Microsoft Plans Its Own Hand-Held Player

Post #260,855 by bluke 7/6/06 5:49:10 AM Reply	Microsoft Plans Its Own Hand-Held Player [link\|http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/06/technology/06ipod.html\|Microsoft Plans Its Own Hand-Held Player] Microsoft has been developing its own hand-held music and video player to challenge Apple Computer's iPod and expects to have it in stores in time for the holiday season, entertainment industry executives briefed on the company's plans said last night. ... Until now, Microsoft has largely bet that hardware manufacturers like Samsung could come up with a device that would use Microsoft's software and cut into Apple's lead. But the company's plans to develop its own device are an indication that it may no longer be satisfied with that strategy. ... The shift is likely to anger Samsung, Sony, Creative Technology and other manufacturers that were persuaded to use Microsoft's software in their devices, because a Microsoft player would compete with theirs. The Xbox video game console, Microsoft's strongest move into consumer electronics, uses software that does not run on any other player. I can't say I have any sympathy for the hardware manufacturers, they should have realized what they were doing when they got in bed with Microsoft in the first place.
Post #260,890 by jb4 7/6/06 12:25:37 PM Reply	This is starting to sound like a scratched record scratched record for those of you who are too young to have encountered vinyl audio sources, is a reference to the fact that a vinly record, when scratched, often ends up repeating same passage over and over again until someone gets up and kicks the player (often resulting in yet another scratch...). Micros~1 gets butt kicked in a certain niche that it has no presence. Micros~1 "partners" with one or more smaller players in that niche, supplying some amount of money and, of course, its software, to "help" said partner increase its presence in said niche. Partner carves out some market share from said niche, thereby making niche attractive to Micros~1. Micros~1 enters niche itself with its own product, thereby stabbing said "partners" in the back. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. (In the meantime, market resoundingly ignores Micros~1's johnny-come-lately entry into the niche....) jb4 "So don't pay attention to the approval ratings that say 68% of Americans disapprove of the job this man is doing. I ask you this, does that not also logically mean that 68% approve of the job he's not doing? Think about it. I haven't." — Stephen Colbert, at the White House Correspondent's Dinner 29Apr06
Post #260,891 by altmann 7/6/06 12:29:48 PM Reply	This is part of the problem [link\|http://www.creative.com/products/welcome.asp?category=213\|http://www.creative.....asp?category=213] vs [link\|http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/0.RSLID?nnmm=ipod&mco=41D831CC\|http://store.apple.c...ipod&mco=41D831CC] -- Chris Altmann
Post #260,895 by drewk 7/6/06 12:39:27 PM Reply	OT: Speaking of problems ... Followed a link to an [link\|http://www.alienware.co.uk/product_detail_pages/Aurora_ALX/alx_features_gra.aspx?SysCode=PC-EU-AURORA-ALX-R4&SubCode=SKU-DEFAULT\|Alienware gaming system]. Tried to configure it just to see what kind of price it came in at. Didn't work at all. It's using that horrible ASP "doPostBack" convention that sucks so hard. === Purveyor of Doc Hope's [link\|http://DocHope.com\|fresh-baked dog biscuits and pet treats]. [link\|http://DocHope.com\|http://DocHope.com]
Post #260,897 by folkert 7/6/06 12:46:25 PM 7/6/06 1:25:53 PM Reply	Use the .com version... [link\|http://www.alienware.com/product_detail_pages/Aurora_ALX/alx_features.aspx?SysCode=PC-AURORA-ALX-R6&SubCode=SKU-DEFAULT\|Aurora ALX Desktop] I came up with: $9,958 with everything possble as far as hardware (including the physics prof^Hcessor) Then for the Big Bomb: 3 More Monitors @ $2,199 ea = $6,597 The big Disk addition, 3 x 750GB @ $450 ea = $1,350 And for an Additional 2 GB of Memory @ $500 For a total of $18,405 before any rebates (of which there is none) and before Shipping and Tax. That nets me a seriously SICK computer: 1 - Athlon64 FX62 X2 processor, 4 - 30" HDCP Monitors, 4 - nVidia GPUs (or two Dual GPU cards), 4GB of PC6400 memory, 1 - PhysX processor, 6 - 750GB disks, 2 Lightscribe Dual Layer DVD writers, 505 Watt 5.1 surround sound, WindowsXP, Alien ICE cooling and Acoustic Dampening, 700Watt Approved Power Supply and various asundered items (Including a free AlienWare MOUSE PAD, and free Alienware T-Shirt!!) Incredible. Bought 3 of them... NOT. -- [link\|mailto:greg@gregfolkert.net\|greg], [link\|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry\|REMEMBER ED CURRY!] @ *i_wethey* Freedom is not FREE. Yeah, but 10s of Trillions of US Dollars? SELECT * FROM scog WHERE ethics > 0; 0 rows returned. Edited by folkert July 6, 2006, 01:25:53 PM EDT Expand All History
Post #260,902 by drewk 7/6/06 1:10:42 PM Reply	Whoah Your Total $9,996.00 as low as $300/mo.* Price is before all applicable rebates That's some serious kit. === Purveyor of Doc Hope's [link\|http://DocHope.com\|fresh-baked dog biscuits and pet treats]. [link\|http://DocHope.com\|http://DocHope.com]
Post #260,904 by pwhysall 7/6/06 1:32:02 PM Reply	Dude, that's a Dell. Alienware? Overpriced tat in vaguely interesting boxes. Their service reputation is... ...interesting. Peter [link\|http://www.no2id.net/\|Don't Let The Terrorists Win] [link\|http://www.kuro5hin.org\|There is no K5 Cabal] [link\|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org\|Home] Use P2P for legitimate purposes! [link\|http://kevan.org/brain.cgi?pwhysall\|A better terminal emulator]

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