I disagree on the rounded cables statement. Round cables (esp. in >4-drive arrays) allows more airflow, which keeps the disks cool. For 10K and 15K rpm disks, this is critical.
Now, if you'd said "don't try to make round cables yourself," I might agree -- even though I've done exactly that in the past AND once managed to cut one of the wires in the process -- but there is nothing inherently wrong with round IDE cables. You might claim crosstalk is an issue, but that's largely what the extra ground line are for between each and every EIDE signal wire (80-pin vs. 40-pin).
Of course, SATA cables make this argument entirely moot... and if you're buying a new IDE RAID solution, and not buying a SATA RAID adapter, you're fodder for the/dev/ignore set anyway.
As an IT manager at a previous employer, I once had to consolidate a bunch of domain names to a single vendor (Verisign terms, at the time, didn't suck as much as they seem to now, so that's where we consolidated). All the other domain hosting services let go of the records once they were notified and had verified the validity of my request.
RegisterFly, on the other hand, fought tooth and nail to hold on to it, and only let go once we got our company attorneys involved. I never understood the reasoning -- we only had 4 months left with them anyway, and we'd paid such a ridiculously low amount to register the name anyway, I"m certain they spent more manpower dollars in fighting the transfer than they ever could have made on the original domain registration fees.
Truly the worst part (then anyway, YMMV now) was that they didn't have a phone contact method -- most everything had to be done via online chat, and INVARIABLY the person "typing" on the other end (loosely stated because of their awful grammar skills) didn't have a clue. Nevertheless, you may have better experiences with them, but you couldn't pay me to put a domain with them now.
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.7) Gecko/20040803 Firefox/0.9.3
In other words, Firefox 0.9.3... and yes, it still resizes the browser (I tested again from home). It's not so much that maybe I didn't turn off that "allow" in Firefox -- it's that the HTML code there resizes the browser in the first place. It just screams, "Look at me! I am superior to all who visit!!" Like guys who drive really big trucks... everyone knows better.
Good try, but I'm using Firefox now, so your response is nullified. I abandoned everything but Firefox / Mozilla long ago.
And my claim is still ompletely valid -- even with Firefox, the site still resizes the browser to maximum screen proportions (1600x1200 !!!), and I find that incredibly annoying.
How scary is that...? I guess Slashdot geeks must not cook. Heck, I'll bet I'm the first to even READ this thread at all!!
Cooking is cool, but the trick is -- DON'T follow the recipe. It's like anything else: an ounce of creativity produces a ton of delight. And besides, why make the same thing the same way every time?
Me? I open up the pantry/freezer/fridge/cupboard, take a quick inventory, pull out some stuff that looks like it might be interesting together, and go to work. Simple example:
- frozen chicken breasts (heheh.. he said "breasts") - bacon - BBQ or hot sauce of your choice - and some sausage (summer, polish, whatever).
Wrap the bacon around the chicken (thawed), slice the sausage into bite-size chunks, put all on a cookie sheet (use foil to cover -- less clean-up), pour over the sauce, cook until done. Yummy stuff, and I just made it up one day.
Now, I'm not going to provide any nutritional commentary on the above, or the fat content, or the carbohydrate numbers for you Atkins nuts... but it's good stuff!
If Id and Activision would sell it for $29.95, their sales would probably increase 500 to 700 percent. Overpricing because of greed will be the kiss of death.
And this gets modded up as insightful somehow... please tell me where you get these numbers from. One of your own orifices will not suffice as a source, btw. The argument goes both ways as well... if more people would buy the game then companies wouldn't have to hike the price up to maintain their profit margins. Additionally - assuming the price derives from greed is just that, an assumption. Have you considered the long development cycle, and that perhaps paying their programmers and support staff for the extra year or two ( in comparison to other games ) might be the reason for the increased price, in addition to the need to compensate for piracy?
I think there is a sweet spot for this kind of thing. All things being equal (quality, development time, expenses, distribution costs, etc.), a $29.95 product will sell more often than a $59.95 product. Most people I know will not, under any circumstances, pay more than $45 for a game -- any game -- myself included.
