FUD: Apple User Style

Some called John Pospisil has written an article on his blog jumping on the Vista bashing bandwagon. His article entitled "Microsoft slugs Mac users with Vista Tax" on the tech.blorge.com blogging site is just a load of uninformed crap. From the article:

Mac users wanting to run Vista on their Macintosh will have to buy an expensive version of Vista if they want to legally install it on their systems.

The end-user license agreement for the cheaper versions of Vista (Home Basic and Home Premium) explicitly forbids the use of those versions on virtual machines (ie Macs pretending to be PCs)

This is misleading, the EULA on the cheaper versions of Vista forbids the installation of these versions as Virtual Machines running under virtualisation software such as Parrallels, VMWare or even Microsofts Virtual PC. This relates to ALL platforms that these virtualisation programs support, not just Macs. It does not stop you from installing Vista on your Apple under Boot Camp.

This article is just pure FUD. I am suprised that a "tech" site would even publish something that is so incorrect and misleading. The ensuing arguements on slashdot and even on the article itself are just so funny. People who obviously know nothing about what they are discussing stating opinions as fact. Oh I love the Interweb.

PS3s going for cheap in Japan

In an interesting compliment to an earlier post I made regarding the PS3 in Japan Kotaku is reporting that prices of Sonys new console have been slashed by up to 20% in the electronics district of Japan.

I find this very interesting. It's pretty amazing that this whole perception that the "PS3 would just sell" really is backfiring on Sony. In my opinion its for a couple of reasons:

No Good Games: Sony launched the PS3 with what could only be described as the worst lineup in history. With no good games to purchase people then turned to blue ray media to play on their machines, of which there is none.

The Sony Attitude: Sony have been quoted to say that as gamers we'll buy a PS3 because its a Sony, so it must be good. Bullshit. Show us a good console with good games at a good price and we'll buy it. One interesting quote was from sony saying that people would work 2 jobs to own a PS3. Not likely. This attitude is just alienating and pissing off their market.

Overall I just don't think that (especially for the moment) the PS3 is attractive enough for its price. Could this be the demise of a once great console franchise? Maybe, but I hope not. The competition is what has driven Microsoft and Nintendo to be so innovative with their consoles and services. To lose a major player like Playstation from the mix will mean these companies wont have to try as hard to make themselves stand head and shoulders above the competition.

Still: Xbox 360 FTW ;)