Let's face it, the best bet for most users to get reliable broadband is cable internet service. FiOS just doesn't have the market penetration yet. So if I cut my cable tv off, but I'm still using cable internet, I'm typically going to be paying more for that single service. And with fewer cable tv subscribers, the cost of cable tv is going to go up for the remaining customers to offset the losses.
No matter what we do, they win. They can even use these numbers to their advantage when they jack up the prices: "In light of losing 155,000 paying customers, we're going to have to charge more for our service so that you don't have to lose channels you were already getting..."
It's a natural tie-in with Google Maps. In the future, when you search for a location on Google, they'll send an autonomous car to you and drive you to your location for free. You'll just be submitted to a bunch of text ads on a screen in the back seat.
Silverlight is such a dream to develop with compared to Flash/Actionscript. Plus it's less prone to crashing and is less of a resource hog than the flash player.
Silverlight is being used for Bing Maps, on the Azure platform, Windows Phone 7, Netflix... there's speculation that Windows 8's app store will favor Silverlight for rapid development and sandboxing.
Since the post was anonymous... we can only speculate on what department "alex__" works in, or if he/she is even a Microsoft employee. BUT, if I was Microsoft, and I was wanting to get more people using my web-based services, I would probably do the same thing and focus on HTML5/Javascript -- How many mobile phones support Flash and/or Silverlight?
Just think, if they had released the Palm Foleo when they planned to (instead of balking to industry pressure that led them to believe no one would ever want one, and canceling it altogether), they would have started the netbook craze instead of ASUS, then maybe they wouldn't have been in such dire straights...
Portable apps. Put portable Firefox on a thumbdrive and nothing is left on the host computer. "Checking hard drives" will only be successful in catching the less tech savvy criminals...
Guess the next thing they "won't" encourage them to do, will be to install keyloggers and packet sniffers...
I'm not a CoD player, but I am an avid PC gamer. Most games only have so many hours of play time before they become stale. Taking away user created mods takes away what gives a game more life. Example: Unreal Tournament was released in 1999, it is still sold in stores today. Why? Because there are thriving sub-cultures of modders who have changed the game enough to make it interesting again and there are still active servers run by fans of the game.
CoD4 won't have this kind of shelf life because it's online community will die when IW decides to shut down their servers. But that's what they want, because they'll be selling the next big thing by then anyway.
The reasons why more people aren't streaming...
1) Their choice of operating system is not supported.
2) The quality is fine for most people, but there are those who demand only hi-def.
3) Newer releases aren't available. They have to get them on disc.
Now, points 1 & 2 will eventually be fixed. They have 2 choices... go to Flash based streaming (which I hope they never do), or help to improve the technology.
Number 3 will never be fixed because of Hollywood. nelsoncruz is right... it's not your average American movie watcher that doesn't want streaming, it's American movie execs that want to crush it.
What made the Metallica and Aerosmith Guitar Hero games worth buying (to me at least) was that they included many other songs by other artists. With the Beatles, I know maybe 4 or 5 of their songs, and playing through their entire set lists would probably drive me nuts. Iconic or not, they are last century's news. Either add other content, or change SOMETHING about the game. Otherwise, what's the point?
It wouldn't be illegal to organize protesters, if you were to say "Meet at this spot at 3:00".
But now, let's say the protesters are already at a location, and begin throwing rocks and bottles at police. And then begin rolling dumpsters into traffic and at property. And then when the police move in grab those protesters who are unlawfully destroying property you have someone telling them how to evade police capture -- That's aiding and abetting.
Just because someone is protesting, that does not give them the right to destroy property, harm anyone, or create a full-on riot. The small percentage of protesters who do engage in these types of activities should face prosecution.
"Give away the razors to sell razor blades." I've never understood how people can think that giving away a product for free (or close to free, or at least at a loss) could be a bad idea, IF the product is dependent upon other much more profitable items to be of any use. Like a support or usage contract with a mobile carrier.
Chrome the OS will not be built on Chome the browser. It is going to built off of a Linux kernel, with a new windowing system (most likely based on Android's), unlike other distros that just rebrand and use Gnome, or KDE, or XFCE, or any number of other desktop environments.
The time is right for the "web-based" operating system. Average people on the street are already geting used to "cloud computing" even if they don't know what it is thanks to the iPhone, the Crackberry, and now the Palm Pre. And additionally, using Google Gears, many web-only applications may be copied locally to run even when you are offline.
The biggest drawback I always thought there was for web-based operating systems was graphics. I never thought I'd see the day that graphic intensive applications (CAD, 3D games, etc) would be able to exist inside the browser, but thanks to the new canvas tag, that is changing. The only browser currently not supporting it is Internet Exploder. HTML 5 is going to help people build real honest-to-goodness web applications without having to have Flash or Silverlight or JavaFX plugins, and thus making the applications more universal. True 'write-once, run-everywhere' development.
Google has a few things going for it in this venture:
1) Supports x86 and ARM architectures. (Windows and Mac? x86)
2) Name recognition. (What average person knows what Ubuntu or even Linux is?)