Look at Unreal Tournament 2004. At $30, it was a massive bargain for price:playability. And it has sold craploads of copies. It isn't *just* because it's a popular game (so is Doom) and that the multiplayer is pure fun. The cost is definitely a factor. At $30, it is hard for someone who might otherwise ALWAYS pirate a game to argue that it's just too expensive. In fact, a good number of people I know that would otherwise have obtained "other" copies bought UT2004 because $30 is a GREAT value for what you get in the box.
Failing to recognize that $30-$40 sweet spot and pricing the game too high, IMO, will generate more piracy because the perceived cost is too high for a good portion of people to pay. They will simply steal a copy and pay nothing. Seems to me it would be better to get more of "some" than none of "more."
By the way, in case someone chimes in and says "yeah, but how much is media?"... Even back then (2002-2003), a 35/70GB tape was only about $40. They're probably $30 or less now.
You answered your own problem. Don't expect to have something that will be highly reliable and last more than a month after the warranty printed on the box for $200. I don't care if it's tape drives or chicken nuggets -- you get what you pay for.
For my money, AIT-1 and AIT-2 price/performance kicks total a$$. An AIT-2 drive will do 35GB native / 70GB compressed on 8mm tape at >300MB/minute sustained, and that's for both read and write. AIT-3 is probably better, I just never looked (cost).
(At my last job as an IT Operations Manager, I bought two HP StorageWorks 1U, 8-tape AIT-2 autoloaders and was simply *amazed* at the performance for what we paid for them, and they were NEW products even then.) I'm seeing them for $800 on eBay now, which means I REALLY need to get one... but don't tell anyone, as they might drive up the price on me!)
In a former job many years ago, I did a lot of highway driving (deliveries and field service) and spent a good deal of that time thinking about traffic patterns, both as a mathematical system as well as a design process. My final conclusion after 2 years was that there are too many cases of poor road/intersection design and WAY too many cases of pathetic traffic light design, and even more cases where traffic lights hinder traffic flow in a very severe way, while not providing any of the originally-intended safety of said traffic light. The prevailing "wisdom" seems to be: if there's a traffic problem, put up a stoplight to control it. Not.
Traffic dynamics is fascinating, and certainly deserving of some studious focus, but none of this means a single, blessed thing to me unless people will:
at least drive at or near the speed limit, conditions permitting -- if you can't, get out of the way
learn how to *accelerate* on an on-ramp so they merge at or near highway speeds -- when you don't, you cause massive traffic problems;
stop tailgating so badly that traffic becomes a wave of stop/go -- backing off just a little bit means no more brake-light domino effect;
stop driving 20MPH (that's 32.18KM/H for you Euro-geeks) below the speed limit in the left lane (or the right lane for your Euro-geeks) when the prevailing traffic is clearly ALL having to go around you -- you are a huge HAZARD if you're driving too slow in the left (Euros and Bahamians: right) lane;
-or-
get out of my way and let me do the above.
I'd make the common observation that older folks tend to drive slower and tend to do so, totally oblivious, in the left lane. But then there is at least an equivalent problem in the soccer moms and high-strung business suits on cell phones driving SUVs and mega-SUVs who pay even less attention to what they're doing. Heck, I've seen people driving down the interstates here (I-40, I-95, I-85 -- pick one) during morning traffic, travelling at over 80MPH and reading the morning paper!
That said, I think traffic problems tend to be less a mathematical/system problem than a brainless person problem, in many cases. Not all, but very many. Sadly, you can't "in-idiot" a driver, or a person for that matter.
I've always wished for a traffic law that gave every driver a dart gun. When someone does something obscenely stupid or hazardous (e.g. driving in reverse on a 65MPH intersate because they missed their exit), you shoot them with the dart. Three darts means your vehicle is incapacitated for 30 days. (Hmmm... I think RFID tags would be perfect for this!!:) If your vehicle is tagged more than 6 times in 2 years, you lose your license for 1 year.
Harsh? Definitely. But consider the *costs* of traffic in lost time, productivity loss, frustration/rage, increased fuel consumption, vehicle wear and tear, air pollution, etc. Pulling one person or one thousand people out of the traffic system to improve the flow for the masses sounds like good planning to me.
Oh, and please direct any comments about my tendency to drive well above the speed limit to/dev/get_out_of_my_way...
Ahh where are my mod points when I need them. It's barely even 8am here and I've been nodding off at my desk for over an hour. After reading that last bit of humorous dialogue, I'm wide awake.
