That's not what I wrote. Xbox was released in fall 2005, so launching a new console in Spring 2008 isn't two years. Thanks for the witty , though, always appreciated.
Yes... 2 1/2 years being so VERY different from two years. Thanks for the nitpick.
Quote:
And with backwards compatability and maintaining development of 360 games (just like original xbox is still getting new realeases), who gets alienated?
All the people who laid out what was (to them) lotsa cash for something they thought would be the 'latest and greatest' for awhile? Oh, and don't put too much stock in MS's backwards-compatibility- for 360 its only for some games, not all, unlike what Sony has done. Which is another source of alienation.
Quote:
What I was saying was that the main selling point of PS3 is the hardware, which kept a lot of people from buying 360 when it came out.
More like, the PS3 hardware AND the huge library of PS2 and PS1 games that folks already have which will be playable on the PS3 AND that it can play hi-def DVDs AND the fact that Sony should have the largest software library of games once again, AND .....
Quote:
At that time, PS3 was supposedly just around the corner, which turned out to be a year and a half because of sony screw-ups. Microsoft could feasibly now do the exact same thing by announcing either an upgraded 360 (jack up the processor/memory/gfx card, which would be a natural, drawing from the success of the pc market in gaming) or a new product around April, when real quantities of PS3 start to arrive, thus making the gamers who are really interested in the most powerful system pause a bit.
Its a cute theory but it will never happen. The console market just does not work that way. You put out a new system every 2 years (oh, excuuuuuuuuse me, every 2 1/2 years ) and people go, "Oh well, why should I get this one? Maybe I'll wait for the NEXT one." And then no one ever buys anything. Or they're pissed because what they just bought is now a piece of junk.
Quote:
Anyways, your wonderful message stank of fanboy, so maybe it's no use...
Its no use because I actually work in the console industry, baby. And no one in the console industry seriously considers the possibility of such short console lifecycles, maybe because they don't want to lose a lot of customers by mimicking the PC upgrade cycle, which a lot of console gamers came to console gaming to GET AWAY from?
Look dude, I'm not tryin' to be mean, I'm just sayin' it won't happen, that's all.
Hi there, as a marketing and branding consultant there is one massive point which no one seems to be addressing with the Zune.
Ultimately it is not to do with the player, the file format or indeed the actual offering because what Microsoft is doing that no one is really picking up on is far more devious.
Its called lateral monitisation.....what Microsoft are doing is earning money off every Zune owner and I'll explain why...
When Apple sells a song it makes hardly anything from the transaction because it is transparent in terms of its actually cost delivery structure. What Microsoft are doing is using an old Starbucks trick....that is that instead of paying per song you start in effect holding an account with the bank of Microsoft. Strictly speaking to add paid content onto a Zune you need to buy credits, you do not actually use real money. In effect by using a confusing pricing structure Microsoft are making it so that you cannot buy £5.00 of credits and then spend £5.00, there is always a residule credit in your account.
So what is the boon of this I hear people ask??? Well Microsoft start earning interest on your spare credits and generate a tidy income, this is only the start of an even more corrupt Microsoft and goes to show the length that this company holds its customers in contempt.
So if they have 10-million customers, each with 29c in credit, they earn interest on $2.9-million. Nice if they can scale it up. This reminds me of prepaid phone card scams that work in a similar way. The cost per call is enticingly low, but you can't make a call when you have less than a minute's credit left. (Probably not a big concept in the US but if you live in or travel to parts of the world where phone calls are expensive, you may have encountered this.)
Also, there is the weird concept of 79 units that cost 99c, so you have to do mental arithmetic to work out what you are spending. Then there's the "subscription" deal which seems to me pretty expensive given that you can listen to the radio for free (or try out a friend's music collection for a similar cost).
No one who has seriously thought through their pricing structure ought to buy one of these. Or Microsoft stock.
What really amazes me is that every time an "iPod killer" is launched, some new round of lame features (usually including subscription) is touted as the big thing Apple is missing. What seems to escape these people is that a wide range of perumations has already been tried and none has turned out to be a success. It's not that Apple is unbeatable -- but lame and badly thought through is not going to do it.
Yes, I've heard much the same thing. Apparently Mr. Bangle is a very divisive figure in car styling/design circles, you either love his designs or HATE them, and the consensus is that his styling cues have actually hurt BMW some, by narrowing the potential audience. Oh well, I'm not a beemer lover myself- I like Japanese reliability.
