Why Windows Is So Expensive

Cuz they are. The Firefox Extension Guru's Blog Discusses the Expense of Windows Vista and Office 2007 in some detail. Now they say Windows 7 will be more expensive than Vista or XP.

But Microsoft keeps attacking Apple about the expense of their stuff. Hmmm. Jealous, maybe?

Anyway, you can get some software somewhat cheaper at Software Supply Group. I don't work for them anymore, but they're all right. I'm busy trying to sell discount medical supplies and hospital equipment.

Windows 7 Will Never Hit the Ultrathin Notebook Sweetspot

Windows 7 Ultrathin notebooks not hitting the sweet spot, according to Mary-Jo Foley.

But of course. And nothing is going to hit the ultrathin notebook sweetspot, or the netbook sweetspot, until Apple comes out with there iPhone-based tablet that'll knock everybody's socks off. Which will happen, soon enough.

PC World says the Apple Tablet is real. Now, we'll finally get an actual netbook market. Sorta like we got an MP3 market when Apple released the iPod, and finally got a touch-screen Internet phone market when Apple released the iPhone.

That's the stone-cold truth. Later, my friends.

Tron: Legacy Will Be Truly Banging

Of course, Tron: Legacy now has it's official name. I like it. Evokes the idea of maybe spending a little time running through the old mainframes at Encom, running into Ram and passing the old I/O towers. Legacy code. You know.

Michael Sheen, best known as Tony Blair in The Queen and that other movie, as well as David Frost in Frost Vs. Nixon and some silly glittering vampire in one of the Twilight movies--oh, and the main badass werewolf in the Underworld movies--will play the bad guy in Tron: Legacy.

Man, I really wish I could have been at SDCC to go to Flynn's and play Space Paranoids. Sigh. Geek nirvana--the most magical thing I can possibly imagine for my life--and I missed it. I feel like crying.

And here's the "trailer" for Tron: Legacy. Sigh. Can't wait for that.

The Official Tron Legacy Trailer
by allthingsdisney

Love Me Some Harry Potter

I actually haven't seen the new movie yet. But I have listened to the last two books in audiobook format, and they were both great books. And I'm listening to the previous books now, as I never made my way through them. Awesome.

Like I said, I haven't seen the most recent movie yet, but I understand that Hermione Granger has bloomed into a most charming young woman in this latest installment.

Looks like she could use a wireless bra-top blood pressure transmitter. Or Harry and Ron could, really, I suppose.

Jim Dale really does a great job of reading the books. Get 'em all from Amazon here.

In other news, you gotta read Athra. It's an on-line graphic novel by a friend of mine, and it's totally awesome. Go now!

Tron 2 At Comi-Con

Oh, it's coming. Two new viral sites for the new Tron movie have been loosed upon an unsuspecting public: Flynn Lives and Home of Tron. And a non-news update from Ain't It Cool News recently hit, as well.

In other news, if you're looking for goniometers, like this finger goniometer, or this extendable goniometer, then follow the links and all your goniometer dreams will come true.

How about exam lamps, like this Grafco Halogen Exam Lamp? Or how about Stethoscopes? Like this MDF Premier Stethoscope. The MDF® ER Premier™ 22K Gold-Plated Stethoscope is a robust and versatile stethoscope with superior acoustic quality that enables ER physicians to deliver fast and efficient emergency care to both pediatric and adult patients using just one stethoscope. Also with an included Bell Conversion this stethoscope can be transformed into Classic Cardiology™ Stethoscope. Precisely handcrafted from premium stainless steel for the highest performance and unmatched durability in any emergency medical setting. Pretty cool, huh?

Not exactly software and technology, but I've got to do whatever I can to promote the job I have, which is hanging on by a thread. So I'll try just about anything. Come on by! Feed my children! Take care of your healthcare needs! And . . . more later.

Bye!

CompuServe, Which Nobody Knew Was Still In Business, Closes Its Doors

Although if you go to http://www.cs.com/ they don't see to know it, yet. They still try and get you to sign up!


Ah, history. CompuServe was the first major commercial online service in the United States. It charged hourly rates, and those rates were expensive. You might spend $79 dollars a month, now, to get gigabits of always-on internet access, at the top. Back in the day, you could burn through $79 in a single evening, chatting on the CB at 300 Baud thanks to your handy-dandy accoustic modem.

That's an Anderson Jacobson accoustic modem, almost exactly like the one I used to have, and which I used for years until I finally got a Hayes 1200 Baud direct-connect smartmodem. Ah, technology!