On one hand, thanks for the laugh. On the other, thanks for waking me up you schmuck!:)
... but since you can't make APCP *explode*, why is the government attempting to regulate it as an explosive? There is a fundamental difference between deflagration and explosion. Even the BATF tried to make a "training video" of the "dangers" of APCP by making it explode. I heard they couldn't do it, and even got one of their agents hurt when they tried to fake the explosion with a blasting cap...
Amateur rocketry involves 95% science, 4% craftsmanship, and 1% fuel. For run-of-the-mill amateur rocketry, these reglations are pointless. Besides, it's easier to build a nitrous-based rocket anyway, and you can skip all the government BS.
DANGIT!! Where are my mod powers when I need them?!!
Amen, brother. I'll take the warez scene any day over the spam-mongers. And from my own mail server (2 accounts, me and wife) getting > 3000 spams PER WEEK, I have to wonder if spam isn't cumulatively and specifically MUCH more costly than warez any day.
... but what am I going to have to PAY for this beautiful monster?
It's big (2 slots), it probably runs VERY VERY hot, takes two power connectors... but it seems to trump EVERYTHING else so far, and not by small amounts!
By and large, one of the simplest DNS features to use on a home or home-office level is a DNS caching server. It usually involves setting up a full-blown DNS server (Micro$soft, BIND, etc.), but you can configure it to only cache DNS entries you've requested. You'll instantly see a return on that endeavor by not having to always seek out your ISP's DNS servers (which can be down, slow, under attack, whatever) for name resolution.
Then, configure your internal DHCP or IP configurations to use your internal DNS server as primary, and your ISP's DNS servers as secondary and tertiary DNS servers. Instant ROI!!
Don't do this arbitrarily without knowing something about DNS, though, and be careful not to open any DNS ports (UDP/53) to the outside if you're only using caching.
Generally speaking, I agree with you that reactionary is not always the best way. (If I wanted to really be proactive, I'd be arguing and screaming that certain things shouldn't even be produced because they lack any entertainment value for me. That would be one-sided and intrusive. But I'm not a zealot, nor do I have an interest in infringing on your right to enjoy whatever you find entertaining. So, let's be specific to this product rather than generalize and stray from the topic at hand because there's a slope here we can all slide down and completely miss the actual point.)
In this specific case, however, not having any power or authority as an individual to filter/modify/control (i.e. be proactive) what is initially produced by the entertainment industry, or for that matter, not wanting to play Mr. Censor for everyone else (I don't), this is a perfectly valid method for someone who wants to watch The Matrix Reloaded without all the language (seems to be a perfectly decent movie otherwise) to do so.
Filtering a [insert media type here] during viewing/listening/etc. based on certain criteria isn't a definitive "bad thing" just because it happens after the fact (i.e. after production) in someone's own home. Rather, it's an unobtrusive-to-the-masses way for the masses to individually choose what they see/hear/etc. I still fail to see that as a bad thing.
It seems clear to me that the people (ignorantly) screaming that this product is censorship are probably the same people complaining about advisory labels on music products, or even MPAA ratings at all.
What I think they fail to notice is that this skips nearly *all* of that controversy and just allows someone(s) to do reactive (post-facto) filtering on the product that was created, rather than causing the zealots on either side to push for all kinds of ridiculous and speculous rules and laws to under- or over-prevent the problems of [pick an adjective] violence, [stick in another adjective] sex, and [finally, one more adjective here] language.
From a purely pragmatic standpoint (I'm unlikely to buy one but do see value here), if I were really upset with censorship issues, I think I'd really be supporting this kind of product because it would give me the freedom to enjoy something unfiltered, while allowing everyone else to still set their own level of filtering.
I'm still of the opinion that most of the "products" coming out of the TV, music, and movie industries is utter crap, but that's my opinion, and the rest of you are squarely entitled to your own. This product will just give those who want less [sex | violence | foul language | etc.] to pick their own level of comfort.
I fail to see -- how is this a bad thing? It's not really different than selecting your flavor of ice cream, or which brand of soda you drink, folks! Some people want to consume Red Bull all day long (God help you if you're one of 'em... that stuff is insane!), others are just fine with Sprite or Hires root beer.
