I have to agree... the release of the Xbox 360 seems like a deja vu of the Dreamcast release. Why did dreamcast fail against PS2? The primary reason, in my opinion is the lack of support for DVD. This situation is almost the exact same as the Dreamcast vs. PS2 situation, Sega did not adapt to the new technology while Sony did.
However, what is different this time is that there is still an ongoing battle between HD-DVD and Blu-ray for the title of the next generation Digital Storage Media, but with Sony jumping on the band wagon for the next gen media and supporting games all the way back to the original PSX, I think it is really at Microsoft's disadvantage to launch the Xbox 360 with only DVD support and limited original Xbox game support. I guess only time will tell which system will emerge victorious.
I am Chinese. I was born in China and moved to the US when I was 8. Anyway, I just came back from a trip to China, and I had a blast. Unfortunately, it is true that the Internet connection is quite slow there, even if you are on DSL. However, it is only a small price to pay for all of the fun you will have.
Don't believe any of these people talking down about China, like the communist is out to get you or something, because in reality, the country itself is actually developing in to a capitalistic society (aka. Money Talks) and no government official is out to get you, unless if you do something that you are not supposed to do (like sending knives through postal mail, I am pretty sure US Postal service will give you hell about it too). China really isn't bad. I have enjoyed every minute there, and I did not notice any "loss of freedom" while I was in China.
there are Internet cafes everywhere in China as well, and the government is supposedly regulating these places, but when you have one or two Internet cafes per city block, regulation is really more easily said than done. I was able to get to any websites that I normally go to, so there you go.
I did not personally have this problem, but unfortunately, you will have to watch out for pick pockets in China, but all you have to do is either put your wallet inside of your jacket or put it in the front of your pants. make sure you didn't lose anything if anyone bumps into you.
It will also help if you have a native guide, because alot of the business owners there will try to rip off foreign visitors. Alway bargin for a better price. If the vendor asks for 30 Yuan for an item, you will have to offer him 5 Yuan, and then work from there. It is ridiculous how much some of these "mark-ups" can be.
Anyway, for the most part, I think you will enjoy your visit. Great food, great entertainment, and an absolutely fantastic experience. I am still excited when I talk about it. Good luck in China and I hope you will enjoy your visit as much as I did.
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I have to agree... the release of the Xbox 360 seems like a deja vu of the Dreamcast release. Why did dreamcast fail against PS2? The primary reason, in my opinion is the lack of support for DVD. This situation is almost the exact same as the Dreamcast vs. PS2 situation, Sega did not adapt to the new technology while Sony did. However, what is different this time is that there is still an ongoing battle between HD-DVD and Blu-ray for the title of the next generation Digital Storage Media, but with Sony jumping on the band wagon for the next gen media and supporting games all the way back to the original PSX, I think it is really at Microsoft's disadvantage to launch the Xbox 360 with only DVD support and limited original Xbox game support. I guess only time will tell which system will emerge victorious.
I am Chinese. I was born in China and moved to the US when I was 8. Anyway, I just came back from a trip to China, and I had a blast. Unfortunately, it is true that the Internet connection is quite slow there, even if you are on DSL. However, it is only a small price to pay for all of the fun you will have.
Don't believe any of these people talking down about China, like the communist is out to get you or something, because in reality, the country itself is actually developing in to a capitalistic society (aka. Money Talks) and no government official is out to get you, unless if you do something that you are not supposed to do (like sending knives through postal mail, I am pretty sure US Postal service will give you hell about it too). China really isn't bad. I have enjoyed every minute there, and I did not notice any "loss of freedom" while I was in China.
there are Internet cafes everywhere in China as well, and the government is supposedly regulating these places, but when you have one or two Internet cafes per city block, regulation is really more easily said than done. I was able to get to any websites that I normally go to, so there you go.
I did not personally have this problem, but unfortunately, you will have to watch out for pick pockets in China, but all you have to do is either put your wallet inside of your jacket or put it in the front of your pants. make sure you didn't lose anything if anyone bumps into you.
It will also help if you have a native guide, because alot of the business owners there will try to rip off foreign visitors. Alway bargin for a better price. If the vendor asks for 30 Yuan for an item, you will have to offer him 5 Yuan, and then work from there. It is ridiculous how much some of these "mark-ups" can be.
Anyway, for the most part, I think you will enjoy your visit. Great food, great entertainment, and an absolutely fantastic experience. I am still excited when I talk about it. Good luck in China and I hope you will enjoy your visit as much as I did.