Our GPS unit (TomTom) has the option of turning off the moving map above a certain speed (user defined) and replacing it with a static image indicating the type of turn (highway exit, cloverleaf, etc) and updated information on time/distance/etc. to the next waypoint. It works well for me, as when I'm in-town I really need to see when that next turn is coming. On the highway, you've got more lead time to prepare for merging/lane changes/etc. And centering the map on the car seems much more intuitive than moving the car around on the map. Again, our stand-alone GPS has the option to either orient the map in direction of travel or orient the map towards North. The latter is bloody confusing and not preferred.

Well, that's the whole (game|film) noir thing in a nutshell -- there IS no Happy Ending for our hero. The best he can expect is to break even. I'm not surprised that Max will be back in the thick of things, railing against fate and the unthinking cruelty of life. If things turned out all spiffy and neat, it wouldn't be Max Payne and it wouldn't be as interesting a story.

Let's face it -- if it isn't something that comes in a colorful box with a nice shiny-paged booklet and screenprinted CD, some folks won't touch it. Case in point is my uncle. He's somewhat computer savvy but doesn't trust anything that you can "just download off the intarnets" -- to his way of thinking it's not legitimate software unless it comes in a professionally produced package.

I "get it" of course (and have since 1998... :) ), but that mythical "average computer user" we keep hearing about will probably find it comforting to get their dose of Ubuntu through a "legitimate" source, like Best Buy (meh).

Frankly, anything that will show the suits that Linux (pick your flavor) has sufficient market-share and penetration on the desktop is a Good Thing -- sales equals maturity/legitimacy.

Cheers,

BeerGeek