BTW, that Smartmodem 1200 was $699, back in the day when it was first introduced. That'd be about what? $1500 now? I bought mine a little later, and it was only $399. Still--wow. Expensive.

UPDATE: I decided to check this using The Inflation Calculator. What cost $699 in 1981 would cost someone $1635.20 in 2008 dollars. So, there ya go.

CompuServe hung-on. My very first internet access was through Compuserve, using their PPP service to establish my Internet connection. My, how things have changed. And now, Compuserve is on the way out. Goodbye, CIS! We shall miss you.

Looking for discount medical, hospital and clinical equipment? Look no further than DME Medical Supplies. Just FYI.

Anyone else remember Apple's eWorld? I gotta do a post on that, sometime.

The Mophie Juice Pack Makes Your iPhone Drinkable

No, not really. The Mophie Juice Pack provides longer battery life for your iPhone. Which is handy, if you can't be bothered to remember to plug the thing in on a regular basis.

And somebody says you can win a Mophie Juice Pack or something. Cool.



In other Macintosh related news, here are 10 OS X Pranks that'll get you fired. Or at least physically assaulted.

In other news, this cartoon is just stupid.

Seriously, the fact that Google is launching some amorphous effort at creating a desktop operating system--maybe--is the equivalent of kicking Microsoft in the sensitive parts? No, no really. In fact, it's nothing like it. There is already Red Hat and Ubuntu and Mac OS X, and Microsoft has survived that all well. Just because Google is--well, Google--doesn't mean that simply announcing they are going to do some sort of operating system means they'll displace Microsoft in the enterprise, or on home PCs, and that's 99% of Microsoft's market. Might catch on in developing nations. Whenever they get regionalization done. And so on.

Sigh.

iPhones and Curity Bandages

As an informative tidbit, if you are looking for some Kendall Curity Disposable Nursing Pads then I have something for you. And it's right up there.

In other news, the new Apple iPhones are mega-cool, but I'm still using my original Edge Network, 4mb iPhone, and still pretty happy with it. Is the iPhone better than the RIM Blackberry? The short answer is, except for some business users and even then it's questionable, yes. Definitely, yes. Better than any phone ever made by anybody. Sorry, but it's true.

In still other news, Neil Patrick Harris and Felicia Day in the mega-groovy Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog is mega awesome.

I.V. Poles and Windows 7

It's not software, but if you're looking for 2 Hook, 4 Leg I.V. Pole, I know where you can get one. Chrome plated. It extends from 47" to 85"high. It features 2 hooks and it has easy-roll 2" casters. It's a 4-leg base diameter is 23" with low profile base. Cuz, sometimes you don't just need software. Sometimes you need IV poles, too.

In more software-related news, the iPhone's MultiTouch--called something else--comes to Microsoft Windows PCs with Windows 7. Pretty cool to look at, you gotta admit. Wonder if it works that well in practice. I'm guessing no.

Having menus and windows all tilt strangely seems to me typically Microsoft. Because you can make it possible to create an unnavigable mess with a touch interface, then you should. So they will.

Microsoft Announced Project Natal At E3

Microsoft recently announced project Natal (Neonatal? Who comes up with their project names?), a "controller free" video game interface. Very, um, interesting. Though maybe a little premature.

I guess the idea is to out-Wii the Wii, so to speak. Best of luck with that. The video looks impressive, but computer companies--and Microsoft is no exception--have a track record of releasing great looking videos for cutting edge technology projects that never really pan out, for whatever reason. I'm just not expecting "Natal" to really change gaming any time soon, or even get purchased by a large majority of X-box users.

In truth, it probably is the future of gaming. Just not tomorrow's gaming, or the day after tomorrows. Maybe a decade. Maybe more. And expect a company like Nintendo to really get it right, while Microsoft spends all the money getting the market ready.

If and when it gets to market, I anticipate a lot of complains, and a lot of unhappy gamers. Just sayin'.

Lost Is The Best Show on Television

Ever watch Lost? Michael Emerson is ultra-rockin' as Benjamin Linus.

And Terry O'Quinn as John Locke is just as cool. It's a great show. And Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn help make it the coolest show on television. Although I miss Mr. Eko. He was the one other completely super-cool, super-tough characters. They shouldn't've killed 'em off.

And it looked like there was going to be a sub-plot with Libby, and then Michael just shot her. What was up with that? She was in the same institution as Hurley (who is also ultra-awesome), and gave these weird looks when interacting with Hurley--maybe she knew the numbers, maybe she knew Hurley was a multi-millionaire? Whatever, something was up, then she just got shot and that was that. Disappointing.

