Try 480x272 for the PSPs screen resolution. The confusion comes from the firmware-limited video capabilities of the PSP. In 4:3 mode, it supports up to 320x240; and up to 368x208 in 16:9 mode.
Yes, the Nokia still beats it. And the PSPs browser has no Flash support either...
But, c'mon now, do you really believe that they've managed to put the equivalent of 924 2.2GHz processors into a consumer rig? I certainly don't:)
Just like I don't really believe the PS3 has a 'supercomputer on a chip'. Manufacturers love to take things out of context, and that makes big meaningless numbers which generate sales.
I can almost smell the burning karma, but I bet that entire rig won't put out 1 Teraflop in practice.
"Consider the standard Dell SLI system costs around $3-4,000 you can expect this custom designed PC to cost at least double that."
And the motherboard it is using is an nForce4 SLI X16, these cards require the nVidia X16 mobo chipset. So yeah, by the time you've saved enough, the brand new Octuple-SLI will be out...
Sorry, but I'd rather stick with something like this. It's the difference between swapping the rendering engine temporarily when required (eg. Windows Update) a shoehorning a massive security hole into Firefox. Your call:)
"(minus games like Command & Conquer that use multiple discs to allow game play on multiple machines)"
Since when did C&C let you play the one game on multiple machines? I know I've tried to get network play using the different discs in Generals, but the game is coded to detect the two installations with the same registration key and block connections between them. I always thought the separate discs were to separate the different groups of missions.
Have I missed something here (it's a genuine question)?
They should release one in the near future. I know i've read (in the UK's EDGE Magazine I believe) that the 360 is capable of outputting to HDMI/DVI, just that Microsoft haven't put out a cable yet. I'd expect it to happen around the same time as this drive, so Spring?
I must admit, I'm not buying one until they support the DVI-I or HDMI ports on my HDTV. I have neither VGA or Component Video sockets.
There are a lot of people here in the UK using this kind of setup (called Freeview) and a lot of set-top boxes from a huge variety of manufacturers. The boxes themselves are about £20-60 (depending on features) and even the most basic have a 7-day programme guide (EPG).
From the Freeview site:
"It is the new, free digital service providing over 30 free digital TV channels, over 20 digital radio stations plus a new whole world of interactive services. It's broadcast from transmitters and received via a rooftop aerial.
It works like traditional TV but because the signals are Digital you need an box to convert them (or a new Digital TV with all the technology in a box already built-in). This means more channels can be transmitted with extra features such as interactivity and widescreen pictures. "
Now, this is being marketed in the UK as a means to get the interactive services and many more channels. Nowhere on the site (that I have found) does it try to push consumers into adopting just because their sets will 'go black' in 4 years time. Surely this is the way the US needs to go? Try and get as much voluntary adoption as possible at this early stage, and not start the 'TV vouchers' talk until 2008.
We've had the National Health Service here in the UK for about 40-50 years now and, as far as I know, there have never been any restrictions on leisure activities, lifestyle choices or extreme sports. In fact, it's the private health insurance providers that tend to be the problem as they'll do everything they can to wriggle out of footing the bill - the government, on the other hand, has a duty to give you (as a taxpayer) the proper level of healthcare.
For example, I had private health insurance from a company called BUPA. A few years ago I developed bad tonsillitis and the waiting list for the removal operation was around 6 months. I claimed against my health insurance as this kind of thing was covered... but they refused point blank. The reason? They claimed that I had already had tonsillitis in my medical records (yes, I was 16 at the time) and this constituted a 'history of health problems'.
The NHS dealt with it in the end, and I have had no problems since. Now, as there are probably more people who fall and break bones than those who require hearing treatment, I doubt the government would dare worry the taxpayers about their impact on health care costs. Telling the electorate to stop sports or listening to music because of the strain on the NHS is a sure fire way to lose an election!
Re:No Registration Here...
on
Amazon Connect
·
· Score: 1
You can use http://bugmenot.com/ to bypass the stupid registration/login on the NYT site. It works for quite a few others too.
You can do the same thing with the recording functions on Audacity. The only difference is that Audacity is available free on all platforms.. and open source which is always a good thing.
