouse has probably evolved since then, but I can say honestly it makes a difference.
Slashdot Mirror
Man, I think this is just awful. You pay your taxes to ensure that teh government can prosecute anti-trust cases, and then the company that gets sued (who makes billions of dollars in PROFIT every quarter from their business practices) decides to pass along the costs of losing to the consumers. No matter what happens, the consumer pays for it.
Shame on Microsoft. I think this is the first time that they REALLY pissed me off about this.
Like most /.ers, I think we've all been following this story about the DS for sometime. I was skeptical at first, but now that I've had the opportunity to see the device, I am really not that overly impressed with the design. It looks like an old Compaq Pocket PC!
This format just gives game developers opportunities to make more gimmicks into their games. It's a new paradigm, and so the games will fundamentally change to accomodate this. I bet you only 25% of the games that come out in the first year will use those two screens effectively. Let's look at the numbers the other way. That means my estimate is 75% of the games that come out in the first year for the DS will get the dual screen WRONG. It's a new platform, a new paradigm. I hope for the best, but I expect the worst. And I am not even going to shell out any money for this gimmick device.
I think that if they wanted a shot at attracting an older market, they should have made a screen that was like 4"-5" wide and have built in APIs to split the screen side by side into 2"-2.5" halves. Give gamers the opportunity to see handheld games in a wider format. Maybe use a 16:9 ratio, and give your device half a chance of succeeding outside of Japan...
Honestly, I smell another Virtual Boy on the horizon...
Well I keep playing this game. It is insanely hard, and I finally made it to the last stage of the game, with the last boss... and 2 seconds into the last god boss, I die... what fun is that? I have unlocked about 30 or so ships, and I will keep playing the game until I unlock all of them. I played the game on baby mode to get some of the ships and to increase the duration I play the game for, but I think I've put in a lot of time since I bought the damn game. It won't be a game that I trade or throw away... it's just too damn good!
1. WinXP-SP1/Windows Update 2. AVG 6.0 3. MSN Messenger 6.1 4. Microsoft Office 2003 5. Spybot Search and Destroy 1.2/Ad-Aware 6.0 6. Yahoo Messenger 5.6 7. K++ 2.5 8. Winamp 5.02 9. Nero Burning ROM 6.0 10. Visual Studio .NET 2003
Am I an MS freak or what??? lol
My friend made me a best man in his wedding, and his brother got a medieval costume from the local costume place... everyone else had their costume hand made. His costume came with skulls, spikes on the shoulder pads, and fake battle marks with blood. It was tacky...
I was developing tendonitis in my wrists, and I went to a chiropractor. He totally relieved the pressure in my wrists by adjusting them and helped me heal most the problems I was having. I can now self adjust. I also got a stationary mouse and split keyboard. I am now in control of the pain.
No you don't... all you need is to boot up in console mode and delete the shortcut to the script file that runs that command...
Hear, fucking, hear! There is no place for fucktards in this world! Name your kid with a proper language, not catering to some juvenile fantasy. To quote Red Foreman, your wife should "kick your ass so hard your nose will bleed" if she had half a mind.
Wrath of Khan... yeah... Wrath of Khan... it's not every day you get to see an enemy down the Enterprise's shields and slice through it's hull with Kirk at the helm. He got through by the skin of his teeth, but he also got his ass served to him. "Revenge is a dish served cold..." - Khan
Add a shortcut to a .bat file in your victim's Startup folder in a Windows 2K or XP setup (using some clever social engineering way to get the person away from their terminal), and put the following line in the .bat file:
shutdown -r -f -t 00This will reboot the victim's computer every time they start up their computer! It's harmless, and very annoying.
I am going to tape a white piece of paper to all of the optical sensors on the office mice, and I'm going to stash all of the non-optical mice balls. People won't know what happened. I am likely to unplug the mice too just for a high one.
I won't ever buy an XBox because I have a PS2 and a PC and my wife would kill me if I bought another console. I bought the PS2 because it had the game that my wife wanted to play, and that's what set the trend. The number of games I own for the system means I've made an investment into the platform, and I don't think I could justify the purchase. Also, I will stick to the PlayStation line for backwards compatibility of my games. I'm sure I'd like the XBox and playing games on it, but I won't be owning one.
