Ahhh, the Windows 8 experiment is over almost before it started.
The world of computing is very different today than what it was only less than a decade ago. It seems everything can be turned off remotely at the flip of a switch. Windows XP, with it’s local storage and processing seems a much safer bet, even though it’s unsupported by Microsoft at this stage. Even then, you only want to mess with it if you construct your own computer and run a rich home office or media network. I am currently queuing an installation of MS Office and greedily awaiting the eventual installation of old PC Gamer demo discs (fingers crosses that software DOS prompts can do the trick!) on the old beast. I have yet to troubleshoot the speakers and headphones
This pursuit would be futile on a brand-new, top-of-the-line, store-bought, pre-fabricated device purchased from a corporation, as the machine would destroy itself at regular intervals on purpose, just to allow the hardware manufacturer to switch out the parts for worse ones, all while under warranty, then force you to buy a new box altogether, when it’s not under warranty. I’m sure they even get kickbacks from the shipping industry and tech support for customer returns. It’s all evident in the way customer concerns are handled by phone and internet by a single company for all hardware manufactures for all devices and for all needs and concerns. It’s all consolidated scam art at this point. Warranties used to last a lifetime, but these days you’re lucky if it’s even possible to return the product. Who wants to buy a new expensive computer with no guarantee of functionality? No one. That’s who.
Here’s hoping good, old Windows Update has the salve for my Windows XP hardware ills. I know it doesn’t make a damn’s worth of difference on Windows 8. Not even good drivers can save that cluster*uck in the name of functionality.
I can’t wait to load up my old-school LucasArt’s X-wing Vs. Tie Fighter! Video games may be under attack industry-wide, but I think games are still relevant and important, just like the space program. Until the industry recovers, retro rules the schools, and new entries into the gaming world will get spending depending on reviews and word of mouth and media. Even these are hard to get a hold of with web 2.0 and HTML 5 and IPV7 in the mix, but people will need to just get smarter.
Since the used and resale market is under attack as a result of posting difficulties (like broken network links and sites, and mirror sites), it seems beneficial to space out purchases and only buy one thing at a time. This way, a user can test for functionality and ensure that a return is made under warranty or a resale is undertaken, if it’s incompatible, without having too many things to handle and risk a missed exchange window.
Why even go through the trouble? Just look at the Oculus Rift. 3d manufacturing, a la Iron Man, is an example of what’s possible with investment in cutting-edge, off-the-shelf gaming technology. I assume the next step is to miniaturize it down to contact lenses.
As for the less tech savvy, there are always other alternative uses:
Software is an equally grim experience. Now that stores and online retailers sell disc rips and crippled hardware exclusively, I’m going to take it as a sign that torrents are legal and so are emulators. There’s legal grounds for industry legislation to stop these scammers and continue supporting the creators of good movies, music and games via sales, but so long as it’s impossible to get it legally in order to support the creators, everything falls to gray-zone, deep-web private industry and brinkmanship. You should make acquisitions based on whatever you can get your hands that works and whatever you like, as opposed to what’s on store shelves or online retailer indexes, as you don’t want to enrich a fencer by paying good money to a criminal.
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