Anyway, we sell software (if you haven't guessed), but we only currently have one legitimate Lost title, Lost: Via Domus, for the X-Box. More on Lost: Via Domus from IGN.

Don't forget to check out the deals on SnaggStuff.com. As of 4/15/09, we're selling a supder groovy Bluetooth Wireless VoIP Skype Phone for only $24.95. And, if you don't get there today (4/15/09), you'll be too late. So move!

We're Not The J. Peterman Catalog. I Admit It.

The LowePro Transit Backpack. Pretty cool.

Did you know the J. Peterman Catalog is still in business? It is. Doesn't have anything to do with anything, I just heard them talking about it on TWIT and wondered if old J. Peterman was still around. Turns out, they are.

Wonder if I should try the J. Peterman approach. "The grizzled technologist donned his LowePro Factor Backpack, thoughtfully rubbing the wisened leather of his Deluxe Belkin iPod case for his 4th Generation iPod. Could he bring Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 to the aboriginal tribes at the foot of the mountain?"

Nah. I dunno. Doesn't work.

Just Saw The Watchmen

It was mostly kind of "meh". FX are cool, but, these days, FX are common place. Boring, if there's nothing else to it. The best part of the movie (and it is great) are the parts with Jackie Earl Haley as Rorschach. When he tells his fellow inmates that they've got it wrong, that he's not trapped in their with them, but "you're trapped in here with me", you believe it. So compelling, and outstanding, is Jackie Earl Haley's performance as Rorschach that the rest of the movie and its $100 million dollars of special effects cannot compare. If the movie had been title "Rorschach", and it had been about him the entire time with the other characters only coming in relative to him, it would have been a much better movie. Not the graphic novel, I know, but still. A much better movie.

Ah, well. Whatcha gonna do? Jackie Earl Haley totally brings the goods to his performance. He's the main thing that makes watching the movie worthwhile. Nobody else feels fully realized. Maybe they just pale next to Jack Earl's performance. And general bad-assery.

In other news, if you're looking for a Fellowes Lighthouse Optical Mouse Pads, we got 'em for only $1.39. Cool.

How about Kaspersky 2009 Internet Security 3-User OEM. We got it for only $25.49. Beat that! With a stick. You can't do it, can you? So, give in and purchase now!

More soon. Later, my good friends.

Sun Microsystems Might Be Sold to IBM

Sun Microsystems might be sold to IBM, and it's stock is rising. Would certainly be the best thing for Sun. Maybe IBM could make a go of it--Sun certainly hasn't been able to manage anything on it's own.



In other news, you can get the Microsoft Office 2007 Master Kit (Media Only) from Software Supply Group for only $14.99 as of this posting. Good deal, good deal. No license, unfortunately, just the media, but if you need replacement media, this is a great way to get it.

As I may have mentioned before, we also have Windows Vista Business 32-bit full Version OEM for only $124.95 (again, as of this posting).

What else? I'm thinking, I'm thinking. Well, we've also got McAfee 2009 VirusScan Plus Full Version OEM . . . for only $8.95.

Well, that's it for now. More soon enough.

On About The New Tron, Not TR2N

New details of the plot have been released. Sounds very cool. Kevin Flynn created many of the world's top games as head of ENCOM (and, of course, he had a kid), then disappeared--and where did he disappear to? Where else? The computer world! Wheeen! Then acting ENCOM head (after Flynn's disappearance) Alan Bradley (author of the original eponymous Tron program) presents Flynn's son with information that leads him to search for his father in the computer world. There, it's apparently the CLU program, from the original, that has gone corrupt, and sort of acts as the Sark of the new inside-the-computer-world.

It just sounds mega-cool.

We used to have Tron 2.0, Killer App (for X-Box) in our list of software game titles. Alas, no longer. But we have plenty of other cool games. We also carry a variety of Electronic Toys, Business Software, Software for the Home, and more. So, stop on by sometime.

Also, I ought to mention that SnaggStuff.com now has a SnaggStuff Community, where you can discuss the groovy new deals from SnaggStuff.com on any given day. Here's the conversation for today (3-4-09), but tomorrow it will be different. Whatever, come on by and check it out!

Heroes Is Like The Perfect Geek Television Series

Tim Kring's Heroes is, like, the prefect geek television series. For a million reasons. The comic book format to the story is spot-on--even the things people have complained about with heroes getting weird, heroes becoming villains and villains becoming heroes and back again, is perfect comic book patois. At least, perfect 80s comic book patois, which is pretty much where my comic book history stops. I'm late to the series, but I'm lovin' it.

