I also have an M285, bought in a fit of irrational exuberance over tablet PCs. Basically, if you think of it like a laptop with some extra tablet support, it's great. But as a tablet device, it's pretty much a failure.

The main issue is, as mentioned, the digitizer. It's probably around 5 pixels inaccurate at its most extreme points, no matter how you calibrate it, and I went through about 4 pen replacements while under warranty and I never had one working for more than a few months. Currently I'm stuck with the last pen, which works for about 30 minutes after a reboot, and then starts jumping all over the screen and fails to register dragged clicks consistently (a problem when you're doing text recognition and it picks up a glitch as a "lift and reclick").

The other problem was Gateway support, which was somewhere between awful and terrible. They have American call centers, which you'd think is a benefit--but really, the scripted responses and unwillingness to really consider my specific problems were all the same as the worst foreign call centers. After spending about a year with them trying to work out whether my digitizer (in)accuracy problem was a design or manufacturing flaw, and them unable to give me any useful feedback or options whatsoever, I finally told them I wouldn't be buying anymore Gateway products.

I paid probably about $1700 for mine in 2006. If you can get one for a few hundred bucks nowadays, it's probably worth it. Otherwise, look elsewhere.

Your logic, good sir, eats itself. If there is only a hugely small fraction of game buyers that care about this ROM hack, why is it worth Square Enix's time to gain that minimal brand protection by shutting down this project?

However, even within that little microcosm of fan-relevance, this is a stupid move by Square. That isn't to say Square stepped outside of its legal rights. But the exercise of legal rights is not itself a justification for the exercise of legal rights. I realize you were replying to arguments about legal rights, but the really relevant analysis shouldn't end there. What is most relevant is that there was little harm to any Square interest by this project.

Pragmatically, Square's C&D was a poor decision, because it did not help their brand, will not perceptibly make them any more money, but within that small group of fans, it's the equivalent of a sledge hammer right to their forehead.

See, for instance, these two articles:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10235906-37.html

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/05/07/happiness-in-slavery-nin-iphone-app-approved-with-no-changes/

The app was unchanged from when it was submitted. That Reznor quote is misleading--regardless of the tactics they tried prior to approval, in the end the version approved was unchanged from the original.

I mean, if the internet were to slow down to almost a standstill... then my computer would completely freeze, just like it does when I unplug my ethernet connection.

I admit, I never knew I signed an NDA...Like everyone else I didn't read the TOS. But I believe you, you're probably right, and I would delete my post above if Slashdot allowed users to do so.

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But hopefully these comments get to Id. I fully believe that if only they would have simply updated Q3 (and NOT as a 1 player game like Q4, but as an online arena multiplayer game in true form), it probably would have single-handedly revived "eSports," and completely taken over for all of the unworthy duel successors now favored in major tourneys more because of their release dates rather than their quality (Painkiller anyone?).

Instead...well... I guess I'm barred from talking about QL any further, but I think at least the following probably isn't an egregious NDA violation: It isn't what the doctor ordered.

I had a really hard time getting into Quake Live. I was excited about it for a week or so, but then went back to playing Quake 3 Arena, dwindling servers and all.

Why? Quake Live has fewer maps, it is not NEARLY as customizable, lagcode resulted in significant relearning and fudging of previously-tight timing, and in all you just felt like all of the browser-based revisions to the game were completely unnecessary, like they were filling out a concept that really didn't make much sense in practice.

Lack of Customizability

New maps and mods have to be added by central servers, top-down style. By comparison, Q3 has had such longevity because of bottom-up modding and map creation by fans. The result of QL's method is that gameplay and map choices instantly stagnate because there's no easy outlet and proving ground for new maps and features.

In-Browser Game Selection Doesn't Work

Rather than have this bizarre browser-based launcher, honestly they should have just spit-polished Q3 itself, added some ad-code to make money, and left the rest untouched. The browser is slow to navigate and find the best server for a duel using the browser map selection, compared to Q3 where I was used to using 3rd party server trackers and instantaneously connecting.

Lag/Netcode Seem Geared to More Casual Gamers

Currently, most Q3 duels take place in the CPMA mod. The physics for CPMA is frankly screwed up (apologies to those who actually like the strafe-jumping-gone-mad movement--I guess I'm not hardcore enough to remember when it was cool in Quake 1), but you can play with vintage Q3 settings and the lag/netcode is decent. A high ping is noticeable, but usually consistent enough to compensate because you are able to see your lag in the timing of your shots appearing on the screen.

By comparison, in QL, the lagcode/netcode seems to tend to mask the lag you experience, making your shots appear instantaneous even if they aren't in fact. This is likely to make it more accessible, but the result is less predictability for hardcore players. A duel means much less when you feel like the game isn't being straight with you about where you are actually shooting.

Overall

Q3 is still unrivalled as a 1v1 duel and straight-FPS TDM game. Carmack admitted he believes as much in a recent interview, so it's a shame he doesn't see how the lack of customizability, dumbing-down of the server interface, and dumbed down lag/netcode really cripples the game meant to be a replacement for Q3.