The Panasonic SL-CT800 supports VBR according to a number of websites. At least two websites I've come across have said this particular model supports VBR. I haven't specifically experimented with this feature of the player, but I am convinced that at least a few of my tracks I've played on this player are VBR.
The XBox DOES use USB, but not the same plug style. There are products that let you convert an XBox controller to a standard flat USB plug. With these adapters and the right driver, you can connect the XBox controller to either a Windows or MacOS X computer.
I am probably the minority opinion here (I own a PS2 and won't ever buy an XBox), but gamers will be benefiting most, because the Windows and console platforms will be more likely to get the same games, rather than just exclusive for one platform over another. Microsoft will be able sign development houses to exlusive XNA development contracts, in addition to exclusive XBox or PC contracts. Gamers get more games on both platforms. Gamers get games that can play against each other on either platform with the joint networking code. Gamers get features that are accessible to both platforms.
.NET for gaming platforms. No matter what platform you write for, you have a standard you can code against and rely on for the future.
Developers win because they don't have to learn and develop with two separate middleware products. One set of middle-ware means standardized development that saves time and money. Developers can spend more time designing and implementing games rather than struggling with the platform's issues and quirks. I see XNA like the Java or
With XNA, the Windows PC and the XBox will be both first-class citizens. Everyone wins, including MS.
Some of Panasonic's CD-based MP3 players support VBR, FYI.
One of the major things about security is assessing risk. If no one knows about a flaw, how can one exploit it? Risk is minimized by publishing patches in a timely fashion when a flaw exists. The vast majority of people who use and continually try to exploit flaws in Microsoft's software security are exploiting KNOWN issues. To just say "oh well there's Microsoft saying they are very secure" is hogwash, and frankly irresponsible of the poster to make such claims.
The lesson is: practice safe computing. All platforms have flaws, and since 90% of the desktop market is MS, that of course is going to be the target platform for viruses. I bet you anything that if Linux was the defacto standard for desktops in the home and enterprise, that we would see a hell of a lot more security issues arise on that platform.
Seriously... most people will react when you say something like "if I can't get this resolved shortly, I might have to pursue a legal recourse..." People will usually jump....
I bet you anything that this is partially a result from people moving from their meager lives as teenagers and college students, to working world people with less time to entertain themselves. After all, the common denominator between gaming and music is the fact that they are forms of entertainment you purchase on a piece by piece basis.
I do find my movie-buying habits going up though. Go figure...
I'd like to know if Rogers AT&T Wireless will see any benefits from this purchase... We need better rates and better service in Canada. Maybe this union will trickle down *shrug*
I'm the same way... my money situation has improved, but I find that I am unwilling to just blow money on any game just to have it. I have things I work towards now financially, and I think over time us gamers learn that it takes a particularly good game to engross us. I am currently playing Maximo Vs. The Army of Zin and I find it incredibly challenging. Halo for the PC was my last biggie, however I have bought a few more games between buying Halo and Maximo, and I didn't play them as much as I "should" have... in fact, there's a game I have that I haven't even played for more than 1 hour! As we get older, I think we tend to parcel out our time better and are more likely to spend our time enriching or challenging our lives. Don't feel bad... it just means you have better things to do with your time.
We may slam Microsoft for all of it's bugs, but it's really hard to top a software bug triggering an international blackout the size of one last summer. I think I should sue GE for making me walk 3.5 hours home in the heat with no money in Toronto, uphill, because I couldn't take a subway home. I smell a lawsuit the size of the eastern seaboard.
Didn't the old Macs from the 80s have autorun on their floppies? TVI can go suck my ass for that one...
I know I'll get some flame mail for this idea, but I think God is humanity's longest living kludge out there. 95% of all people accept God to be true, but have we found out either way? No. We can only believe and hope it's true.
If you constantly use a mouse that you have to move your wrist to operate, then you are setting yourself up for the potential world of pain. I found the only way to combat this problem when I'm at work is to use a stationary mouse (aka trackball shaped like a mouse) and it literally changed the way my wrist and hand feel. I use gel supports for both the split keyboard and trackball, and I tell you, my wrists only have momentary problems when I use a regular mouse for a prolonged period of time. Logitech makes good stationary mice (this one I have is called a Marble Mouse). It's old (since 1998) but I still have it and it works like no other mouse I own! The Marble Mouse has probably evolved since then, but I can say honestly it makes a difference.