I'm not a BMW person myself, my favourite at the moment is the Honda/Acura Accord Euro sedan. The 5-series latest BMW is bad ass though, a great departure from the "dated" BMW look of the past say 5 years before this Bangle thingy...
Also the Holden (GM owned) Commodore V6 with some nice body kit stuff here in Australia is a cool car too, for those that know it, I like that...
One day I will get a nice V6-Diesel-Electric hybrid car when I buy my first car Grunt with eco-guilt-reduction.
That's not what I wrote. Xbox was released in fall 2005, so launching a new console in Spring 2008 isn't two years. Thanks for the witty , though, always appreciated.
And with backwards compatability and maintaining development of 360 games (just like original xbox is still getting new realeases), who gets alienated? What I was saying was that the main selling point of PS3 is the hardware, which kept a lot of people from buying 360 when it came out. At that time, PS3 was supposedly just around the corner, which turned out to be a year and a half because of sony screw-ups. Microsoft could feasibly now do the exact same thing by announcing either an upgraded 360 (jack up the processor/memory/gfx card, which would be a natural, drawing from the success of the pc market in gaming) or a new product around April, when real quantities of PS3 start to arrive, thus making the gamers who are really interested in the most powerful system pause a bit.
(kind of like how many of the people that were waiting for C2D macbook pro are maybe waiting for whatever chip is put in with the release of leopard in the late winter because of the delays...)
Anyways, your wonderful message stank of fanboy, so maybe it's no use...
I remember that one of the big arguments about the 360 was that MS said that it would NOT be compatable. Then with the big stink that raised they later said that it would be compatable with some games, some of the most popular ones, that is.
The PS3 was supposed to be compatable with all PS2 games, but now, at least some games don't seem to work, though that could simply be teething pains, and an update (or two) might fix that.
I wouldn't be so fast to call them Sony 'screw-ups". This is a more complex machine than the 360, and problems happen with new trchnology. The coding proved to be more diffiult as well.
That's the trouble with product introductions. The 360 had its own problems at launch.
You can't just completely update consoles every two years (thus throwing out the old one) because people are not fond of just throwing out all their games every two years. Yes, there's backwards compatibility, but its limited (unless you're Sony, who takes great pains to ensure it). And the people who bought the last gen are then left thinking, "WTF? My almost-new shiny console is now a piece of sheeite. WTF!!" A lot of the point in going console in the first place is that you're NOT upgrading spastically (and expensively) every couple of years, like you are with PCs and their graphics cards.
If MS engages in a two-year upgrade cycle with their consoles, they will be out of the console business very, very soon. Its just the way of it.
What you might be referring to is that MS is considering releasing a new, higher line Xbox360 next year that includes an HD-DVD player. Great, but it will boost the cost and it still won't have the horsepower of a PS3.
Add to that that MS made the mistake of releasing a 'core' Xbox360 that did not have a hard drive, thus ensuring that game developers could NOT count on that feature being present on every 360, and you can see that the PS3 will be the leader of the next-gen consoles quality/features-wise, while MS tries to compete on price. Problem is, the Wii is already there.
Most analysts believe that Sony will continue to be the console leader in the PS3/360/Wii generation, and it's not hard to see why. MS will continue to throw away money on the problem, like they always do. 8)
.
MS denyed the rumors of an upgraded 360. That's all it is, rumors.
So if they have 10-million customers, each with 29c in credit, they earn interest on $2.9-million. Nice if they can scale it up. This reminds me of prepaid phone card scams that work in a similar way. The cost per call is enticingly low, but you can't make a call when you have less than a minute's credit left. (Probably not a big concept in the US but if you live in or travel to parts of the world where phone calls are expensive, you may have encountered this.)
Also, there is the weird concept of 79 units that cost 99c, so you have to do mental arithmetic to work out what you are spending. Then there's the "subscription" deal which seems to me pretty expensive given that you can listen to the radio for free (or try out a friend's music collection for a similar cost).
No one who has seriously thought through their pricing structure ought to buy one of these. Or Microsoft stock.
What really amazes me is that every time an "iPod killer" is launched, some new round of lame features (usually including subscription) is touted as the big thing Apple is missing. What seems to escape these people is that a wide range of perumations has already been tried and none has turned out to be a success. It's not that Apple is unbeatable -- but lame and badly thought through is not going to do it.
