Messages

51

Living Room / Re: The eBook reader wars

« on: July 07, 2010, 01:03 PM »

Game consoles ( X Box, Playstations  etc.) are all about selling  games
Razors are all about selling blades
Smartphones are about selling airtime

52

Living Room / Re: The eBook reader wars

« on: July 07, 2010, 12:28 PM »

From today's WSJ  :
Borders Group Inc., the nation's second largest bookstore chain as measured by sales, has launched an e-bookstore powered by Kobo Inc., the Canadian e-book retailer in which Borders owns an investment stake.   Borders is late to the e-book business, which is the fastest growing segment of book publishing and book retailing. Major e-book retailers include Amazon.com Inc., Barnes & Noble Inc., and Apple Inc., with Google Inc. expected to enter the market later this year.
Borders said it hopes to control about 17% of the e-book market by July 2011. By contrast, Albert Greco, a book industry researcher, estimates that in 2009 Borders had a 10% share of the retail book sales market.

It's all about selling books.

53

Living Room / Re: The eBook reader wars

« on: July 07, 2010, 10:50 AM »

It's all about market share.  If B & N could get 70 % of the market for e-readers and to do it they had to lose $ 20.00 on each reader they would do it in a heartbeat.

54

Living Room / Re: The eBook reader wars

« on: July 06, 2010, 07:43 PM »

The object for both Amazon and B & N is to sell books - not readers.
See Gillette and the safety razor.

55

General Software Discussion / Re: Request: How did DonationCoder take off? (Slightly NSFW)

« on: July 05, 2010, 12:56 PM »

..but I don't think any of us want to see pictures of 40hz and 4wd in poses like that

An innuendo is, according to the Advanced Oxford Learner's Dictionary, "an indirect remark about somebody's body, usually suggesting something bad,

I hope 40hz and 4wd  don't take offense.....

56

General Software Discussion / Re: Request: How did DonationCoder take off? (Slightly NSFW)

« on: July 04, 2010, 11:32 AM »

I joined DC in 2005.  I don't code, I don't blog etc  and in the 5 years I have only posted maybe 150 times.. But there is value here and even a non techie can see it.
Somehow Mouser  and app 103 and all the other members  far too numerous to mention have made it into a forum that I visit at least twice a day.

57

Living Room / Re: Are my EBook Reader dreams going to be answered in 2010? A full size reader?

« on: July 03, 2010, 01:48 PM »

You forgot -  Price under $ 149.00 USD

58

Living Room / Re: Are my EBook Reader dreams going to be answered in 2010? A full size reader?

« on: July 02, 2010, 09:21 AM »

From the Wall Street journal. July 2, 2010

                http://online.wsj.co...indle&mg=com-wsj

59

Living Room / Re: Are my EBook Reader dreams going to be answered in 2010? A full size reader?

« on: July 01, 2010, 08:58 PM »

The electronic reader and e-books is a major upheaval ( like the electronic game systems - Nintendo etc changed the toy industry ) in the book business. The publishers all have a big stake in how this shakes out. The two big retailers , Amazon and B & N, also have a huge stake in this.
I think there will be new readers both from Amazon and from B & N.   (The DX  was not a big seller -  probably because of price.)
My guess would be a screen size around 7.5  - 8 inch diagonal  screen   about the size of the print  area  in a hardcover book.
Now, I am not an insider.  I am retired from  the retail  toy business.  I see parallels with the electronic game systems ( from pong to Wii )
This is what I think will happen.  I am going to wait until November - December before I buy.

60

Living Room / Re: Are my EBook Reader dreams going to be answered in 2010? A full size reader?

« on: July 01, 2010, 07:41 PM »

The price drops are to establish which e-reader is going to be the big dog.  The DX price was too close to the iPad price and doesn't have as many functions.
There will be further price drops as  we get to November  and  new and improved readers from both Amazon and B & N.

61

Living Room / Re: How can we fix government? (U.S.)

