Episode 586: We h8t flash drives
Flash drives are stupid and anyone who would pay $10 to get a single song on one is stupid. Love, the h8trz at BOL.
Molly Wood Former Executive Editor
Molly Wood was an executive editor at CNET, author of the Molly Rants blog, and host of the tech show, Always On. When she's not enraging fanboys of all stripes, she can be found offering tech opinions on CBS and elsewhere, and offering opinions on everything else to anyone who will listen.
6 min read
This is just our way of warning you that we might possibly have been a little harsh in re. a plan by Universal, Warner, and EMI to sell music on, um, flash drives. Because the kids these days think CDs are dead and ... flash drives? Are cool? Anyway. In other
news, a little old lady takes a claw hammer to a Comcast customer service office. We do no condone. We only applaud.
--Molly
Listen now: Download today's podcast
--Molly
Listen now: Download today's podcast
 | EPISODE 586 |
TODAY'S LINKS:
TODAY'S VOICE MAIL:
Tom from Norway
Norway did it first.
Norway did it first.
Thomas from Columbus
I apologize.
I apologize.
Tim the Austin rocket scientist
Indie music search.
Indie music search.
TODAY'S E-MAIL:
PS3 vs. Xbox 360 Elite
I'm so sick of the bashing of the PS3, and saying, oh the PS3 40GB is even 50 bucks more than the Xbox Elite with 120GB.
OK, let's get started.
X-Elite costs and pertinent features
$450 base unit. Premium $350 (only 20GB hard drive)
$180 HD DVD drive
$95 wireless dongle
Total Cost $725. Premium $625 ($175 to increase to 120GB drive, Total $800)
Includes
120GB drive
HDMI
3 USB Ports
Limited (lots, but limited) backward compatibility
PS3 80GB
$499 base unit. PS3 40GB only $399
Includes HDMI, HD movie playback, and wireless
40GB: 2 USB ports, no card reader
80GB: 2 or 3 USB (I can't tell) and built in multi-card reader
If want to make into 120GB (Heck, into 200GB) just buy a laptop drive 120GB laptop drive $80-$120 bucks it seems.
So that would make the 40GB unit $420, still less than the Elite and includes all the same features and more, HD playback of movies and wireless built in.
So, the cost benefit analysis for PS3 is much better deal. I felt it was always a better deal, but that's because I was always interested in HD. If not, back when it was 600, then ya, the Xbox had a little bit of an edge (due to the choice of no HD and no wireless if didn't want it).
The 80GB has limited background compat, the 40GB doesn't and I actually don't think it is as big of an issue as you always say. If you really want back compat, sure it's not all in one system, but you can get a PS2 for 100 or is it 130? Still a reasonable deal.
Lastly, Molly, you love shooters what about "Resistance fall of man" with 40-person online? What about PlayStation stores free items, cheaper games, free themes, free online?
I love my Xbox and don't have a PS3, due to cost constraints with two babies, but I'm definitely getting one, hopefully for Xmas this year. Yeah, there may not be as many games, but one year in, there weren't for the XBox either, or the PS2 this far in, that's normal, and why should Sony push when the PS2 is a money-making machine still? They have time before they really need to push. And how long is the life of the Xbox 360, hopefully longer than the 3-plus years of the original. The PS3 will be around at least 5, like the PS1 and PS2, before the PS4 comes out and likely would be supported for 10 years, again, like the PS1 and PS2. So, in a few years you'll see $99 PS3s...
Sorry for the rant, but that's just my 20 cents.
Erick the satellite guy
I'm so sick of the bashing of the PS3, and saying, oh the PS3 40GB is even 50 bucks more than the Xbox Elite with 120GB.
OK, let's get started.