If they ever get 10 million customers, that will be nice for them. But they will have more than 29¢ per customer lying around. Most people will buy points, and not spend all of them at once. There could be dollars per customer.
The points concept is designed to be misleading. People will think 79 points equals 79¢, even though they know better.
XM Radio and Sirius both charge for digital radio. While it took a while, both are growing, though they are still having losses.
I'm not a BMW person myself, my favourite at the moment is the Honda/Acura Accord Euro sedan. The 5-series latest BMW is bad ass though, a great departure from the "dated" BMW look of the past say 5 years before this Bangle thingy...
Also the Holden (GM owned) Commodore V6 with some nice body kit stuff here in Australia is a cool car too, for those that know it, I like that...
One day I will get a nice V6-Diesel-Electric hybrid car when I buy my first car Grunt with eco-guilt-reduction.
I used to really dislike the look of the older BMW's. They were the cheapest looking cars.
,,,I wouldn't be so fast to call them Sony 'screw-ups". This is a more complex machine than the 360, and problems happen with new trchnology. The coding proved to be more diffiult as well...That's the trouble with product introductions. The 360 had its own problems at launch.
Sony seems to be behind the curve. If in Australia the Wii and XBOX360 will definitely be out in time for Christmas, Sony is still depending on PS2 globally for a few more months before the hard launches of PS3 - even then the PS3 will be the most expensive next-gen console. \
Sony seems to be behind the curve. If in Australia the Wii and XBOX360 will definitely be out in time for Christmas, Sony is still depending on PS2 globally for a few more months before the hard launches of PS3 - even then the PS3 will be the most expensive next-gen console. \
In the US, at least, the PS2 is STILL outselling the 360, so they have some time here to catch up with the PS3.
I'm not a BMW person myself, my favourite at the moment is the Honda/Acura Accord Euro sedan.
Agreed, the Euro Accord is very nice looking. It's also, I believe, pretty much the same car as the US Acura TSX, a very handsome vehicle indeed.
Quote:
One day I will get a nice V6-Diesel-Electric hybrid car when I buy my first car Grunt with eco-guilt-reduction.
I just plain LIKE the idea of diesel-hybrids. With the new cleaner-burning diesel fuel coming on line in the US now, the only real barrier is the initial cost delta, which unfortunately is significant but not overwhelming (probably another $1-2K above what a gas-hybrid would cost).
But hey, the potential MPG is AMAZING... makes the Prius looks like a slobby full-size SUV, gas-wasting wise. Citroen has already demo'd one that gets 70 MPG, or thereabouts.
MS denyed the rumors of an upgraded 360. That's all it is, rumors.
Yup, true dat. But I can bet you that they have a contingency plan somewhere in the bowels of Redmond to release a 'premium' version of the 360 with an HD-DVD drive, if it's seen that the Blu-Ray drive is a major reason why PS3s are flying off store shelves.
Not the same thing at all as a 'next-next-gen' 'Xbox 720', which won't happen 'til around 2010, but still.
Yup, true dat. But I can bet you that they have a contingency plan somewhere in the bowels of Redmond to release a 'premium' version of the 360 with an HD-DVD drive, if it's seen that the Blu-Ray drive is a major reason why PS3s are flying off store shelves.
Not the same thing at all as a 'next-next-gen' 'Xbox 720', which won't happen 'til around 2010, but still.
They seem to be moving to offer an external HD-DVD, just as they offer an external hd. But, that doesn't classify as an upgraded unit, as was mentioned by Superbass. That simply won't happen. If they do that, it will be in a new generation console.
That's what sucks about consoles. When they first come out, their gameplay and graphics are pretty good compared to a mid range PC. But even a year later they are lagging, and two years later they are seriously behind.
Both the PS2 and XBox were supposed to change everything. They didn't. These won't either, and neither will the next generation.
Well, I seem to have nicely diverged from our topic.
They seem to be moving to offer an external HD-DVD, just as they offer an external hd. But, that doesn't classify as an upgraded unit, as was mentioned by Superbass. That simply won't happen. If they do that, it will be in a new generation console.
That's what sucks about consoles. When they first come out, their gameplay and graphics are pretty good compared to a mid range PC. But even a year later they are lagging, and two years later they are seriously behind.
Both the PS2 and XBox were supposed to change everything. They didn't. These won't either, and neither will the next generation.
