Posted 10/26/2009 at 03:22:05pm

Is this saying that it's possible for me to upgrade my x64 RC system to the full x64 RTM version (from Technet) without having to reinstall all my stuff?

Posted 10/12/2009 at 03:45:02pm

That's how it works.  You'll sometimes hear people make the claim that they have to enforce copyrights or they'll lose them.  That's just someone who has confused trademark law with copyright law and doesn't know enough about either to be worth listening to.

Posted 10/01/2009 at 10:28:49am

Wow... I'm sure this won't be a steaming pile...

As much as I'd love to see a good MW movie, I just can't put any faith in it being created in a way that wasn't formulaic, cliched, and utterly devoid of the kind of story that we got with some of the good BTech books.  Maybe they should just remake Robot Jox instead.

Posted 09/24/2009 at 12:19:44pm

I like the idea that developers will have to get more creative rather than simply chasing incremental graphics improvements.  I hope that we'll see a lot more games released for both the PC and at least one console.  I just hope that developers get a lot better about understanding the different expectations and conventions of PC games vs. console games.  They still do a lot of dumb things on the PC versions that really make no sense.

I prefer to play the games on the PC for a few reasons:
1. They tend to be cheaper and the DLC is usually free or cheaper as well.

2. I prefer mouse/keyboard over gamepad for most types of games.

3. I only have one TV in the house, so it's better for me to play on the PC and let my wife watch TV if she wants.

4. PC games are where the mods are at.  Annoyances can often be fixed, and even games that are utterly mediocre at release can be transformed into awesome experiences through mods (e.g. Oblivion and Fallout 3).

The downsides are:

1. PC games tend to have little to no resale value, depending on how you purchase them and whether they require a key to play online.

2. They do require a decent PC to play them on.  I have a good PC for a variety of reasons, including work, so this isn't much of an issue for me.  Since you can build a gaming PC for not much more than a PS3, it's not nearly as much of an issue for most people now, and will be even less so over the next several years as the performance bar remains low due to aging consoles.

3. PC games tend to get less testing than console games, and have a vastly larger array of hardware they need to run on, so they may have more bugs at release.  This doesn't affect me much either since I tend to read a lot of reviews before buying, so I know what games I should avoid, at least until they get patched up.

Posted 09/24/2009 at 12:02:36pm

Now every site can be turned into a conservative/liberal shouting match!  What will they think of next?!

Posted 09/24/2009 at 11:00:48am

Sprint's billing has improved for me.  I was with them years ago and they would manage to screw up my bill every month pretty much.  Switched to them from Verizon last year, and so far so good.  Helps that we get a discount through my wife's employer too.

Posted 09/24/2009 at 10:56:49am

You are one seriously uninformed individual.  The government breaking up the old phone monopoly was the best thing that ever happened to the telecom industry.  The problem now is that they've rolled back up into cable/telecom monopolies and oligopolies again.  If the government doesn't take action to prevent them from abusing their position, their customers will continue to get screwed.

Seriously, ask yourself if it really makes sense for them to be allowed to be so vertically integrated, owning everything from the wires running to your house, to the backbones, to the service providers, and even the content that most people use their services to get.  What's to stop them from throttling your connection to sites and services that they feel compete with their offerings?  What choice do you have when they do?  Go to another provider that does the same thing to lock you into their offerings?  The incentives here are perverse and do not benefit competition or customers.

Posted 09/23/2009 at 02:56:59pm

He'll have a tough time finding a new job when he gets out too.  This is why it pays to think big and steal money in a white-collar job.  Sure, you might get caught, but it's less likely and the penalties are about the same.  Not to mention that as a CEO or banker, you can probably still get a job again after a conviction.  Hell, if you did it and didn't get caught, you can basically put it on your resume.  That stuff facilitates huge bonuses for all involved!

Posted 09/15/2009 at 11:48:58am

If you love something, set it free?  :)   Good move by Google!

Posted 09/14/2009 at 11:31:34am

Every episode had at least one car flipping over...