microsoft dropping windows xp

[Clever Name]

iTunes can be either really great or a rip off. I usually get my music from there because it's cheaper than buying a CD, but about two weeks ago, I decided I wanted the Les Mis CD and ended up finding it at Target for $10. iTunes was $15. Same deal with a Kelly Clarkson CD. Guess you just have to look around.

The Searchers is a great movie, by the way.

That's exactly right. In my examples, I guess I made iTunes out to be bad. I have found some good prices on iTunes and ordered items from them in the past. I just like to find the lowest price. Sometimes I find the lowest price from a local vendor while other times Internet stores win. Indeed, shopping around for the best price is my avocation.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Well, yes... But there's a) the cost of the player and cables (HDMI at least), and b) having another component (and remote). Investing in a player and media is a losing battle. For example... You buy the latest VHS player and buy 20 movies. Great. But now DVDs come out. Start over. Wait, now it's Blu-ray time... Buy a new TV *and* a player. Oh, and all your media. AGAIN. No thanks!

That having been said, I did drink the Blu-ray Cool-Aide with my last home theater rebuild. Still, I think a HTPC is the way to go. Media and formats are a losing proposition.

The difference is Blue Ray players still let you play your DVDs. We had to replace all of our VHS's with DVDs, but the DVD's are still good and play on our blue ray player, so we don't replace them. Except for the few that we didn't have for whatever reason. But it is expensive. The only reason we upgraded was because we needed to move the old TV downstairs when they made the switch to digital. The next craze is 3D TVs and smart TV's. We're not investing in that!

 

[BoarderPhreak]

The difference is Blue Ray players still let you play your DVDs. We had to replace all of our VHS's with DVDs, but the DVD's are still good and play on our blue ray player, so we don't replace them. Except for the few that we didn't have for whatever reason. But it is expensive. The only reason we upgraded was because we needed to move the old TV downstairs when they made the switch to digital. The next craze is 3D TVs and smart TV's. We're not investing in that!

True, yeah - and also CDs! 3D TVs is already underway and in the process of fizzling out. People are not dropping their existing HDTVs to switch to 3D... It's cute, but overrated and too much trouble. Most people just get headaches. The next craze is actually smart TVs (most are these days anyway) like you said - but also UDTV. "Ultrahigh Definition" and 4k.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

True, yeah - and also CDs! 3D TVs is already underway and in the process of fizzling out. People are not dropping their existing HDTVs to switch to 3D... It's cute, but overrated and too much trouble. Most people just get headaches. The next craze is actually smart TVs (most are these days anyway) like you said - but also UDTV. "Ultrahigh Definition" and 4k.

They're starting to upgrade some of their stuff. We got Pinocchio and Lady and the Tramp on blue ray and both look pretty good, as do some of the older James Bond films.

I like some of the new Hollywood stuff. But there are classics that cannot be beat from the seventies and eighties (Star Wars). Les Mis was a really good movie. I enjoyed Amazing Spider-Man too. And Men in Black 3. And I'm pumped for the new Star Trek film! But you're right; it's mostly garbage.

 

[Clever Name]

That still all sounds more convoluted than just having a Blu-ray player.

You're right, it is. However, there are many advantages.

I can sit down in front of the main TV and with one remote control, turn on the entire system. I can select from thousands of songs (hundreds of them being Disney related tunes) and I can look through all of my digital photos dating back over 100 years (all digitized). The photos are sorted so I can bring them up by date, time, subject matter (i.e. WDW trips), persons in the photos. If I want to see little Bobby from the Disneyland trip in 1965, I can find it fast.

Same deal works with movies, music and documents as well. I can see my income tax return from any year (which comes in handy on April 15th) and I can simultaneously play the song "Singin' The Blues" while reviewing my income.

 

[lazyboy97o]

You're right, it is. However, there are many advantages.

I can sit down in front of the main TV and with one remote control, turn on the entire system. I can select from thousands of songs (hundreds of them being Disney related tunes) and I can look through all of my digital photos dating back over 100 years (all digitized). The photos are sorted so I can bring them up by date, time, subject matter (i.e. WDW trips), persons in the photos. If I want to see little Bobby from the Disneyland trip in 1965, I can find it fast.

Same deal works with movies, music and documents as well. I can see my income tax return from any year (which comes in handy on April 15th) and I can simultaneously play the song "Singin' The Blues" while reviewing my income.

