Most N64 roms are around 16-35 megs in size (sound and all), Mario 64 was around 14, unless memory fails me.
Most PSX images are ~500-700 mb, but if you rip away the movies/music/voice many will abate to a humble 100-300mb, which easily fit on a 512, or even a 256 card, which are not too expensive. In addition, most PSX emu's designed for small-storage platforms [PPC PlayStation Emu's for example] support playback directly from compressed (think: zip) files. That puts the average game, sans most music, movies, and voice-acting, on a comfortably affordable 256MB SD card. There are exceptions both ways, though, as some games [mostly RPGs] do need their sweet 600MB, and most fighting/recing games [see Driver, Tekken] can easily make due with 16 to 64.
As you can see, many [Creative, Rio, Dell, etc...] big-name PC electronics companies have come out with music players that compete, and dominate at times, the Ipod in sound quality, price, and [compared to the old Ipods] design. As far as my analytical skills tell me, the Ipod should be dead, and it would be, albeit for the brand recognition and flock of Apple fanboys [I can feel the mod-down coming for that].
Then again, brand recognition is everything, for most people, and the majority of the non-tech population are ignorant toward the Ipod alternatives. Without this ignorance, many monopolies would die... *cough* Microsoft.
*note - I have Windows XP and Slackware 9.1 on my system, so I am immune to modding down for the Windows flame.
with built-in WiFi and the munching power to render n64-level apps at smooth (20+) framerates, I would think none of the above are impossible. What would really put this unit over the top, though, is a decent web browser, an e-book reader, and video-chat for AIM.
I believe the device you are looking for is OQO http://www.oqo.com
Too bad it's going to cost more than most modern laptops with twice the munching power of OQO, but if one was to start tossing change into a jar, there are good chances they would have the $2000 by the time it was released.
didn't they say the same thing about PDA's? Television? etc...
In my opinion ultra-small devices will have their day in the sun, as do [now] pocket PCs and cell phones. OTOH, I don't believe this will happen until someone figures out a decent way to input into the device, instrad of relying on technology too cramped to be comfortable to use (keyboards) or too uncanny and time-consuming to master (writing recognition, Palm's Grafitti). I like the direction Nokia is taking with their phones. Sure, their alternative input (multiple numbers per key)is awkward to use, but they are innovating, so I see their R&D department as capable of such an invention.
It also supports CF microdrives, which should give you up to 4gb of storage
Actually, using a Ratoc CF-USB host (http://www.ratocsystems.com/english/products/subp ages/cfu1u.html) and a battery-powered 2.5" enclosure, you could make the boot drive as big as you want.
Alternatively, you could use a 1GB microdrive for boot (boots fast compared to HDD) and an external USB drive for storage.
would it be so hard for them to remove the bezel on the edges of the lid so that they could put a 9" LCD for those of us that don't carry a magnifying glass?
considering the amount of females on this board, and the percentage of them likely attractive, I'd say it's safe to bet that you would have a fart-free cake.
I've had a few run-ins with D[h]ell tech support. My issue was concerning their Axim PDA, so I cannot vouch for their desktop/laptop tech support.
As for my encounter, I had to spend about ten minutes on the phone with their guy in India to explain to them what was wrong: My record button was not working.
My advice to save you some time with D[h]ell: repeat "manager" until you get someone with at least rudimentary English skills.
These would be great for military use, if the underlying technology were properly refined.
It would be quite useful to have a silent, slow-moving miniature chopper with an X10-like camera attatched, if it had a remote that used a longer-range (radio, anyone?) technology for control, and a simple remote with a few simple controls (joystick; thrust; joystick for camera control, and a 2-inch LCD). If given a ~20g payload, they would easily carry a small, medium-res cam, control device for it, reciever for it, and a small payload (wireless mic, anyone?), as well as a good-sized ethanol fuel cell (i.e. the Toshiba prototype) for 2-3 hours of continuous flight, while remaining small enough to remain undetectable to radar, etc.
There was actually a discussion on this very topic not too long about computers being network-based as broadband evolved. The concept is similar to that in the game Uplink, where your personal computer links to an ultra-powerful computer in a server room. At some point, the amount of information neccessary for transferring the VGA and audio output to your system and the mouse, keyboard, and other input back to the server, will exceed the amount of bandwidth needed for the content we will be working with on the web. At that point, server space and CPU power could be provided on a monthly basis, with terminals that recieve, transmit, and process the raw video and audio data from the server and transmit input back to the server, thus making your personal files, work, etc. available anywhere there is a public terminal, as long as you have proper verification (my suggestion - an 8mb SD card with up to 4 2mb hashes (for different accounts)). This would have endless possibilities (streaming DVD, no more laptops, wifi access with portable terminals, something like a simplified OQO, plus WiMax, minus hard drive.) This would also change the way we think of a computer. No more upgrades, no more retail sales of computers, etc. It's like switching from self-operated radios to cell phone networks, in a way: a SIM card is all it takes.