3) People are dissatisfied with Windows. (Personally, I'm loving Window 7, though)
4) People hate Microsoft, but claim Apple is too expensive. Where's the other option? Oh yeah, it's called Linux (or Ubuntu, or Red Hat, or Suse, etc). But what's that? (See #2)
What I find amusing is that stories like "The Veldt" and his book "Farenheit 451" are actually inspiring some of the technologies we use today. The walls made of television screens. Virtual Reality. Being able to walk from room to room, and the music/lights/HVAC/etc change with your presence. And all the while, he wasn't trying to promote it, but take a stand against it!
I don't get it... (as JohnForDummies)
I'm going to start a computer parts store called "HardWare Store" and then sue Ace and True Value.
Even if they lose tv customers, they still win... (as JohnForDummies)
No matter what we do, they win. They can even use these numbers to their advantage when they jack up the prices: "In light of losing 155,000 paying customers, we're going to have to charge more for our service so that you don't have to lose channels you were already getting..."
Tie in with GoogleMaps (as JohnForDummies)
(untitled comment) (as JohnForDummies)
Silverlight is being used for Bing Maps, on the Azure platform, Windows Phone 7, Netflix... there's speculation that Windows 8's app store will favor Silverlight for rapid development and sandboxing.
Since the post was anonymous... we can only speculate on what department "alex__" works in, or if he/she is even a Microsoft employee. BUT, if I was Microsoft, and I was wanting to get more people using my web-based services, I would probably do the same thing and focus on HTML5/Javascript -- How many mobile phones support Flash and/or Silverlight?
Palm... (as JohnForDummies)
Re: (as JohnForDummies)
Everything in moderation, my friend, everything in moderation.
Useless (as JohnForDummies)
Guess the next thing they "won't" encourage them to do, will be to install keyloggers and packet sniffers...
Re: Reminds me of (as JohnForDummies)
Hey Jake (as JohnForDummies)
That's what he gets... (as JohnForDummies)
That's what he gets for playing Mafia Wars on Facebook and leaving his profile public. [insert laughs here]
(untitled comment) (as JohnForDummies)
CoD4 won't have this kind of shelf life because it's online community will die when IW decides to shut down their servers. But that's what they want, because they'll be selling the next big thing by then anyway.
(untitled comment) (as JohnForDummies)
1) Their choice of operating system is not supported.
2) The quality is fine for most people, but there are those who demand only hi-def.
3) Newer releases aren't available. They have to get them on disc.
Now, points 1 & 2 will eventually be fixed. They have 2 choices... go to Flash based streaming (which I hope they never do), or help to improve the technology.
Number 3 will never be fixed because of Hollywood. nelsoncruz is right... it's not your average American movie watcher that doesn't want streaming, it's American movie execs that want to crush it.
Beatles who? (as JohnForDummies)
What made the Metallica and Aerosmith Guitar Hero games worth buying (to me at least) was that they included many other songs by other artists. With the Beatles, I know maybe 4 or 5 of their songs, and playing through their entire set lists would probably drive me nuts. Iconic or not, they are last century's news. Either add other content, or change SOMETHING about the game. Otherwise, what's the point?
(untitled comment) (as JohnForDummies)
@Robert Ring: That's what I thought, too, but I think they are only allowing 50 people to purchase the unlimited backstage pass deal.
(untitled comment) (as JohnForDummies)
(untitled comment) (as JohnForDummies)
But now, let's say the protesters are already at a location, and begin throwing rocks and bottles at police. And then begin rolling dumpsters into traffic and at property. And then when the police move in grab those protesters who are unlawfully destroying property you have someone telling them how to evade police capture -- That's aiding and abetting.
Allegedly the guy who was arrested had in his possession a pound of liquid mercury, tire spikes, and ammunition. http://gothamist.com/2009/10/05/fbi_raids_queens_home_in_g20_protes.php If this is true, then it would be hard to argue that he had a "Peaceful demonstration" in mind.
Just because someone is protesting, that does not give them the right to destroy property, harm anyone, or create a full-on riot. The small percentage of protesters who do engage in these types of activities should face prosecution.
(untitled comment) (as JohnForDummies)
Hackity Hack Hack (as JohnForDummies)
(untitled comment)
The time is right for the "web-based" operating system. Average people on the street are already geting used to "cloud computing" even if they don't know what it is thanks to the iPhone, the Crackberry, and now the Palm Pre. And additionally, using Google Gears, many web-only applications may be copied locally to run even when you are offline.
The biggest drawback I always thought there was for web-based operating systems was graphics. I never thought I'd see the day that graphic intensive applications (CAD, 3D games, etc) would be able to exist inside the browser, but thanks to the new canvas tag, that is changing. The only browser currently not supporting it is Internet Exploder. HTML 5 is going to help people build real honest-to-goodness web applications without having to have Flash or Silverlight or JavaFX plugins, and thus making the applications more universal. True 'write-once, run-everywhere' development.
Google has a few things going for it in this venture:
1) Supports x86 and ARM architectures. (Windows and Mac? x86)
2) Name recognition. (What average person knows what Ubuntu or even Linux is?)
3) People are dissatisfied with Windows. (Personally, I'm loving Window 7, though)
4) People hate Microsoft, but claim Apple is too expensive. Where's the other option? Oh yeah, it's called Linux (or Ubuntu, or Red Hat, or Suse, etc). But what's that? (See #2)
(untitled comment) (as JohnForDummies)
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