As far as I can remember, I've never had to run or subscribe to an expensive anti-malware software on my Windows machine, and I've never had a virus. I run a free antivirus (right now that would be AVG) and a free firewall (built into Windows since SP2) and have never had a problem. Which brings me to my point: the problem isn't the OS, it is what's between the keyboard and a chair. No matter how secure a system is, it will fail due to it's user in more cases than not. Slashdotters always, ALWAYS argue that the major weakness of any security system always fails at the point of it's users (usually in reference to building/government security protocols and the like), yet they jump at the opportunity to bash MS. Did Microsoft do stupid thins? Yes, yes they have. Did they greatly mitigate the problem? Ever since SP2, yes, greatly.
Or you could follow simple logic: Windows has over 90% market share = hackers are going to focus their efforts on the 90% of the market share. Do you honestly believe that there are no major holes in OS X, or for that matter, Linux? If so, then you are very naive my friend.
Am I the only one who isn't raving about the story-telling? I see nothing special in it. Sure, it made me chuckle at times, but I find a lot of the dialogue came off as stilted (omg you are evil for destroying the cube, omg this level is impossible, omg this will take a long time). It just came off as "ya, sure, whatever, I'll just keep on playing and actually finish this level."
The game was good. The last level was a bit disappointing since it turned into a platformer than a puzzler.
Everyone I know (including Apple-users) think the Mac guy in the I'm a Mac commercials is a douche-bag and doesn't make them like Apple more, since it puts Mac users in a bad-light, and the PC guy is cute and fuzzy and you just wanna give him a hug. Also, if you're comparing price-points, you forget that OS X only runs on Apple hardware, and you have to pay the Apple tax on what is essentially an over-priced PC, whereas most Windows 'purchases' come when you buy a PC. So why not compare the price of a similarly equipped and similarly capable PC to a Mac, and then tell me which one is cheaper?
Granted, Apple makes it cheaper for people who already own a Mac to upgrade, but then again, they have an upgrade an average of every 18 months, which in the long-run makes it more expensive.
Go install Windows XP with no service pack. Then go and install service pack 2, and tell me the new features are buried. Apple's point-point releases are bug fixes, pure and simple (hence they are called Security updates). Microsoft releases big fixes on a monthly basis. While I wouldn't call the OS X 'point' releases a service pack (unless I was trying to be a jackass, since it's fan to annoy Apple fanboys), I would hardly call them a full-featured update either. Also, I wouldn't call an update to iChat or Safari a new feature, since Microsoft tends to update their equivalent outside their OS. See, something like Quicklook or Time Machine is an OS-level feature update, something like templates for Mail, not so much.
Do you have any proof of said Microsoft-sponsored astroturfers? Could it not be that there are people out there, who, oh, I don't know, actually LIKE an operating system that over 90% of computers use?
It's hard to discuss anything Microsoft here, Vista or not, because of all the mindless bias most slashdotters have towards MS. You can find a flameware in any MS related thread (or non-MS related threads, as this one has proven).
You know, I'm not sure if your post was sarcasm, or serious. You forget the fact the the government should only have the authority granted to it by it's people, especially a so-called democratic government.
What's wrong with PSN? Here, let me give you an example when it comes to system updates for the PS3 vs the 360.
On the PS3: 1. Turn on console 2. Get a message that a system update is required. Doesn't take you anywhere. 3. Try to remember where system update is. It's under 'system' in the menu. 4. Choose whether you want to udpate from disk or server. 5. Wait for it to download. And the updates are either HUGE, or their servers are slow, because it takes a while. 6. Press the PS button to confirm a console restart. 7. Read through the EULA, hit okay. 8. Update FINALLY starts going. 9. Restart system again. 10. If you're lucky, you can carry on. If not, you have to plug your controller with a USB cable.
On the 360: 1. Boot up 2. Get a message that an update is available. Asks you if you want to update or not. 3. If you choose yes, you see a download progress bar, followed by an install progress bar. 4. System reboots, you're set.