If the FCC wants to ban us from recording television by "flagging" it and outlawing all equipment that bypasses that, does that mean that:
1. Every TiVo in the US would become illegal, and in this way create 100s of disgruntled TV junkies that saved up for months of one (might be good in the end, as they'd protest this up many a congressman's rear end)
2. Every TV Tuner card would become outlawed, as well as the software that would be written in... say... a week after this goes live, that would bypass this?
3. If the cards + software are all only parts, and the real 'tool' being used to defeat copy protection is your own CPU/RAM/Hard Drive, does this make computers illegal, too?
Methinks that even if this bill will actually stand before congress, it reeks of MPAA bullshit too much for even them to accept it. Then again, if you believe Michael Moore...
I completely agree with Colazar on this, from personal experience.
Being a white person living in a black area of New York City, and working in a business-oriented enviroment, I commonly notice myself wearing proper attire (and using proper slurs/profanities) when around others in my neighborhood, whereas at work, at home, and on Slashdot I tend to use a larger vocabulary, and more subtle language (i.e. "move, nigga!" is replaced by "excuse me", "them mutha f**kers" is replaced by "the [name of group of people]" etc...). On the other hand, I yet to catch myself using Ebonics (the proper name for low-level African American slang) at work or in the company of my suburban-dwelling friends.
AFAIK, pop music hasn't changed much...
from the squeaky wails of Michael Jackson in the eighties (before he became a convicted pedophile) to the squeaky wails of Britney Spears and Avril LaVigne, pop music has been more of a unifying force in music culture than a diversifying one, though the particular idols rotate every two weeks or so. On the other hand, music like [hard] rap and extreme forms of rock (read: Disturbed, Slipknot) have been oriented towards the socially alienated, whereas classical music has always been more of a status symbol than a distict group-oriented style.
And please, don't even get me started on techno.
It's not neccessarily that people did not expect this from the RIAA. Instead, people expecting something from the RIAA (and not getting anything to flame them for for 2 days) are flame-happy when the RIAA takes it's next shovelful of dirt out of what is to become its grave.
Slashdot Mirror
You are somewhat mislead here.
1 63 0
Most N64 roms are around 16-35 megs in size (sound and all), Mario 64 was around 14, unless memory fails me.
Most PSX images are ~500-700 mb, but if you rip away the movies/music/voice many will abate to a humble 100-300mb, which easily fit on a 512, or even a 256 card, which are not too expensive. In addition, most PSX emu's designed for small-storage platforms [PPC PlayStation Emu's for example] support playback directly from compressed (think: zip) files. That puts the average game, sans most music, movies, and voice-acting, on a comfortably affordable 256MB SD card. There are exceptions both ways, though, as some games [mostly RPGs] do need their sweet 600MB, and most fighting/recing games [see Driver, Tekken] can easily make due with 16 to 64.
http://www.pdai.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=
^master list of PSX rip sizes
I've had a luddite tell me headphones look ridiculous...
there are people willing to ridicule everything.
[quote=SilentChris] If they were the good guys, they'd release their spec for everyone to use. [/quote]
If they were, as you say, the good guys, Itunes would have all of 3 songs.
I fail to see your point on the autodealers...
As you can see, many [Creative, Rio, Dell, etc...] big-name PC electronics companies have come out with music players that compete, and dominate at times, the Ipod in sound quality, price, and [compared to the old Ipods] design. As far as my analytical skills tell me, the Ipod should be dead, and it would be, albeit for the brand recognition and flock of Apple fanboys [I can feel the mod-down coming for that].
Then again, brand recognition is everything, for most people, and the majority of the non-tech population are ignorant toward the Ipod alternatives. Without this ignorance, many monopolies would die... *cough* Microsoft.
*note - I have Windows XP and Slackware 9.1 on my system, so I am immune to modding down for the Windows flame.
with built-in WiFi and the munching power to render n64-level apps at smooth (20+) framerates, I would think none of the above are impossible. What would really put this unit over the top, though, is a decent web browser, an e-book reader, and video-chat for AIM.
I believe the device you are looking for is OQO
http://www.oqo.com
Too bad it's going to cost more than most modern laptops with twice the munching power of OQO, but if one was to start tossing change into a jar, there are good chances they would have the $2000 by the time it was released.
didn't they say the same thing about PDA's? Television? etc...
In my opinion ultra-small devices will have their day in the sun, as do [now] pocket PCs and cell phones. OTOH, I don't believe this will happen until someone figures out a decent way to input into the device, instrad of relying on technology too cramped to be comfortable to use (keyboards) or too uncanny and time-consuming to master (writing recognition, Palm's Grafitti). I like the direction Nokia is taking with their phones. Sure, their alternative input (multiple numbers per key)is awkward to use, but they are innovating, so I see their R&D department as capable of such an invention.
It also supports CF microdrives, which should give you up to 4gb of storage Actually, using a Ratoc CF-USB host (http://www.ratocsystems.com/english/products/subp ages/cfu1u.html) and a battery-powered 2.5" enclosure, you could make the boot drive as big as you want.