« on: June 29, 2010, 12:27 PM »

Until our elected representatives are forbidden  to accept more than $ .13  in any shape or form, under pain of , well Gewn 7 said it best, there will never be any  reform.
Money talks and our congress people listen- real hard.

62

General Software Discussion / Re: website help needed

« on: June 28, 2010, 06:13 PM »

OK    I have tried both methods   -  they both will work for me.

As usual  DC  members always come through.

Thanks

63

General Software Discussion / website help needed

« on: June 28, 2010, 01:12 PM »

I am trying to ad this map from Google to a website.         http://maps.google.c...15,0.041199&z=16

I get the map but I get the sidebar which I don't want.    Is there a way to get rid of the sidebar ?

Thanks

64

Living Room / Re: When life rains down lemons...

« on: June 27, 2010, 08:40 AM »

I am told that the reason the Captain always goes down with his ship is .... In the military you have to PAY for any equipment that you lose.

65

Living Room / Re: When life rains down lemons...

« on: June 26, 2010, 08:08 PM »

TV  Movie  made in 91  called  Mission of the Shark  Not quite Hollywood but ....

66

WorldCup Predictor / Re: FIFA World Cup Predictor 2010

« on: June 25, 2010, 06:21 PM »

Ok  now we are into the round of 16.  Is there any way to know how the predictions have worked so far ?

I had  Italy @  8 %  and France at 3 %  both are done..
I'm OK with Spain  27 %  England 18 %  Brazil 14 % Germany 9 % Netherlands 6 %  Argentina @ 5 % and South Korea 4 %

I know the object was to make a good bet on a sleeper. 
Just curious
Go  USA  !!!!

67

WorldCup Predictor / Re: FIFA World Cup Predictor 2010 - A Contest For Best Predictions?

« on: June 04, 2010, 07:04 PM »

Thanks  Mouser
  Cropping is not my strong suit   

68

WorldCup Predictor / Re: FIFA World Cup Predictor 2010 - A Contest For Best Predictions?

« on: June 04, 2010, 06:51 PM »

69

WorldCup Predictor / Re: FIFA World Cup Predictor 2010 - A Contest For Best Predictions?

« on: June 04, 2010, 03:19 PM »

My entry under ljbirns  of 5-29

I'm in.  I did not include  second round games for team that I believe will not make it past the first round.

Lew

70

WorldCup Predictor / Re: FIFA World Cup Predictor 2010 - A Contest For Best Predictions?

« on: June 03, 2010, 07:19 AM »

And just as I was going to bet  !

71

WorldCup Predictor / Re: FIFA World Cup Predictor 2010 - A Contest For Best Predictions?

« on: June 03, 2010, 07:11 AM »

world cup on June 3rd, 2010, with current bedding odds

 And I thought the world cup was soccer...........

72

WorldCup Predictor / Re: FIFA World Cup Predictor 2010 - A Contest For Best Predictions?

« on: May 29, 2010, 08:51 PM »

I'm in.   If I win I will donate the prize to Donation Coder.  I am looking forward to the World Cup, even though I live in the US and baseball is my sport of choice..
I have run a number of simulations over the past 6 weeks.  I pick  SPAIN to win for what it is worth.
My entry under ljbirns  of 5-29

73

Living Room / Re: What happened to my DC forum avatar?

« on: May 26, 2010, 09:26 AM »

Sometimes "progress " isn't progress.  In the  the ancient times I had a secretary ( NOT an Administrative Assistant even -  more ancient  )instead of spell check.
Of course I didn't have an internet ID then  either  ( ljbirns)
But I digress   Where o where is 40hz's avatar ???????

74

Living Room / Re: What happened to my DC forum avatar?

« on: May 26, 2010, 07:35 AM »

Quote from Stoic Joker

On a side note: Spell Check suggested I replace your name with lesbians  ohmy - Not an altogether bad idea...

I was curious so I tried my spell check    It came back   jailbirds

shocking !

75

Living Room / Re: What happened to my DC forum avatar?

« on: May 24, 2010, 06:15 PM »

I can hardly wait to find out what happened to 40hz's  avatar.