Your example is more of a cassette player that should be able to handle vinyl records.
Exactly. In the same way, Apple does not need to support BIOS. They aren't selling general purpose computing machines so much as a "home desktop solution", and as such, supporting BIOS adds extra complexity. The only reason they now support BIOS (Boot Camp) is to sell some extra hardware.
The parent claimed the money gets you "on Microsoft servers". I'm pretty sure they mean "Microsoft is hosting the game". For Halo 2, this isn't the case.
The only "student credentials" you need is a ZIP code that happens to have a school near it.
Alternatively, you can register for the cheapest course at a community college, then drop it later. This might incur fees, so be careful. Some schools also partner with online software shops for the-first-hit-is-free type deals. Finding one that does this could be beneficial.
I don't think you get it. The parent was saying that the monitor alone eats up half of the stated $300 budget. Are you going to be able to build the rest of the system for $150? I really don't think so.
Dell have been using EFI years before Apple did, and guess what, they had proper BIOS backwards compatability unlike Apple.
Yeah, legacy support is what makes a computer "proper". Let me guess, you're still using 5 1/4" floppies and an acoustic modem hooked up to your serial line.
You can keep your shitty little dual core Intel. I have AMDs that can kick it's (sic) ass any day of the week, though it really doesn't matter.
Did some testing, did ya? Let's see the results. Oh, and those Conroe benchmarks look like pretty bad news, man, even if Intel did monkey with the setup.
Also, you originally stated you could make a "much more" powerful system for $300. What are you saying now?
How much power do you actually need for the average code monkey's desktop?
Hmm, that's interesting. And what else?
However, I would rather purchase a monitor once and use it for the lifetime of 3 or 4 computers than get a crappy apple built-in 17" job that I have to rebuy with every upgrade.
While I agree with you in spirit, you said you could make a much more powerful configuration than the Mac. The Mac includes a monitor, so you should as well.
As the GMA 950 lacks support for things like T&L and vertex shaders
Have you bothered to research your little assertion at all? The 950 supports Shader Model 2.0 and most of DX9 in hardware. It also supports Shader Model 3.0 and T&L in software through some special uber-code.
Of course, delegating some stuff to the CPU isn't the best solution. Nonetheless, you're still completely wrong.
how lightweight Google really is compared to most graphics/HTML-intensive web sites
If you're referring to the complexity of the code they send to your browser, it's because the geeks are in charge (at least it seems so) at Google. They know that more code equals more bandwidth, and bandwidth costs money. More code also means more places for things to go wrong, which means more time debugging, and ultimately costing more money.
Less than $5 per month is a small price to pay to be on Microsoft servers with players that are held responsible for their behavior be it cheating, abuse etc...
Except for, you know, Halo 2. Players host on that game.
Hey guys, the PS3 is expensive! OMG LOL! Let's keep repeating this forever and ever, even if it's in a discussion about something different and we can't tie it into a real argument.
The problem in the US is that retail is rapidly transforming into the cancerous Wal-Mart style of doing business. One company owns all the stores, gets volume discounts on the supply side, and hires idiots on the retail side. All of this is done to undercut the competition (read: mom & pop stores) and to concentrate wealth within a few individuals.
The reason they get away with it is that antitrust enforcement basically does not exist in this country anymore. Ever since Reagan was president (1981 onward), antitrust suits literally have dropped off the map. The only reason Microsoft got hauled into court was the fact that they made the clumsy error of gouging consumers.
If you got a couple hundred people to go down to your local Best Buy, they'd probably call the cops. Even if they didn't, the iron-fisted corporate policies of most retailers would probably preclude getting any kind of deal.
Um, Sega has always been an arcade company. It's how they got their name (SErvice GAmes). Their home console failures have little to do with their arcade business.
I think the problem is mostly with the scope of the game. The range of gameplay means that the game engine has to be A) a driving game, B) a shooting game, and C) an adventure-style game, all at the same time. None of these aspects are quite there, maddening those of us who expect a polished control and gameplay experience.
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So let me guess, the business students didn't run their methodology past some psych students. I can imagine the questions:
"Would you like it if your ipod had more features?"
"Does the lack of an FM radio function affect your view of the ipod?"
For $300?
Yes, because only in IT does this type of thing happen.
Your example is more of a cassette player that should be able to handle vinyl records.
Exactly. In the same way, Apple does not need to support BIOS. They aren't selling general purpose computing machines so much as a "home desktop solution", and as such, supporting BIOS adds extra complexity. The only reason they now support BIOS (Boot Camp) is to sell some extra hardware.
