I've used Nokia's Webkit based browser, Opera Mini and Opera, Pocket IE and the iPhone's Safari browser and one thing is quite obvious to me.
You can't replicate all the functionality of today's web without a mouse like device.
The iPhone comes closest, but the inability to move just the mouse pointer to hover over things means many menu systems and some Flash games aren't usable.
IMHO, solve the mouse problem and you solve mobile browsers. The technical ability to do stuff will come as mobiles catch up to PCs, but there will always be a "mobile web" and a "desktop web" until the interface catches up.
"maybe that's why drugs are illegal; drug dealers complained that "we would lose money if drugs were legal"."
Actually, I've often suspected something along these lines, as the only people who are better off with illegal drugs are those selling them. Seems I'm not the only one, read High Society by Ben Elton.
"Maybe I'm retarded but I could never get used to the wacky controller either"
That "wacky controller" was the basis for the DualShock you are using now. The PS1 (the PSX is a media hub that also plays playstation games) has NO analogue controllers as standard until the end of it's life. Now that's wacky.
Personally, I found the N64 pad to be one of the best, especially for FPS, at the time. The analogue stick/trigger button combo has yet to be bettered IMO.
The fact is if you do or dont buy games based on who made the console, then yes you are a retard, as you've missed some of the most innovative and enjoyable games ever made. And that applies to whether you stuck to MS, Sony or Nintendo.
What a bunch of horseshit. I don't know and don't care what the performance of my car's engine is, but I find driving very rewarding, I'm just not a fanatic.
To drag this back on topic, when I was five I didn't know or care what the specs for my Amstrad were, just that I could play Jet Set Willy. Later, I didn't know or care what specs my Amiga 500+ was, just that sensible soccer was a good game.
Geeks care about specs, users care about the experience. If videogames are going to be mainstream, console makers have to realise this. If you can give a good price, experience, and specs then fine. Otherwise the majority of people would rather lose the third for the first two.
If MS(or anyone else) were offering me a service, that I could decline, that looked at the music I was listening to now and (because I live in the UK) I can see what they've got and how they're using it. I would have no problems.
Dude, this is not some dirty "A Better Internet" or other malware, it's an optional feature of a service you choose to use. Also, you must have noticed it before offering similar songs, how did you think it worked?
If they had taken something that was available for free, then put DRM on it then I could understand your point. But, as others have pointed out, these videos wouldn't be available without DRM.
That's not evil, you've lost nothing. If you don't like DRM don't buy it. If no-one wants it no-one buys it, it goes away. If it's successful then obviously people don't mind DRM as much as your average slashdotter.
You can claim ignorance of the average comsumer, but the fact is companies don't have to sell you things on your terms, and if there's a market for people like you (and me BTW) then someone will sell to you. Unfortunately, companies can afford to lose your custom and still make money.
Like my recent search for classic games console storage, if you want things on your terms, you'll have to produce it yourself.
That's funny, according to http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds26019.html the BBC are trialling HD-TV over digital terrestrial signal in the UK. So, exactly what resolution are you guys using that's "far, far higher"?
I've never had any issues with either my set top box, or my PCI card. Maybe you need a new antenna? You do raise an issue I have with digital signals though, which is they don't degrade gracefully, you get a perfect picture or no picture at all. I know it's in the nature of the beast, but annoying none the less.
Are you saying that the majority of people don't want speeders to be caught, or people who shoot policewomen to be tracked down, or the TERRORISTS to be stopped? Cos that's how this'll be marketed, and that means the majority (or Sun readers as they're known) will want it.
There's a poll on raio 4 ATM asking who runs britain, I'm going to nominate the stupid people. Stupid people make up the majority, as a workmate is fond of saying: take someone of average intelligence and half the world is dumber than them.
We can't blame politicians for trying this, it's human nature to try to get away with as much as possible. Kids push limits all the time, people speed if they can get away with it, people litter, smoke dope, whatever, if they think they can.
The people to blame are those who are too lazy to look further than a tabliod headline into these issues, and then vote accordingly. Those who shout at the paper rather than write to their MP, those that take whatever is said to them at face value. Those that think "politics is boring" yet get annoyed at asylum, or tax, or the price of a loaf of bread. Also, we're to blame, you and me, unless you ran for parliament at the last election. Democracy only works if every member of society (or at least the majority) is involved.
Refuse to buy sensationalist papers, vote for the candidate that defends those rights you hold dear, and if there isn't one, run yourself. Check up on what your MP votes for, what they propose in parliament and write to them if you disagree. That's how it's supposed to work, it's not a fire-and-forget system.
Or, you know, just post on slashdot about how we're heading for 1984, or how democracy only works if you're involved.
I agree with AC here, you're pulling this outta your ass. From what I can find (no official figures, this is from oxm.co.uk) 300,000 were shipped to US, same to Europe, the thing won't be launch until the weekend in Japan. So that's 600,000 max, minus the 3% defective(if you beleive MS's figures).
I think the point is more, would PacMan be a better game on PS2? And the answer is most certainly no, it'd be worse, as would Tetris.
The constant movement from one generation to the next, just as developers figure out how to get the best out of a console, seems to force developers to concentrate on improving the graphics first so the games look next-gen and they never have the time to create new experiences. Imagine an artist who's brushes and canvas change every couple of years, he's never going to progress as he never masters a particular medium.
"Here's a list of some other bits and bobs they're quite happy about."
"It's labour's website.. "
You sir are a deductive genius!
Also, I'm 24, just graduated (Computer Science) and planning to move into my own house fairly soon on mine and my girlfriends first graduate wage, just like 3 of my other friends. Cheer up mate, it's not as bad as those newspapers you don't read say it is!