Takes about, ooh, 10 seconds on the 360, and 5-10 minutes on the PS3. You also neglect to mention that the 360 also has quality, original IP in their store that follows certain UI standards (ALL arcade games have 'exit to arcade option' to quit, all PS3 downloadable games have their own exit option that often isn't very clear on what it will do). The 360 interface for downloadable content (the Live subscription which you have to pay for is only for playing multiplayer games, FYI) was designed from the get-go for a console. It also has options for latest updates so you don't have to go looking for them, and doesn't expect you to use your analogue stick as a mouse to find content.
Or you could be like Apple, and charge $100 for incremental updates every year or so.
Also, you include Tablet PC Edition, which is only for OEMs and specific for tablet PCs, as well as Media Center Edition, which is again, only for OEMS and specific for Media Center PCs.
Why do people complain about the realism of details of foliage or water refraction, when they have characters that move like Saturday morning cartoons?
Because if I wanted to play a character that moves regularly, I'd go out and take a walk. There's a difference between realism and simulation. When games start to sacrifice all the things you mentioned, it would no longer be fun, and just be an exercise in frustration.
Just as it is her opinion that a photograph of someone standing in the street is personal information, it is your opinion that it is not. The fact that you believe something does not make it fact and make other's beliefs 'opinions'.
For instance, if such images *were* personal information, then all street surveillance cameras would be illegal or unconstitutional by the same act (they are not in fact they are all over up here). One could argue that cameras in banks are illegal by the same measure. Certainly the cameras mounted in police cars, and the (very common up here) use of hand held cameras by police to monitor crowds also illegal.
The very first sentence of the law you quoted included "prohibits the commercial use". All of the above applications are for security use, not commercial use.
I don't see the point of software as a service simply to replace Office/Excel etc. However, I DO see a point for software as a service that can't be done easily by local apps. For example, there's lot's cool online collobaration apps out there (such as conceptshare.com, octopz.com, cozimo.com). Disclaimer: I work for one of the companies mentioned above.
While some of those games I've genuinely never heard of (Dead Head Fred looks cool), quite a few games on that list are high-profile titles that are bound to sell well. I don't know about you but anyone I've seen who has a 360 and is into RPGs is looking forward to Eternal Sonata over Blue Dragon. Heck, I rarely buy JRPGs, and I might pick up Eternal Sonata. I think NiGHTS has enough fans to allow it to be a success, as for BlackSite, I played the demo, and in terms of frame rate, it was one of the worst games I've seen on the 360.
Two points to note:
- EA is working on Spore, and while I can't pass judgement on that, you can't say they are not taking a risk
- Nintendo was far from 'barely holding on'. They've made healthy profits in the N64 and GameCube days.
GameTap has the best customer service I've seen. Not only was there virtually no wait time, the person I was talking to was obviously a gamer (which is great, since it's a gaming service), you could tell he wasn't reading word for word from a script, and actually went out of his way to figure things out.
I've seen a few people compare this to movies, but the comparison is kind of wrong. What's happening here is that we are hiding the true creators of the game (the folks from Irrational), and just lumping the credit for the creation to the financers (2K) by hiding their name under 2K Boston/2K Australia.
This would be the same as if we never knew who directed Lord of the Rings other than "New Line Cinema New Zealand". In movies, people still associate the product with it's creator (usually the director and an actor or two) and not the company that financed it.
When people do things like that, it's pretty annoying, but it seems like people who don't believe in God have this conception that anyone who does ignores all science, which is not true. I'm Muslim (yes, go ahead, flame me all you want) and believing that "God created the universe" does not mean that there's no scientific explanation to how everything works, how everything evolved and how everything was created. Just because I believe in the existence of God does not mean I can ignore science. In fact, Islam encourages science, and does in fact also encourage questioning and re-evaluating your beliefs; just ignore when any crazy fundie tells you otherwise. I'm not trying to tout Islam's horn (in fact, I'm not exactly that religious myself), but just providing an example I am familiar with to show that not all people who believe in God are oblivious to the world.
I know you were venting, but I just had to vent myself.
Slashdot Mirror
As far as I can remember, I've never had to run or subscribe to an expensive anti-malware software on my Windows machine, and I've never had a virus. I run a free antivirus (right now that would be AVG) and a free firewall (built into Windows since SP2) and have never had a problem. Which brings me to my point: the problem isn't the OS, it is what's between the keyboard and a chair. No matter how secure a system is, it will fail due to it's user in more cases than not. Slashdotters always, ALWAYS argue that the major weakness of any security system always fails at the point of it's users (usually in reference to building/government security protocols and the like), yet they jump at the opportunity to bash MS. Did Microsoft do stupid thins? Yes, yes they have. Did they greatly mitigate the problem? Ever since SP2, yes, greatly.
