And indeed we do! At Berkeley, we use a top-down approach (to avoid throwing too much information at once). The lower division series starts off with Scheme to teach basic programming constructs (loops, recursion, etc.), moves on to Java for the first course in data structures and algorithms, then concludes with C and MIPS assembly for machine structures. After that, you move on to applications and/or theory in upper division courses. The higher-level languages help abstract away the details and prevent information overload.
Off topic, but is it strange that I think of the "Make 7up yours" commercial while I'm drinking my Sprite? It seems those ads don't always have the intended effect, even if they bring attention to the product...
You can not buy an Apple will match the graphics perfromance of a good PC with say an NVidia 8800GT or ATI 3850.
Well, you can, but it would cost you an arm and a leg. Some of that is because Apple uses lower volume parts unnecessarily (like the most expensive CPUs, for example).
I spent $900 to build myself a computer with AMD 5000+ Black, DVD burner, 2 GB OCZ CAS4 DDR2 800 MHz, AMD 790FX mobo, hard drive, keyboard, Radeon 3850, and probably more parts I'm not listing (like the case and Vista Home Premium). The motherboard was totally overkill, but most of the parts selected were midrange because it's not worth the extra money to get the fastest processor on the market. With Apple, you don't have much choice. No affordable option with similar performance exists in their product line.
If they opened themselves up to other hardware, perhaps they'd be able to make their platform more affordable, but I'd be willing to bet their platform would lose its attractiveness (once they start relying on third parties, it likely won't "just work" anymore). As a side note, it seems to me that a great deal of Vista's problems lie with slow moving vendors shifting out buggy, incomplete drivers or with the new effort to prevent ignorant people from doing stupid things. Vista runs very well on my computer; Debian, too ^_^
I think you might be misinterpreting the difference between the two paths. The game discussed a sort of chain of being very heavily, and the two ways of life were different takes on that chain of being.
The Way of the Open Palm was all about working within your "station," following orders of those above you (without question) and aiding those below you. Its basis was that your station was preordained and you had some inescapable destiny. It was for that reason that you would help those below you in the manner they describe--those people with problems couldn't escape them because of their station, and it was your duty to help them as someone higher on the chain of being. (Can you see how this might be interpreted as "good" for a game with an East Asian theme?)
The Way of the Closed Fist had a different basis--there was no belief in destiny or a preordained station. Instead, your final station was the one you managed to achieve through your own works. If you felt inclined to help someone, you would act differently than the one that follows the way of the open palm; you would give them tools to move up the chain of being. This mode of thought makes it easy to do something evil, though--instead of gaining power to help others, you could step beyond your station to dominate them.
That might not be precisely right, but it's the way I understood it as I played through the game. Bioware definitely did not implement the way of the closed fist properly.
Well, I think the projected release date is optimistic at best (atomicthumbs, who maintains the wiki, took it from a post months ago, but the design has gone through quite a few revisions). However, the folks behind the Pandora were already prominent in the GP2X realm, and they've been quite open with their design process.
I think there's a good chance it will materialize. You can continue to ignore the hype and put it out of mind, though; I'm sure it'll make a slashdot story once it does.
While it's technically meant more for a gamer market like the GP2X, the arm + linux + wifi + usb host + decent resolution screen might make it a more general purpose machine.
The Tesla Roadster has proven that the technology is viable
Eh, not quite. We already knew the drivetrain was viable from Aerovironment and AC Propulsion. The Tesla Roadster is a direct descendant and numerous things have been improved, but Tesla was primarily focused with using ACP's drivetrain as a base and making it manufacturable in larger volumes. What they really didn't (and couldn't) improve much on was the energy storage. Batteries don't move at the pace of our digital electronics, and we still haven't managed to engineer batteries that are cheap, dense, reliable, and able to handle high power in and out (not one that is all of these at the same time, anyway).
Until we get there with the batteries, fully electric cars will remain a niche. I dunno if that's going to happen by 2020, but at least plug-in electric hybrids should become the norm. We can at least do city driving on only electric power.:)
If you believed the US News rankings (I don't), YLS would be the top rated school. But I don't know if I'd go with the Yale grad; I'd probably take someone from Boalt--someone from a school where it's actually challenging to receive high marks.;-)
In the WWII games, they're just mirroring a certain amount of reality. It's not like you're going to be constantly fighting; you probably did get to sleep sometime after completing an objective. At least, if you believe the guys who made Brothers in Arms. Can't say I fought in the war myself...
O, indexing for desktop search, you slay my computer resources!
It seems Vista isn't alone in having an overzealous desktop search; Strigi seems to consume a lot of processor time in Ubuntu 7.10. Dunno if there's some bug that escaped its developers, but the slowdown is irritating. Good thing I keep files nicely organized, so I don't really need it...