We'll see, Mel. Features that start out as being offered externally often have a way of becoming internal in a future version of a console. Case in point- the network adaptor for the PS2. Its now internal, not an add-on, in the newer 'slim line' PS2s.
I feel you on how consoles do tend to fall behind PCs graphically a couple of years after their release. But their other advantages keep on ticking- a sane and reasonably-priced upgrade cycle, less maintenance and upkeep (drivers), a wider variety of good games to play than on PC (most of the good PC games tend to be either shooters, strategy games, or MMORPGs, the end), a better and more flexible controller setup, and cheaper than an equivalent-performance gaming PC.
Don't know exactly what you meant by the PS2 and Xbox were supposed to 'change everything'. If you meant that they were supposed to kill PC gaming dead, I don't think that will EVER happen, regardless the console or generation of console. If you meant that they were supposed to take consoles boldly and completely into the online and broadband worlds, well, this new generation is set to do exactly that.
My only beef: I WORK in the industry, and even I can't get my hands on a PS3 'til next year.
We'll see, Mel. Features that start out as being offered externally often have a way of becoming internal in a future version of a console. Case in point- the network adaptor for the PS2. Its now internal, not an add-on, in the newer 'slim line' PS2s.
I feel you on how consoles do tend to fall behind PCs graphically a couple of years after their release. But their other advantages keep on ticking- a sane and reasonably-priced upgrade cycle, less maintenance and upkeep (drivers), a wider variety of good games to play than on PC (most of the good PC games tend to be either shooters, strategy games, or MMORPGs, the end), a better and more flexible controller setup, and cheaper than an equivalent-performance gaming PC.
Don't know exactly what you meant by the PS2 and Xbox were supposed to 'change everything'. If you meant that they were supposed to kill PC gaming dead, I don't think that will EVER happen, regardless the console or generation of console. If you meant that they were supposed to take consoles boldly and completely into the online and broadband worlds, well, this new generation is set to do exactly that.
My only beef: I WORK in the industry, and even I can't get my hands on a PS3 'til next year.
Eventually, when HD-DVD comes down in price, assuming it doesn't just die, it will be included, if enough people have bought the external ones, and surveys show that people do want it.
But, that still doesn't classify as an upgrade, not in the sense that it was mentioned, such as cpu, memory, gpu, etc. That would make it a new machine.
The manufacturers would want to clear the decks of the older models, as they do with every generation.
If a performance increase is modest, no one will care.
If the performance is substantial, it will be a new machine.
By "change everything" it was, in fact being touted as killing off PC gaming except for low end games.
It was then said a year or so before these came out, that they would do the same thing, and that they would be so powerful that the companies making them would add so many pc features that people would buy them instead of PC's.
If you look around, those rumors are already starting for the generation to replace these, even though they haven't even been publicly discussed as yet.
Eventually, when HD-DVD comes down in price, assuming it doesn't just die, it will be included, if enough people have bought the external ones, and surveys show that people do want it.
But, that still doesn't classify as an upgrade, not in the sense that it was mentioned, such as cpu, memory, gpu, etc. That would make it a new machine.
Yep. I think we're in agreement there, if you read the letter of what I've said.
Quote:
If a performance increase is modest, no one will care.
If the performance is substantial, it will be a new machine.
HD-DVD won't 'increase performance', technically (though it would allow more content to be jammed onto a single game disc). What it would do is let owners of HDTVs replace their current DVD libraries with new, hi-def discs, to the great joy of the movie studios and also networks who have have hit shows on DVD.
Quote:
By "change everything" it was, in fact being touted as killing off PC gaming except for low end games.
It was then said a year or so before these came out, that they would do the same thing, and that they would be so powerful that the companies making them would add so many pc features that people would buy them instead of PC's.
If you look around, those rumors are already starting for the generation to replace these, even though they haven't even been publicly discussed as yet.
LOL. That's something that gets said EVERY console generation, and it never comes true.
By "change everything" it was, in fact being touted as killing off PC gaming except for low end games....
Consoles, PS2-gen equivalent and Next-Gen, have really pushed PC gaming more to the margins. Online Multiplayer fragfests and RPG levelling-up-treasure-collecting stuff are propping up PC gaming. That and RTS online multiplayer.
That said, I've got on my list FEAR:ExtractionPoint, NeedForSpeed:Carbon, HL2:Episode2............ For some good single-player PC gaming. Whenever the heck I get back my AMD64 6600GT rig... of which I've said too much already on these forums/ fora/ forii(?)