I stopped reading comic books around 1990, and have probably read about a dozen since then (not including going through the entirety of Dave Sim's Cerebus oeuvre. But I grew up reading them, and Heroes is the prefect comic book television series. With entirely non-standard, non-DC, non-Marvel characters, it captures the world of comic book super heroes.

One of the uber-geek things I like best? The casting. George Takei as Hiro Nakamura's father, Kaito Nakamura. Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura on Star Trek TOS) as Nana.

Robert Forster as Arthur Petrelli. Who geeks remember Captain Dan Holland in The Black Hole. And Daniel Linderman, played by Malcolm McDowell. How awesome is that?

What does this have to do with Software Supply Group? Not much. We have some games that have the word "Heroes" in the title, like Heroes of Might and Magic IV. And several others with the name "Heroes" in it.

Beyond that, I need to remind you that we still have Sage ACT! 2007, Full Version, for only $15.99. That's right, only $15.99! Better get it while supplies last.

Office XP Professional for Cheap!

Just a quick note to let you know, we've got Microsoft Office XP 2002 Pro, as an OEM (that means it doesn't come with the box and all that stuff). So you know. And, right now, we've got it for only $94.97. Ultra-awesome!



And, for today (February 19th, 2009), SnaggStuff.com has another groovy Mystery Box. This one is pricey--$50 bucks for a Box of Mystery--but we guarantee that it will be Chocked Full of Amazine Awesomeness. BTW, if you follow the link, and it's not the amazing awesome mystery box, you're too late. These deals only last for a day.

Although, I think we should give people some idea of the awesomeness and amazingness that waits for them. Because some folks may be more eager to pay $50 for certain other kinds of awesome amazingness than others. Just saying. But, not my call.

Last Post on Legend of Zelda. For Now.

I finally finished Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. I beat Ganondorf! I rock. But, I wanted to share a few pictures I've run across while looking for stuff on Twilight Princess of the Interwebs.

For the entire game, which I'm sure you know if you've played it, Midna looks like the little sprite on the left, short and squat but with a definite elfin cuteness. Then, after you've beaten Ganondorf, Midna turns into the tall Twilight Princess you see on the right. But, that moment is very short. Too bad.

Another picture I came across must be from a comic convention, and I love it:

A real, live girl in the Midna costume is just adorable. If I wasn't already married, I'd propose to this woman. Although, she might get tired of constantly dressing in skin-tight vinyl, white face paint and a giant paper mache headpiece, which would be a condition of the marriage.

So, are you remembering to check out the great, one day only deals and discount at SnaggStuff.com? If not, you should be. They've got good stuff.


In other news, we've got some weird non-software stuff at SoftwareSupplyGroup.com. Such as a the overpriced Deal or No Deal Desktop Calendar. Or this lovely 7 Piece Stainless Steel Knife Set with Cutting Board.


Or this Coby Electronics 2GB Video and MP3 Player with FM Radio and Color Display. Only $41.16 right now. Not too bad.

Well, gotta go. More later!

Still Working on Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

I bought Twilight Princess before I had my Wii, so I got the Gamecube version. I'm actually not playing it on the old Gamecube now, but the Wii--which can play all the old Gamecube games. Irritatingly, you can't use the wireless controller, but you have to use an actual Gamecube controller--which it comes with 4 plug-ins for, just like the Gamecube. So that's cool, I guess.

You also have to use the Gamecube memory cartridges, as the Gamecube emulation on the Wii won't use any of the Wii memory. This irritates me, but, oh, well. It's not pretty (there are little panels on the top of the Wii that open for the memory and the controller plug-ins, and when you're using them, they're half-open with stuff sticking out of 'em and it's kind of "not neat". But, oh well. Which makes me think about the NES and SNES emulation, which has some irritating aspects, too--like never being able to save my progress on Super Mario III! But, that's another story. More on Wiiware and using the SNES Wii controller and such later. Back to Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

It's a great Legend of Zelda. Better than Windwaker, and easily as good as Ocarina of Time. I never finished Majora's Mask (frankly, it became kinda tedious to play, which is never good for a game). But I've enjoyed playing this one as much as I've ever enjoyed playing Legend of Zelda, and, except for the bosses, I'm playing it twice--once to get to the Final Boss (I lose the first round), and now to collect enough rupees to buy and use the magic armor. Which is complicated, as it involves spending almost 4000 rupees getting the east bridge rebuilt, then funding the Goron store in the Castletown, then actually buying the magic armor from them . . . and I will then have to save up sufficient rupees to use the magic armor, as apparently hits deduct rupees, rather than health points, when you take damage wearing the magic armor. We'll see. I'm not quite there yet. But soon. Very soon.