Slashdot Mirror
I've used Nokia's Webkit based browser, Opera Mini and Opera, Pocket IE and the iPhone's Safari browser and one thing is quite obvious to me. You can't replicate all the functionality of today's web without a mouse like device. The iPhone comes closest, but the inability to move just the mouse pointer to hover over things means many menu systems and some Flash games aren't usable. IMHO, solve the mouse problem and you solve mobile browsers. The technical ability to do stuff will come as mobiles catch up to PCs, but there will always be a "mobile web" and a "desktop web" until the interface catches up.
"maybe that's why drugs are illegal; drug dealers complained that "we would lose money if drugs were legal"."
Actually, I've often suspected something along these lines, as the only people who are better off with illegal drugs are those selling them. Seems I'm not the only one, read High Society by Ben Elton.
To get back on topic, yeah this is stupid, you can't own facts. And that's a fact©
"Maybe I'm retarded but I could never get used to the wacky controller either" That "wacky controller" was the basis for the DualShock you are using now. The PS1 (the PSX is a media hub that also plays playstation games) has NO analogue controllers as standard until the end of it's life. Now that's wacky. Personally, I found the N64 pad to be one of the best, especially for FPS, at the time. The analogue stick/trigger button combo has yet to be bettered IMO. The fact is if you do or dont buy games based on who made the console, then yes you are a retard, as you've missed some of the most innovative and enjoyable games ever made. And that applies to whether you stuck to MS, Sony or Nintendo.
What a bunch of horseshit. I don't know and don't care what the performance of my car's engine is, but I find driving very rewarding, I'm just not a fanatic.
To drag this back on topic, when I was five I didn't know or care what the specs for my Amstrad were, just that I could play Jet Set Willy. Later, I didn't know or care what specs my Amiga 500+ was, just that sensible soccer was a good game.
Geeks care about specs, users care about the experience. If videogames are going to be mainstream, console makers have to realise this. If you can give a good price, experience, and specs then fine. Otherwise the majority of people would rather lose the third for the first two.
If MS(or anyone else) were offering me a service, that I could decline, that looked at the music I was listening to now and (because I live in the UK) I can see what they've got and how they're using it. I would have no problems.
Dude, this is not some dirty "A Better Internet" or other malware, it's an optional feature of a service you choose to use. Also, you must have noticed it before offering similar songs, how did you think it worked?
If they had taken something that was available for free, then put DRM on it then I could understand your point. But, as others have pointed out, these videos wouldn't be available without DRM.
That's not evil, you've lost nothing. If you don't like DRM don't buy it. If no-one wants it no-one buys it, it goes away. If it's successful then obviously people don't mind DRM as much as your average slashdotter.
You can claim ignorance of the average comsumer, but the fact is companies don't have to sell you things on your terms, and if there's a market for people like you (and me BTW) then someone will sell to you. Unfortunately, companies can afford to lose your custom and still make money.
Like my recent search for classic games console storage, if you want things on your terms, you'll have to produce it yourself.
Yes, an episode that starts with the text "See you on another network" is perfect to end a series.
That's funny, according to http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds26019.html the BBC are trialling HD-TV over digital terrestrial signal in the UK. So, exactly what resolution are you guys using that's "far, far higher"?
I've never had any issues with either my set top box, or my PCI card. Maybe you need a new antenna? You do raise an issue I have with digital signals though, which is they don't degrade gracefully, you get a perfect picture or no picture at all. I know it's in the nature of the beast, but annoying none the less.
Are you saying that the majority of people don't want speeders to be caught, or people who shoot policewomen to be tracked down, or the TERRORISTS to be stopped? Cos that's how this'll be marketed, and that means the majority (or Sun readers as they're known) will want it.
There's a poll on raio 4 ATM asking who runs britain, I'm going to nominate the stupid people. Stupid people make up the majority, as a workmate is fond of saying: take someone of average intelligence and half the world is dumber than them.
We can't blame politicians for trying this, it's human nature to try to get away with as much as possible. Kids push limits all the time, people speed if they can get away with it, people litter, smoke dope, whatever, if they think they can.
The people to blame are those who are too lazy to look further than a tabliod headline into these issues, and then vote accordingly. Those who shout at the paper rather than write to their MP, those that take whatever is said to them at face value. Those that think "politics is boring" yet get annoyed at asylum, or tax, or the price of a loaf of bread. Also, we're to blame, you and me, unless you ran for parliament at the last election. Democracy only works if every member of society (or at least the majority) is involved.
Refuse to buy sensationalist papers, vote for the candidate that defends those rights you hold dear, and if there isn't one, run yourself. Check up on what your MP votes for, what they propose in parliament and write to them if you disagree. That's how it's supposed to work, it's not a fire-and-forget system.
Or, you know, just post on slashdot about how we're heading for 1984, or how democracy only works if you're involved.
I agree with AC here, you're pulling this outta your ass. From what I can find (no official figures, this is from oxm.co.uk) 300,000 were shipped to US, same to Europe, the thing won't be launch until the weekend in Japan. So that's 600,000 max, minus the 3% defective(if you beleive MS's figures).
I think the point is more, would PacMan be a better game on PS2? And the answer is most certainly no, it'd be worse, as would Tetris. The constant movement from one generation to the next, just as developers figure out how to get the best out of a console, seems to force developers to concentrate on improving the graphics first so the games look next-gen and they never have the time to create new experiences. Imagine an artist who's brushes and canvas change every couple of years, he's never going to progress as he never masters a particular medium.
"Here's a list of some other bits and bobs they're quite happy about."
"It's labour's website.. "
You sir are a deductive genius!
Also, I'm 24, just graduated (Computer Science) and planning to move into my own house fairly soon on mine and my girlfriends first graduate wage, just like 3 of my other friends. Cheer up mate, it's not as bad as those newspapers you don't read say it is!
Um, JKR is a she