I'm not sure the reactive mode solution (this DVD player) is so much the solution as it is a band-aid, but I really am still annoyed that the full promise of the DVD format hasn't been magnified or even realized. Multiple MPAA ratings on a single disc really isn't that difficult, nor is it cost-prohibitive. Heck, even just do a non-R version on one side altogether. They do those cuts early on for TV and other venues anyway!
I don't care much what other people want to watch or what other parents want to let their children watch, but I have a reasonable standard in my house that doesn't get crossed. I'm perfectly fine not watching movies that cross that standard (long list, so I won't elaborate), but it would be nice to be able to still watch them without the offensive language and unnecessary violence.
Call me prudish (I'm not -- 4-letter words, b00bies and guns are not pure evil, but they can really be overdone very easily), but I think this is a viable alternative to movie studios not providing more on-DVD format choices...
I have a NetGear 4 port gigabit switch. I have found I can transfer files about 2.5x as fast as with 100mbit (without jumbo frames). In my book, that's worth the few extra bucks a gigabit switch will cost you.
Too bad you didn't spend the additional $15-20 for a switch that supported jumbo frames, or you would be looking at a 5X - 9X improvement (wide range, yes, but still a 300% improvement minimum over what you have now, all for only $15-20 more...)!
I had no idea Gb Ethernet switches had dropped so much in price. If I was buying a new switch today I'd definitely be buying one of those $100 Linksys switches.
No you wouldn't be buying a Linksys, because they and the others in that class do not support Jumbo Frames, thereby diminishing one of the best features of GigE, and increasing the interrupt requirements on every one of your GigE NICs by a factor of... well, more than enough to make a sizeable performance hit -- someone else can do the numbers.
I was hovering over the "Add to Cart" button on the Linksys two days ago -- I noticed how CHEAP they are now and wanted to get rid of the crossover between my primary box and my 1/2TB RAID5 box used for audio/video). Thank goodness I did a little more research. I would have been really pissed to buy a 'Gigabit Ethernet Switch' that didn't support Jumbo Frames...
FYI, the SMC 85xx series switches DO support Jumbo Frames, and at almost the same price point. I don't know why Linksys, D-Link and Netgear cheaped out on Jumbo Frames support in their firmware/hardware. Pretty lame if you ask me.
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I disagree on the rounded cables statement. Round cables (esp. in >4-drive arrays) allows more airflow, which keeps the disks cool. For 10K and 15K rpm disks, this is critical.
Now, if you'd said "don't try to make round cables yourself," I might agree -- even though I've done exactly that in the past AND once managed to cut one of the wires in the process -- but there is nothing inherently wrong with round IDE cables. You might claim crosstalk is an issue, but that's largely what the extra ground line are for between each and every EIDE signal wire (80-pin vs. 40-pin).
Of course, SATA cables make this argument entirely moot... and if you're buying a new IDE RAID solution, and not buying a SATA RAID adapter, you're fodder for the /dev/ignore set anyway.
>> The computer will also alert shoppers as they
>> approach favorite items or promotions."
... will it alert you that there's that hot chick from last week on the next aisle over ??
Yes, shopping *could* be more fun... :^)
As an IT manager at a previous employer, I once had to consolidate a bunch of domain names to a single vendor (Verisign terms, at the time, didn't suck as much as they seem to now, so that's where we consolidated). All the other domain hosting services let go of the records once they were notified and had verified the validity of my request.
RegisterFly, on the other hand, fought tooth and nail to hold on to it, and only let go once we got our company attorneys involved. I never understood the reasoning -- we only had 4 months left with them anyway, and we'd paid such a ridiculously low amount to register the name anyway, I"m certain they spent more manpower dollars in fighting the transfer than they ever could have made on the original domain registration fees.
Truly the worst part (then anyway, YMMV now) was that they didn't have a phone contact method -- most everything had to be done via online chat, and INVARIABLY the person "typing" on the other end (loosely stated because of their awful grammar skills) didn't have a clue. Nevertheless, you may have better experiences with them, but you couldn't pay me to put a domain with them now.
...wait, no I'm not.
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.7) Gecko/20040803 Firefox/0.9.3
In other words, Firefox 0.9.3... and yes, it still resizes the browser (I tested again from home). It's not so much that maybe I didn't turn off that "allow" in Firefox -- it's that the HTML code there resizes the browser in the first place. It just screams, "Look at me! I am superior to all who visit!!" Like guys who drive really big trucks... everyone knows better.