Or you could follow simple logic: Windows has over 90% market share = hackers are going to focus their efforts on the 90% of the market share. Do you honestly believe that there are no major holes in OS X, or for that matter, Linux? If so, then you are very naive my friend.
Am I the only one who isn't raving about the story-telling? I see nothing special in it. Sure, it made me chuckle at times, but I find a lot of the dialogue came off as stilted (omg you are evil for destroying the cube, omg this level is impossible, omg this will take a long time). It just came off as "ya, sure, whatever, I'll just keep on playing and actually finish this level." The game was good. The last level was a bit disappointing since it turned into a platformer than a puzzler.
Everyone I know (including Apple-users) think the Mac guy in the I'm a Mac commercials is a douche-bag and doesn't make them like Apple more, since it puts Mac users in a bad-light, and the PC guy is cute and fuzzy and you just wanna give him a hug. Also, if you're comparing price-points, you forget that OS X only runs on Apple hardware, and you have to pay the Apple tax on what is essentially an over-priced PC, whereas most Windows 'purchases' come when you buy a PC. So why not compare the price of a similarly equipped and similarly capable PC to a Mac, and then tell me which one is cheaper? Granted, Apple makes it cheaper for people who already own a Mac to upgrade, but then again, they have an upgrade an average of every 18 months, which in the long-run makes it more expensive.
Go install Windows XP with no service pack. Then go and install service pack 2, and tell me the new features are buried. Apple's point-point releases are bug fixes, pure and simple (hence they are called Security updates). Microsoft releases big fixes on a monthly basis. While I wouldn't call the OS X 'point' releases a service pack (unless I was trying to be a jackass, since it's fan to annoy Apple fanboys), I would hardly call them a full-featured update either. Also, I wouldn't call an update to iChat or Safari a new feature, since Microsoft tends to update their equivalent outside their OS. See, something like Quicklook or Time Machine is an OS-level feature update, something like templates for Mail, not so much.
Do you have any proof of said Microsoft-sponsored astroturfers? Could it not be that there are people out there, who, oh, I don't know, actually LIKE an operating system that over 90% of computers use? It's hard to discuss anything Microsoft here, Vista or not, because of all the mindless bias most slashdotters have towards MS. You can find a flameware in any MS related thread (or non-MS related threads, as this one has proven).
You know, I'm not sure if your post was sarcasm, or serious. You forget the fact the the government should only have the authority granted to it by it's people, especially a so-called democratic government.
Since when is Super Mario Galaxy not a major holiday product?
I may be inclined to test it out, and if I like it, buy it, but as is I'm not going to plonck down ten bucks on a game I can't try out.
What's wrong with PSN? Here, let me give you an example when it comes to system updates for the PS3 vs the 360.
On the PS3:
1. Turn on console
2. Get a message that a system update is required. Doesn't take you anywhere.
3. Try to remember where system update is. It's under 'system' in the menu.
4. Choose whether you want to udpate from disk or server.
5. Wait for it to download. And the updates are either HUGE, or their servers are slow, because it takes a while.
6. Press the PS button to confirm a console restart.
7. Read through the EULA, hit okay.
8. Update FINALLY starts going.
9. Restart system again.
10. If you're lucky, you can carry on. If not, you have to plug your controller with a USB cable.
On the 360:
1. Boot up
2. Get a message that an update is available. Asks you if you want to update or not.
3. If you choose yes, you see a download progress bar, followed by an install progress bar.
4. System reboots, you're set.
Takes about, ooh, 10 seconds on the 360, and 5-10 minutes on the PS3. You also neglect to mention that the 360 also has quality, original IP in their store that follows certain UI standards (ALL arcade games have 'exit to arcade option' to quit, all PS3 downloadable games have their own exit option that often isn't very clear on what it will do). The 360 interface for downloadable content (the Live subscription which you have to pay for is only for playing multiplayer games, FYI) was designed from the get-go for a console. It also has options for latest updates so you don't have to go looking for them, and doesn't expect you to use your analogue stick as a mouse to find content.
