return void;

ok so there are a few things i have wanted to post about in the last few days that i have just been too lazy to do.

first, i wanted to mention the dvd burner. seems the dvd burner is on the fritz. before i formatted and reinstalled, it started acting wierd by making a clicking sound every time it started to read a disc. as of late, the drive has started making the same sound when it closes a dvd while burning. so it looks like the drive will have to be replaced asap. i’ve been shopping around, and this drive seems to be the best choice. might as well make the jump to dual layer and just wait for the $1/disc days to arrive.

secondly, i found a link to AIM Fight on slashdot a while back. so far, it seems only chris and a friend of crystal has beat my score. i think one other person beat me, but i cannot remember whom.

next, i found some rather interesting news about the XBox 360. it seems that it will not be featuring an HD-DVD drive in the initial release. wow, if history has told us anything, this will be the final nail in microsoft’s attempt to break into the gaming industry. this basically means that microsoft will be repeating what is known as the Osborne effect. for some of the older gamers out there, we have seen this before. remember back when sega made gaming consoles? i do, and i remember that they made 2 mistakes that buried them. first was the SegaCD. nuff said. second was the Dreamcast, which in turn was sega’s last attempt at making hardware. why did those systems flop? anticipation of better hardware.

basically what this boils down to is this. first, microsoft will most likely be locking themselves into the DVD format because by releasing 2 versions of the XBox, there will then be non-standard hardware. this means that software publishers will be either leary about making XBox360 games, or will stick to one format only. these publishers will most likely stick to the DVD format, since it was in the original release. we’ve seen this before in the PS2; the exact reason why online play never really took flight. secondly, this will mean that more people will be willing to wait to get the system. this means lower initial sales figures which means less game publishers. we’ve seen this before with the Gamecube. but this anticipation will mean that while those people wait, Sony and Nintendo have the chance to get their hardware out and then people will choose on either raw power of the system (basically, the numbers), brand loyalty (fanboys), or game library. granted microsoft will have an advantage on the library, but they will be severely lacking in terms of raw system power (aside from the myths that the ps3 and revolution are all just hyped).

surely microsoft is doing this for a good reason… then again, they’ve only posted profits in 1 of 8 of the last quarters in their XBox division while Nintendo has yet to post a loss.

next but not last, i wanted to mention my site. a long time ago, i developed a site i coined “anti-thought.” yeah, it just happens to be the name of this blog, but it was originally the name of that site. the site had the same basic principle as this blog though less evolved. well, recently i emerged lighthttpd and set it up. there is no content set up on the machine, but it will eventually be there. i will be redoing the general layout of the site as well as updating it with some newer technology. i will be using SSI to drive a majority of the page, including the menu and the main content. i will also be using CSS to drive the general theme. i’d like to setup a couple of CSS templates so users can switch to one that is most pleasant on their eyes. i will be reorganizing the data and creating a section to warehouse most of our pictures.

without further adue, here is the link: Anti-Thought. make sure to note that there is a port number other than 80; this was to stem the tide of the script kiddies bangin down on my webserver’s door (granted they never get it, but it’s just plain annoying). also, i’d like to mention that i have setup a publically accessible music streamer here: Erebus Music Server (the default theme is slow to browse, i’ve been meaning to change it). as you may have noticed, i’m using port numbers to control service and host destinations. if the music server is too swamped that i am unable to enjoy my music, i will effectively kill it’s public access and only allow restricted IP addresses. if you are not listening, tell your player to stop/pause. if i am forced to block IP addresses, i will only allow close friends who ask for access. i cannot listen to this at work so as long as my wife can surf the net when she needs to during the day, i don’t care how many people listen; evenings are another thing. so enjoy!

lastly, i wanted to mention that i finished another book called “hellbound heart,” written by clive barker. this book was the basis to the movie “hellraiser.” i will be giving my review of the book hopefully tomorrow after the gym.