The parent claimed the money gets you "on Microsoft servers". I'm pretty sure they mean "Microsoft is hosting the game". For Halo 2, this isn't the case.
Remember that CS is about teaching *concepts*
Agreed.
Also, I think it's important to note that at the school I go to, our main CS lab is all-Mac. In fact, they just replaced the iLamps with Intel iMacs.
Alright, what "manufactorer" sells these mystical $300 machines, then? I want one.
The only "student credentials" you need is a ZIP code that happens to have a school near it.
Alternatively, you can register for the cheapest course at a community college, then drop it later. This might incur fees, so be careful. Some schools also partner with online software shops for the-first-hit-is-free type deals. Finding one that does this could be beneficial.
Are you saying Apple hardware is more reliable?
I don't think you get it. The parent was saying that the monitor alone eats up half of the stated $300 budget. Are you going to be able to build the rest of the system for $150? I really don't think so.
Dell have been using EFI years before Apple did, and guess what, they had proper BIOS backwards compatability unlike Apple.
Yeah, legacy support is what makes a computer "proper". Let me guess, you're still using 5 1/4" floppies and an acoustic modem hooked up to your serial line.
You can keep your shitty little dual core Intel. I have AMDs that can kick it's (sic) ass any day of the week, though it really doesn't matter.
Did some testing, did ya? Let's see the results. Oh, and those Conroe benchmarks look like pretty bad news, man, even if Intel did monkey with the setup.
Also, you originally stated you could make a "much more" powerful system for $300. What are you saying now?
How much power do you actually need for the average code monkey's desktop?
Hmm, that's interesting. And what else?
However, I would rather purchase a monitor once and use it for the lifetime of 3 or 4 computers than get a crappy apple built-in 17" job that I have to rebuy with every upgrade.
While I agree with you in spirit, you said you could make a much more powerful configuration than the Mac. The Mac includes a monitor, so you should as well.
As the GMA 950 lacks support for things like T&L and vertex shaders
Have you bothered to research your little assertion at all ? The 950 supports Shader Model 2.0 and most of DX9 in hardware. It also supports Shader Model 3.0 and T&L in software through some special uber-code.
Of course, delegating some stuff to the CPU isn't the best solution. Nonetheless, you're still completely wrong.
how lightweight Google really is compared to most graphics/HTML-intensive web sites
If you're referring to the complexity of the code they send to your browser, it's because the geeks are in charge (at least it seems so) at Google. They know that more code equals more bandwidth, and bandwidth costs money. More code also means more places for things to go wrong, which means more time debugging, and ultimately costing more money.
Less than $5 per month is a small price to pay to be on Microsoft servers with players that are held responsible for their behavior be it cheating, abuse etc...
Except for, you know, Halo 2. Players host on that game.
Hey guys, the PS3 is expensive! OMG LOL! Let's keep repeating this forever and ever, even if it's in a discussion about something different and we can't tie it into a real argument.
Seriously, we get it. Enough already.
The problem in the US is that retail is rapidly transforming into the cancerous Wal-Mart style of doing business. One company owns all the stores, gets volume discounts on the supply side, and hires idiots on the retail side. All of this is done to undercut the competition (read: mom & pop stores) and to concentrate wealth within a few individuals.
The reason they get away with it is that antitrust enforcement basically does not exist in this country anymore. Ever since Reagan was president (1981 onward), antitrust suits literally have dropped off the map. The only reason Microsoft got hauled into court was the fact that they made the clumsy error of gouging consumers.
I don't think you understand the meaning of the word "potential".
If you got a couple hundred people to go down to your local Best Buy, they'd probably call the cops. Even if they didn't, the iron-fisted corporate policies of most retailers would probably preclude getting any kind of deal.
If you miss the point of my post entirely, I don't think I can help you understand it.
MySpace tapped into youth culture in a way that cannot be planned for or predicted.
In other words, it's a fad!
Microsoft sold out their 360 stock last year, and did it with one of the more pathetic launch lineups in console history. Sony will do the same.
Um, Sega has always been an arcade company. It's how they got their name (SErvice GAmes). Their home console failures have little to do with their arcade business.
And yet, every day millions of computer users wonder "why can't I copy this song i bought?".
I think you mean King Jef.
I think the problem is mostly with the scope of the game. The range of gameplay means that the game engine has to be A) a driving game, B) a shooting game, and C) an adventure-style game, all at the same time. None of these aspects are quite there, maddening those of us who expect a polished control and gameplay experience.
The sad thing is that this is a lot closer to reality than you'd think. MS has been selling snake-oil and faith cures for years...