Alternatively, you could use a 1GB microdrive for boot (boots fast compared to HDD) and an external USB drive for storage.
would it be so hard for them to remove the bezel on the edges of the lid so that they could put a 9" LCD for those of us that don't carry a magnifying glass?
911
Just when you thought Gates had put a fork in it...
considering the amount of females on this board, and the percentage of them likely attractive, I'd say it's safe to bet that you would have a fart-free cake.
I've had a few run-ins with D[h]ell tech support.
My issue was concerning their Axim PDA, so I cannot vouch for their desktop/laptop tech support.
As for my encounter, I had to spend about ten minutes on the phone with their guy in India to explain to them what was wrong: My record button was not working.
My advice to save you some time with D[h]ell: repeat "manager" until you get someone with at least rudimentary English skills.
Been there... done that. http://www.dynamism.com/tv-watch/index.shtml P.S. Cue the "you know you watxh too much TV when..." jokes.
... or the local nude beach.
or the local nudist beach...
These would be great for military use, if the underlying technology were properly refined.
It would be quite useful to have a silent, slow-moving miniature chopper with an X10-like camera attatched, if it had a remote that used a longer-range (radio, anyone?) technology for control, and a simple remote with a few simple controls (joystick; thrust; joystick for camera control, and a 2-inch LCD). If given a ~20g payload, they would easily carry a small, medium-res cam, control device for it, reciever for it, and a small payload (wireless mic, anyone?), as well as a good-sized ethanol fuel cell (i.e. the Toshiba prototype) for 2-3 hours of continuous flight, while remaining small enough to remain undetectable to radar, etc.
There was actually a discussion on this very topic not too long about computers being network-based as broadband evolved. The concept is similar to that in the game Uplink, where your personal computer links to an ultra-powerful computer in a server room. At some point, the amount of information neccessary for transferring the VGA and audio output to your system and the mouse, keyboard, and other input back to the server, will exceed the amount of bandwidth needed for the content we will be working with on the web. At that point, server space and CPU power could be provided on a monthly basis, with terminals that recieve, transmit, and process the raw video and audio data from the server and transmit input back to the server, thus making your personal files, work, etc. available anywhere there is a public terminal, as long as you have proper verification (my suggestion - an 8mb SD card with up to 4 2mb hashes (for different accounts)). This would have endless possibilities (streaming DVD, no more laptops, wifi access with portable terminals, something like a simplified OQO, plus WiMax, minus hard drive.)
This would also change the way we think of a computer. No more upgrades, no more retail sales of computers, etc. It's like switching from self-operated radios to cell phone networks, in a way: a SIM card is all it takes.
If the FCC wants to ban us from recording television by "flagging" it and outlawing all equipment that bypasses that, does that mean that: 1. Every TiVo in the US would become illegal, and in this way create 100s of disgruntled TV junkies that saved up for months of one (might be good in the end, as they'd protest this up many a congressman's rear end) 2. Every TV Tuner card would become outlawed, as well as the software that would be written in... say... a week after this goes live, that would bypass this? 3. If the cards + software are all only parts, and the real 'tool' being used to defeat copy protection is your own CPU/RAM/Hard Drive, does this make computers illegal, too? Methinks that even if this bill will actually stand before congress, it reeks of MPAA bullshit too much for even them to accept it. Then again, if you believe Michael Moore...
^ troll.
I completely agree with Colazar on this, from personal experience. Being a white person living in a black area of New York City, and working in a business-oriented enviroment, I commonly notice myself wearing proper attire (and using proper slurs/profanities) when around others in my neighborhood, whereas at work, at home, and on Slashdot I tend to use a larger vocabulary, and more subtle language (i.e. "move, nigga!" is replaced by "excuse me", "them mutha f**kers" is replaced by "the [name of group of people]" etc...). On the other hand, I yet to catch myself using Ebonics (the proper name for low-level African American slang) at work or in the company of my suburban-dwelling friends.
AFAIK, pop music hasn't changed much... from the squeaky wails of Michael Jackson in the eighties (before he became a convicted pedophile) to the squeaky wails of Britney Spears and Avril LaVigne, pop music has been more of a unifying force in music culture than a diversifying one, though the particular idols rotate every two weeks or so. On the other hand, music like [hard] rap and extreme forms of rock (read: Disturbed, Slipknot) have been oriented towards the socially alienated, whereas classical music has always been more of a status symbol than a distict group-oriented style. And please, don't even get me started on techno.
You forgot something: In the world of George Bush, use "You were wrong, and that's why you were hiding nuculear weapons in Iraq
At this point, I'm having a hard time deciding which they would have a harder time giving away... Martha Stewart or "Willenium".
It's not neccessarily that people did not expect this from the RIAA. Instead, people expecting something from the RIAA (and not getting anything to flame them for for 2 days) are flame-happy when the RIAA takes it's next shovelful of dirt out of what is to become its grave.