Smaller feature size definitely can make the chip faster. All the signals in a processor are collections of electromagnetic waves (where we're concerned with the voltages), so data cannot travel any faster than the speed of light. By making features smaller, we decrease the distance that the signals must travel and we can raise the clock speed.
But then by going the fuel cell route, you completely eliminate energy efficiency gains. In fact, if you believe the white papers, it's quite a bit worse than the gasoline engine (for the US, given current power sources). In addition, the cost of the fuel cell is ridiculous (until they don't need to use precious metals in large quantities, just forget it). I don't believe the fuel cell hype.
You're comparing apples to oranges there. It's my understanding that the car has a variable speed engine, whereas power plants use fixed-speed engines. I'm not an expert on ICEs, but in general, their maximum efficiency is only achieved at a particular speed. Cars are so much less efficient because they have to operate at less-than-optimal speeds, so you could presumably gain back a lot of energy by pushing the generation to the power plants.
And by the way, those steps involving electrical energy are extremely efficient (on the order of 95% and up combined). Then the electrical to mechanical energy generation averages 90-95% for newer AC induction motors. There are papers from ACP and Tesla illustrating the difference in efficiency (too lazy to post links)--there should be no question which really uses less energy.
It's not energy efficiency that brings down electric cars; it's their high cost and inconvenience, which are almost solely attributed to battery problems. Batteries are heavy, bulky, and expensive, and the ones that are best at storing large amounts of energy can't deliver or receive power at a reasonable rate. And even if those problems are solved, the public has to be convinced the batteries will last for at least 10 years of driving.
Ahh, I see now. It's still not exactly a fair comparison when you're talking on the whole, since the 360 is having some large problems marketing to the Japanese (if you believe Sakaguchi; given how some things just don't translate well and how MS is known for stupidity and oversight, it seems plausible ^_^).
In any case, I think we just have different preferences. I have much more fun with 360 titles, but I tend to enjoy more complex titles that try to get closer to reality (sort of to be in a fantasy where I had taken some different route or was in a different environment). The Wii offers more to those that like short*, social gaming, and in general, the longer playability comes from the atmosphere surrounding the game, rather than from any inherent length created in the game itself. For me, it's just that it wasn't all that fun even the first few times (for the games I tried) -- felt too simple.
As far as old games go, that applies if you had a GC (which is not a benefit many have). I went with the GC and PS2 in the last generation, so I kind of benefited from having the list of compatible games, haha. I started off with used Xbox games (13 over 6 months), so while not all of the old library works, there's still a significant amount there.
$250 is still $250 too much if it doesn't have what you want (lol, sorry, PS3 fans, that things didn't turn out so well). So all I'm saying is, there's a place for both. I don't think we'll see one really crush the other.
*short: as in, a game that you can just pick up and play for however short or long you want, and you aren't worried about progress
Not that it really matters, but I should point out that you used the worldwide sales of the Wii vs the US sales of the 360. The worldwide sales figure for the 360 is 11.6 million, according to your source. So 8.19 million Wiis vs 11.6 million 360s worldwide, or 5.13 million Wiis vs 6.3 million 360s in the Americas*
The Wii almost certainly has greater sales, but that's just basic, fundamental marketing. The Wii has a much broader appeal, but with the current offerings, there's definitely still room for the 360. The Wii just does not have the types of games I like, for example. Also, I don't really care for their half-baked design for the Wiimote. In the games I've played, the little bit of lag in the response was jarring for motions I knew would be right in reality (e.g. I play tennis, but the response in Wii Tennis is really finnicky). They ought to try incorporating more reference sources, too -- two references creates an unsolvable system for pointing, so their zapper is just going to be a shell (not something you can use to actually aim).
Uh...looks like I rambled on a bit. Anyway, here's hoping the Wii+1 makes that Wiimote interface perfect. Then Nintendo will really have an interesting system out there.
The 360 and PS3 are also better suited for anyone looking for a shred of complexity in their games (though not by design; that's just how Nintendo has chosen to market their machine) -- that is, games that try to effect a more complete simulation. You just don't find games like Virtua Fighter 5 or Forza Motorsport/Gran Turismo on the Wii. And sure, the 360 also has Halo, but you wouldn't get anywhere without somenstream games, right?
Over the PS3? A lower price. Over the Wii? Games that are actually just a little bit complex (I know, I'm generalizing, but let's face it -- the games that appeal to the mass market do so because they only feel difficult and are more accessible. And since I'm on this digression, I should note that includes the Halo series, which is basically just a slower paced run-and-gun shooter).
I'm personally looking forward to seeing if Sakaguchi still has it. Blue Dragon didn't get the best reviews, but it wasn't meant to have the same kind of appeal as a Final Fantasy game. Lost Odyssey, on the other hand, seems to have that similar feel (for better or worse). Also, Fable 2 should be fun when it comes out. I mostly play RPGs, sports games, and fighters on the console; the FPS is better played on the PC.