Good try, but I'm using Firefox now, so your response is nullified. I abandoned everything but Firefox / Mozilla long ago.
And my claim is still ompletely valid -- even with Firefox, the site still resizes the browser to maximum screen proportions (1600x1200 !!!), and I find that incredibly annoying.
I wouldn't trust them on that point alone...
Anything that resizes my browser window automatically gets a /dev/IGNORE entry from me.
Man I hate that... not to mention the ads and pop-ups.
How scary is that...? I guess Slashdot geeks must not cook. Heck, I'll bet I'm the first to even READ this thread at all!!
Cooking is cool, but the trick is -- DON'T follow the recipe. It's like anything else: an ounce of creativity produces a ton of delight. And besides, why make the same thing the same way every time?
Me? I open up the pantry/freezer/fridge/cupboard, take a quick inventory, pull out some stuff that looks like it might be interesting together, and go to work. Simple example:
- frozen chicken breasts (heheh.. he said "breasts")
- bacon
- BBQ or hot sauce of your choice
- and some sausage (summer, polish, whatever).
Wrap the bacon around the chicken (thawed), slice the sausage into bite-size chunks, put all on a cookie sheet (use foil to cover -- less clean-up), pour over the sauce, cook until done. Yummy stuff, and I just made it up one day.
Now, I'm not going to provide any nutritional commentary on the above, or the fat content, or the carbohydrate numbers for you Atkins nuts... but it's good stuff!
I *bet* you know his MO...
"...The group started looking for a new location, and soon Weber had a cousin rent the Lakeshore cottage..."
Hmmmmm...
...BEFORE clicking the button!!
Geez. You really were a Windows user, weren't you?
I think there is a sweet spot for this kind of thing. All things being equal (quality, development time, expenses, distribution costs, etc.), a $29.95 product will sell more often than a $59.95 product. Most people I know will not, under any circumstances, pay more than $45 for a game -- any game -- myself included.
Look at Unreal Tournament 2004. At $30, it was a massive bargain for price:playability. And it has sold craploads of copies. It isn't *just* because it's a popular game (so is Doom) and that the multiplayer is pure fun. The cost is definitely a factor. At $30, it is hard for someone who might otherwise ALWAYS pirate a game to argue that it's just too expensive. In fact, a good number of people I know that would otherwise have obtained "other" copies bought UT2004 because $30 is a GREAT value for what you get in the box.
Failing to recognize that $30-$40 sweet spot and pricing the game too high, IMO, will generate more piracy because the perceived cost is too high for a good portion of people to pay. They will simply steal a copy and pay nothing. Seems to me it would be better to get more of "some" than none of "more."
By the way, in case someone chimes in and says "yeah, but how much is media?" ... Even back then (2002-2003), a 35/70GB tape was only about $40. They're probably $30 or less now.
You answered your own problem. Don't expect to have something that will be highly reliable and last more than a month after the warranty printed on the box for $200. I don't care if it's tape drives or chicken nuggets -- you get what you pay for.
For my money, AIT-1 and AIT-2 price/performance kicks total a$$. An AIT-2 drive will do 35GB native / 70GB compressed on 8mm tape at >300MB/minute sustained, and that's for both read and write. AIT-3 is probably better, I just never looked (cost).
(At my last job as an IT Operations Manager, I bought two HP StorageWorks 1U, 8-tape AIT-2 autoloaders and was simply *amazed* at the performance for what we paid for them, and they were NEW products even then.) I'm seeing them for $800 on eBay now, which means I REALLY need to get one... but don't tell anyone, as they might drive up the price on me!)
In a former job many years ago, I did a lot of highway driving (deliveries and field service) and spent a good deal of that time thinking about traffic patterns, both as a mathematical system as well as a design process. My final conclusion after 2 years was that there are too many cases of poor road/intersection design and WAY too many cases of pathetic traffic light design, and even more cases where traffic lights hinder traffic flow in a very severe way, while not providing any of the originally-intended safety of said traffic light. The prevailing "wisdom" seems to be: if there's a traffic problem, put up a stoplight to control it. Not.