Comments
That's not what I wrote. Xbox was released in fall 2005, so launching a new console in Spring 2008 isn't two years. Thanks for the witty
Yes... 2 1/2 years being so VERY different from two years. Thanks for the nitpick.
And with backwards compatability and maintaining development of 360 games (just like original xbox is still getting new realeases), who gets alienated?
All the people who laid out what was (to them) lotsa cash for something they thought would be the 'latest and greatest' for awhile? Oh, and don't put too much stock in MS's backwards-compatibility- for 360 its only for some games, not all, unlike what Sony has done. Which is another source of alienation.
What I was saying was that the main selling point of PS3 is the hardware, which kept a lot of people from buying 360 when it came out.
More like, the PS3 hardware AND the huge library of PS2 and PS1 games that folks already have which will be playable on the PS3 AND that it can play hi-def DVDs AND the fact that Sony should have the largest software library of games once again, AND .....
At that time, PS3 was supposedly just around the corner, which turned out to be a year and a half because of sony screw-ups. Microsoft could feasibly now do the exact same thing by announcing either an upgraded 360 (jack up the processor/memory/gfx card, which would be a natural, drawing from the success of the pc market in gaming) or a new product around April, when real quantities of PS3 start to arrive, thus making the gamers who are really interested in the most powerful system pause a bit.
Its a cute theory but it will never happen. The console market just does not work that way. You put out a new system every 2 years (oh, excuuuuuuuuse me, every 2 1/2 years
Anyways, your wonderful message stank of fanboy, so maybe it's no use...
Its no use because I actually work in the console industry, baby. And no one in the console industry seriously considers the possibility of such short console lifecycles, maybe because they don't want to lose a lot of customers by mimicking the PC upgrade cycle, which a lot of console gamers came to console gaming to GET AWAY from?
Look dude, I'm not tryin' to be mean, I'm just sayin' it won't happen, that's all.
Hi there, as a marketing and branding consultant there is one massive point which no one seems to be addressing with the Zune.
Ultimately it is not to do with the player, the file format or indeed the actual offering because what Microsoft is doing that no one is really picking up on is far more devious.
Its called lateral monitisation.....what Microsoft are doing is earning money off every Zune owner and I'll explain why...
When Apple sells a song it makes hardly anything from the transaction because it is transparent in terms of its actually cost delivery structure. What Microsoft are doing is using an old Starbucks trick....that is that instead of paying per song you start in effect holding an account with the bank of Microsoft. Strictly speaking to add paid content onto a Zune you need to buy credits, you do not actually use real money. In effect by using a confusing pricing structure Microsoft are making it so that you cannot buy £5.00 of credits and then spend £5.00, there is always a residule credit in your account.
So what is the boon of this I hear people ask??? Well Microsoft start earning interest on your spare credits and generate a tidy income, this is only the start of an even more corrupt Microsoft and goes to show the length that this company holds its customers in contempt.
So if they have 10-million customers, each with 29c in credit, they earn interest on $2.9-million. Nice if they can scale it up. This reminds me of prepaid phone card scams that work in a similar way. The cost per call is enticingly low, but you can't make a call when you have less than a minute's credit left. (Probably not a big concept in the US but if you live in or travel to parts of the world where phone calls are expensive, you may have encountered this.)
Also, there is the weird concept of 79 units that cost 99c, so you have to do mental arithmetic to work out what you are spending. Then there's the "subscription" deal which seems to me pretty expensive given that you can listen to the radio for free (or try out a friend's music collection for a similar cost).
No one who has seriously thought through their pricing structure ought to buy one of these. Or Microsoft stock.
What really amazes me is that every time an "iPod killer" is launched, some new round of lame features (usually including subscription) is touted as the big thing Apple is missing. What seems to escape these people is that a wide range of perumations has already been tried and none has turned out to be a success. It's not that Apple is unbeatable -- but lame and badly thought through is not going to do it.
Yes, I've heard much the same thing. Apparently Mr. Bangle is a very divisive figure in car styling/design circles, you either love his designs or HATE them, and the consensus is that his styling cues have actually hurt BMW some, by narrowing the potential audience. Oh well, I'm not a beemer lover myself- I like Japanese reliability.
I'm not a BMW person myself, my favourite at the moment is the Honda/Acura Accord Euro sedan. The 5-series latest BMW is bad ass though, a great departure from the "dated" BMW look of the past say 5 years before this Bangle thingy...
