Fellow Brits, go to Amazon (or your preferred tecnho-retailer) and you can get Windows 7 Home Premium for half price until the 9th of August. After that its back up to full price, there is a limit of three per buyer, so you could two of them on eBay, except everyone else will have thought of that already.
Just remember that there may be a Family Pack release (three licenses in one box) so if you want to buy Windows 7 for multiple home systems, you may be better off waiting for that. There is also the Professional Edition for people who want extra security and connectivity.
None of the European versions come with a browser, and are full Installs only, requiring a fresh drive partition or blank drive, so remember to download your preferred browser and keep it on a memory stick before you install.
Can't really recommend buying Windows 7 Ultimate as it isn't worth the premium for so few extras.
P.S. Like the bit that 20% of people viewing Windows 7 ultimately go on to buy Wii Sports Resort, wonder which will sell more?
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Wednesday, 8 July 2009
Google to launch an OS
This news has by far the most comments of the day on Slashdot, is the top term on Twitter and yet the only solid information is that its an open source OS, based on Linux and Chrome that will be launched for Netbooks next year. The full details, all seven paragraphs of it, are on Google's official blog.
The most interesting line for me is the appeal to the open source community to help with the work. Contributing to a little side project or a niche business application is one thing, helping out the mighty Google, who presumably stand to make a lot of money (if not directly though sales, then through residual advertising via search and applications bolted-on) is quite another.
The big headlines are all of the "Microsoft-crusher" variety, but this just won't happen - at least not for many years. It'll take a good decade or more for the majority of typical users to be comfortable with storing documents online. However, as we've seen recently even modern gaming can be run in a browser, so perhaps the future isn't all that far away.
The most interesting line for me is the appeal to the open source community to help with the work. Contributing to a little side project or a niche business application is one thing, helping out the mighty Google, who presumably stand to make a lot of money (if not directly though sales, then through residual advertising via search and applications bolted-on) is quite another.
The big headlines are all of the "Microsoft-crusher" variety, but this just won't happen - at least not for many years. It'll take a good decade or more for the majority of typical users to be comfortable with storing documents online. However, as we've seen recently even modern gaming can be run in a browser, so perhaps the future isn't all that far away.
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
RealPlayer arrives in the 21st century
Remember RealPlayer? Me too, its the application I've refused to install on about my last five computers. I played around with it in the early days, but got fed up when it kept badgering me too upgrade to the Pro version and pay for stuff, most of which was U.S. only.
However, while not up there with Lazarus, its making a comeback with the RealPlayer SE edition that could at least pique a little interest. Stealing a march from my almost-beloved Vuze, it lets you rip and convert files direct to your portable device. Even better, it adds a little button in your browser so that you can download videos from the likes of YouTube, convert them to your iPod or BlackBerry or other gadget and enjoy them on the road.
For me, that means taking all those eighties/nineties rock videos that are now banned, on taste grounds, in many countries. Exhibit A, B and C. The thought of having them available at any moment means I'm downloading it right now. It's only in beta and some features you will still have to pay for, including coverting to PSP (Starting to lose interest right there) but, if it points the way forward for other media players, that has to be a good thing.
However, while not up there with Lazarus, its making a comeback with the RealPlayer SE edition that could at least pique a little interest. Stealing a march from my almost-beloved Vuze, it lets you rip and convert files direct to your portable device. Even better, it adds a little button in your browser so that you can download videos from the likes of YouTube, convert them to your iPod or BlackBerry or other gadget and enjoy them on the road.
For me, that means taking all those eighties/nineties rock videos that are now banned, on taste grounds, in many countries. Exhibit A, B and C. The thought of having them available at any moment means I'm downloading it right now. It's only in beta and some features you will still have to pay for, including coverting to PSP (Starting to lose interest right there) but, if it points the way forward for other media players, that has to be a good thing.