Traffic dynamics is fascinating, and certainly deserving of some studious focus, but none of this means a single, blessed thing to me unless people will:
I'd make the common observation that older folks tend to drive slower and tend to do so, totally oblivious, in the left lane. But then there is at least an equivalent problem in the soccer moms and high-strung business suits on cell phones driving SUVs and mega-SUVs who pay even less attention to what they're doing. Heck, I've seen people driving down the interstates here (I-40, I-95, I-85 -- pick one) during morning traffic, travelling at over 80MPH and reading the morning paper!
That said, I think traffic problems tend to be less a mathematical/system problem than a brainless person problem, in many cases. Not all, but very many. Sadly, you can't "in-idiot" a driver, or a person for that matter.
I've always wished for a traffic law that gave every driver a dart gun. When someone does something obscenely stupid or hazardous (e.g. driving in reverse on a 65MPH intersate because they missed their exit), you shoot them with the dart. Three darts means your vehicle is incapacitated for 30 days. (Hmmm... I think RFID tags would be perfect for this!! :) If your vehicle is tagged more than 6 times in 2 years, you lose your license for 1 year.
Harsh? Definitely. But consider the *costs* of traffic in lost time, productivity loss, frustration/rage, increased fuel consumption, vehicle wear and tear, air pollution, etc. Pulling one person or one thousand people out of the traffic system to improve the flow for the masses sounds like good planning to me.
Oh, and please direct any comments about my tendency to drive well above the speed limit to /dev/get_out_of_my_way...
Ahh where are my mod points when I need them. It's barely even 8am here and I've been nodding off at my desk for over an hour. After reading that last bit of humorous dialogue, I'm wide awake.
On one hand, thanks for the laugh. On the other, thanks for waking me up you schmuck! :)
"ET meet Driv3r... heheheee!"
... but since you can't make APCP *explode*, why is the government attempting to regulate it as an explosive? There is a fundamental difference between deflagration and explosion. Even the BATF tried to make a "training video" of the "dangers" of APCP by making it explode. I heard they couldn't do it, and even got one of their agents hurt when they tried to fake the explosion with a blasting cap...
Amateur rocketry involves 95% science, 4% craftsmanship, and 1% fuel. For run-of-the-mill amateur rocketry, these reglations are pointless. Besides, it's easier to build a nitrous-based rocket anyway, and you can skip all the government BS.
DANGIT!! Where are my mod powers when I need them?!!
Amen, brother. I'll take the warez scene any day over the spam-mongers. And from my own mail server (2 accounts, me and wife) getting > 3000 spams PER WEEK, I have to wonder if spam isn't cumulatively and specifically MUCH more costly than warez any day.
Regardless of this card, I'll give you a reason to switch back: DRIVERS.
ATI drivers suck. Convoluted, multiple installations. Blah.
... but what am I going to have to PAY for this beautiful monster?
It's big (2 slots), it probably runs VERY VERY hot, takes two power connectors... but it seems to trump EVERYTHING else so far, and not by small amounts!
By and large, one of the simplest DNS features to use on a home or home-office level is a DNS caching server. It usually involves setting up a full-blown DNS server (Micro$soft, BIND, etc.), but you can configure it to only cache DNS entries you've requested. You'll instantly see a return on that endeavor by not having to always seek out your ISP's DNS servers (which can be down, slow, under attack, whatever) for name resolution.
Then, configure your internal DHCP or IP configurations to use your internal DNS server as primary, and your ISP's DNS servers as secondary and tertiary DNS servers. Instant ROI!!
Don't do this arbitrarily without knowing something about DNS, though, and be careful not to open any DNS ports (UDP/53) to the outside if you're only using caching.
Generally speaking, I agree with you that reactionary is not always the best way. (If I wanted to really be proactive, I'd be arguing and screaming that certain things shouldn't even be produced because they lack any entertainment value for me. That would be one-sided and intrusive. But I'm not a zealot, nor do I have an interest in infringing on your right to enjoy whatever you find entertaining. So, let's be specific to this product rather than generalize and stray from the topic at hand because there's a slope here we can all slide down and completely miss the actual point.)
In this specific case, however, not having any power or authority as an individual to filter/modify/control (i.e. be proactive) what is initially produced by the entertainment industry, or for that matter, not wanting to play Mr. Censor for everyone else (I don't), this is a perfectly valid method for someone who wants to watch The Matrix Reloaded without all the language (seems to be a perfectly decent movie otherwise) to do so.
