Kusabi

I've been having the same kind of thing going on with the games I have. I remember back in the N64 days when I couldn't even begin to count the number of carts I had for my N64. (I'm 20) Now a days, I can count on my hands the number of titles I have on each console. 8 Wii titles (Not including Wii Sports) 6 XBox 360 titles (including two original XBox games) 3 PS3 titles Okay, so I'm in college, and I don't have $60 to spend on brand new games. Hell, it doesn't help that the biggest discount I'll get buying used is about $5. I settle on borrowing from friends, but even then, there isn't much I want to play. I didn't particularly want Super Mario Galaxy on launch day, and the last game I've actually looked forward to playing was Twilight Princess. Not helping the fact is that I have games in my rack that I've only partially played, and I like to at least complete the main game, not necessarily 100%ing it. But eventually I'll get around to playing them. I love playing games, but I'm finding that its far easier to not buy a game, and not feel as if I'm really missing out on something.

I'd recommend Ratchet & Clank: Future, if that style of game is your thing. I got that and Ninja Gaiden Sigma for Christmas. Haven't played NGS......yet (Haven't had any masochistic tendencies......yet) R&C is a good game for the PS3, but my collection of PS3 games consists of a whopping 3. The two aforementioned, and MotorStorm. I wish there were more PS3 games that I'd actually enjoy playing, but the selection is quite limited at this point (as surmised from a recent trip to GameStop)

Pretty much. I'm happy with what I have, and I hope that all the PC people out there are happy with what they have. I just prefer Macs, and the ones that I have are very good machines. It's good to have choice in the marketplace. Bottom line is this: Get what suits you, and is what you want.

MSRP does not include Tax/Title/License/Doc Fee or any coupons. Plus that particular model is not on sale at the present time.

Huh? See above. Equivalent Mac and PC, and the PC is close to $800 more expensive. Bzzzt......Try again.

I pulled two systems from Apple and two from Dell: One desktop and one laptop. For the laptops: (Apple Macbook Pro 17 inch, Dell Precision M6300) Full client OS Intel C2D 2.6GHz 2GB RAM 200GB Hard drive, 7200rpm rotational speed Standard graphics, standard warranty. Apple: $3349 Dell: $3328 Difference: Dell, by $21. For the desktops: (Dell Precision T7400, and Mac Pro) Full client OS 2xIntel Quad Core Xeon at 3.16GHz 2GB RAM DVD burner 1TB SATA drive nVidia QuadroFX 5600 Apple: $7649 Dell: $8429 Difference: Apple, by $780. $780 is a nice chunk of change.

Comparing a purpose built race-car to a production car isn't exactly fair either. An Audi R8 race car will spank the pants off an R8 road car. So therefore the R8 road car has a major flaw because the R8 racer performs far better and is more customizable. Bzzzzt.....Try again. So therefore any attempt to use a slightly better security model is pointless because market share will immediately cause "security" to evaporate? Running as an unprivileged user for basic things _is_ a slightly better option than running as an administrator to do the same basic things. The problem is that 90% of end users on Windows are running as an Administrator. UAC is a good idea in concept, but it gets so irritating after about 5 minutes (literally) that I shut it off. Yes, it defeats the purpose, but every time I turned around, I get the "Are you sure you want to do this?" box. That's more irritating than anything else. Plus my Linux PC has perfect security right now. It's turned off and not connected to a network

Compare carrots to carrots. If you are going to compare a Mac to a PC, one should compare to a pre-assembled PC, as that is what the Macintosh targets. Otherwise you are saddling the Mac with the cost of assembly (which you forgo when you order a set of components) and the cost to offer some kind of user support (which you forgo in part when you buy components). This is not even getting into profits that are made on the assembled hardware. The correct analogy is that ANY pre-assembled computer is going to underperform compared to the components that can be purchased for the same amount of money. But this is comparing carrots to celery.