By definition, an OS is not something that many people will change on a whim as something new/experimental comes out. The only group that will give it the time of day is the geek crowd (Slashdot crew).. nobody else has the time or the inclination to change such a fundamental part of their computer AND learn a new set of tools/make do without a known application.
When they say "gain popularity", what do they really expect? Do they want a 30% userbase? If so, they're dreaming. I'm going to stick my neck out and say no new OS is going to make any dent in the Windows/Mac/Linux trio at the moment. Out of all of them, Linux will, naturally, take the bigger hit as it will be the Linux users (geek crowd) that are willing to try out the new OS.
Until a new OS has the resources and usability of Windows (yes, to most/. readers usability is 0), it won't succeed/take off in a big way. The desktop PC market is not captive.. people have a choice (although most will never think they do). If a new OS wants to really shine or stand out, target embedded devices like phones, ATMs etc; or the server market. Things where geeks and Slashdotters have the bigger say.
You don't really understand the economics of Console based videogames do you?
Quite correct, thats why I kept my statement general and vague. The point is the same though -- the real money is in software. Now, I don't understand these fully: if the profit margins are so low, and the reliance on third-party games is so high for Sony and Microsoft... how does Sony make a profit? Is it sheer force of numbers or simply that they don't make a profit?
I'd consider myself fairly balanced in this... currently I own a GameCube (bought at launch), an Xbox (bought early last year) and a PSP (bought in February 2005). I'm very happy with all of them, even though I play the GameCube less (my local game shop no longer stocks GameCube games!). In the next generation, I'd be looking for much more information on the Revolution and I'd probably buy the 360... I'm an FPS guy, so Halo and Metroid excite me the most.
The people I know do not have $1000 of disposable income just lying around
Remember, this is not $1000 in one go, this is over a 4-5 year period. I would not be too surprised if people bought 4-5 games per year. Also, if these people are gamers this is not wasted money -- you may very well spend £50/month ($100) on a full digital TV package, amounting to $1200pa, all in the name of entertainment. Certainly, I don't know what it is like in the US (I'm a UK man myself), but games go for £40 here ($70-80) and most people I know have over 30 games that they've amassed over the 5 years. I would suspect that around 2/3 of those were bought at full price (no, those people would not say they have £800 to blow on full-price games).
Your figures for installed userbase is also incredibly off.
I'd check my sources, but i'm pretty sure I read that in a Slashdot article. Having done a quick search:
Microsoft and its Xbox is a distant No. 2 in the North American console market, behind Sony with its PlayStation2 but ahead of Nintendo and its GameCube, according to data from IDC. Olhava estimated that last year, Sony shipped about 5 million units, making up 42 percent of the market, while Microsoft shipped about 3.4 million for 28.3 percent in 2004. Nintendo shipped 2.5 million consoles for 21.2 percent of the market.
Overall, Xbox is also behind the PlayStation2, with 12.1 million currently on the market, compared with 30.8 million Sony units. GameCube logs in with 9.1 million units. (source) (Ok, this strictly isn't installed userbase, but you get the general point.)
I would be *inclined* to say; however, regarding Nintendo's profit, that it is mostly gained by the handheld division. Unless GameCubes are manufactured very very cheaply, they must make little profit on hardware sales (they're about £50-60 each, $100-120).
PS - You raise valid points, so ignore the sig in this instance.
True again. But, is Nintendo's profit largely due to GameCube sales (hardware and software) or handheld (hardware and software) sales? I'd be inclined to say handheld sales.
The Xbox is now making a profit for Microsoft, meaning that the entertainment division will break even quickly. What you casually forget, is that while the console sales were averaging a loss, the games were making a considerable profit. Microsoft is not stupid, it knows that the Windows and Office business streams can make enough money to subsidise the entire company (Microsoft is making an overall profit). The best scenario for Microsoft is to sell Xboxes at a loss, in large numbers, and make the money on software licensing. This is exactly what Microsoft should be planning to do with the early 360 launch... sell as many units as possible and tie those people into buying games at $50 a pop for the next 4 years. If one person buys 20 games (a conservative estimate) at $50, thats $1000 dollars. Thats where the real money is... not in the $400 hardware.