Also the Holden (GM owned) Commodore V6 with some nice body kit stuff here in Australia is a cool car too, for those that know it, I like that...
One day I will get a nice V6-Diesel-Electric hybrid car when I buy my first car
Originally Posted by rickag
When can we expect a lawsuit by Creative over the hierarchal menu?
I think they already gave them notice.
More licensing fee back to Apple... mmm... delicious.
That's not what I wrote. Xbox was released in fall 2005, so launching a new console in Spring 2008 isn't two years. Thanks for the witty
And with backwards compatability and maintaining development of 360 games (just like original xbox is still getting new realeases), who gets alienated? What I was saying was that the main selling point of PS3 is the hardware, which kept a lot of people from buying 360 when it came out. At that time, PS3 was supposedly just around the corner, which turned out to be a year and a half because of sony screw-ups. Microsoft could feasibly now do the exact same thing by announcing either an upgraded 360 (jack up the processor/memory/gfx card, which would be a natural, drawing from the success of the pc market in gaming) or a new product around April, when real quantities of PS3 start to arrive, thus making the gamers who are really interested in the most powerful system pause a bit.
(kind of like how many of the people that were waiting for C2D macbook pro are maybe waiting for whatever chip is put in with the release of leopard in the late winter because of the delays...)
Anyways, your wonderful message stank of fanboy, so maybe it's no use...
I remember that one of the big arguments about the 360 was that MS said that it would NOT be compatable. Then with the big stink that raised they later said that it would be compatable with some games, some of the most popular ones, that is.
The PS3 was supposed to be compatable with all PS2 games, but now, at least some games don't seem to work, though that could simply be teething pains, and an update (or two) might fix that.
I wouldn't be so fast to call them Sony 'screw-ups". This is a more complex machine than the 360, and problems happen with new trchnology. The coding proved to be more diffiult as well.
That's the trouble with product introductions. The 360 had its own problems at launch.
Umm... no.
You can't just completely update consoles every two years (thus throwing out the old one) because people are not fond of just throwing out all their games every two years. Yes, there's backwards compatibility, but its limited (unless you're Sony, who takes great pains to ensure it). And the people who bought the last gen are then left thinking, "WTF? My almost-new shiny console is now a piece of sheeite. WTF!!" A lot of the point in going console in the first place is that you're NOT upgrading spastically (and expensively) every couple of years, like you are with PCs and their graphics cards.
If MS engages in a two-year upgrade cycle with their consoles, they will be out of the console business very, very soon. Its just the way of it.
What you might be referring to is that MS is considering releasing a new, higher line Xbox360 next year that includes an HD-DVD player. Great, but it will boost the cost and it still won't have the horsepower of a PS3.
Add to that that MS made the mistake of releasing a 'core' Xbox360 that did not have a hard drive, thus ensuring that game developers could NOT count on that feature being present on every 360, and you can see that the PS3 will be the leader of the next-gen consoles quality/features-wise, while MS tries to compete on price. Problem is, the Wii is already there.
Most analysts believe that Sony will continue to be the console leader in the PS3/360/Wii generation, and it's not hard to see why. MS will continue to throw away money on the problem, like they always do. 8)
.
MS denyed the rumors of an upgraded 360. That's all it is, rumors.
So if they have 10-million customers, each with 29c in credit, they earn interest on $2.9-million. Nice if they can scale it up. This reminds me of prepaid phone card scams that work in a similar way. The cost per call is enticingly low, but you can't make a call when you have less than a minute's credit left. (Probably not a big concept in the US but if you live in or travel to parts of the world where phone calls are expensive, you may have encountered this.)
Also, there is the weird concept of 79 units that cost 99c, so you have to do mental arithmetic to work out what you are spending. Then there's the "subscription" deal which seems to me pretty expensive given that you can listen to the radio for free (or try out a friend's music collection for a similar cost).
No one who has seriously thought through their pricing structure ought to buy one of these. Or Microsoft stock.
What really amazes me is that every time an "iPod killer" is launched, some new round of lame features (usually including subscription) is touted as the big thing Apple is missing. What seems to escape these people is that a wide range of perumations has already been tried and none has turned out to be a success. It's not that Apple is unbeatable -- but lame and badly thought through is not going to do it.
If they ever get 10 million customers, that will be nice for them. But they will have more than 29¢ per customer lying around. Most people will buy points, and not spend all of them at once. There could be dollars per customer.