Saturday, 27 June 2009
Links it a lot
One of the games I could easily have mentioned as due for a remake the other day was Links, the corkingly addictive (U.S. Gold??) title from way back when. Happily, no need to worry about a remake, just go to World Tour Golf and play photo-realistic golf in a browser.
It includes Bethpage, the sub-aquatic course, from the recent US PGA among others and is just as fun as Leaderboard, Links and all those other stick-waggling, divot launching games. Plus, there's multiplayer, tournaments (play with friends or make new ones), quick games and the pro shop, all with no downloads and its free!
Still in beta, this could happily eat in the small amount of time I have left reserved for sleep and I suspect is what many executives are doing in their offices (Hi, Ade) when the should be firing people or fiddling expenses. Email a link to your boss and it could just save your career!
THe control mechanism is pretty simple, pick a spot to aim for, changing clubs if needed. Move your mouse to preset the power and then click to start the accuracy meter. Aim to hit the sweet spot or go for draw, fade or were you deliberately aiming for that small forest? For a browser-based game it is pretty complete with fluidly animated shot arcs and a neat looking power bar, the flag animations and stiltedness between photos could do with some work, but it is still a beta.
Does make you wonder what other games could work well in a browser, I have a sudden desire to play Silent Service or Hunt for Red October!
It includes Bethpage, the sub-aquatic course, from the recent US PGA among others and is just as fun as Leaderboard, Links and all those other stick-waggling, divot launching games. Plus, there's multiplayer, tournaments (play with friends or make new ones), quick games and the pro shop, all with no downloads and its free!
Still in beta, this could happily eat in the small amount of time I have left reserved for sleep and I suspect is what many executives are doing in their offices (Hi, Ade) when the should be firing people or fiddling expenses. Email a link to your boss and it could just save your career!
THe control mechanism is pretty simple, pick a spot to aim for, changing clubs if needed. Move your mouse to preset the power and then click to start the accuracy meter. Aim to hit the sweet spot or go for draw, fade or were you deliberately aiming for that small forest? For a browser-based game it is pretty complete with fluidly animated shot arcs and a neat looking power bar, the flag animations and stiltedness between photos could do with some work, but it is still a beta.
Does make you wonder what other games could work well in a browser, I have a sudden desire to play Silent Service or Hunt for Red October!
Thursday, 25 June 2009
More PC game remakes please
Having droned on about FMV games for a bit and just seen that Indiana Jones' first adventure has been rebooted for modern systems, I'd like a few more classic PC remakes please:
X-Wing (LucasArts) - Why this series was left to rot I have no idea but I bet a movie-quality rendition is now possible.
Eye of the Beholder (U.S. Gold) - This was my first PC RPG and while it wasn't quite Dungeon Master I'd still love another shot at hacking up all those floating eye-balls.
Gunship (Microprose) - Remember when every other PC title was a simulation? Apaches have been through three or four wars now and it would be a great to get a ground hugging combat sim of their actual exploits.
Magic Pockets (Bitmap Brothers) - I know there are still loads of platformers out there, but can someone with some gaming pedigree try a revamp of the genre and come up with something a little different, just like MP did, even though it wasn't perfect. (Plus the Betty Boo soundtrack please).
Battle Isle II (BlueByte) - Sometime after this came out, non-SSI war games started getting too complicated and overly cut-scened. This was the perfect balance of prettiness, story and gameplay for the time and I'd like it back, just the way it was.
Any other suggestions?
X-Wing (LucasArts) - Why this series was left to rot I have no idea but I bet a movie-quality rendition is now possible.
Eye of the Beholder (U.S. Gold) - This was my first PC RPG and while it wasn't quite Dungeon Master I'd still love another shot at hacking up all those floating eye-balls.
Gunship (Microprose) - Remember when every other PC title was a simulation? Apaches have been through three or four wars now and it would be a great to get a ground hugging combat sim of their actual exploits.
