We already have to put up with people who don't know about code telling us how to code - they're called "Project Management", "Quality Assurance", and "Marketing". Being a software developer is becoming more and more a position that diplomacy skills are required because of the techno-jargin that the aforementioned groups latch on to.
I remember when the Marketing team would tell the Project Management team what they wanted, analysts would spec it out, and developers would write to the specs. Then Quality Assurance would test it. There is a growing trend that Marketing believes that any change in the specs go directly to a developer, Project Management believes that you really aren't coding as much time as you are logging and thinks that throwing the coolest new programming concept is the way to go, and Quality Assurance no longer wants to just find out what doesn't work, but wants to see the code to help you find problems.
Everyone wants a hand in the development at one point or another so that they can get credit when it goes right, but crap on a developer the second something goes wrong.
The reason that Sony was able to gain marketshare, in the first place, was that developers were practically begging Nintentdo to move to a disk based format. Sony was working on developing the CD hardware that Nintendo was going to use when there was some sort of falling out between the two. Nintendo put carts in the N64, as a result of it.
In the current scenario, it would be Sony who is trying to play catch up. Add in the fact that there is another large and unknown part of the Revolution that Nintendo will reveal at E3 shows the fact (I think) that Nintendo anticipated such a move. Even if Sony could come up with a respectable knock-off, Nintendo will play their cards close and wait to reveal the last selling point until a time that they are ready to hit the market - or are at least at a point where they will beat others to market with whatever they are hiding.
Given the on-again, off-again delays that are coming from the Sony camp, even if Sony can come up with a direct competitor to the new controller, I'd highly doubt it would be around in time to make much of a difference.
I highly doubt that the Playstation is "carrying" Sony in any way, shape, or form. I am sure that it contributes to its profits, but there is more of a world besides video games to Sony, as a company. I am sure that their publishing and a/v equipment carry the company more than the console does.
Next, a Mattel Aquarius. What? It is a computer and has games with Atari-style graphics right on my TV?!?! That Advanced Dungeons and Dragons game ate away a lot of my early childhood. (http://oldcomputers.net/aquarius.html)
My favorite, though, is an Epson PX-8. BASIC was preloaded, and had a 1000 page book full of sample programs and language syntax. It was what get me interested in software development. Had it until only a couple of years ago. (http://oldcomputers.net/px-8.html)
How the hell is that offtopic? What a bunch of asshats. You'll have to find a way to mark the lead-in offtopic, as well, since it brought up the topic to begin with. Friggin' zealots.
Honestly, I tried to support Internet radio. But the pricepoint for my XM system was fairly low, and the monthly fees are very reasonable.
Around Christmas, I was able to get a MyFi at a discount because I am a DirecTV subscriber. After instant rebates, $99. The only catch is a six month service commitment. But at $12.95 a month for 160 stations, including MLB and NHL, I am more than happy with it.
I have a prediction about why Satellite will be bigger than anything, too. I look for XM to merge with a large nationwide cell company. This makes perfect sense for both. XM gets an investment partner with signal towers in place. XM can then have signal repeaters put on the cell towers, much like how I can pick up an incredible signal on terrestrial repeaters in Manhattan with no direct signal. The cell provider gets co-branded distribution of content. XM just signed Oprah to a contract - and like her or not, she sells.
I could just see a new "trendy" phone, like a Razr, that also acts as a satellite reciever. Give it FM broadcasting abilities, and your phone broadcasts those stations in your car or home stereo. Based upon the GPS capabilities of phones, I could see them delivering specific content to your radio, such as weather advisories, traffic conditions, etc. that are of importance to you.
Amen... Especially those crappy paper scissors that they gave you in grade school that wouldn't even cut paper if you had the right (correct) ones for your hand.
Unfortunately, many other companies have proven that this is wrong. When I walk into a sporting goods store, I don't pay more for left handed golf club. Never have and never will. I had seen a retailer once, that did have all of their left handed clubs priced higher, but it was the retailer trying to justify the cost of keeping items in stock. Still did not buy from him, because that is unfair to me. Whining? If you want to call it that, then fine. You don't realize how much of the world is catered to a right handed person unless you are left handed. You are forced to conform or find alternatives. It is just the way it is - I get that. Doesn't mean that there isn't an opinion to be voiced on the matter.
The only thing that is cost prohibitive in this case is the initial tooling costs for the parts. If they do tooling and moldmaking in house, these costs are minimal. If you further consider that the parts for this product will ultimately be done in Asia, you could drop the price per unit even more. It isn't a matter of the company not being able to offer the product at the same price, it is more a matter of them trying to maintain a higher profit margin. Seriously, it is bad business. Why should someone pay 150% for a product to use it with a different hand?