Look at the installed userbase for the Xbox.. last time I read, it was 29% compared to Sony's 60%. That doesn't sound great... but compared to Nintendo's 11%, Microsoft has been very successful at pushing into a new market. The reason that PS2s count for 60% is clear.. Sony had a whole year's headstart on the other two. This is EXACTLY what Microsoft want to replicate with the 360 launch.. even though they'll only get 4-5 months, they'll get the all important holiday sales. They'll build up a userbase quickly, and make a fortune on the games sales. Provided brand loyalty doesn't stop 360 sales, they'll be in a very good position to fight against Sony in the next 4 years. Nintendo is no longer a true competitor to these two; Microsoft has muscled them out of the running in the current-gen consoles and unless they pull something fantastic out of the bag, it's unlikely they'll recover. (Which is a shame, as Nintendo made some very good games.)
PS -- Note the sig, exceptions can be made for modded posts.
I'm surprised that it has taken Microsoft quite so long to get their hooks into this one.. but it may be what's needed to get VoIP into mass adoption. If a big company such as Microsoft is clearly advocating this as the next step, then more telecom companies are going to adopt the technology -- and yes, while the Slashdot readers are moaning about Bill Gates' empire, most non-tech people respect Microsoft for their achievements. Microsoft also have overwhelming political muscle (comes from the cash pile... not too hard to pick out) which may be a great help in getting widespread awareness.
It's also interesting to note, that the US is slightly further behind in this one. The UK's biggest operator, British Telecom (BT), has invested a large amount of money in replacing traditional phone networks in the UK with an IP routed system (completely separate from the internet of course) for phone calls. This system (not yet in operation) provides the flexibility and adaptability of this network type for various types of data streams, as well as providing the dedicated, managed network needed to preserve the original call quality. While not quite the same as what we think of today as VoIP, this could be the future for the technology -- it certainly quashes the whole QoS debate.
He has nearly finished a first draft of "Killer Shrews II." The plot is fiendishly simple. "I return to Shrew Island to rescue a bunch of teenagers," he reported. "A new mad scientist has turned herself into a human shrew that not only chews, but swims."
And we're expected to pay a dollar for this masterpiece???
As for backwards compatibility, Microsoft have stated that they'll work backwards through the game catalog making the most popular ones (and most likely the in-house ones) backwards compatible first. They then plan on making as many games as possible backwards compatible.
It's a pretty safe bet that Halo, Halo 2, Forza Motorsport, Project Gotham, etc will be playable pretty much out the box on the 360. Definitely not something to worry about at all - unless your favorite is The Urbz or something.
What you say is very true, but some of the new Debian based distributions (most notably Ubuntu) are beginning to get closer to the ideal when it comes to package management. The APT (.DEB) package manager is coming on leaps and bounds, largely due to the Synaptic user interface for apt-get. Synaptic fits the user friendly requirement: you click search, enter your wish, click go, pick the software you want and click 'Apply'. Synaptic automatically downloads the software, reads the headers, resolves dependencies (sometimes by automatically downloading required libs), and installs the software. The program then appears in the Applications menu in the correct category, with a nice icon.
This is a major step forward for Linux, in that the terminal is not required and the dependencies are resolved for you (it was a real pain trying to get out of an unresolvable chain of dependencies, sometimes you ended up installing loads of large library packages just to get a little app to run). This method has only a few drawbacks: you are ultimately limited to the software in the repository -- if apt-get can't find it, you can't install it with Synaptic; you also need to search for the software you want... you can't just browse the web, download and install on a whim.
While this is about the best we have so far, the number of available packages is increasing daily. If you haven't tried Linux for a while, give Ubuntu a go (you can use it without messing up Windows by using a Live CD here or installing it inside a Windows virtual machine like VMware Workstation: you can get a 30-day trial here).
Slashdot Mirror
Try 480x272 for the PSPs screen resolution.
The confusion comes from the firmware-limited video capabilities of the PSP. In 4:3 mode, it supports up to 320x240; and up to 368x208 in 16:9 mode.