The points concept is designed to be misleading. People will think 79 points equals 79¢, even though they know better.
XM Radio and Sirius both charge for digital radio. While it took a while, both are growing, though they are still having losses.
I'm not a BMW person myself, my favourite at the moment is the Honda/Acura Accord Euro sedan. The 5-series latest BMW is bad ass though, a great departure from the "dated" BMW look of the past say 5 years before this Bangle thingy...
Also the Holden (GM owned) Commodore V6 with some nice body kit stuff here in Australia is a cool car too, for those that know it, I like that...
One day I will get a nice V6-Diesel-Electric hybrid car when I buy my first car
I used to really dislike the look of the older BMW's. They were the cheapest looking cars.
,,,I wouldn't be so fast to call them Sony 'screw-ups". This is a more complex machine than the 360, and problems happen with new trchnology. The coding proved to be more diffiult as well...That's the trouble with product introductions. The 360 had its own problems at launch.
Sony seems to be behind the curve. If in Australia the Wii and XBOX360 will definitely be out in time for Christmas, Sony is still depending on PS2 globally for a few more months before the hard launches of PS3 - even then the PS3 will be the most expensive next-gen console.
Sony seems to be behind the curve. If in Australia the Wii and XBOX360 will definitely be out in time for Christmas, Sony is still depending on PS2 globally for a few more months before the hard launches of PS3 - even then the PS3 will be the most expensive next-gen console.
In the US, at least, the PS2 is STILL outselling the 360, so they have some time here to catch up with the PS3.
I'm not a BMW person myself, my favourite at the moment is the Honda/Acura Accord Euro sedan.
Agreed, the Euro Accord is very nice looking. It's also, I believe, pretty much the same car as the US Acura TSX, a very handsome vehicle indeed.
One day I will get a nice V6-Diesel-Electric hybrid car when I buy my first car
I just plain LIKE the idea of diesel-hybrids. With the new cleaner-burning diesel fuel coming on line in the US now, the only real barrier is the initial cost delta, which unfortunately is significant but not overwhelming (probably another $1-2K above what a gas-hybrid would cost).
But hey, the potential MPG is AMAZING... makes the Prius looks like a slobby full-size SUV, gas-wasting wise. Citroen has already demo'd one that gets 70 MPG, or thereabouts.
MS denyed the rumors of an upgraded 360. That's all it is, rumors.
Yup, true dat. But I can bet you that they have a contingency plan somewhere in the bowels of Redmond to release a 'premium' version of the 360 with an HD-DVD drive, if it's seen that the Blu-Ray drive is a major reason why PS3s are flying off store shelves.
Not the same thing at all as a 'next-next-gen' 'Xbox 720', which won't happen 'til around 2010, but still.
Yup, true dat. But I can bet you that they have a contingency plan somewhere in the bowels of Redmond to release a 'premium' version of the 360 with an HD-DVD drive, if it's seen that the Blu-Ray drive is a major reason why PS3s are flying off store shelves.
Not the same thing at all as a 'next-next-gen' 'Xbox 720', which won't happen 'til around 2010, but still.
They seem to be moving to offer an external HD-DVD, just as they offer an external hd. But, that doesn't classify as an upgraded unit, as was mentioned by Superbass. That simply won't happen. If they do that, it will be in a new generation console.
That's what sucks about consoles. When they first come out, their gameplay and graphics are pretty good compared to a mid range PC. But even a year later they are lagging, and two years later they are seriously behind.
Both the PS2 and XBox were supposed to change everything. They didn't. These won't either, and neither will the next generation.
Well, I seem to have nicely diverged from our topic.
They seem to be moving to offer an external HD-DVD, just as they offer an external hd. But, that doesn't classify as an upgraded unit, as was mentioned by Superbass. That simply won't happen. If they do that, it will be in a new generation console.
That's what sucks about consoles. When they first come out, their gameplay and graphics are pretty good compared to a mid range PC. But even a year later they are lagging, and two years later they are seriously behind.
Both the PS2 and XBox were supposed to change everything. They didn't. These won't either, and neither will the next generation.
We'll see, Mel. Features that start out as being offered externally often have a way of becoming internal in a future version of a console. Case in point- the network adaptor for the PS2. Its now internal, not an add-on, in the newer 'slim line' PS2s.
