But the only person on that list I'd ever heard of before was Erin Hoffman, aka ea_spouse.
On the other hand, I don't think I could name that many influential males either. Carmack and Romero? Richard Garriot? Tim Sweeney? There just aren't that many star individuals.
Graphics card manufacturers are blatantly flouting the law which says that a person is privy to every secret embodied in every article they rightfully own, by simple virtue of the fact of ownership, even if that article be a graphics card and the secret be how to program it.
I would love to see where you get this 'the law requires companies to supply documentation' thing. It's still legal to poke at the hardware and write your own driver, it's just bloody hard, which explains why most efforts haven't gotten very far.
Both ATI and nVidia licence their drivers on egregious and legally unenforcible terms which ride roughshod over the user's common law property rights. They get away with this by having the upper hand to begin with.
So... use VESA or don't patronize nVidia and ATI? No, you won't get the same performance, but you will still have your pride.
despite each spending vast amounts of their R&D budget on deconstructing competitors' products
Do you know this to be fact? How? Or are you just making this up?
most of the rest is spent bribing games publishers to make their games run slower on certain setups; ATI will pay good money to any software company to write a game which runs half a frame per century slower on an nVidia display, and vice versa
I really, really doubt it works that way, especially because it isn't in the game developer's interest. Lavish money/time on devs so they spend extra time optimizing for company X's card I can see, but a bribe to cripple performance on company Y's card?
Obviously Unreal Tournament, the Quake/Doom series, Warcraft III, and that obscure game known as 'World of Warcraft' don't use OpenGL. Unpopular games like Half-Life/Counterstrike don't use OpenGL. There are no games for the Gamecube, and there will be no games for the Wii or the PS3.
And obviously all serious visualization work isn't done in OpenGL.
Users are forever complaining about a lack of drivers, but the drivers they are often presented with are a very small subset of the Open Source drivers that exist. Is this a problem Fedora will be addressing, or will it be largely left to such drivers being absorbed into the mainstream kernel?
On that note, are you considering employing/persuading developers to develop clean-room reimplementations of closed source drivers, ala OpenBSD? If not, why not?
Re:Don't Bother With The 360 Version
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Prey Review
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· Score: 1
I still don't agree with your reasoning, I think in general it doesn't matter because most people who are in the market for a new computer to be used for `serious' gaming are probably already invested in PC gaming, and everyone else is sort of generally frustrated with PCs (including gamers).
But that's just my impression, based on anecdotal evidence. And in any case, I was an ass about it. I'd like to apologize.
Re:Don't Bother With The 360 Version
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Prey Review
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· Score: 1
The lowest end entry level PC on the site, the Dimension B110 goes for $299. That means that the cost of a reasonable, mainstream gaming PC, more than capable of running this game,
You either don't know what you're talking about or you're lying. Are you really saying that Prey will run on that? From the Prey website:
Minimum
CPU Speed: Intel Pentium 4 2.0Ghz / AMD Athlon XP 2000+ processor RAM: 512MB system RAM Video Card: 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible 64MB video card with latest manufacturer drivers (see supported chipsets below)
From Dell's Website, I found that the Dimension B110 comes with 256 megs of RAM (half the minimum) and an Intel Integrated card. If you think you can run any Doom III engine game on that card, with a vaguely playable framerate, the world would love to know.
So no, you can't get a $300 dollar PC and compete with an XBox360. Get over it, your manhood does not depend upon the superiority of the PC platform.
It runs many Xbox games via emulation at "native" (to the original Xbox's 733MHz/64MB architecture) speed. While I assume that this is purpose-built emulation and not an Xbox 360 port of Virtual PC/Virtual Server, it's not hard to believe that the virtualization and emulation domain knowledge that came with the purchase of Connectix made this possible
I don'tbelieve it. As far as anyone could tell, they were actually just recompiling games and re-using the textures. This led to some fun endian problems, but mostly it worked.
Daikatana tried to have a story in a FPS long before Half-Life
Half-Life came out long before Daikatana.
I believe both statements are true. Remember, Daikatana was a gigantic management cluster fuck. They were going to do it on the Quake engine, then switched to the Quake II engine when it came out (and Romero orgasmed over it). One of the reasons that Daikatana flopped was that it came out way, way after it should have.
So, er, has there been a performance increase or loss? Why have none of these reviews done anything vaguely quantitative? Yes, according to the article, the majority of games that use DirectX fail, but there still are games that don't use all or only some of the DirectX stack. Plus, games aren't all computers are used for- how is the filesystem performance? Swapping? Have they done anything cool with memory management?
None of the ten-thousand new windows vista reviews seem to have anything interesting, or even new, to say.
Simply working through a list of Windows applications until you happen to find one that starts faster than JEdit is not evidence against this, only evidence that you are desperate to try and prove Java slow, for whatever reason.
I used firefox as an example because I never use internet explorer, and am commenting from a box that doesn't have windows. The parent said 'it starts as fast as IE', and I figured Firefox would have a roughly comparable start time (my windows using friends tell me it takes longer). In any case, on the machine I am on, from a cold start, JEdit takes 14 seconds to start up, firefox 6.