My $80 Blu-ray player could do that.

 

[luv]

"I'll pay more because it guarantees it works!"

not sure why you have a problem with that. I know you can't be saying you'd rather pay less for something that doesn't work...but I don't get why you have an issue with people paying more to get things that work. Other than people who cannot afford to do it, who wouldn't?

It's why I decided to spend more...person after person telling me how I "wouldn't have those problems" if I got a mac.

Yes, Apple costs more. I am not a fan of spending more just to do it...but Apple stuff works!

 

[NowInc]

not sure why you have a problem with that. I know you can't be saying you'd rather pay less for something that doesn't work...but I don't get why you have an issue with people paying more to get things that work. Other than people who cannot afford to do it, who wouldn't?

It's why I decided to spend more...person after person telling me how I "wouldn't have those problems" if I got a mac.

Yes, Apple costs more. I am not a fan of spending more just to do it...but Apple stuff works!

Because its false...it doesn't "just work"..at least not for everything as they claim

 

[BoarderPhreak]

Because its false...it doesn't "just work"..at least not for everything as they claim

Not everything, no. But pretty close - and it doesn't matter. It only has to be better than Windows... And it most certainly is.

 

[luv]

Because its false...it doesn't "just work"..at least not for everything as they claim

I see! I don't know what all they claim. I just know it has worked beautifully for me.

But I get your point. Thanks!

 

[Clever Name]

My $80 Blu-ray player could do that.

You're lucky to have that player. All new players now sold are cinavia infected and prevent playback of many files from hard drives and other storage sources.

Make sure you don't update the firmware on that player. New firmware will infect it with cinavia.

 

[NowInc]

Read this today to elaborate more on what I said regarding the whole not blaming windows 8 for pc sales declines:

Windows 8 sales performance, more analysis
An article on Computerworld yesterday quotes an analyst saying that the recent steep decline in PC sales wasn’t the fault of Windows 8. Stephen Baker of the NPD Group analysed data that his company collected for Q1 2013 and came to the conclusion “It wasn't about Windows 8, it was much more about the price challenges facing OEMs”. He added that“People want cheap touch devices, and that's where Windows 8 devices can't compete right now.”
Last week’s IDC report cited Windows 8 as a contributor to the slowdown in PC sales. However NPD say that the price of touch enabled hardware is the problem. Steven Baker said Apple Macs are also experiencing a similar downturn and “The market is flat, and no one is outperforming the others”.
Interestingly NPDs Mac sales data wasn’t in line with that collected by IDC and Gartner, there are 15 percentage points between the rival market research and analysis firms. However, as Computerworld reminds us, we will find out the true figures for first quarter Mac sales during Apple’s investor conference call on 23rd April.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Read this today to elaborate more on what I said regarding the whole not blaming windows 8 for pc sales declines:

Windows 8 sales performance, more analysis
An article on Computerworld yesterday quotes an analyst saying that the recent steep decline in PC sales wasn’t the fault of Windows 8. Stephen Baker of the NPD Group analysed data that his company collected for Q1 2013 and came to the conclusion “It wasn't about Windows 8, it was much more about the price challenges facing OEMs”. He added that“People want cheap touch devices, and that's where Windows 8 devices can't compete right now.”
Last week’s IDC report cited Windows 8 as a contributor to the slowdown in PC sales. However NPD say that the price of touch enabled hardware is the problem. Steven Baker said Apple Macs are also experiencing a similar downturn and “The market is flat, and no one is outperforming the others”.
Interestingly NPDs Mac sales data wasn’t in line with that collected by IDC and Gartner, there are 15 percentage points between the rival market research and analysis firms. However, as Computerworld reminds us, we will find out the true figures for first quarter Mac sales during Apple’s investor conference call on 23rd April.

That's interesting. Thanks for sharing. I have a Windows 8 laptop. It runs pretty nicely and has some cool features, but like the article said, it's not touch because it's too expensive. For the same price as a basic touch laptop of the same size, I got a faster processor, more RAM, a larger hard drive, a backlit keyboard, and a fingerprint reader. Also, it's lighter. It took some getting used to, but I've adjusted to the new OS. My previous computer was a 7, and the desktop doesn't look that much different.

