I don't think I've heard one conservative mention Janet since the week it happened. There has been much more outrage at the outrage than there has been outrage over the event.
Well even if NVidia had included the lastest drivers, I would need to upgrade the drivers sometime anyway.
I also had trouble with other things, like getting Mplayer to work so I could watch DVDs.
With Windows, all I have to do is double click on an installer, and click ok a couple times, and the program or driver is ready to go. I want that ease of use with Linux.
I tried Linux (Fedora 1) a couple of months ago. I found it very easy to install (better than the windows installer). I got used to the interface very fast. I was able to configure the UI.
The problem I had was installing new software from the internet. Aptget was confusing. I couldn't install the newest Linux NVidia drivers (needed recompiling of the kernal or something).
I tried installing a few FPS demos, but couldn't. (Ut2003, America's Army, Quake 3)
One problem with folders is that the same document may be able to logically fit into more than one category.
I use Adobe Photoshop Album to organize my photos. It lets me quickly search by the people in the photo, the date, location, my favorites, and many other categories. These are mostly based on tags, the directory is unimportant. Gmail uses a similar Labeling system for message organization. I can use more than one label per email. In Itunes, as soon as I start typing in the search box, the results are instantly filtered based on any of the song metadata.
I'd like to have all of this unified and work on more file types.
An instant "search" system may make it faster to get to a file even if you know where it is.
And I am sloppy, so I'd like an easier way to sort files.
And if the stylus works for gaming, why haven't PC stylus games taken off - at all?
If every computer monitor had a touch screen, I am sure there would be more PC stylus games. The stylus is a portable alternative to the mouse. A game like Lemmings would be perfect for a touch screen. (even though I still enjoy playing Lemmings on my Game Gear with it's D-pad).
I think a Starcraft type game would be cool with two views and a touch screen. You could assign one view to follow some troops, or use the second screen as the overview map. The DS interface would be perfect for ports of PC RTS games.
The only concern I have about the stylus is being able to hold the system and use the d-pad with the left hand, while touching the screen with the right hand. It seems that the DS is like the laptop of gaming systems, while the GBA is a PDA.
Knowing Nintendo's track record with internet multiplayer (which is to say not having one), I wouldn't expect much more beyond being in the same room.
Even if Nintendo weren't to support it, there would still be a lot of internet play. The DS uses a standard wireless iterface/protocol, and every DS will have wireless built in. A third party solution could be up quickly. Anyone with a wireless router could use it.
Actually, a good 3d viewer for you may be simpler. Use an eye tracking system, and have an ordinary monitor display an oblect at a different position depending on your eye position.
This will only work for dynamically created 3d content, like 3d games. No way to do this with photos or videos.
Here is a good setup to view stereo pairs:
http://www.crystalcanyons.net/Pages/TechNotes/Dual MonitorDigitalViewing.shtm
It works with two monitors with a mirror placed between them. The mirror is placed in front of one of your eyes to redirect the image from the second monitor into that eye. It allows natural viewing of the 3d image without eyestrain. It seems that you are only looking at one monitor
The jump system is fine, until enemies show up. The only way to kill them is to build up momentum and hit them hard. That is almost impossible to do when enemies pop up in tight spaces and quickly attack you.
I was also hoping that there would be some more puzzle based elements, and more physics in the environment.
Gish took me a few days to beat, because I had to repeat areas several times because of small mistakes and idiosyncrasies of the physics engine. It is a very short game.
Disney got the better end of the deal when signing on Pixar.... These aren't things they got because of dumping Pixar.
I think the real question is, who lost more? Pixar's biggest loss (and our loss, too) is the characters... They can't make Toy Story 3.
Disney will lose some revenue and reputation.
Disney will be better off than they would have been if they had never signed Pixar, but I don't think losing Pixar was a good thing for them.
Nintendo does make new games, with new characters and play styles. One of which is Pikmin. (ok, ok... I don't know of any others.)
They also make new games with new play styles, but with existing characters (super smash brothers, wario ware, Donkey Konga, Luigi's Mansion, Mario RPG, etc.)
They also add new things to existing series (Zelda four swords, water pack in Mario Sunshine, two riders on Mario Kart Double Dash!!)