Now, this isn't very accurate, the test consisted of me counting slowly after launching the app and stopping when I could see it, so feel free to come up with a better one, preferably one that is automated, and we can have a regular pissing match.
I don't know what version of the JRE you're using, but here, I'm using 1.5, and guess what? It's still slow. JEdit does _not_ launch instantaneously, it takes almost twice as long as firefox. Not only that, but I frequently have problems with swing apps not repainting the screen when they're doing something, leaving nasty looking artifacts everywhere. This includes JEdit, Azureus, and Frostwire- flagship Java applications.
Apparently the new Java evangelism strategy is lying. There are lots of nice things about Java, and if you have alot of hardware, it scales well. But its still not `ready for the desktop', get over it.
That one is fairly cool. Does anyone have a link to a (serious) redesign attempt that does NOT look like the current slashdot? IE, no coliseo, no green?
That said, this is an attempt that looks like the current slashdot but is a bit nicer. The only thing that bugs me is the three-dimensional looking bar on the right. Why does everything need to have fake depth?
I remember a time when Linux and Mozilla on an older system would breathe new life into it.
Ignoring your point about Linux distributions and concentrating solely on Mozilla, I would like to say, 'bullshit'. IIRC, it ran horribly when I first tried it out, and look! Now that I've googled for reviews of Netscape 6 and Mozilla 1.0, my memory is confirmed!
Aright. I'll start the betting pool on how long you last.
No can do. Unless I see some hard cash thrown my way, this is the way it's gonna be. I planted an idea. If it's any good, it'll grow into a beautiful tree. If not, life goes on.
Of course, it's going to be hard to get people to buy into your idea with only a set of documents. You should at least spread more links to Marcus' project.
Though perhaps for them it almost does- one of those screenshots had a little arrow-and-IE logo, which I believe is part of an extension allows you to forward pages to Internet Explorer if you use firefox on windows.
So for specific users, it might tangentially be true- they can launch IE from Firefox and get pwnd by ActiveX!
Seconded. And while there are some sites that do drive-by downloads if you've got the wrong browser/OS pair, there is essentially no way you can know that ahead of time.
Anyway, look at the `quiz'. It's a collection of screenshots. There is no data you can use except `this site looks too corporate', or `I've heard bad things about kazaa'.
It's not a quiz of your mad spyware spotting skillz, it's a marketing attempt. And did anyone else find it funny that their copy of firefox had the little `update me!' red arrow in the top-left corner? Didn't that go away in the latest version?
# People will be held without a trial for indefinite periods of time, without access to counsel and without even public mention made of the fact that they have been imprisoned # The government will perform wiretaps and searches without specific cause, and without receiving a court order, or with the permission of 'secret courts', the membership and findings of which must remain sealed
Although to be fair, number one was made legal in 2001 and then repealed in 2004, so they've stopped doing that [not counting the psuedo-POWs in Gitmo], due to public pressure, and the administration got in an assload of trouble for number two part one. FISA is pretty fucking bogus though.
I believe there are some justifications for FISA that get tossed around, like the secrecy is necessary so other countries will give us intelligence, but the real problem is that it's a weak court. FISA, you see, doesn't require probable cause, only `suspicion' of being a foreign agent, or just of aiding a foreign agent. As opposed to evidence of a crime.
I have to admit though, my argument is `the situation is slightly better than you think', not `you're wrong'. Which is pretty depressing.
The market looks pretty good for PC vendors through the third quarter, after which the effects of Microsoft's decision to delay the launch of Vista will be determined, Baker said. Some analysts feel the overall impact of the delay will be muted, but others are worried.
Honestly, I don't think it'll have any impact at all. Why? Because hardly anyone cares about Vista.
Those who run corporate IT departments have no interest at all in a new OS, not while their various lockdown tools won't work on it. Consumers, by and large, don't give a damn because a) most don't understand what an operating system is and b) most haven't heard of Vista.
Microsoft has yet to start a real advertising blitz for Vista- though if they did, you'd probably see a decline in PC sales.
This whole article is really just a big nothing- people are still buying computers! The specs on these computers are better! The status quo has not changed very much!
Ultimately, Microsoft is coming round to the fact that it cannot write away the open source movement. There is a very popular saying : If a group of weak sticks are bound together, the combined strength can be even more than a single stout stick.
Did you just call the F/OSS software movements Fascist?
Not only that, but Konqueror and Opera are often described as feeling far more responsive, while being extremely stable.
Unless, of course, you use them on a regular basis. Opera crashes all the time, and still Konqueror suffers from all sorts of wierd slowdowns and crashes.
Slashdot Mirror
On the other hand, I don't think I could name that many influential males either. Carmack and Romero? Richard Garriot? Tim Sweeney? There just aren't that many star individuals.
I would love to see where you get this 'the law requires companies to supply documentation' thing. It's still legal to poke at the hardware and write your own driver, it's just bloody hard, which explains why most efforts haven't gotten very far.
So... use VESA or don't patronize nVidia and ATI? No, you won't get the same performance, but you will still have your pride.
Do you know this to be fact? How? Or are you just making this up?