I feel you on how consoles do tend to fall behind PCs graphically a couple of years after their release. But their other advantages keep on ticking- a sane and reasonably-priced upgrade cycle, less maintenance and upkeep (drivers), a wider variety of good games to play than on PC (most of the good PC games tend to be either shooters, strategy games, or MMORPGs, the end), a better and more flexible controller setup, and cheaper than an equivalent-performance gaming PC.
Don't know exactly what you meant by the PS2 and Xbox were supposed to 'change everything'. If you meant that they were supposed to kill PC gaming dead, I don't think that will EVER happen, regardless the console or generation of console. If you meant that they were supposed to take consoles boldly and completely into the online and broadband worlds, well, this new generation is set to do exactly that.
My only beef: I WORK in the industry, and even I can't get my hands on a PS3 'til next year.
We'll see, Mel. Features that start out as being offered externally often have a way of becoming internal in a future version of a console. Case in point- the network adaptor for the PS2. Its now internal, not an add-on, in the newer 'slim line' PS2s.
I feel you on how consoles do tend to fall behind PCs graphically a couple of years after their release. But their other advantages keep on ticking- a sane and reasonably-priced upgrade cycle, less maintenance and upkeep (drivers), a wider variety of good games to play than on PC (most of the good PC games tend to be either shooters, strategy games, or MMORPGs, the end), a better and more flexible controller setup, and cheaper than an equivalent-performance gaming PC.
Don't know exactly what you meant by the PS2 and Xbox were supposed to 'change everything'. If you meant that they were supposed to kill PC gaming dead, I don't think that will EVER happen, regardless the console or generation of console. If you meant that they were supposed to take consoles boldly and completely into the online and broadband worlds, well, this new generation is set to do exactly that.
My only beef: I WORK in the industry, and even I can't get my hands on a PS3 'til next year.
Eventually, when HD-DVD comes down in price, assuming it doesn't just die, it will be included, if enough people have bought the external ones, and surveys show that people do want it.
But, that still doesn't classify as an upgrade, not in the sense that it was mentioned, such as cpu, memory, gpu, etc. That would make it a new machine.
The manufacturers would want to clear the decks of the older models, as they do with every generation.
If a performance increase is modest, no one will care.
If the performance is substantial, it will be a new machine.
By "change everything" it was, in fact being touted as killing off PC gaming except for low end games.
It was then said a year or so before these came out, that they would do the same thing, and that they would be so powerful that the companies making them would add so many pc features that people would buy them instead of PC's.
If you look around, those rumors are already starting for the generation to replace these, even though they haven't even been publicly discussed as yet.
Eventually, when HD-DVD comes down in price, assuming it doesn't just die, it will be included, if enough people have bought the external ones, and surveys show that people do want it.
But, that still doesn't classify as an upgrade, not in the sense that it was mentioned, such as cpu, memory, gpu, etc. That would make it a new machine.
Yep. I think we're in agreement there, if you read the letter of what I've said.
If a performance increase is modest, no one will care.
If the performance is substantial, it will be a new machine.
HD-DVD won't 'increase performance', technically (though it would allow more content to be jammed onto a single game disc). What it would do is let owners of HDTVs replace their current DVD libraries with new, hi-def discs, to the great joy of the movie studios and also networks who have have hit shows on DVD.
By "change everything" it was, in fact being touted as killing off PC gaming except for low end games.
It was then said a year or so before these came out, that they would do the same thing, and that they would be so powerful that the companies making them would add so many pc features that people would buy them instead of PC's.
If you look around, those rumors are already starting for the generation to replace these, even though they haven't even been publicly discussed as yet.
LOL. That's something that gets said EVERY console generation, and it never comes true.
LOL. That's something that gets said EVERY console generation, and it never comes true.
Yeah, that's what I mean.
By "change everything" it was, in fact being touted as killing off PC gaming except for low end games....
Consoles, PS2-gen equivalent and Next-Gen, have really pushed PC gaming more to the margins. Online Multiplayer fragfests and RPG levelling-up-treasure-collecting stuff are propping up PC gaming. That and RTS online multiplayer.
That said, I've got on my list FEAR:ExtractionPoint, NeedForSpeed:Carbon, HL2:Episode2............ For some good single-player PC gaming. Whenever the heck I get back my AMD64 6600GT rig...
Online Sudoku DOES NOT count as PC Gaming, BTW... Heh.
Well, you do have to protect your "manhood". If you could play a game on an ATI Rage, then that's obviously not any fun.