One thing I think you neglected to take into consideration is that one of the ways that they might try to increase cash flow to pay for the mushrooms would be to have Food Network increase the buy price for advertisers. Additionally, they could extend the length of commercials (increase the number of advertisers).
Just thought that this is a scenario that would need to be taken into consideration, since Google is largely dependant upon its advertisers.
$75 for the righty version. It is $105 for the lefty version. No wonder lefties are continually forced to conform to a right handed world. It was bad enough going to Catholic school, but I thought that the lefty-discrimination was over once I broke out...
Flamebait my arse... You apparently don't get the "high quality" software that comes with an MSDN subscription. You know, the one base CD and the fifteen release versions that replace it.
First, they could adapt to change, much like every always does. Or, they could be the change. If they define what is changing, it puts them in the same position of power that Microsoft has been in.
What I consider to be a distinct advantage for Google, if they can pull of the same thing, is that there is no explicit ownership of the Internet. Users are more likely to have a choice, and it is that choice that dictates the success of a business or an idea. If it is true, it just goes to show how good of a job Google really has done, already.
I concur. At first, though, I have to admit that I thought that the title of the book was a type. I swear that the word "Are" is missing between "Games" and "For".
Why on earth wouldn't he reinvest it if his motives were to help Microsoft?
Not saying it as the gospel, but consider that something like this could create enough positive publicity to help create a more positive image of the company. Monopoly or not, image sells, too. It wouldn't be the first time it was done, and it wouldn't be the last.
"Look at us. We aren't bad. How can we be if we did [insert good deed here]?"
...standards do not define the product in the software industry. In contrast, it is the products usage of a standard that defines its validity. The W3C does a fantastic job of establishing their recommendations, although it is up to corporations to adopt them. Even if users demand compatibility, it does not mean that the product will comply. This is bitingly obvious in the web browser segment. Today, we currently having varying level of compatibility with a number of different recommendations - and notice how long it has taken to get there.
As long as there is more than one product that uses a specification or recommendation, there will be feature competition. Feature competition usually involves bending or breaking the rules to lure customers. To top that off, it isn't as simple as someone creating a completely compliant tool and releasing it. If it did happen, there is not any means to guarantee that it will achieve a sizable distribution. The average user just does not care enough.
In my experience, specifications and recommendations are best followed to the highest level that allows cross-product functionality. To follow something to the letter, will usually narrow the delivery target audience. However, specification and recommendations do well at augmenting style and standard practices - just as long as they guide and not define.;-)
It is what you are doing while surfing the Internet on your laptop. Just goes to show you the whole "you will go blind" thing might have some merit.;-)
Personally, I developed my bad vision at an early age. So, I've been wearing glasses or contacts since I was four. Strangely, my eyes have been getting better each time I go in for my exam. This has happened since I started working without my glasses when the layout of the workspace was condusive to it.
Flamebait? How is addressing a troll with facts from the article considered flamebait? Apparently, someone got mod points for Christmas, but not the dictionary that would have been better justified.
By the way, this would actually be a better case for being flamebait. Try looking up "irony" in the dictionary, when you finally learn how to read.
Slashdot Mirror
That, sir, is an insult to janitors everywhere. A janitorial position requires skill. And a QA position, well...
I just made you say Vapor Where.
I remember when the Marketing team would tell the Project Management team what they wanted, analysts would spec it out, and developers would write to the specs. Then Quality Assurance would test it. There is a growing trend that Marketing believes that any change in the specs go directly to a developer, Project Management believes that you really aren't coding as much time as you are logging and thinks that throwing the coolest new programming concept is the way to go, and Quality Assurance no longer wants to just find out what doesn't work, but wants to see the code to help you find problems.
Everyone wants a hand in the development at one point or another so that they can get credit when it goes right, but crap on a developer the second something goes wrong.
The reason that Sony was able to gain marketshare, in the first place, was that developers were practically begging Nintentdo to move to a disk based format. Sony was working on developing the CD hardware that Nintendo was going to use when there was some sort of falling out between the two. Nintendo put carts in the N64, as a result of it.
In the current scenario, it would be Sony who is trying to play catch up. Add in the fact that there is another large and unknown part of the Revolution that Nintendo will reveal at E3 shows the fact (I think) that Nintendo anticipated such a move. Even if Sony could come up with a respectable knock-off, Nintendo will play their cards close and wait to reveal the last selling point until a time that they are ready to hit the market - or are at least at a point where they will beat others to market with whatever they are hiding.
Given the on-again, off-again delays that are coming from the Sony camp, even if Sony can come up with a direct competitor to the new controller, I'd highly doubt it would be around in time to make much of a difference.
I highly doubt that the Playstation is "carrying" Sony in any way, shape, or form. I am sure that it contributes to its profits, but there is more of a world besides video games to Sony, as a company. I am sure that their publishing and a/v equipment carry the company more than the console does.
One of the most underrated games, ever...
