I'm Thinking About ...

[Asher]

It seems like a shame to get a high end screen and still use the crappy analog outs for L and R channels.

If you'd go for an HDTV you should go for surround sound too, in which case you'd use a single coaxial cable or single optical cable, and not the L/R (white/red) cables from an RCA jack.

[Harovan]

Originally posted by Asher
And it is pretty amazing how Apple releases a new version of MacOS for $119 every year or so (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005...) while MS releases 1 version every 4 years (2001, 2005) for a $99 upgrade

Last time I checked Microshaft forces the customers to buy a new OEM license with every new computer, or the "registration" won't work.

while releasing free upgrades inbetween (USB2, .NET, ... , directx 9

every OS I know updates drivers and RTLs for free between releases.

antivirus,

improved firewall,

windows media 9, MSN 6, ..., etc.

It would be nasty to let the customers pay for spyware, wouldn't it?

[Asher]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph
Last time I checked Microshaft forces the customers to buy a new OEM license with every new computer, or the "registration" won't work.

If you're upgrading your computer, the same license works. You can't install it on additional computers if you buy one license. The Mac OS X license works the same way, though they don't have activation.

every OS I know updates drivers and RTLs for free between releases.

I coulda sworn that Apple makes things like new versions of iChat AV and Cocoa only in new versions of Mac OS X...

Why're you laughing? You haven't even seen them yet, they're coming in SP2.

It would be nasty to let the customers pay for spyware, wouldn't it?

Neither is spyware. MSN 6 comes with an optional "Customer Improvement Program", disabled by default, which would send usage data to MS. To enable it, you must go into Preferences and turn it on. That's hardly spyware.

WM9 uses WindowsMedia servers to pull track data from the internet by default, which you can also turn off. That, too, is hardly spyware.

Spread your FUD elsewhere.

[Harovan]

Originally posted by Asher
If you're upgrading your computer, the same license works. You can't install it on additional computers if you buy one license. The Mac OS X license works the same way, though they don't have activation.

That's foul. Who in hell keeps and upgrades a computer for more than 2 years? It's awfully obsolete by then. And with a new machine comes a forced new license.

Neither is spyware. MSN 6 comes with an optional "Customer Improvement Program", disabled by default, which would send usage data to MS. To enable it, you must go into Preferences and turn it on. That's hardly spyware.

Yea, sure... And then comes some neat and unexpected feature, which looks appealing at the first view and says "You have to enable the option XYZ to use this feature. Do you want to enable it now? Yes(preselected)/No". 95% of all users just hit enter, and there it is. Well known dirty tricks.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph

That's foul. Who in hell keeps and upgrades a computer for more than 2 years? It's awfully obsolete by then. And with a new machine comes a forced new license.

I do. Mainly because I can't see the need of a new one. I thought about buying a new machine when my hard drive died (a victim of a power surge) but it's not really worth it apart from games.

The only thing I would really like is a Firewire port, but I can't be bothered spending thousands of dollars to get one.

[Asher]

You have to spend thousands of dollars to get a FIREWIRE port?? Jesus christ!

I got one for free on my soundcard, or you can spend $20 on a PCI card...

[FlameFlash]

Originally posted by Gatekeeper

I'll probably get both systems. I love the Chrono series of games, and the third in the series will likely remain on the PS series of game consoles. But XBox has drawn my interest lately as well, mainly because of KOTOR and Ninja Gaiden.

Gatekeeper

When did they announce they were going to release a third in the series!?

/me begins rushing off to rumor sites...

[FlameFlash]

Originally posted by Asher

If you're upgrading your computer, the same license works. You can't install it on additional computers if you buy one license. The Mac OS X license works the same way, though they don't have activation.

And the lack of activation is big, actually. In Windows XP Home don't you have to reactivate almost every time you install a new app?

I could install one copy of X.3 on both of my machines at home and pass the disk around to friends and Apple wouldn't be the wiser. Wouldn't be nice to do to one of my favorite companies, but M$ forces you to behave rather than letting you choose to behave.

I coulda sworn that Apple makes things like new versions of iChat AV and Cocoa only in new versions of Mac OS X...

Actually, I have iChat AV on my X.2 system right now... Then there's Cocoa, which I guess needs upgrading to balance out all of the improvements in X.3 but doesn't need to be upgraded if you stay with X.2.

Why're you laughing? You haven't even seen them yet, they're coming in SP2.

I think he was laughing at antivirus... though I do have to point out the only reason Macs aren't hurt by viruses is because hackers and virus programmers consider them a waste of time.

If the market was more half and half between Apple and M$ you can bet your sweet bippy there'd be Mac viruses... probably cross-platform viruses.

Neither is spyware. MSN 6 comes with an optional "Customer Improvement Program", disabled by default, which would send usage data to MS. To enable it, you must go into Preferences and turn it on. That's hardly spyware.