Filtering a [insert media type here] during viewing/listening/etc. based on certain criteria isn't a definitive "bad thing" just because it happens after the fact (i.e. after production) in someone's own home. Rather, it's an unobtrusive-to-the-masses way for the masses to individually choose what they see/hear/etc. I still fail to see that as a bad thing.
^^^ What he said...
It seems clear to me that the people (ignorantly) screaming that this product is censorship are probably the same people complaining about advisory labels on music products, or even MPAA ratings at all.
What I think they fail to notice is that this skips nearly *all* of that controversy and just allows someone(s) to do reactive (post-facto) filtering on the product that was created, rather than causing the zealots on either side to push for all kinds of ridiculous and speculous rules and laws to under- or over-prevent the problems of [pick an adjective] violence, [stick in another adjective] sex, and [finally, one more adjective here] language.
From a purely pragmatic standpoint (I'm unlikely to buy one but do see value here), if I were really upset with censorship issues, I think I'd really be supporting this kind of product because it would give me the freedom to enjoy something unfiltered, while allowing everyone else to still set their own level of filtering.
I'm still of the opinion that most of the "products" coming out of the TV, music, and movie industries is utter crap, but that's my opinion, and the rest of you are squarely entitled to your own. This product will just give those who want less [sex | violence | foul language | etc.] to pick their own level of comfort.
I fail to see -- how is this a bad thing? It's not really different than selecting your flavor of ice cream, or which brand of soda you drink, folks! Some people want to consume Red Bull all day long (God help you if you're one of 'em... that stuff is insane!), others are just fine with Sprite or Hires root beer.
Dangit, where are my extra mod points???
I'm not sure the reactive mode solution (this DVD player) is so much the solution as it is a band-aid, but I really am still annoyed that the full promise of the DVD format hasn't been magnified or even realized. Multiple MPAA ratings on a single disc really isn't that difficult, nor is it cost-prohibitive. Heck, even just do a non-R version on one side altogether. They do those cuts early on for TV and other venues anyway!
I don't care much what other people want to watch or what other parents want to let their children watch, but I have a reasonable standard in my house that doesn't get crossed. I'm perfectly fine not watching movies that cross that standard (long list, so I won't elaborate), but it would be nice to be able to still watch them without the offensive language and unnecessary violence.
Call me prudish (I'm not -- 4-letter words, b00bies and guns are not pure evil, but they can really be overdone very easily), but I think this is a viable alternative to movie studios not providing more on-DVD format choices...
I have a NetGear 4 port gigabit switch. I have found I can transfer files about 2.5x as fast as with 100mbit (without jumbo frames). In my book, that's worth the few extra bucks a gigabit switch will cost you.
Too bad you didn't spend the additional $15-20 for a switch that supported jumbo frames, or you would be looking at a 5X - 9X improvement (wide range, yes, but still a 300% improvement minimum over what you have now, all for only $15-20 more...)!
Sucks for you!
I had no idea Gb Ethernet switches had dropped so much in price. If I was buying a new switch today I'd definitely be buying one of those $100 Linksys switches.
No you wouldn't be buying a Linksys, because they and the others in that class do not support Jumbo Frames, thereby diminishing one of the best features of GigE, and increasing the interrupt requirements on every one of your GigE NICs by a factor of... well, more than enough to make a sizeable performance hit -- someone else can do the numbers.
I was hovering over the "Add to Cart" button on the Linksys two days ago -- I noticed how CHEAP they are now and wanted to get rid of the crossover between my primary box and my 1/2TB RAID5 box used for audio/video). Thank goodness I did a little more research. I would have been really pissed to buy a 'Gigabit Ethernet Switch' that didn't support Jumbo Frames...
FYI, the SMC 85xx series switches DO support Jumbo Frames, and at almost the same price point. I don't know why Linksys, D-Link and Netgear cheaped out on Jumbo Frames support in their firmware/hardware. Pretty lame if you ask me.
But not as lame as Amazon.com taking off the SMC unmanaged gigabit switches once I (and probably others) pointed out that Buy.com was selling them for $4 cheaper ... heck, $142.99 for an 8-port unmanaged GigE switch? I may click the Buy Now button NOW!