Nintendo is even innovative with hardware. Nintendo was the first in introducing almost every game pad feature. (d-pad, shoulder buttons, analog control, rumble, 4 contoller ports on the console)
I wonder what the system survey before half-life 1 was released would look like? It sold extremely well anyway.
Half-Life is about 5 and a half years old now and is still for sale. Hardware for it is extrmely cheap.
In the span of the lifetime of half-life 2 and Doom 3, I am sure there will be cheap computers that can run it with more than enough speed. It isn't like you need to buy the game the day it is released.
You get the best of both worlds! You can buy the game now(well, not yet), and spend a lot of money on a high-end system, or you can wait a couple of years and buy a low-end system. Who does this leave out?
And for some reason, this also reminds me of the strange design of the N64 controller which, while very cool after a while, soon saw Nintendo returning to a more conventional design with the GameCube. I think Nintendo try too hard in this catagory and must realise that some things people just like better when they are familiar with them.
Um... I disagree with that. Nintendo was the first in many areas of game controllers.
The first gamepad as we know them today.
The first d-pad
shoulder buttons
analog direction control (thumb joystick)
rumble
buttons with different shapes (gamecube)
first console with 4 contoller inputs.
I actually liked the new look and feel of Linux when I installed it... I like some change. It was easy to install (even setting up partitions was very simple) I could get all the included programs to work easily.
But when I wanted to install software I downloaded from the internet, it just caused frustration. I couldn't install the NVidia drivers, even after searching several web forums for help, and asking someone I know online who knows Linux to help me. I guess I had to recompile the kernal or something. I tried to use aptget(?) and some other library manager to get libraries for a DVD player, but the library version needed wasn't on the server. I also tied installing a few game demos (quake,linux,halflife) but no luck there. I had to use a command line when installing the few programs I got to work.
How about making the 2 crosshairs (needed to make the 3d crosshair) the right distance apart so that the 3d crosshair rests on the 3d surface under it? The two crosshairs would also help you gain or maintain the correct eye divergence for viewing.
There is still a loooong way to go before everything a game maker wants to put on screen can be put on screen... if ever. Even movies like the Lord of the Rings trilogy have CG frames that can take hours to render, yet do not using many 3d techniques because they are so slow.... radiosity, correct shadows from area lights, etc. And games still don't look as good as Toy Story(1995), despite seemingly every new graphics engine being compared with it.
I think the important question is: when will increased hardware capabilities be unimportant to gameplay? I have a Gamecube, and some of the games couldn't have been made effectively on the N64, such as Pikmin and Metroid Prime. Things like physics in Halflife 2, and foliage in Farcry are things that can affect gameplay in the FPS world. Then again, real time radiosity could add to gameplay too:-)
Although I initially thought the $250 price was really high, I understand it now.
For those of us with less than 4 gigabytes of music, The iPod mini is not only just as good as the original iPod.... it is better. It has a smaller size, and a better design, for $50 less!
It is also good for people with 4+ GB of music that don't need all their music, but enough to last an 8 hour work day or a several day vacation.
The only real competition is the Muvo2 at $50 less... but Apple hardware is always more expensive.
And I doubt the iPod mini costs more than $50 less to manufacture than the standard iPod. Compare it to desktop vs. Notebook hard drives. A 40GB Notebook hard drive goes for $119... a despktop hard drive has 5 times as much space is only $20 more!
Having said all that, I am still not buying one because $250 is too much for me to spend on a portable music player.
Apple won't have to pay the credit card company as much because the user won't be making one hundred 99 cent credit card purchases. (I know Apple groups music purchased in a small time frame into one purchase, so it won't always be one hundred 99cent charges... but all at once is still less)
They used a low bandwith antenna to transmit these images. They were only able to get them posted online so quickly by getting them from the Rover at low quality. They now have the better antenna online, as I mentioned in this post
The NASA website calls them RAW images. The Rover may have sent the images in JPEG format. The term RAW most likely isn't refering to the RAW image that the camera captured, because then it would probably be much larger and in color.
A few of you have complained about the quality of the images. At the time the pictures were transmited, the rover only had its less powerfull (low bandwidth) antenna deployed.
MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2004 0610 GMT (1:10 a.m. EST) "A few minutes before 12:30 a.m. EST today, the first direct-to-Earth communications session over the high-data-rate antenna began"
Slashdot Mirror
wow! Great use of a slashdot cliche! Unlike the last 999 times I've seen a /. cliche.
I don't think I've heard one conservative mention Janet since the week it happened. There has been much more outrage at the outrage than there has been outrage over the event.
Well even if NVidia had included the lastest drivers, I would need to upgrade the drivers sometime anyway. I also had trouble with other things, like getting Mplayer to work so I could watch DVDs. With Windows, all I have to do is double click on an installer, and click ok a couple times, and the program or driver is ready to go. I want that ease of use with Linux.
I tried Linux (Fedora 1) a couple of months ago. I found it very easy to install (better than the windows installer). I got used to the interface very fast. I was able to configure the UI.
The problem I had was installing new software from the internet. Aptget was confusing. I couldn't install the newest Linux NVidia drivers (needed recompiling of the kernal or something).
I tried installing a few FPS demos, but couldn't. (Ut2003, America's Army, Quake 3)
One problem with folders is that the same document may be able to logically fit into more than one category.
I use Adobe Photoshop Album to organize my photos. It lets me quickly search by the people in the photo, the date, location, my favorites, and many other categories. These are mostly based on tags, the directory is unimportant.
Gmail uses a similar Labeling system for message organization. I can use more than one label per email.
In Itunes, as soon as I start typing in the search box, the results are instantly filtered based on any of the song metadata.
I'd like to have all of this unified and work on more file types.
An instant "search" system may make it faster to get to a file even if you know where it is.
And I am sloppy, so I'd like an easier way to sort files.
It won't be Nintendo :-)
And I don't think the PSP will have as many portable exclusives (games that won't have a similar version on the PS2/3)
I think a Starcraft type game would be cool with two views and a touch screen. You could assign one view to follow some troops, or use the second screen as the overview map. The DS interface would be perfect for ports of PC RTS games.
The only concern I have about the stylus is being able to hold the system and use the d-pad with the left hand, while touching the screen with the right hand. It seems that the DS is like the laptop of gaming systems, while the GBA is a PDA.
Even if Nintendo weren't to support it, there would still be a lot of internet play. The DS uses a standard wireless iterface/protocol, and every DS will have wireless built in. A third party solution could be up quickly. Anyone with a wireless router could use it.
Actually, a good 3d viewer for you may be simpler. Use an eye tracking system, and have an ordinary monitor display an oblect at a different position depending on your eye position.
This will only work for dynamically created 3d content, like 3d games. No way to do this with photos or videos.
Here is a good setup to view stereo pairs: http://www.crystalcanyons.net/Pages/TechNotes/Dual MonitorDigitalViewing.shtm
It works with two monitors with a mirror placed between them. The mirror is placed in front of one of your eyes to redirect the image from the second monitor into that eye. It allows natural viewing of the 3d image without eyestrain. It seems that you are only looking at one monitor
It does (measure up in terms of value for money) if you have less than 4 GB of music. Actually, it is a better value.... it is cheaper and smaller.
You could fit a few pictures on this 12GB CF:e tec12 gb.asp
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0405/04052601pr
Only $14,900
The jump system is fine, until enemies show up. The only way to kill them is to build up momentum and hit them hard. That is almost impossible to do when enemies pop up in tight spaces and quickly attack you. I was also hoping that there would be some more puzzle based elements, and more physics in the environment. Gish took me a few days to beat, because I had to repeat areas several times because of small mistakes and idiosyncrasies of the physics engine. It is a very short game.
Disney got the better end of the deal when signing on Pixar.... These aren't things they got because of dumping Pixar. I think the real question is, who lost more? Pixar's biggest loss (and our loss, too) is the characters... They can't make Toy Story 3. Disney will lose some revenue and reputation. Disney will be better off than they would have been if they had never signed Pixar, but I don't think losing Pixar was a good thing for them.
Nintendo does make new games, with new characters and play styles. One of which is Pikmin. (ok, ok... I don't know of any others.)
They also make new games with new play styles, but with existing characters (super smash brothers, wario ware, Donkey Konga, Luigi's Mansion, Mario RPG, etc.)
