I have to agree. About 6 months ago, I purchased an IBM R40. It was a bit cheaper than the T* line, light enough to carry to class every day (5.5lb), and good battery time(6+ hours). The ACPI even works pretty well with the more recent kernels (cpu throttling, performance profiles, processor temp, battery state, ect).
part of that contract (i would assume -- i am familiar with directv's contract, not dish's, but i image the only big differances would be the obvious one), would include the line "programming subject to change"
When i first read your post, i thought "bullshit". After thinking about it though, I have to agree. In highschool, I was kind of a loner. When I went to college, I started drinking when I went out. I found i would not need to get drunk, just have a few to "take the edge off" or whatever people call it. The point is, it was great for my confidence. I would go up to girls, talk to them, whatever. I don't claim to be "irrisitible", but I know I did a hell of a lot better than when I was in highschool.
and here is why. people would spend more time on the phones (costing LOTS more money in customer service), and end up buying less programming. this would, of course, lead to much higher rates. meaning you would eventually spend the same amount, for less programming. sure, you would be getting only what you want, but you would also waste a significant amount of time doing it. making the internet a requirement shuts down to large a customer base at this time. especially since the less interactive people are, the more likely they are to sit in front of the tv. hell, many people relay on tv because they cant afford/wont pay for day care (meaning they could afford it, but they choose to spend money on other things). dont get me wrong. i would LOVE to be able to choose the programming i subscribe to on a channel by channel basis, and i would LOVE to be able to do it online. however, i dont think it is feasible at this point. sure, c-band may do it, but id wager they do not have NEAR the customer base of directv or dish. (18-20million households).
The average household must not have any games. Sure, some people may be happy playing the same games 7 years later (off the top of my head estimate at how old a P200 would be), but not your average gamer. Sure, your average household may not be your average gamer. However, many home pc sales are fueled by games. For example, take a (mother|father|pair of parents) who works very hard trying to give their children a better life than they had. This is part of the American dream, no? Due to working long hours, this perental mass feels guilty over not spending as much time with their children as they want to. However, computer games make this child act happy. The parent can rationalize spending to much time away from the house, as it allows them to buy computer hardware/games, which make them happy. (Ok maybe this includes console gaming as well, but that appears to be getting closer and closer to desktop hardware). Anyway, the point is, that new games, a HUGE market, create a need in a household for new hardware.
you must not have enough time on your hands:) last time i beat FFVII, if you watch through the credits, you see a shot of Red XIII with 2 little fluffy-lion things (although supposedly he was supposed to be the last of his kind...but...*shrug*
...is how ms plans on adding hardware "only if sony does it" when they plan on releasing the 6 - 12 months before sony does. if, 3 months after the xbox2 debut, sony announces the ps3 will have a hdd, will ms upgrade all the units they have allready sold? doubtfull.
i am unable to take specific details about a hardware system this far in advance as anything more than speculation and media hype.
i couldn't agree more. everytime i see an article about linux on the desktop, i think about some of the people i know who would be considered "average" users. people who use windows (xp/2000/nt/9x/whatever) everyday for work or school, and are perfectly capable of checking email/using word/excel/ect, but would not migrate to linux simply because it is something differant they dont need/have time to learn.
i think someone said before that what linux on the desktop needs is a "killer app", that is, something that windows doesnt do.
i may be differant from the masses, but my switch to regularlly using linux (significantlly more than windows) came not because of a new feature or better hardware support (not that these things arent very important), but because my work/school load dictates that i do not have time to play games as much as i used to. therefore, i have no reason to use windows.
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jvc
rca does make dish network receivers (as well as directv).
jvc also makes dish network receivers.
donno about any other manufactures....those were just two that were off the top of my head.
I would imagine hughes network systems takes the same loss off each directv receiver it "sells".
I have to agree. About 6 months ago, I purchased an IBM R40. It was a bit cheaper than the T* line, light enough to carry to class every day (5.5lb), and good battery time(6+ hours). The ACPI even works pretty well with the more recent kernels (cpu throttling, performance profiles, processor temp, battery state, ect).
$34.99 + $5.99(locals) = $40.98
$39.99 + $0 = $39.99.
total choice at 39.99 allready includes locals
oops.
part of that contract (i would assume -- i am familiar with directv's contract, not dish's, but i image the only big differances would be the obvious one), would include the line "programming subject to change"
When i first read your post, i thought "bullshit". After thinking about it though, I have to agree. In highschool, I was kind of a loner. When I went to college, I started drinking when I went out. I found i would not need to get drunk, just have a few to "take the edge off" or whatever people call it. The point is, it was great for my confidence. I would go up to girls, talk to them, whatever. I don't claim to be "irrisitible", but I know I did a hell of a lot better than when I was in highschool.
and here is why. people would spend more time on the phones (costing LOTS more money in customer service), and end up buying less programming. this would, of course, lead to much higher rates. meaning you would eventually spend the same amount, for less programming. sure, you would be getting only what you want, but you would also waste a significant amount of time doing it. making the internet a requirement shuts down to large a customer base at this time. especially since the less interactive people are, the more likely they are to sit in front of the tv. hell, many people relay on tv because they cant afford/wont pay for day care (meaning they could afford it, but they choose to spend money on other things). dont get me wrong. i would LOVE to be able to choose the programming i subscribe to on a channel by channel basis, and i would LOVE to be able to do it online. however, i dont think it is feasible at this point. sure, c-band may do it, but id wager they do not have NEAR the customer base of directv or dish. (18-20million households).
april 2003, also just recently, effective march 2004.
The average household must not have any games. Sure, some people may be happy playing the same games 7 years later (off the top of my head estimate at how old a P200 would be), but not your average gamer. Sure, your average household may not be your average gamer. However, many home pc sales are fueled by games. For example, take a (mother|father|pair of parents) who works very hard trying to give their children a better life than they had. This is part of the American dream, no? Due to working long hours, this perental mass feels guilty over not spending as much time with their children as they want to. However, computer games make this child act happy. The parent can rationalize spending to much time away from the house, as it allows them to buy computer hardware/games, which make them happy. (Ok maybe this includes console gaming as well, but that appears to be getting closer and closer to desktop hardware). Anyway, the point is, that new games, a HUGE market, create a need in a household for new hardware.
you must not have enough time on your hands :) last time i beat FFVII, if you watch through the credits, you see a shot of Red XIII with 2 little fluffy-lion things (although supposedly he was supposed to be the last of his kind...but...*shrug*
...will run on linux....just like ut and ut2k3
...is how ms plans on adding hardware "only if sony does it" when they plan on releasing the 6 - 12 months before sony does. if, 3 months after the xbox2 debut, sony announces the ps3 will have a hdd, will ms upgrade all the units they have allready sold? doubtfull. i am unable to take specific details about a hardware system this far in advance as anything more than speculation and media hype.
i couldn't agree more. everytime i see an article about linux on the desktop, i think about some of the people i know who would be considered "average" users. people who use windows (xp/2000/nt/9x/whatever) everyday for work or school, and are perfectly capable of checking email/using word/excel/ect, but would not migrate to linux simply because it is something differant they dont need/have time to learn. i think someone said before that what linux on the desktop needs is a "killer app", that is, something that windows doesnt do.
i may be differant from the masses, but my switch to regularlly using linux (significantlly more than windows) came not because of a new feature or better hardware support (not that these things arent very important), but because my work/school load dictates that i do not have time to play games as much as i used to. therefore, i have no reason to use windows.
my R40 runs slackware linux very well.