Whoa, there. The 8.41 driver provides "working 3D support" for at least the R600 cards (I think that was all AMD said was officially supported for the moment). Nvidia is no longer the only option.
It is an option... after your system is up and running. Remember that Ubuntu only ships on one CD, so it doesn't have space for every package you could possibly want. It makes more sense for you to download whatever you want later, instead of having to download all of the options (including ones you don't need) all at once.
I'm with you there. Although I do miss the pundits on Comedy Central, I'm glad I get most of what I want to watch for free. All it took was a little indoor antenna and capture card, and I've got HDTV OTA!*
*If only my desktop could handle mythtv's recording and playback simultaneously...
Slashdot Mirror
And indeed we do! At Berkeley, we use a top-down approach (to avoid throwing too much information at once). The lower division series starts off with Scheme to teach basic programming constructs (loops, recursion, etc.), moves on to Java for the first course in data structures and algorithms, then concludes with C and MIPS assembly for machine structures. After that, you move on to applications and/or theory in upper division courses. The higher-level languages help abstract away the details and prevent information overload.
Off topic, but is it strange that I think of the "Make 7up yours" commercial while I'm drinking my Sprite? It seems those ads don't always have the intended effect, even if they bring attention to the product...
Well, you can, but it would cost you an arm and a leg. Some of that is because Apple uses lower volume parts unnecessarily (like the most expensive CPUs, for example).
I spent $900 to build myself a computer with AMD 5000+ Black, DVD burner, 2 GB OCZ CAS4 DDR2 800 MHz, AMD 790FX mobo, hard drive, keyboard, Radeon 3850, and probably more parts I'm not listing (like the case and Vista Home Premium). The motherboard was totally overkill, but most of the parts selected were midrange because it's not worth the extra money to get the fastest processor on the market. With Apple, you don't have much choice. No affordable option with similar performance exists in their product line.
If they opened themselves up to other hardware, perhaps they'd be able to make their platform more affordable, but I'd be willing to bet their platform would lose its attractiveness (once they start relying on third parties, it likely won't "just work" anymore). As a side note, it seems to me that a great deal of Vista's problems lie with slow moving vendors shifting out buggy, incomplete drivers or with the new effort to prevent ignorant people from doing stupid things. Vista runs very well on my computer; Debian, too ^_^
The Way of the Open Palm was all about working within your "station," following orders of those above you (without question) and aiding those below you. Its basis was that your station was preordained and you had some inescapable destiny. It was for that reason that you would help those below you in the manner they describe--those people with problems couldn't escape them because of their station, and it was your duty to help them as someone higher on the chain of being. (Can you see how this might be interpreted as "good" for a game with an East Asian theme?)
The Way of the Closed Fist had a different basis--there was no belief in destiny or a preordained station. Instead, your final station was the one you managed to achieve through your own works. If you felt inclined to help someone, you would act differently than the one that follows the way of the open palm; you would give them tools to move up the chain of being. This mode of thought makes it easy to do something evil, though--instead of gaining power to help others, you could step beyond your station to dominate them.
That might not be precisely right, but it's the way I understood it as I played through the game. Bioware definitely did not implement the way of the closed fist properly.
I think there's a good chance it will materialize. You can continue to ignore the hype and put it out of mind, though; I'm sure it'll make a slashdot story once it does.
You mean something like the Pandora?
Also, more information here.
While it's technically meant more for a gamer market like the GP2X, the arm + linux + wifi + usb host + decent resolution screen might make it a more general purpose machine.
Also, those 80% can't afford to have a separate car for when they aren't simply commuting.
Eh, not quite. We already knew the drivetrain was viable from Aerovironment and AC Propulsion. The Tesla Roadster is a direct descendant and numerous things have been improved, but Tesla was primarily focused with using ACP's drivetrain as a base and making it manufacturable in larger volumes. What they really didn't (and couldn't) improve much on was the energy storage. Batteries don't move at the pace of our digital electronics, and we still haven't managed to engineer batteries that are cheap, dense, reliable, and able to handle high power in and out (not one that is all of these at the same time, anyway).
Until we get there with the batteries, fully electric cars will remain a niche. I dunno if that's going to happen by 2020, but at least plug-in electric hybrids should become the norm. We can at least do city driving on only electric power. :)
I suppose it's a little late to suggest Windows NT PowerPC?
If you believed the US News rankings (I don't), YLS would be the top rated school. But I don't know if I'd go with the Yale grad; I'd probably take someone from Boalt--someone from a school where it's actually challenging to receive high marks. ;-)
Right, and that's why they're not suing anyone at Yale. Oh wait...