Some of the hardware is impractical. The main one being my Power Mac G5. If a major component takes a dive into the netherworld, then its an arm and a leg to get it working again, because all the components are non-standard. Of course, by the time something _does_ take a dive into the netherworld, it's most likely time to be looking at a new computer away. That's exactly what happened when my motherboard on my Windows PC died freshman year at school. I called my parents up, said I'm buying a new computer because the old one died, and 4 hours later, I was walking out the door of the Apple Store Lenox Mall with a Power Mac G5 Quad. Of course, the new Macbook Air is quite vapid in terms of actual value. Tech showcase, you bet your booties, Grandma. Value: None....unless you really like to waste money. Part of how Apple creates their operating environment is by having strict control over what is in it, in regards to hardware. Plus tying the OS to their hardware means a nice revenue stream that Apple is not willing to give up. <sarcasm>Remember, you are paying to share the "Mac Experience"</sarcasm>

Their desktops are overpriced, but their laptops are rock solid. Maybe if I ever decide to get a new 17 inch MBP, I could possibly sell you my 17 inch PowerBook G4. Operative word: If. I'll probably keep my PowerBook until it dies. Apple wouldn't be able to sustain themselves much if there wasn't a lock-in on OS X to Apple hardware, and you'd also see the quality go downhill to about where Windows is now. The standard justification is then that you aren't paying for the hardware, you are paying for the hardware, software, and the seamless integration thereof. Of course, the flipside to this is that full versions of the OS are $130, or a 5 pack for $200. A full, retail version of Windows Vista starts at $200 and goes up. (Yes, you can get Windows for less if you get an OEM version through Newegg, but let's compare carrots to carrots). The extra tax that you pay upfront subsidizes upgrades in the OS that you might make over the life of the system Notwithstanding the fact that it does not change the damage done to your wallet I paid somewhere in the vicinity of four thousand dollars for my Power Mac G5. It was worth every penny to me.

Heh....I have two PPC Macs, and one oldish x86 box. After last semester at school, I disconnected my x86 box completely, since it was getting in my way at my incredibly cramped desk. I'm considering putting it downstairs and just using a remote ssh login to do work on it (It runs some form of Linux, although the software is horribly out of date, and I don't feel like updating it) I don't feel deprived with my Macs. Some things are counterintuitive (as in, I want my SVN server to start on boot. Where is the documentation to get launchd to start it? Answer: Use daemonic.), others are just a pain in the butt (Sharing directories over NFS on Tiger?). I'm really not looking forward to getting an SQL server running for my databases class. So for me, a lot of the nitty gritty is far easier on Linux than OS X, but OS X does something that no other system I've used does: It gets the hell out of my way and lets me work. I feel a lot of the Apple products are overpriced for what they are, and you don't get a lot of expandability (Anyone want to be the first to replace the disk on a Time Capsule?). The reason I got my Power Mac instead of an iMac was because I _could_ add things other than another stick of memory. But hey, there is always ebay to go fetch me an old G4 Tower to get a home server going

Umm....Agnes Scott College? The Agnes Scott girls love to come to Tech on occasion. Well, either that or Emory. I live on the east end of Tech's campus, and there are a few sorority girls around. You just need to look harder Don't get me wrong, I love Georgia. I just can't stand the city of Atlanta. If I was in Newnan or Alpharetta most of the time, I'd really love it here. But living in the city just reminds me too much of home.

Another Illinoisan here. Although I'm currently living in Atlanta, Georgia for university. *shudder* It's just like living at home....the people, the crime, the stupidly large houses, the insanity of all drivers.

Ah... LOL comic. I got a choice last night, either take out my rage against the idiots of society by beating on some drums, or sit around and do nothing. I pulled out Halo 3. I am sufficiently placated now. Sure would love to, but I have some aliens to destroy...

Good news, everyone! We have made it into the top 500 teams. (Number 497 at 4:30PM EST) WOOT!

I was coming from a very US centric viewpoint, since that is my only experience, where you get a learner license at 15 in most states (some states like Iowa let you get a learner license at 14), and a full license at 16. Some states have started doing provisional licensing. Example: In Illinois, you can get a learner license at 15, if you sign up for a driver's education course, and then you now get a provisional license at 16 (I got my full license at 16 before the law changed). Basically it means that you can only have one other person under 18 in the car with you unless you have an adult 21 or over sitting in the front seat. You now get a full license at 18. Even after you get a "full" license, it still is in a vertical orientation letting people know that you are under 21. I don't drink at all if I plan to drive, and I'm more than happy to be the DD for my family. Some of the people I've seen drunk can't even handle themselves sitting in the back seat of my car, belted in. And these people think they are capable of handling a 3 ton automobile (I mean, SUV) hurtling down the road at any speed? Some people even have great difficulty controlling a car whilst sober! This is most certainly true. Of course, it happens all over Georgia (de jure Interstate Speed Limit, 70 [110 km/h]. de facto Interstate Speed Limit, 90 [145 km/h]), but its even worse when you get inside I-285, when people drive 90 and the limit is 55 [90 km/h]. What's amazing to me is that people who hog the passing lane don't yield to faster traffic. Of course, then there are the other people who keep drifting over the lane lines. It always leads to a wreck, which then turns around and clogs the entire expressway network. Doubly irritating since there are sometimes no alternates that you can take. The US has some of the worst trained drivers, period. CNN even had a piece on driving while stupid (cnn.com) I took the test....100% score. US national average is a 77%, and Georgia is 44th worst in the nation. The test is all common sense material from driver's ed; the questions are directly off of written driver's exams in the US, so there really is no excuse for not scoring 100%