Or you could be like Apple, and charge $100 for incremental updates every year or so. Also, you include Tablet PC Edition, which is only for OEMs and specific for tablet PCs, as well as Media Center Edition, which is again, only for OEMS and specific for Media Center PCs.
Why do people complain about the realism of details of foliage or water refraction, when they have characters that move like Saturday morning cartoons? Because if I wanted to play a character that moves regularly, I'd go out and take a walk. There's a difference between realism and simulation. When games start to sacrifice all the things you mentioned, it would no longer be fun, and just be an exercise in frustration.
Just as it is her opinion that a photograph of someone standing in the street is personal information, it is your opinion that it is not. The fact that you believe something does not make it fact and make other's beliefs 'opinions'. For instance, if such images *were* personal information, then all street surveillance cameras would be illegal or unconstitutional by the same act (they are not in fact they are all over up here). One could argue that cameras in banks are illegal by the same measure. Certainly the cameras mounted in police cars, and the (very common up here) use of hand held cameras by police to monitor crowds also illegal. The very first sentence of the law you quoted included "prohibits the commercial use". All of the above applications are for security use, not commercial use.
...if you wanna meet nice young girls, put on a robe and wizard hat and offer them a random quest. Gotcha!
Anyone having trouble with a 403 forbidden error?
One wonders if you've played Metroid Prime. Also, I've never had hitting the + or - buttons shift my aim.
Sure! Shall we silently laugh at those who put Halo down merely because it had the audacity to be a console game? Or should we pity them instead?
Hi. I'm a long-time FPS PC gamer who thinks Halo was beyond merely 'entertaining'. Nice to meet you. Would you like some pie?
I don't see the point of software as a service simply to replace Office/Excel etc. However, I DO see a point for software as a service that can't be done easily by local apps. For example, there's lot's cool online collobaration apps out there (such as conceptshare.com, octopz.com, cozimo.com). Disclaimer: I work for one of the companies mentioned above.
While some of those games I've genuinely never heard of (Dead Head Fred looks cool), quite a few games on that list are high-profile titles that are bound to sell well. I don't know about you but anyone I've seen who has a 360 and is into RPGs is looking forward to Eternal Sonata over Blue Dragon. Heck, I rarely buy JRPGs, and I might pick up Eternal Sonata. I think NiGHTS has enough fans to allow it to be a success, as for BlackSite, I played the demo, and in terms of frame rate, it was one of the worst games I've seen on the 360.
Two points to note: - EA is working on Spore, and while I can't pass judgement on that, you can't say they are not taking a risk - Nintendo was far from 'barely holding on'. They've made healthy profits in the N64 and GameCube days.
GameTap has the best customer service I've seen. Not only was there virtually no wait time, the person I was talking to was obviously a gamer (which is great, since it's a gaming service), you could tell he wasn't reading word for word from a script, and actually went out of his way to figure things out.
I've seen a few people compare this to movies, but the comparison is kind of wrong. What's happening here is that we are hiding the true creators of the game (the folks from Irrational), and just lumping the credit for the creation to the financers (2K) by hiding their name under 2K Boston/2K Australia.
This would be the same as if we never knew who directed Lord of the Rings other than "New Line Cinema New Zealand". In movies, people still associate the product with it's creator (usually the director and an actor or two) and not the company that financed it.
I do believe that that bug was related to Firefox, and not Flash itself. It happened in Firefox on Windows but not in IE or Opera.
When people do things like that, it's pretty annoying, but it seems like people who don't believe in God have this conception that anyone who does ignores all science, which is not true. I'm Muslim (yes, go ahead, flame me all you want) and believing that "God created the universe" does not mean that there's no scientific explanation to how everything works, how everything evolved and how everything was created. Just because I believe in the existence of God does not mean I can ignore science. In fact, Islam encourages science, and does in fact also encourage questioning and re-evaluating your beliefs; just ignore when any crazy fundie tells you otherwise. I'm not trying to tout Islam's horn (in fact, I'm not exactly that religious myself), but just providing an example I am familiar with to show that not all people who believe in God are oblivious to the world. I know you were venting, but I just had to vent myself.