X-Elite costs and pertinent features
$450 base unit. Premium $350 (only 20GB hard drive)
$180 HD DVD drive
$95 wireless dongle
Total Cost $725. Premium $625 ($175 to increase to 120GB drive, Total $800)
Includes
120GB drive
HDMI
3 USB Ports
Limited (lots, but limited) backward compatibility
PS3 80GB
$499 base unit. PS3 40GB only $399
Includes HDMI, HD movie playback, and wireless
40GB: 2 USB ports, no card reader
80GB: 2 or 3 USB (I can't tell) and built in multi-card reader
If want to make into 120GB (Heck, into 200GB) just buy a laptop drive 120GB laptop drive $80-$120 bucks it seems.
So that would make the 40GB unit $420, still less than the Elite and includes all the same features and more, HD playback of movies and wireless built in.
So, the cost benefit analysis for PS3 is much better deal. I felt it was always a better deal, but that's because I was always interested in HD. If not, back when it was 600, then ya, the Xbox had a little bit of an edge (due to the choice of no HD and no wireless if didn't want it).
The 80GB has limited background compat, the 40GB doesn't and I actually don't think it is as big of an issue as you always say. If you really want back compat, sure it's not all in one system, but you can get a PS2 for 100 or is it 130? Still a reasonable deal.
Lastly, Molly, you love shooters what about "Resistance fall of man" with 40-person online? What about PlayStation stores free items, cheaper games, free themes, free online?
I love my Xbox and don't have a PS3, due to cost constraints with two babies, but I'm definitely getting one, hopefully for Xmas this year. Yeah, there may not be as many games, but one year in, there weren't for the XBox either, or the PS2 this far in, that's normal, and why should Sony push when the PS2 is a money-making machine still? They have time before they really need to push. And how long is the life of the Xbox 360, hopefully longer than the 3-plus years of the original. The PS3 will be around at least 5, like the PS1 and PS2, before the PS4 comes out and likely would be supported for 10 years, again, like the PS1 and PS2. So, in a few years you'll see $99 PS3s...
Sorry for the rant, but that's just my 20 cents.
Erick the satellite guy
Space-based Internet
Hello TMJ,
Space-based Internet sounds really cool until you factor in lag time. Wireless to the moon and back would have about a 3-second ping time. You're not playing 'Halo' or 'WoW' online at that speed.
If you were playing with someone on Jupiter, each packet would take 25 minutes to get there, and 25 minutes to get back. You would need a Subspace radio Wi-Fi router to leave the galaxy. That would make it an Enterprise class 802.11ufo device.
Love the podcast.
Still miss Veronica.
Henry C.
Southfield Michigan
Hello TMJ,
Space-based Internet sounds really cool until you factor in lag time. Wireless to the moon and back would have about a 3-second ping time. You're not playing 'Halo' or 'WoW' online at that speed.
If you were playing with someone on Jupiter, each packet would take 25 minutes to get there, and 25 minutes to get back. You would need a Subspace radio Wi-Fi router to leave the galaxy. That would make it an Enterprise class 802.11ufo device.
Love the podcast.
Still miss Veronica.
Henry C.
Southfield Michigan
iPhone and OS X security
Hello BOLers,
This is regarding show #585 and "why is Steve so afraid of OS X being insecure" caller.
Like Tom said: It's OS X for a phone, not for a full-blown computer. It's running on a hardware-starved system, like most other embedded systems. It probably only has rudimentary memory protection, if any, and it's pretty well-known that everything runs as root on the iPhone. That removes two big layers of protection that are available on the computer version. I, for one, am all for them certifying applications before they get on the iPhone; just like Nokia, Molly.
Still subscribed, but I find that I have to tune out more and more when Apple is mentioned. I mean, when I hear things like: "I'm running Vista on my new Dell, because even though it runs like a dog and it's missing half its drivers, at least it's not blue-screening on start-up anymore." vs. "I'll never OS X again; it doesn't even do slide shows the way XP does." my eyes tend to roll so far to the back of my head that it makes my drive home too dangerous.
Bye, and I won't be offended if you edit the third paragraph out.
Nick
Hello BOLers,
This is regarding show #585 and "why is Steve so afraid of OS X being insecure" caller.