Amen. Seeing all the idiocy on the freeways in Atlanta, Charlotte, or Chicago (when traffic is actually moving) makes me wonder how people actually pass the test to get a license. I think the issue is simple: The tests do not test driving ability adequately. It tests the ability to drive around a residential block without hitting anything. My parents made me to learn to drive at 15 (well, I wanted to, but they insisted that I take private lessons instead of the high school's class). Along with that, I was told that if I was going to drive, I'd be learning on a 5 speed manual Volkswagen. I didn't get a choice. Driving a stick shift taught me more about paying attention to the car and actually piloting it instead of merely driving it. I also had to be able to handle the car to my father's satisfaction in the high school parking lot before he'd even let me on the neighborhood streets. I seriously think that the driving age needs to be raised to 18. (I know I'm going to catch hell for that, but I thought that when I was 17, after seeing a friend in front of me total his car. He wasn't seriously hurt, thank God). The test seriously needs to be harder, or at least include a few closed-course elements, like, say, wet road emergency lane change, or a slalom course. Of course, those additions are nice in theory, but realistically, the requirements for driving practice with an adult prior to getting a license need to be raised. I had to do 40 hours for the State of Illinois, all of which was done on one trip from our home in Chicago to relatives in Mississippi. Then I went to the DMV to take the test, which consisted of driving around the parking lot without hitting anything. I only got 4 points taken off, because I didn't look over both shoulders before reversing, regardless of the fact that I'm flexible enough to turn 180 degrees in my seat, and have a complete field of view. But I still drive better than most people in Atlanta. Don't be a left lane hog, use your #@$%!@& turn signals, and pick a lane and stay in it! More driver training FTW!

To me, it makes sense that it would be a Japan only pack-in for a special edition. Japan always gets the good stuff. Galaxy is, in my opinion, Game of the Year material for Nintendo, at least until Brawl gets here. It will be able to drive hardware sales even after the initial rush....oh wait a tick, that never ended. It's a major treat to play. I'm going to ask for it for Christmas. I have a tendency to grab the regular games instead of special editions, mainly because most of them have stuff that I really don't want. Nintendo usually puts things I _do_ want in their special editions, but they don't like selling them in the US apparently. It just gives me more reasons to take a trip to Japan. (But alas, region locks FTL. Oh well, there's always chips)

Thank you. I don't have Memory Sticks (I only use SD cards, since that's all I need), and I knew there was a memory stick port on my PS3, but not which form factor (Short Memory Stick Duo, or longer, original Memory Stick) it takes. From my understanding, all the memory sticks are electrically compatible with each other to some degree (i.e. you can use a non pro memory stick in a pro device), but not form factor-wise (i.e. different physical sizes. IIRC, the Duo memory sticks are 2/3s the length of the original memory stick, requiring an adapter if your device only accepts the longer size.) Mea Culpa: I checked the PS3 manual, and you can insert the shorter memory sticks sans adapter. Edited for correctness here

Memory Stick Duo is a slightly shorter form factor than Memory Stick. A reader that is sized for a Memory Stick Duo can also read standard Memory Sticks, but not the other way around. They are electrically compatible, but not the same form factor, which means to read a Memory Stick Duo in a reader sized for a standard (read: longer) Memory Stick requires an adapter.

