Mik

As far as I can tell, there are only three good reasons to upgrade to Vista: directx10, cablecards, and improved security. Directx10 won't be important until late-2007 or 2008 and with cablecard totally locked down to approved oems only, that feature becomes useless for now too. It remains to be seen how effective the new security features are. I suspect many inexperienced computer users will just click OK through every security prompt in Vista without reading or understanding it, rendering much of the new security ineffective for most people. I'm currently recommending to all my friends that they not buy Vista yet. Perhaps it will become more compelling by the end of the year.

Only devices that support microSDHC can use cards like this. I suspect most existing devices will not support it without at least a firmware upgrade. If a device doesn't specifically say it can use HC cards, then don't assume it can.

MS is currently gouging consumers on the price for the 20GB HD. They either need to let everyone add third-party HDs like the PS3 can, or release a bigger HD that's more in-line with what hard drives actually cost. That's the reason I don't have a 360. The games are finally starting to interest me, but I want a HD in my console and I refuse to pay $100 for a 20GB HD.

Dr. Chaos for the NES was the worst ending I've ever seen. I still remember it after all these years. After you finish suffering through that awful game, you get a black screen with the following words: "Congratulations! You are great. Game over." That's it. It's almost worth playing through again just to screenshot that. Almost, but not quite.

I wouldn't worry much about this. There are requirements for patentability such as novelty and non-obviousness. Each of Anascape's patents likely don't meet those requirements and will be struck out if Microsoft or Nintendo mount any type of defence at all. If Anascape really did miraculously invent all game controller technology, then its patents must be from the 80s and already expired by now anyway since everything described has existed in consumer products in one form or another for quite a while.