Yes, the Nokia still beats it. And the PSPs browser has no Flash support either...
But, c'mon now, do you really believe that they've managed to put the equivalent of 924 2.2GHz processors into a consumer rig? I certainly don't :)
Just like I don't really believe the PS3 has a 'supercomputer on a chip'. Manufacturers love to take things out of context, and that makes big meaningless numbers which generate sales.
I can almost smell the burning karma, but I bet that entire rig won't put out 1 Teraflop in practice.
From TFA:
"Consider the standard Dell SLI system costs around $3-4,000 you can expect this custom designed PC to cost at least double that."
And the motherboard it is using is an nForce4 SLI X16, these cards require the nVidia X16 mobo chipset. So yeah, by the time you've saved enough, the brand new Octuple-SLI will be out...
Sorry, but I'd rather stick with something like this. It's the difference between swapping the rendering engine temporarily when required (eg. Windows Update) a shoehorning a massive security hole into Firefox. Your call :)
"(minus games like Command & Conquer that use multiple discs to allow game play on multiple machines)"
Since when did C&C let you play the one game on multiple machines? I know I've tried to get network play using the different discs in Generals, but the game is coded to detect the two installations with the same registration key and block connections between them. I always thought the separate discs were to separate the different groups of missions.
Have I missed something here (it's a genuine question)?
They should release one in the near future. I know i've read (in the UK's EDGE Magazine I believe) that the 360 is capable of outputting to HDMI/DVI, just that Microsoft haven't put out a cable yet. I'd expect it to happen around the same time as this drive, so Spring?
I must admit, I'm not buying one until they support the DVI-I or HDMI ports on my HDTV. I have neither VGA or Component Video sockets.
There are a lot of people here in the UK using this kind of setup (called Freeview) and a lot of set-top boxes from a huge variety of manufacturers. The boxes themselves are about £20-60 (depending on features) and even the most basic have a 7-day programme guide (EPG).
From the Freeview site:
"It is the new, free digital service providing over 30 free digital TV channels, over 20 digital radio stations plus a new whole world of interactive services. It's broadcast from transmitters and received via a rooftop aerial.
It works like traditional TV but because the signals are Digital you need an box to convert them (or a new Digital TV with all the technology in a box already built-in). This means more channels can be transmitted with extra features such as interactivity and widescreen pictures. "
Now, this is being marketed in the UK as a means to get the interactive services and many more channels. Nowhere on the site (that I have found) does it try to push consumers into adopting just because their sets will 'go black' in 4 years time. Surely this is the way the US needs to go? Try and get as much voluntary adoption as possible at this early stage, and not start the 'TV vouchers' talk until 2008.
We've had the National Health Service here in the UK for about 40-50 years now and, as far as I know, there have never been any restrictions on leisure activities, lifestyle choices or extreme sports. In fact, it's the private health insurance providers that tend to be the problem as they'll do everything they can to wriggle out of footing the bill - the government, on the other hand, has a duty to give you (as a taxpayer) the proper level of healthcare.
For example, I had private health insurance from a company called BUPA. A few years ago I developed bad tonsillitis and the waiting list for the removal operation was around 6 months. I claimed against my health insurance as this kind of thing was covered... but they refused point blank. The reason? They claimed that I had already had tonsillitis in my medical records (yes, I was 16 at the time) and this constituted a 'history of health problems'.
The NHS dealt with it in the end, and I have had no problems since. Now, as there are probably more people who fall and break bones than those who require hearing treatment, I doubt the government would dare worry the taxpayers about their impact on health care costs. Telling the electorate to stop sports or listening to music because of the strain on the NHS is a sure fire way to lose an election!
You can use http://bugmenot.com/ to bypass the stupid registration/login on the NYT site. It works for quite a few others too.
Two Slashdottings in one day? C'mon guys:
o ption=com_content&task=view&id=1938&Itemid=2&pop=1 &page=0
http://www.next-gen.biz.nyud.net:8090/index2.php?
Whats up with the link? Slashdotted already?
e nt&task=view&id=1932&Itemid=2p tion=com_content&task=view&id=1932&Itemid=2 (coralized)
Neither
http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_cont
or
http://www.next-gen.biz.nyud.net:8090/index.php?o
work. Mirrordot isn't even linking it.
