darcmage

1y ago

(Opinion piece) Hello, PC gaming here: Are the consoles OK? With sales dropping and confidence declining, how close are we to the end of consoles as we know them?

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$666 without kb/mouse/monitor/os. https://pcpartpicker.com/list/vjVNbL

You're right in that over the long term, a PC gamer will probably end up spending less on their hobby. But for someone starting from scratch and trying to decide on a path, the console remains the cheaper and easier platform to jump into.

I don't see where I mentioned optimization but I am curious and maybe you can elaborate further on what I'm guessing are probably the differences between game patch optimizations vs driver level optimizations?

1y ago

(Opinion piece) Hello, PC gaming here: Are the consoles OK? With sales dropping and confidence declining, how close are we to the end of consoles as we know them?

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Not sure I agree the premise of the article. Sales are going to be down when there are fewer AAA releases to drive hardware sales. It's taking longer and longer to develop those games and the budget required no longer justifies console exclusivity.

I think 2025 will be the real measure of console strength when the big releases are scheduled to come out.

1y ago

(Opinion piece) Hello, PC gaming here: Are the consoles OK? With sales dropping and confidence declining, how close are we to the end of consoles as we know them?

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First point is more true today than it was in the past. It is impossible to build a gaming pc for $400-500 that is capable of playing most modern games at high settings (without RT) and play at 60 fps. The gpu capable of doing that is around $300 by itself.

I think the longevity of consoles also plays a large part in their appeal. Knowing you can use the system to play at consistent performance levels for 7-8 years is a comforting thought.

For the PC side, I'm not sure about your point about drivers. Nvidia/AMD/Intel regularly release day 1 drivers to improve compatibility with new games.

1y ago

Is Firefox still good ?

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That's great and all but if your experience was typical, Mozilla wouldn't have created webcompat.com and it wouldn't be as busy as it appears to be. We can probably work around such issues but I wouldn't expect non-techies to do the same.

1y ago

Is Firefox still good ?

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Firefox has been my preferred browser since 0.9. But whenever I help set up a relative's or friend's computer, I always install chrome as the default browser. With the lack of adherence to web standards and most sites only testing against chrome, it just makes chrome/chromium the obvious choice if you don't want to deal with the occasional breakage.

1y ago

Is Firefox still good ?

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I think they're comparing chrome's user interface which, on a tablet, switches to a more desktop like interface with the tab bar instead of the tab counter. It is something I wish firefox would also implement but not a deal breaker.

1y ago

Question about Active Noise Cancellation alternatives

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Great ANC is still a premium feature that you'll pay a premium price for. But good ANC has made its way into the budget space and if you're willing to compromise on some features, you'll find some decent options. I usually pay attention to rtings reviews: https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/best/noise-cancelling-earbuds

1y ago

When Texas jails issue tablets, it comes at cost for inmates and families - A handful of Texas jails have issued electronic tablets to inmates. Counties can make money off their use.

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This was a major plot point in Doctorow's Bezzle that I just finished. It's depressing to see it happening in real life but I guess I shouldn't be surprised.