Like Tom said: It's OS X for a phone, not for a full-blown computer. It's running on a hardware-starved system, like most other embedded systems. It probably only has rudimentary memory protection, if any, and it's pretty well-known that everything runs as root on the iPhone. That removes two big layers of protection that are available on the computer version. I, for one, am all for them certifying applications before they get on the iPhone; just like Nokia, Molly.
Still subscribed, but I find that I have to tune out more and more when Apple is mentioned. I mean, when I hear things like: "I'm running Vista on my new Dell, because even though it runs like a dog and it's missing half its drivers, at least it's not blue-screening on start-up anymore." vs. "I'll never OS X again; it doesn't even do slide shows the way XP does." my eyes tend to roll so far to the back of my head that it makes my drive home too dangerous.
Bye, and I won't be offended if you edit the third paragraph out.
Nick
E90 Communicator
I can't believe how stupid you people can get. In case you have not realized, the Nokia e90 splits open revealing a 4-inch screen and a full QWERTY keyboard.
Vishnu Prem
Singapore
I can't believe how stupid you people can get. In case you have not realized, the Nokia e90 splits open revealing a 4-inch screen and a full QWERTY keyboard.
Vishnu Prem
Singapore
The wheel
As a regular BOL listener, imagine my shock when I was catching up on BOL podcasts and got around to episode #581 and suddenly heard that my Web application for the iPhone, The Wheel, was dismissed as a "filler" and entirely unnecessary (for self-aware pregnant women such as Molly). This, after my elation about the honor of The Wheel being chosen for the first wave of iPhone Web apps gathered by Apple. Since that introduction, The Wheel is accessed 5,000-10,000 times a day. A minuscule hit-rate compared to the million or so iPhones out there, but definitely not just a "filler."
While Molly's recent pregnancy was undoubtedly self-centric (as most pregnancies are), making the need for such a calculator unnecessary for herself, I can assure you that physicians, midwives, and nurses who take care of dozens or hundreds of Mollys at once are not so attuned to each patient's gestational age at any moment in time. These gestational age calculations are performed with each visit and with each management decision, since knowledge of gestational age is critical and the cornerstone of quality care.
Bottom line, I didn't really develop The Wheel for the lay public but instead I developed it (as a hobby) for those physicians who have the luxury of buying expensive toys like the iPhone and do not want to use the cardboard wheels in their pocket which are hard to read (if you're over 50 like me) and inaccurate. If I developed The Wheel for lay people, there would have been lots of pretty pictures, pink and blue colors, nice nursery music, and Google ads for baby cribs and stretchmark creams. ;)
So, let's be careful when you call someone else's baby ugly.
Donald
As a regular BOL listener, imagine my shock when I was catching up on BOL podcasts and got around to episode #581 and suddenly heard that my Web application for the iPhone, The Wheel, was dismissed as a "filler" and entirely unnecessary (for self-aware pregnant women such as Molly). This, after my elation about the honor of The Wheel being chosen for the first wave of iPhone Web apps gathered by Apple. Since that introduction, The Wheel is accessed 5,000-10,000 times a day. A minuscule hit-rate compared to the million or so iPhones out there, but definitely not just a "filler."
While Molly's recent pregnancy was undoubtedly self-centric (as most pregnancies are), making the need for such a calculator unnecessary for herself, I can assure you that physicians, midwives, and nurses who take care of dozens or hundreds of Mollys at once are not so attuned to each patient's gestational age at any moment in time. These gestational age calculations are performed with each visit and with each management decision, since knowledge of gestational age is critical and the cornerstone of quality care.
Bottom line, I didn't really develop The Wheel for the lay public but instead I developed it (as a hobby) for those physicians who have the luxury of buying expensive toys like the iPhone and do not want to use the cardboard wheels in their pocket which are hard to read (if you're over 50 like me) and inaccurate. If I developed The Wheel for lay people, there would have been lots of pretty pictures, pink and blue colors, nice nursery music, and Google ads for baby cribs and stretchmark creams. ;)
So, let's be careful when you call someone else's baby ugly.
Donald