Hardcore applies to gamers where the buyer wants a specific product. It doesn't matter how good, or unique, or complex the game happens to be; the key factor is that the customer watches the trailers online, pre-orders, and pays $60.
Casual gamers play something to pass the time. They don't really care what game they are playing as long as it isn't overly involved or boring. When given the choice between two games with a high price disparity, they will buy the cheaper game.
Casual gamers are great because the population is greater and they require a lower up-front investment. On the other hand, the profit margins are lower and chance of significant sales tends to be low.
Where was that in the patent? I saw icon replacement and switching but not displaying an application list alongside call controls:
Sorry, you are correct. I was looking for differences between Claim 1 and Claim 19 and got lost in the language (the apparent difference being that 1 is the method and 19 is the interface for doing so).
The reading of these things is almost painful. Does the patent office really require that you explain how a computer works and cross-reference every major wireless and communication protocol to describe a UI feature, or does it simply help to "bury the headline" thus increasing the chances of approval?
This patent covers two items that I am not familiar with today.
1) The application list is displayed alongside the call controls so that you have immediate access to call functions while browsing applications.
2) Applications become call-aware and offer a button to change back to the "phone application" somewhere in the interface.
Android doesn't implement these features, and they are not entirely desirable anyway. I'd much rather have a single interface to accessing applications (hit the home button and then use the shortcut I'm familiar with), and I prefer to have a link to the phone call in the notifications where it is always available.
So a little sensational, but the patent doesn't cover ground-shaking ideas.
I was going to suggest that you check out SPDY as another approach for improving latency of deeply-nested content, but it turns out that Amazon Silk actually uses the protocol in addition to any "cloud rendering" they have in the background.
I would have thought that high latency cell connections would have pushed us toward a pre-loading, single connection approach already, but apparently it's difficult to get the entire Internet to change...
Although the primary idea is that you write all of your call logic with a commercial GUI, the underlying "code" is Turing-complete XML. I find viewing the XML a painful and dizzying experience, but the XTML-specific GUI actually presents a decent view of the logic.
Re:Less then 5 hours is "not too shabby"?
on
PSP Battery Journal
·
· Score: 1
No, but battery life and killer titles can. Or which handheld beat the GBA in sales between mid-2001 and late 2002?
Yes, the GBA sold well, but I am certain the weak competition in that arena helped. That does not (completely) erase the fact that many people had issues with the screen.
On the flip side, I suppose Nintendo had trouble selling the SP model. Nobody with the original model would need to upgrade, would they? (Yes, I do know that the SP offered more than a frontlit screen, but I am positive that the simple addition of a light greatly boosted their sales.)
Except on transatlantic or transpacific airline flights, which often charge hundreds of dollars extra to move a passenger from coach (with no power point within the cord's reach) to business class (with one every seat).
As I said, Sony is betting that most people will find the battery life acceptable. Personally, I have never taken a transatlantic flight, nor do I know people for which this is a regular occurrence.
Sony has catered to those with special needs by providing easy access to batteries. They may be expensive, but so are those long flights...
As you hint, though, it all boils down to one thing: games. Most people will gloss over pretty much anything to have a good time.
You are right. I started ignoring any entries that involved the word "Lumines" (since they didn't relate to the batteries), and I missed the important one.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Re:Less then 5 hours is "not too shabby"?
on
PSP Battery Journal
·
· Score: 1
They are paying attention.
Nintendo learned with the Gameboy Advance that a super-long battery life cannot make up for a poor screen (well, poorly lit).
The Game Gear taught manufacturers that a great screen and strong processor cannot make up for poor battery life.
As with most things, the goal is finding the appropriate balance. Sony is betting that most people will not care to play for more than five hours away from a power source. In my case, this is a reasonable assumption, but they cannot possibly please everyone.
I should have been more explicit. From what I have seen, you have to stop playing the game and turn the unit off to switch batteries. Is there a sleep mode, and can you change batteries during that time period?
Slashdot Mirror
It's slowly (slowly!) getting better:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
A little late to the party, but...
Hardcore applies to gamers where the buyer wants a specific product. It doesn't matter how good, or unique, or complex the game happens to be; the key factor is that the customer watches the trailers online, pre-orders, and pays $60.
Casual gamers play something to pass the time. They don't really care what game they are playing as long as it isn't overly involved or boring. When given the choice between two games with a high price disparity, they will buy the cheaper game.
Casual gamers are great because the population is greater and they require a lower up-front investment. On the other hand, the profit margins are lower and chance of significant sales tends to be low.
Sorry, you are correct. I was looking for differences between Claim 1 and Claim 19 and got lost in the language (the apparent difference being that 1 is the method and 19 is the interface for doing so). The reading of these things is almost painful. Does the patent office really require that you explain how a computer works and cross-reference every major wireless and communication protocol to describe a UI feature, or does it simply help to "bury the headline" thus increasing the chances of approval?
This patent covers two items that I am not familiar with today.
1) The application list is displayed alongside the call controls so that you have immediate access to call functions while browsing applications.
2) Applications become call-aware and offer a button to change back to the "phone application" somewhere in the interface.
Android doesn't implement these features, and they are not entirely desirable anyway. I'd much rather have a single interface to accessing applications (hit the home button and then use the shortcut I'm familiar with), and I prefer to have a link to the phone call in the notifications where it is always available.
So a little sensational, but the patent doesn't cover ground-shaking ideas.
I was going to suggest that you check out SPDY as another approach for improving latency of deeply-nested content, but it turns out that Amazon Silk actually uses the protocol in addition to any "cloud rendering" they have in the background.
I would have thought that high latency cell connections would have pushed us toward a pre-loading, single connection approach already, but apparently it's difficult to get the entire Internet to change...
I have seen code like this: XTML.
Although the primary idea is that you write all of your call logic with a commercial GUI, the underlying "code" is Turing-complete XML. I find viewing the XML a painful and dizzying experience, but the XTML-specific GUI actually presents a decent view of the logic.
Yes, the GBA sold well, but I am certain the weak competition in that arena helped. That does not (completely) erase the fact that many people had issues with the screen.
On the flip side, I suppose Nintendo had trouble selling the SP model. Nobody with the original model would need to upgrade, would they? (Yes, I do know that the SP offered more than a frontlit screen, but I am positive that the simple addition of a light greatly boosted their sales.)
As I said, Sony is betting that most people will find the battery life acceptable. Personally, I have never taken a transatlantic flight, nor do I know people for which this is a regular occurrence.
Sony has catered to those with special needs by providing easy access to batteries. They may be expensive, but so are those long flights...
As you hint, though, it all boils down to one thing: games. Most people will gloss over pretty much anything to have a good time.
You are right. I started ignoring any entries that involved the word "Lumines" (since they didn't relate to the batteries), and I missed the important one.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
They are paying attention.
Nintendo learned with the Gameboy Advance that a super-long battery life cannot make up for a poor screen (well, poorly lit).
The Game Gear taught manufacturers that a great screen and strong processor cannot make up for poor battery life.
As with most things, the goal is finding the appropriate balance. Sony is betting that most people will not care to play for more than five hours away from a power source. In my case, this is a reasonable assumption, but they cannot possibly please everyone.
I should have been more explicit. From what I have seen, you have to stop playing the game and turn the unit off to switch batteries. Is there a sleep mode, and can you change batteries during that time period?
I'm happy with five hours, but people will still point out that the DS does better.
Why don't they make the batteries easy to swap out? This practice is not too popular (look at Pocket PCs), but it should stop the complaints.
This is a terrible idea! How is Google supposed to know if I'm looking for the "iPod Mini" or the "iPod MINI"?