Do you have a memory card reader built into your PS3? (60 or 80GB models) If you do, you should be able to transfer the saves by going into the Saved Data utility, highlighting the game's save, and hitting Triangle. You'll need to put your memory stick in the card reader prior to hitting triangle. That is, unless the developers put a copy lock on the save file, in which case you would be SOL, but I don't know which games do that, if any. So there isn't a proprietary memory card unit, but you can use SD/MS/CF cards as makeshift cards. Since you have a MSDuo, you might need the MSDuo to MS adapter. I think that the PS3 only takes the longer size, but I'm not sure, since I don't use memory sticks (I have more than enough SD cards)

Okay so I bought a 60GB PS3 last April. I'm in almost complete agreement that the system is underwhelming, from a purely games perspective. I'm still waiting for Gran Turismo 5, and wasn't planning to buy a PS3 until then. Blu-Ray movies? Nice, but didn't sell the system for me. It was a pleasant surprise when Sony removed the downconverting "feature" for those who don't have 1080p TVs connected to their PS3. (I have a 720p/1080i display, but I run my PS3 in 720p mode). Linux install capability? Hang on, we might be getting somewhere....a $500 sort-of-multicore-but-not-really machine with an interesting architecture that I'm actually interested in learning to program? Yes, this is sounding really good! Backwards compatibility? Wait, so I can play my PS2 and PS1 games on this thing too? Asked, and here's the answer: Backwards compatibility was THE reason that I chose to buy a PS3 now, as opposed to later, or not at all. Given that at the time, there were no PS3 games that I wanted to play, and Linux required me to use a distro that I didn't want to use (minutia, but still a factor), I didn't think spending $500 on a console that did nothing other than folding@home, and has a memory card reader, was worth it. Given the fact that I could sell my PS2 to my friend, make some money, and still play my PS2 titles until there are PS3 games that I actually _want_, without screwing with Sony's software BC, is what sold the console for me, and made it worth my while to pick one up. Of course, I was able to toy around with Linux on it and get Gentoo running. So until I get some PS3 titles that I like, I have my completely backward compatible, Linux running, HDTV displaying, mini personal computer that I can use. So your rhetorical question is hereby proven non-rhetorical. Then laugh away, sir. I will laugh too, however, I will be laughing at you instead of with you. For every feature X, there is someone out there who is willing to buy the product for that feature.

If you have a nice size library of PS2 games, get the 60GB. It takes the guesswork out of "Will this work with the software emulation that Sony has?" Of course, Sony axing the backwards compatibility (for PS2 software) in the new 40GB model shows that they really don't think things through, PERIOD. Phil Harrison (One of the directors at SCEI) has been quoted as saying: "Backwards compatibility, as you know from PlayStation One and PlayStation 2, is a core value of what we believe we should offer. And access to the library of content people have created, bought for themselves, and accumulated over the years is necessary to create a format. PlayStation is a format meaning that it transcends many devices -- PSOne, PS2, and now PS3." Of course, hindsight is always 20/20, but still...Sony has a few "Oh Snap!" moments with the PS3, Jack Tretton's console-finding challenge notwithstanding. The 2 USB ports on the 40GB wouldn't necessarily be a dealbreaker for me, since one can use a USB A to mini B cable and charge the sixaxis off a computer's USB port, or get a USB hub. I second that one. Its a great little computer. Of course, knowing that, it only seems fitting to put Linux on it while I wait for more games that I like to be released.

I do think today's games are too easy, but then again, it's better for the situation that I'm in. I'm in college, and have the college grind of projects, projects, and more projects. I got a Wii last Christmas, but *shock*, I rarely play it! I can't even find 3 of the 6 games I own for it, having been lost in the packing, moving, unpacking, repacking, moving thing of living 700 miles away from my university. Since I also don't get a lot of time to play, I like games that are actually not eternal time sinks. This semester, my goal is getting off probation, which means I'm rarely playing my Nintendo, maybe 1 hour a week, if even that. I don't like games that I can't sit down with, enjoy 30 minutes of playing, and then save and quit, and not worry about having to figure out where I was at the end of the last time I played. So yes, easy sells for me. That's not to say I don't appreciate a challenging game. I enjoy challenging games, but I despise hard games. The line I draw is when the difficulty is ramped up simply for the effect of ramping the difficulty (i.e. just making enemies harder and no new changes to puzzles), sometimes making the game so difficult that its unplayable for me. Those kinds of games have a tendency to go to the bottom of my pile of games to play. I've played older games in a series back to back with a newer game (Twilight Princess and Link to the Past). I appreciate the difference in how the game does basic mechanics, which make the gameplay more challenging, and the puzzles are different. It makes it more challenging, and a challenge I enjoy. But if a game is ludicrously difficult, which to me is defined as it takes away from the fun of the game, then I don't play it. I have better things to waste my energy on than a game that isn't fun to play.

The old days of the consumers getting screwed? That's still happening! lol So instead of just screwing the buyers of stuff, the distributors now decide to start screwing the suppliers as well. All in a days work, I guess.