Magic Pockets (Bitmap Brothers) - I know there are still loads of platformers out there, but can someone with some gaming pedigree try a revamp of the genre and come up with something a little different, just like MP did, even though it wasn't perfect. (Plus the Betty Boo soundtrack please).
Battle Isle II (BlueByte) - Sometime after this came out, non-SSI war games started getting too complicated and overly cut-scened. This was the perfect balance of prettiness, story and gameplay for the time and I'd like it back, just the way it was.
Any other suggestions?
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Return of Mad Dog McCree
Having rattled on about some of my favourites here a while back, it is great - in a corny kind of way - to see that the FMV genre is back and kicking with the release of all three Mad Dog McCree titles in a budget bumper pack on the Wii. Kotaku has the story and you have to guess that it will venture out of PS3 and Xbox when their pointy-head controllers emerge.
With four-player mode and - well not a lot else really - just look forward to blazing away thinking Clint Eastwood thoughts. Now, hopefully, some of the, um, better FMV games will emerge blinking into the daylight to let us enjoy them once again, or first time round if you're young enough to not know what all the fuss was about.
I'm particularly looking forward to some of the multi-disc adventure games that I never got round to playing on PC. The golden game for me though lurks in my dim-distant memory, I remember a laserdisc fighter-pilot game from the very early eighties that was a little bit Afterburner, a little bit River Raid. If this ever sees the light of day it'll tickle every single nostalgia bone! Any ideas what it was called?
With four-player mode and - well not a lot else really - just look forward to blazing away thinking Clint Eastwood thoughts. Now, hopefully, some of the, um, better FMV games will emerge blinking into the daylight to let us enjoy them once again, or first time round if you're young enough to not know what all the fuss was about.
I'm particularly looking forward to some of the multi-disc adventure games that I never got round to playing on PC. The golden game for me though lurks in my dim-distant memory, I remember a laserdisc fighter-pilot game from the very early eighties that was a little bit Afterburner, a little bit River Raid. If this ever sees the light of day it'll tickle every single nostalgia bone! Any ideas what it was called?
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
PSP a go-go
When I first saw the leaked pics, I didn't much like the look of the new Sony PSP Go. However, having seen it in someone's hands, it all makes sense and now looks like the perfect gadget. A shame about the silly price point £249 (£229 on Amazon) is pushing it, but Sony and the other hardware makers are realising (in the wake of the Wii) that they have to make a profit at every link in the chain now.
Topping that with the immediate release of Final Fantasy VII (just ran up the flight of stairs up to Shinra HQ), closely followed by Metal Gear Solid on the PlayStation Store and you give the PSP platform a whole new lease of (admittedly nostalgic) life.
The cherry on the cake will be the brand-new Gran Turismo (finally) and an all-new Resident Evil to bring all Sony's (and friends) big old guns to bear on the format.
But, that's not enough and its the new tricks like Little Big Planet and Invizimals that give a sense of purpose and longevity to the PSP Go. After all, once you've got FF, MGS, GT, and RE on-board, where else is there to go? The only way is forward and its here that I hope Sony's nod to developers with greater support and cheaper dev kits will go some way to bringing us the next big franchise, on a tiny-weeny screen.
Topping that with the immediate release of Final Fantasy VII (just ran up the flight of stairs up to Shinra HQ), closely followed by Metal Gear Solid on the PlayStation Store and you give the PSP platform a whole new lease of (admittedly nostalgic) life.
The cherry on the cake will be the brand-new Gran Turismo (finally) and an all-new Resident Evil to bring all Sony's (and friends) big old guns to bear on the format.
But, that's not enough and its the new tricks like Little Big Planet and Invizimals that give a sense of purpose and longevity to the PSP Go. After all, once you've got FF, MGS, GT, and RE on-board, where else is there to go? The only way is forward and its here that I hope Sony's nod to developers with greater support and cheaper dev kits will go some way to bringing us the next big franchise, on a tiny-weeny screen.
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