They also add new things to existing series (Zelda four swords, water pack in Mario Sunshine, two riders on Mario Kart Double Dash!!)
Nintendo is even innovative with hardware. Nintendo was the first in introducing almost every game pad feature. (d-pad, shoulder buttons, analog control, rumble, 4 contoller ports on the console)
I wonder what the system survey before half-life 1 was released would look like? It sold extremely well anyway.
Half-Life is about 5 and a half years old now and is still for sale. Hardware for it is extrmely cheap.
In the span of the lifetime of half-life 2 and Doom 3, I am sure there will be cheap computers that can run it with more than enough speed. It isn't like you need to buy the game the day it is released.
You get the best of both worlds! You can buy the game now(well, not yet), and spend a lot of money on a high-end system, or you can wait a couple of years and buy a low-end system. Who does this leave out?
The first gamepad as we know them today.
The first d-pad
shoulder buttons
analog direction control (thumb joystick)
rumble
buttons with different shapes (gamecube)
first console with 4 contoller inputs.
I actually liked the new look and feel of Linux when I installed it... I like some change. It was easy to install (even setting up partitions was very simple) I could get all the included programs to work easily.
But when I wanted to install software I downloaded from the internet, it just caused frustration. I couldn't install the NVidia drivers, even after searching several web forums for help, and asking someone I know online who knows Linux to help me. I guess I had to recompile the kernal or something. I tried to use aptget(?) and some other library manager to get libraries for a DVD player, but the library version needed wasn't on the server. I also tied installing a few game demos (quake,linux,halflife) but no luck there. I had to use a command line when installing the few programs I got to work.
How about making the 2 crosshairs (needed to make the 3d crosshair) the right distance apart so that the 3d crosshair rests on the 3d surface under it? The two crosshairs would also help you gain or maintain the correct eye divergence for viewing.
The Nintendo image: http://pocketmedia.ign.com/pocket/image/nescollect ion_032604_000.jpg
I missed labeling the A and B buttons, but other than that, they look pretty similar. I like mine better though :-)
There is still a loooong way to go before everything a game maker wants to put on screen can be put on screen... if ever. Even movies like the Lord of the Rings trilogy have CG frames that can take hours to render, yet do not using many 3d techniques because they are so slow.... radiosity, correct shadows from area lights, etc. And games still don't look as good as Toy Story(1995), despite seemingly every new graphics engine being compared with it.
:-)
I think the important question is: when will increased hardware capabilities be unimportant to gameplay? I have a Gamecube, and some of the games couldn't have been made effectively on the N64, such as Pikmin and Metroid Prime. Things like physics in Halflife 2, and foliage in Farcry are things that can affect gameplay in the FPS world. Then again, real time radiosity could add to gameplay too
Although I initially thought the $250 price was really high, I understand it now. For those of us with less than 4 gigabytes of music, The iPod mini is not only just as good as the original iPod.... it is better. It has a smaller size, and a better design, for $50 less! It is also good for people with 4+ GB of music that don't need all their music, but enough to last an 8 hour work day or a several day vacation. The only real competition is the Muvo2 at $50 less ... but Apple hardware is always more expensive.
And I doubt the iPod mini costs more than $50 less to manufacture than the standard iPod. Compare it to desktop vs. Notebook hard drives. A 40GB Notebook hard drive goes for $119... a despktop hard drive has 5 times as much space is only $20 more!
Having said all that, I am still not buying one because $250 is too much for me to spend on a portable music player.
Apple won't have to pay the credit card company as much because the user won't be making one hundred 99 cent credit card purchases. (I know Apple groups music purchased in a small time frame into one purchase, so it won't always be one hundred 99cent charges... but all at once is still less)
The NASA website calls them RAW images. The Rover may have sent the images in JPEG format. The term RAW most likely isn't refering to the RAW image that the camera captured, because then it would probably be much larger and in color.
A few of you have complained about the quality of the images. At the time the pictures were transmited, the rover only had its less powerfull (low bandwidth) antenna deployed.
u s.html
from:
http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/stat
MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2004
0610 GMT (1:10 a.m. EST)
"A few minutes before 12:30 a.m. EST today, the first direct-to-Earth communications session over the high-data-rate antenna began"
So, we should be seeing better images soon.