In the WWII games, they're just mirroring a certain amount of reality. It's not like you're going to be constantly fighting; you probably did get to sleep sometime after completing an objective. At least, if you believe the guys who made Brothers in Arms. Can't say I fought in the war myself...
It seems Vista isn't alone in having an overzealous desktop search; Strigi seems to consume a lot of processor time in Ubuntu 7.10. Dunno if there's some bug that escaped its developers, but the slowdown is irritating. Good thing I keep files nicely organized, so I don't really need it...
Smaller feature size definitely can make the chip faster. All the signals in a processor are collections of electromagnetic waves (where we're concerned with the voltages), so data cannot travel any faster than the speed of light. By making features smaller, we decrease the distance that the signals must travel and we can raise the clock speed.
But then by going the fuel cell route, you completely eliminate energy efficiency gains. In fact, if you believe the white papers, it's quite a bit worse than the gasoline engine (for the US, given current power sources). In addition, the cost of the fuel cell is ridiculous (until they don't need to use precious metals in large quantities, just forget it). I don't believe the fuel cell hype.
And by the way, those steps involving electrical energy are extremely efficient (on the order of 95% and up combined). Then the electrical to mechanical energy generation averages 90-95% for newer AC induction motors. There are papers from ACP and Tesla illustrating the difference in efficiency (too lazy to post links)--there should be no question which really uses less energy.
It's not energy efficiency that brings down electric cars; it's their high cost and inconvenience, which are almost solely attributed to battery problems. Batteries are heavy, bulky, and expensive, and the ones that are best at storing large amounts of energy can't deliver or receive power at a reasonable rate. And even if those problems are solved, the public has to be convinced the batteries will last for at least 10 years of driving.
In any case, I think we just have different preferences. I have much more fun with 360 titles, but I tend to enjoy more complex titles that try to get closer to reality (sort of to be in a fantasy where I had taken some different route or was in a different environment). The Wii offers more to those that like short*, social gaming, and in general, the longer playability comes from the atmosphere surrounding the game, rather than from any inherent length created in the game itself. For me, it's just that it wasn't all that fun even the first few times (for the games I tried) -- felt too simple.
As far as old games go, that applies if you had a GC (which is not a benefit many have). I went with the GC and PS2 in the last generation, so I kind of benefited from having the list of compatible games, haha. I started off with used Xbox games (13 over 6 months), so while not all of the old library works, there's still a significant amount there.
$250 is still $250 too much if it doesn't have what you want (lol, sorry, PS3 fans, that things didn't turn out so well). So all I'm saying is, there's a place for both. I don't think we'll see one really crush the other.
*short: as in, a game that you can just pick up and play for however short or long you want, and you aren't worried about progress
The Wii almost certainly has greater sales, but that's just basic, fundamental marketing. The Wii has a much broader appeal, but with the current offerings, there's definitely still room for the 360. The Wii just does not have the types of games I like, for example. Also, I don't really care for their half-baked design for the Wiimote. In the games I've played, the little bit of lag in the response was jarring for motions I knew would be right in reality (e.g. I play tennis, but the response in Wii Tennis is really finnicky). They ought to try incorporating more reference sources, too -- two references creates an unsolvable system for pointing, so their zapper is just going to be a shell (not something you can use to actually aim).
Uh...looks like I rambled on a bit. Anyway, here's hoping the Wii+1 makes that Wiimote interface perfect. Then Nintendo will really have an interesting system out there.
*the 360 figure is only for the US, it seems
that last line should read "some mainstream games"
The 360 and PS3 are also better suited for anyone looking for a shred of complexity in their games (though not by design; that's just how Nintendo has chosen to market their machine) -- that is, games that try to effect a more complete simulation. You just don't find games like Virtua Fighter 5 or Forza Motorsport/Gran Turismo on the Wii. And sure, the 360 also has Halo, but you wouldn't get anywhere without somenstream games, right?
I'm personally looking forward to seeing if Sakaguchi still has it. Blue Dragon didn't get the best reviews, but it wasn't meant to have the same kind of appeal as a Final Fantasy game. Lost Odyssey, on the other hand, seems to have that similar feel (for better or worse). Also, Fable 2 should be fun when it comes out. I mostly play RPGs, sports games, and fighters on the console; the FPS is better played on the PC.
Whoa, there. The 8.41 driver provides "working 3D support" for at least the R600 cards (I think that was all AMD said was officially supported for the moment). Nvidia is no longer the only option.
It is an option... after your system is up and running. Remember that Ubuntu only ships on one CD, so it doesn't have space for every package you could possibly want. It makes more sense for you to download whatever you want later, instead of having to download all of the options (including ones you don't need) all at once.
*If only my desktop could handle mythtv's recording and playback simultaneously...
Actually, that was a reference to WinZip, hehe.