Anyone got a working link?
Dvorak doesn't understand this aspect of IE, it seems, which is the only reason I can think of for his suggestion that Opera could replace IE.
:-]
Or it could be because Dvorak is a dick who makes cash from "spouting sensationalist bullshit".
According to Mozilla Update, it supports versions 1.5b2 to 1.6a1. So whats the problem?
There is a lite version of the CD.
It's on the downloads page, right below the full version CD image.
You can do the same thing with the recording functions on Audacity. The only difference is that Audacity is available free on all platforms.. and open source which is always a good thing.
By definition, an OS is not something that many people will change on a whim as something new/experimental comes out. The only group that will give it the time of day is the geek crowd (Slashdot crew).. nobody else has the time or the inclination to change such a fundamental part of their computer AND learn a new set of tools/make do without a known application.
/. readers usability is 0), it won't succeed/take off in a big way. The desktop PC market is not captive.. people have a choice (although most will never think they do). If a new OS wants to really shine or stand out, target embedded devices like phones, ATMs etc; or the server market. Things where geeks and Slashdotters have the bigger say.
When they say "gain popularity", what do they really expect? Do they want a 30% userbase? If so, they're dreaming. I'm going to stick my neck out and say no new OS is going to make any dent in the Windows/Mac/Linux trio at the moment. Out of all of them, Linux will, naturally, take the bigger hit as it will be the Linux users (geek crowd) that are willing to try out the new OS.
Until a new OS has the resources and usability of Windows (yes, to most
You don't really understand the economics of Console based videogames do you?
Quite correct, thats why I kept my statement general and vague. The point is the same though -- the real money is in software. Now, I don't understand these fully: if the profit margins are so low, and the reliance on third-party games is so high for Sony and Microsoft... how does Sony make a profit? Is it sheer force of numbers or simply that they don't make a profit?
I'd consider myself fairly balanced in this... currently I own a GameCube (bought at launch), an Xbox (bought early last year) and a PSP (bought in February 2005). I'm very happy with all of them, even though I play the GameCube less (my local game shop no longer stocks GameCube games!). In the next generation, I'd be looking for much more information on the Revolution and I'd probably buy the 360... I'm an FPS guy, so Halo and Metroid excite me the most.
The people I know do not have $1000 of disposable income just lying around
Remember, this is not $1000 in one go, this is over a 4-5 year period. I would not be too surprised if people bought 4-5 games per year. Also, if these people are gamers this is not wasted money -- you may very well spend £50/month ($100) on a full digital TV package, amounting to $1200pa, all in the name of entertainment. Certainly, I don't know what it is like in the US (I'm a UK man myself), but games go for £40 here ($70-80) and most people I know have over 30 games that they've amassed over the 5 years. I would suspect that around 2/3 of those were bought at full price (no, those people would not say they have £800 to blow on full-price games).
Your figures for installed userbase is also incredibly off.
I'd check my sources, but i'm pretty sure I read that in a Slashdot article. Having done a quick search:
Microsoft and its Xbox is a distant No. 2 in the North American console market, behind Sony with its PlayStation2 but ahead of Nintendo and its GameCube, according to data from IDC. Olhava estimated that last year, Sony shipped about 5 million units, making up 42 percent of the market, while Microsoft shipped about 3.4 million for 28.3 percent in 2004. Nintendo shipped 2.5 million consoles for 21.2 percent of the market.
Overall, Xbox is also behind the PlayStation2, with 12.1 million currently on the market, compared with 30.8 million Sony units. GameCube logs in with 9.1 million units. (source) (Ok, this strictly isn't installed userbase, but you get the general point.)
I would be *inclined* to say; however, regarding Nintendo's profit, that it is mostly gained by the handheld division. Unless GameCubes are manufactured very very cheaply, they must make little profit on hardware sales (they're about £50-60 each, $100-120).
PS - You raise valid points, so ignore the sig in this instance.
Nintendo _makes_ money.
True again. But, is Nintendo's profit largely due to GameCube sales (hardware and software) or handheld (hardware and software) sales? I'd be inclined to say handheld sales.