I really, really doubt it works that way, especially because it isn't in the game developer's interest. Lavish money/time on devs so they spend extra time optimizing for company X's card I can see, but a bribe to cripple performance on company Y's card?
Obviously Unreal Tournament, the Quake/Doom series, Warcraft III, and that obscure game known as 'World of Warcraft' don't use OpenGL. Unpopular games like Half-Life/Counterstrike don't use OpenGL. There are no games for the Gamecube, and there will be no games for the Wii or the PS3.
And obviously all serious visualization work isn't done in OpenGL.
Go back to your cave, troll.
Ah yes, if by 'fine' you mean 'fubar'. (I attended those schools, I know)
On that note, are you considering employing/persuading developers to develop clean-room reimplementations of closed source drivers, ala OpenBSD? If not, why not?
But that's just my impression, based on anecdotal evidence. And in any case, I was an ass about it. I'd like to apologize.
You either don't know what you're talking about or you're lying. Are you really saying that Prey will run on that? From the Prey website:
Minimum
CPU Speed: Intel Pentium 4 2.0Ghz / AMD Athlon XP 2000+ processor
RAM: 512MB system RAM
Video Card: 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible 64MB video card with latest manufacturer drivers (see supported chipsets below)
From Dell's Website, I found that the Dimension B110 comes with 256 megs of RAM (half the minimum) and an Intel Integrated card. If you think you can run any Doom III engine game on that card, with a vaguely playable framerate, the world would love to know.
So no, you can't get a $300 dollar PC and compete with an XBox360. Get over it, your manhood does not depend upon the superiority of the PC platform.
None of the ten-thousand new windows vista reviews seem to have anything interesting, or even new, to say.
I used firefox as an example because I never use internet explorer, and am commenting from a box that doesn't have windows. The parent said 'it starts as fast as IE', and I figured Firefox would have a roughly comparable start time (my windows using friends tell me it takes longer). In any case, on the machine I am on, from a cold start, JEdit takes 14 seconds to start up, firefox 6.
Now, this isn't very accurate, the test consisted of me counting slowly after launching the app and stopping when I could see it, so feel free to come up with a better one, preferably one that is automated, and we can have a regular pissing match.
Apparently the new Java evangelism strategy is lying. There are lots of nice things about Java, and if you have alot of hardware, it scales well. But its still not `ready for the desktop', get over it.
That said, this is an attempt that looks like the current slashdot but is a bit nicer. The only thing that bugs me is the three-dimensional looking bar on the right. Why does everything need to have fake depth?
Ignoring your point about Linux distributions and concentrating solely on Mozilla, I would like to say, 'bullshit'. IIRC, it ran horribly when I first tried it out, and look! Now that I've googled for reviews of Netscape 6 and Mozilla 1.0, my memory is confirmed!
annoyingly slow and a resource hog
it is noticeably sluggish unless you are using a fairly fast computer with ample RAM
So maybe you just used to buy new hardware more often?
Aright. I'll start the betting pool on how long you last.
Of course, it's going to be hard to get people to buy into your idea with only a set of documents. You should at least spread more links to Marcus' project.
If you keep this up, you'll just get marked as a troll, and it'll be harder for you to get your message out.
How about writing a demo app instead?
So for specific users, it might tangentially be true- they can launch IE from Firefox and get pwnd by ActiveX!
Anyway, look at the `quiz'. It's a collection of screenshots. There is no data you can use except `this site looks too corporate', or `I've heard bad things about kazaa'.
It's not a quiz of your mad spyware spotting skillz, it's a marketing attempt. And did anyone else find it funny that their copy of firefox had the little `update me!' red arrow in the top-left corner? Didn't that go away in the latest version?
They should work on their own security :).
I knew I was good for something!
:P
Although to be fair, number one was made legal in 2001 and then repealed in 2004, so they've stopped doing that [not counting the psuedo-POWs in Gitmo], due to public pressure, and the administration got in an assload of trouble for number two part one. FISA is pretty fucking bogus though.
I believe there are some justifications for FISA that get tossed around, like the secrecy is necessary so other countries will give us intelligence, but the real problem is that it's a weak court. FISA, you see, doesn't require probable cause, only `suspicion' of being a foreign agent, or just of aiding a foreign agent. As opposed to evidence of a crime.
I have to admit though, my argument is `the situation is slightly better than you think', not `you're wrong'. Which is pretty depressing.
Honestly, I don't think it'll have any impact at all. Why? Because hardly anyone cares about Vista.
Those who run corporate IT departments have no interest at all in a new OS, not while their various lockdown tools won't work on it. Consumers, by and large, don't give a damn because a) most don't understand what an operating system is and b) most haven't heard of Vista.
Microsoft has yet to start a real advertising blitz for Vista- though if they did, you'd probably see a decline in PC sales.
This whole article is really just a big nothing- people are still buying computers! The specs on these computers are better! The status quo has not changed very much!
Did you just call the F/OSS software movements Fascist?
I knew I shouldn't have woken up this morning...
Er... the PS2 didn't?
Unless, of course, you use them on a regular basis. Opera crashes all the time, and still Konqueror suffers from all sorts of wierd slowdowns and crashes.