First, a good ol' KayproII. I don't know which I used it for more, to use WordStar, or to play Adventure. (http://oldcomputers.net/kayproii.html)
Next, a Mattel Aquarius. What? It is a computer and has games with Atari-style graphics right on my TV?!?! That Advanced Dungeons and Dragons game ate away a lot of my early childhood. (http://oldcomputers.net/aquarius.html)
My favorite, though, is an Epson PX-8. BASIC was preloaded, and had a 1000 page book full of sample programs and language syntax. It was what get me interested in software development. Had it until only a couple of years ago. (http://oldcomputers.net/px-8.html)
How the hell is that offtopic? What a bunch of asshats. You'll have to find a way to mark the lead-in offtopic, as well, since it brought up the topic to begin with. Friggin' zealots.
I could just see a new "trendy" phone, like a Razr, that also acts as a satellite reciever. Give it FM broadcasting abilities, and your phone broadcasts those stations in your car or home stereo. Based upon the GPS capabilities of phones, I could see them delivering specific content to your radio, such as weather advisories, traffic conditions, etc. that are of importance to you.
Heartless bastards!
Amen... Especially those crappy paper scissors that they gave you in grade school that wouldn't even cut paper if you had the right (correct) ones for your hand.
Unfortunately, many other companies have proven that this is wrong. When I walk into a sporting goods store, I don't pay more for left handed golf club. Never have and never will. I had seen a retailer once, that did have all of their left handed clubs priced higher, but it was the retailer trying to justify the cost of keeping items in stock. Still did not buy from him, because that is unfair to me. Whining? If you want to call it that, then fine. You don't realize how much of the world is catered to a right handed person unless you are left handed. You are forced to conform or find alternatives. It is just the way it is - I get that. Doesn't mean that there isn't an opinion to be voiced on the matter. The only thing that is cost prohibitive in this case is the initial tooling costs for the parts. If they do tooling and moldmaking in house, these costs are minimal. If you further consider that the parts for this product will ultimately be done in Asia, you could drop the price per unit even more. It isn't a matter of the company not being able to offer the product at the same price, it is more a matter of them trying to maintain a higher profit margin. Seriously, it is bad business. Why should someone pay 150% for a product to use it with a different hand?
One thing I think you neglected to take into consideration is that one of the ways that they might try to increase cash flow to pay for the mushrooms would be to have Food Network increase the buy price for advertisers. Additionally, they could extend the length of commercials (increase the number of advertisers). Just thought that this is a scenario that would need to be taken into consideration, since Google is largely dependant upon its advertisers.
$75 for the righty version. It is $105 for the lefty version. No wonder lefties are continually forced to conform to a right handed world. It was bad enough going to Catholic school, but I thought that the lefty-discrimination was over once I broke out...
...that was one of the things they used on the set when they filmed the moon landing. ;-)
Flamebait my arse... You apparently don't get the "high quality" software that comes with an MSDN subscription. You know, the one base CD and the fifteen release versions that replace it.
"Beta"? You spelled "Microsoft" incorrectly.
First, they could adapt to change, much like every always does. Or, they could be the change. If they define what is changing, it puts them in the same position of power that Microsoft has been in.
What I consider to be a distinct advantage for Google, if they can pull of the same thing, is that there is no explicit ownership of the Internet. Users are more likely to have a choice, and it is that choice that dictates the success of a business or an idea. If it is true, it just goes to show how good of a job Google really has done, already.
In Soviet Russia, Honda Accords drive you.
Me, too... It is just so ironic. ;-)
I concur. At first, though, I have to admit that I thought that the title of the book was a type. I swear that the word "Are" is missing between "Games" and "For".
Not saying it as the gospel, but consider that something like this could create enough positive publicity to help create a more positive image of the company. Monopoly or not, image sells, too. It wouldn't be the first time it was done, and it wouldn't be the last.
"Look at us. We aren't bad. How can we be if we did [insert good deed here]?"
As long as there is more than one product that uses a specification or recommendation, there will be feature competition. Feature competition usually involves bending or breaking the rules to lure customers. To top that off, it isn't as simple as someone creating a completely compliant tool and releasing it. If it did happen, there is not any means to guarantee that it will achieve a sizable distribution. The average user just does not care enough.
In my experience, specifications and recommendations are best followed to the highest level that allows cross-product functionality. To follow something to the letter, will usually narrow the delivery target audience. However, specification and recommendations do well at augmenting style and standard practices - just as long as they guide and not define. ;-)
Personally, I developed my bad vision at an early age. So, I've been wearing glasses or contacts since I was four. Strangely, my eyes have been getting better each time I go in for my exam. This has happened since I started working without my glasses when the layout of the workspace was condusive to it.
By the way, this would actually be a better case for being flamebait. Try looking up "irony" in the dictionary, when you finally learn how to read.