Lets get facts straight here:
The Xbox is now making a profit for Microsoft, meaning that the entertainment division will break even quickly. What you casually forget, is that while the console sales were averaging a loss, the games were making a considerable profit. Microsoft is not stupid, it knows that the Windows and Office business streams can make enough money to subsidise the entire company (Microsoft is making an overall profit). The best scenario for Microsoft is to sell Xboxes at a loss, in large numbers, and make the money on software licensing. This is exactly what Microsoft should be planning to do with the early 360 launch... sell as many units as possible and tie those people into buying games at $50 a pop for the next 4 years. If one person buys 20 games (a conservative estimate) at $50, thats $1000 dollars. Thats where the real money is... not in the $400 hardware.
Look at the installed userbase for the Xbox.. last time I read, it was 29% compared to Sony's 60%. That doesn't sound great... but compared to Nintendo's 11%, Microsoft has been very successful at pushing into a new market. The reason that PS2s count for 60% is clear.. Sony had a whole year's headstart on the other two. This is EXACTLY what Microsoft want to replicate with the 360 launch.. even though they'll only get 4-5 months, they'll get the all important holiday sales. They'll build up a userbase quickly, and make a fortune on the games sales. Provided brand loyalty doesn't stop 360 sales, they'll be in a very good position to fight against Sony in the next 4 years. Nintendo is no longer a true competitor to these two; Microsoft has muscled them out of the running in the current-gen consoles and unless they pull something fantastic out of the bag, it's unlikely they'll recover. (Which is a shame, as Nintendo made some very good games.)
PS -- Note the sig, exceptions can be made for modded posts.
I'm surprised that it has taken Microsoft quite so long to get their hooks into this one.. but it may be what's needed to get VoIP into mass adoption. If a big company such as Microsoft is clearly advocating this as the next step, then more telecom companies are going to adopt the technology -- and yes, while the Slashdot readers are moaning about Bill Gates' empire, most non-tech people respect Microsoft for their achievements. Microsoft also have overwhelming political muscle (comes from the cash pile... not too hard to pick out) which may be a great help in getting widespread awareness.
It's also interesting to note, that the US is slightly further behind in this one. The UK's biggest operator, British Telecom (BT), has invested a large amount of money in replacing traditional phone networks in the UK with an IP routed system (completely separate from the internet of course) for phone calls. This system (not yet in operation) provides the flexibility and adaptability of this network type for various types of data streams, as well as providing the dedicated, managed network needed to preserve the original call quality. While not quite the same as what we think of today as VoIP, this could be the future for the technology -- it certainly quashes the whole QoS debate.
He has nearly finished a first draft of "Killer Shrews II." The plot is fiendishly simple. "I return to Shrew Island to rescue a bunch of teenagers," he reported. "A new mad scientist has turned herself into a human shrew that not only chews, but swims."
And we're expected to pay a dollar for this masterpiece???
As for backwards compatibility, Microsoft have stated that they'll work backwards through the game catalog making the most popular ones (and most likely the in-house ones) backwards compatible first. They then plan on making as many games as possible backwards compatible.
It's a pretty safe bet that Halo, Halo 2, Forza Motorsport, Project Gotham, etc will be playable pretty much out the box on the 360. Definitely not something to worry about at all - unless your favorite is The Urbz or something.
This is a major step forward for Linux, in that the terminal is not required and the dependencies are resolved for you (it was a real pain trying to get out of an unresolvable chain of dependencies, sometimes you ended up installing loads of large library packages just to get a little app to run). This method has only a few drawbacks: you are ultimately limited to the software in the repository -- if apt-get can't find it, you can't install it with Synaptic; you also need to search for the software you want... you can't just browse the web, download and install on a whim.
While this is about the best we have so far, the number of available packages is increasing daily. If you haven't tried Linux for a while, give Ubuntu a go (you can use it without messing up Windows by using a Live CD here or installing it inside a Windows virtual machine like VMware Workstation: you can get a 30-day trial here).
Give it a go, good luck and enjoy
And Windows 95... that deserves special mention for being particulaly awful.