Which is all a prelude to saying, we sell some Wii games now. Like Destroy All Humans: Big Willy Unleashed. And Guitar Hero Aerosmith for the Wii. And Opoona for the Nintendo Wii. That's a weird looking game.

Zelda: Twilight Princess

About a year ago, I stopped playing Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (the GameCube version). I had already logged about 200 hours (I know, I'm slow). That was enough.

Later, we got our Wii so I occupied myself playing Super Mario Galaxy and Super Paper Mario on the Wii. Yes, I'm definitely into the Nintendo franchise titles, like Zelda and Mario, but I digree.



Point being, I picked up playing Twilight Princess the other night, and I'm almost through. I now need to face Ganondorf, or Ganon, or whoever he is, and that should be it. Point being (again with that phrase), I like good games and Twilight Princess is an excellent video game. Perhaps one of the best of the Zelda series, and they have all been exemplary games for their times.

Yet, games are not confined to platforms like Nintendo or Playstation (although we do have a decent collection of platform video games for X-Box, Nintendo, Sony Playstation and others). They're also available, in great fecundity, for your computer. And Software Supply Group has added a bunch of great game titles just recently.

For example: Atari Anniversary Edition. I love the classics. This incredible compilation features 12 of the most popular games from the first video arcades, and an assortment of new features to go along with them. Enjoy the classic style gaming thrills of Asteroids and Asteroids Deluxe. Blast away in Centipede, Millipede and Gravitar. Use your reflexes and aiming skills in Battlezone, Crystal Castles, Super Breakout, Missile Command, Tempest and Warlords. It even includes Pong, the first commercially-released video game ever. How cool is that?

But we have plenty of other titles. Like Secret Agent Barbie. And Seven Kingdoms II. Even The DaVinci Code, from Take 2 Interactive. And The Grand Theft Auto Classic Collection.



We've also added a number of Entertainment Software Titles, a wide selection of Educational Titles, Graphics Software and more.

Well, that's it for now. More later!

More Nostalgia: The Atari 52000

Do you remember the Atari 5200? I do.

And I even remember that Activision Pitfall commercial with Jack Black. Oh, yes. I do.

Yes, I'm a very nostalgic guy. That's why I love the fact we still sell Microsoft Windows NT, and for only $19.95. And we've got Microsoft Windows 95 for $17.49 and the Windows 95 Upgrade back for only $2.92! At that price, you could buy a dozen and still have change left over for coffee!

We still carry the Microsoft Office 2000 products. And Microsoft Office XP 2002. And more. It's cool. Some come on buy, and pick up your little bit of Microsoft History from Software Supply Group today.

Twoogie Let's You Twitter, Doogie Howser Style

Yes, it's true. You can finally Twitter like Doogie Howser with Twoogie, a Twitter Interface that makes everything like you're typing into Doogie Howser's PS/2. Go to Twoogie.Com to experience it, right now. 

Takes me even further back, to 1983, when I used to watch Whiz Kids on CBS. Man, I loved that show.

In other news, SnaggStuff is a great place to get deals. There's a new deal every day at 11:11 CST (approximately), and it's always a good one. I'd showcase one, but it'll be a new deal tomorrow. So . . . bookmark SnaggStuff.com and snag yourself a deal.

Windows 7 Beta Download Is Now (or Was) Available

Windows 7 Beta has been made available, with only 2.5 million download slots. The way I read it, that's only for today, and on Friday everybody can download it. But I'm not sure.



What I am sure about is that you having to be upgrading Windows Vista SP1 to install the Beta. If you aren't, no dice. So, go buy an inexpensive copy of Windows Vista real quick, and you'll be set.

When the Windows 7 Download is available, you should be able to get it here.

There is a Windows 7 Review from Computer World here.

Windows Seven is Closer, But Not Yet Here

Since last time I talked about Windows 7, Microsoft has put up a preview page (or, at least, I can find it now).

Will it be better than Windows Vista? Sure. Will it solve all the security problems and viruses and bot-nets in the world? No. But, the fact is, you could do something about now, whether you're using Windows Vista, Windows XP, or something even older (though, unless it's Windows 2000, you really shouldn't be).

But, no matter what, you've still need virus protection. Thank goodness we happen to have a great Internet Security Suite, AVG 8.0 Internet Security (OEM) for only $15.55. As of this posting. Yay for us! And lucky for you, if you don't already have an Anti-Virus Suite.

It's historically been less bloated and more efficient than Symantec Nortion 2009 Internet Security (which we have for only $19.95, if you want that) and 10 bucks cheaper than Kaspersky 2009 AntiVirus 3 User Full Version OEM.