I was considering getting a Windows 8 tablet for college, but I'm not sure whether to go with that or an iPad. I'd be buying it myself, and although I can pay $1000 for a tablet (factor in keyboard, case, and other accessories), I don't exactly WANT to. Not when I can easily sync notes from One Note or Evernote from my tablet to my laptop and vice versa. If anyone has any thoughts or recommends a good tablet for students, I will gladly take any of your advice into consideration.

 

[Master Yoda]

That's interesting. Thanks for sharing. I have a Windows 8 laptop. It runs pretty nicely and has some cool features, but like the article said, it's not touch because it's too expensive. For the same price as a basic touch laptop of the same size, I got a faster processor, more RAM, a larger hard drive, a backlit keyboard, and a fingerprint reader. Also, it's lighter. It took some getting used to, but I've adjusted to the new OS. My previous computer was a 7, and the desktop doesn't look that much different.

I was considering getting a Windows 8 tablet for college, but I'm not sure whether to go with that or an iPad. I'd be buying it myself, and although I can pay $1000 for a tablet (factor in keyboard, case, and other accessories), I don't exactly WANT to. Not when I can easily sync notes from One Note or Evernote from my tablet to my laptop and vice versa. If anyone has any thoughts or recommends a good tablet for students, I will gladly take any of your advice into consideration.

If you already have a Windows 8 laptop I would go with the Surface Pro if you must get a tablet. That way you have the same OS on both devices which will typically mean no conflicts between the 2.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

If you already have a Windows 8 laptop I would go with the Surface Pro if you must get a tablet. That way you have the same OS on both devices which will typically mean no conflicts between the 2.

Hmm...the surface pro is around $1000. I have that, but I'd prefer not to have to spend all of it. $800 for everything (keyboard, case, stylus) would be my maximum, and even my laptop didn't cost that much. My basis for that number is that a 32 GB iPad costs $600 plus a Zaggfolio (case & keyboard) costs $100. I'd be willing to spend a bit more on a better product, but since I am paying for this myself (unless my father for some reason decides he'll pay; I'm just not going to put him in the position unless he offers since I do have my own money and he paid for my laptop, buying me better than the one I asked for, plus the car, plus college), I'd prefer not to spend more than $800, especially since I need to replace my iPod Touch and get myself a GPS for my car, unless I'd like to get myself completely lost that is.

 

[Master Yoda]

Hmm...the surface pro is around $1000. I have that, but I'd prefer not to have to spend all of it. $800 for everything (keyboard, case, stylus) would be my maximum, and even my laptop didn't cost that much. My basis for that number is that a 32 GB iPad costs $600 plus a Zaggfolio (case & keyboard) costs $100. I'd be willing to spend a bit more on a better product, but since I am paying for this myself (unless my father for some reason decides he'll pay; I'm just not going to put him in the position unless he offers since I do have my own money and he paid for my laptop, buying me better than the one I asked for, plus the car, plus college), I'd prefer not to spend more than $800, especially since I need to replace my iPod Touch and get myself a GPS for my car, unless I'd like to get myself completely lost that is.

From what I have experienced, most tablets are just big phones that don't make calls. The Surface Pro is the first one that I have used that feels like an almost legitimate laptop replacement. If you can I would wait. The sluggish sales should result in a price drop.

 

[wdwstateofmind]

Breaking News: Everything gets old and eventually lacks support (even humans)....

and Windows 8 was a failure (if you couldn't see that coming)...

 

[NowInc]

Breaking News: Everything gets old and eventually lacks support (even humans)....

and Windows 8 was a failure (if you couldn't see that coming)...

...and how can an OS thats less than 6 months old be considered a failure?

 

[Master Yoda]

...and how can an OS thats less than 6 months old be considered a failure?

iKool Aid grants clairvoyance.

 

[wdwmagic]

From what I have experienced, most tablets are just big phones that don't make calls. The Surface Pro is the first one that I have used that feels like an almost legitimate laptop replacement. If you can I would wait. The sluggish sales should result in a price drop.

I think this is where people get the wrong device. The iPad (and all the clones) are just like big iPhones, but for the vast majority of users, all they need to do is email, web, social, and some apps - and on a larger screen than their phone. In these cases an iPad gets the job done perfectly. For those that are doing content creation, or really need a specific piece of software and a keyboard, a full on laptop is the way to go. I think this is why Surface is not gaining any traction. A laptop is a better buy for those that need a full machine, and an iPad is a cheaper, and better tablet format machine.