WM9 uses WindowsMedia servers to pull track data from the internet by default, which you can also turn off. That, too, is hardly spyware.

Spread your FUD elsewhere.

Did they finally fix the spyware issue in XP though? Wasn't there something on by default that basically let M$ spy that the basic home user doesn't know about?

(I have no clue, just a question).

And Sir Ralph, my computer is going on being four years old and I don't plan on getting a new one any time soon.

Drop a new HD in, yes. More RAM? Doubtful (bought it in 2000 with 640MB so that I wouldn't probably need to do that... ever.) Another monitor? Probably sometime, but the current one works well.

All I really want is an external firewire SuperDrive but I'm still waiting for the DVD+-RW and DVD-RW and all that other junk RW war to be over with.

Which one of those formats would let my PS2 (which acts as my DVD player) watch them?

[Asher]

Originally posted by FlameFlash
And the lack of activation is big, actually. In Windows XP Home don't you have to reactivate almost every time you install a new app?

No, not even close. You have to reactivate if you swap out the motherboard or change 6 pieces of hardware at once.

I could install one copy of X.3 on both of my machines at home and pass the disk around to friends and Apple wouldn't be the wiser. Wouldn't be nice to do to one of my favorite companies, but M$ forces you to behave rather than letting you choose to behave.

But people do not choose how to behave, casual copying like that costs them millions if not billions of dollars.

Not that it matters, if you're into piracy like you alluded to above you'd download the corporate edition of XP and do the same thing.

I think he was laughing at antivirus... though I do have to point out the only reason Macs aren't hurt by viruses is because hackers and virus programmers consider them a waste of time.

If the market was more half and half between Apple and M$ you can bet your sweet bippy there'd be Mac viruses... probably cross-platform viruses.

Exactly, but Agathon is under the impression that this is a "myth"...

Did they finally fix the spyware issue in XP though? Wasn't there something on by default that basically let M$ spy that the basic home user doesn't know about?

(I have no clue, just a question).

There is no spyware issue in XP, and there never was. It was FUD from Linux zealots mostly.

[Gatekeeper]

Originally posted by FlameFlash

Originally posted by Gatekeeper

I'll probably get both systems. I love the Chrono series of games, and the third in the series will likely remain on the PS series of game consoles. But XBox has drawn my interest lately as well, mainly because of KOTOR and Ninja Gaiden.

Gatekeeper

When did they announce they were going to release a third in the series!?

* FlameFlash begins rushing off to rumor sites...

Oops. Sorry to get your hopes up, but a third game in the Chrono series remains just a rumor, albeit one holds my rapt attention as well. I'm sure it will translate into reality — the Chrono series of games is a hit for Squaresoft, insofar as I know — sometime in 2004.

Gatekeeper

[FlameFlash]

Originally posted by Asher


No, not even close. You have to reactivate if you swap out the motherboard or change 6 pieces of hardware at once.

Ah. Shows how much I know about M$.

But people do not choose how to behave, casual copying like that costs them millions if not billions of dollars.

Not that it matters, if you're into piracy like you alluded to above you'd download the corporate edition of XP and do the same thing.

/me shrugs.

All I said was that it's not nice to hurt companies.

Exactly, but Agathon is under the impression that this is a "myth"...

One reason I like Apple is because they have such a small user-base.

I'd be in something else with equally small user base if Apple was as big.

There is no spyware issue in XP, and there never was. It was FUD from Linux zealots mostly.

How about the rumor regarding a lot of stupid things being on by default that create security holes?

[FlameFlash]

Originally posted by Gatekeeper


Oops. Sorry to get your hopes up, but a third game in the Chrono series remains just a rumor, albeit one holds my rapt attention as well. I'm sure it will translate into reality — the Chrono series of games is a hit for Squaresoft, insofar as I know — sometime in 2004.

Gatekeeper

Crud.

Oh well, if I can't have C3C I'll at least be able to have Chrono Something 3.

[Agathon]

The virus/market share thing is a myth.

Why else would a respected NYT columnist print a retraction?

[FlameFlash]

Originally posted by Agathon
The virus/market share thing is a myth.

Why else would a respected NYT columnist print a retraction?

Then why have virus software at all for the Mac?

What about the old HyperCard Viruses that would infect HyperCard files, deleting the program of the Card stack and then increasing the size dramatically?

[Asher]

Originally posted by Agathon
The virus/market share thing is a myth.

Why else would a respected NYT columnist print a retraction?

Just because the dude has a journalism degree doesn't mean he's the authority on computer security.

Give me a break.

A columnist with a journalism degree doesn't dictate what is fact and myth in computer security, and you should certainly be embarassed that somebody has to point this out to you.