Kotaku 
Enter your username and password.
Denver, 9:06 AM
Sat Dec 5
48 posts in the last 24 hours
Tip us:
Editor-In-Chief:
Brian Crecente
| AIM | Twitter
Deputy Editor:
Stephen Totilo
| AIM | Twitter
Senior Editor:
Michael McWhertor
| AIM | Twitter
Senior Contributing Editor, Japan:
Brian Ashcraft
| AIM | Twitter
Contributing Editor, East Coast:
Michael Fahey
| AIM | Twitter
Contributing Editor, Oceania:
Luke Plunkett
| AIM | Twitter
Contributing Editor, Weekends:
Owen Good
| AIM | Twitter
Correspondent, San Francisco:
AJ Glasser
| AIM | Twitter
Columnist:
Leigh Alexander
Columnist:
Tim Rogers
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
05/27/09
He is buying his 4th iPod now (the first 2 are broken, the third still works) and he only bought the iMac because it "looks cool", not because of the actual features. That said, I´m not really a fan of Apple, I felt really bad when my iPod (the classic white one) broke with only 5 months of use, and they didn´t trade it (even having a one year warranty time).
I honestly don´t like the attitude of most Apple users. They treat everything that isn´t Apple like shit. I´m very happy with my SONY mp3 player and I don´t need an iPod. Apple is like Nike, it IS good, but it has a lot to do with the self-esteem of the person wearing it, by showing it to others and feeling more important, much more than the quality of the product itself. I KNOW THEY´RE GOOD, APPLE FANS DON´T NEED TO EXPLAIN IT TO ME!! But yeah, my 2 cents.
05/27/09
05/27/09
Seriously, your comment is a stupid childish rant...
05/27/09
05/27/09
I'm definitely curious to see what Apple will bring to the table, gaming-wise---even though the thought of having to buy yet another console makes me grumpy indeed.
What I'd really like to see, though, is a video-game version of television---just ONE überconsole that will run every game I want, thank you. One that combines the online strengths of XBL with the computing power and graphics of the PS3, and that includes Wii's motion-based games and family friendly offerings. (I can dream.)
But back to topic, Apple will be a serious contender, should they decide to take the console plunge. (Will it finally get payback for losing Halo to M$? )
05/27/09
05/27/09
05/27/09
things are changing, and i think the pippin didnt make it because apple didnt have anything to do with the marketing/design of the actual box on top of their brand not being what it is today back in 1996.
like it or not, apple gets their products sold just by having that half bitten apple logo and an i on whatever product they put out. i used to not care for apple.. and hated the iphone/ipod craze just because they were popular. i got an ipod touch out of curiousity.. and to be honest.. i love it. im a huge internet junkie.. so the true portability and capability of the device in those regards is the best ive seen at this point.
people often say "no way someone would make a new console!" as if previous generations were limited to 3 companies entering bids in the current wars.
think about this, in the 4th generation (genesis/snes) we had the genesis, turbo grafx 16, snes, neo geo, phillips cd-i, and not to mention atari was planning on releasing the "panther" 16 bit, namco was working on a console, the playstation was so close to being completed, and there were segas 2 addons.. the 32x and sega cd.
in the generation that followed.. we had the pc engine fx, amiga cd 32, 3d0, bandai pippin, playstation, atari jaguar, sega saturn, nintendo 64, annnnd the virtual boy.
only last generation did things finally die down, and thats due to cost and pretty much sony being the first company to truly run away with the market and sell over 100 million of something. even with that, we still had 4 consoles during that generation. the dreamcast, gamecube, xbox, and ps2. the biggest problem there? they werent very different from one another.. ps2 played dvds first, and xbox went online (successfully.. sorry sega).
now, the ps3 is as known for its bluray playing capabilities as it is its playstation branding, the 360 is known for its online community, while the wii is known for being played differently. what are the big 3 going to do next gen? probably create very similar experinces... maybe except for nintendo.
enter apple. if i were steve jobs, id go buy some smaller studios, and hire internal programmers and artists to create original exclusive content. then id possibly buy up/partner with a big name brand company (sega, take 2), but not too big (ea, capcom). then, id make sure my box had 3g or 4g internet, and no physical media.
i know a lot of you guys hate it, and oddly enough.. i should too considering ive collected over 400 games during my quarter of a century on this planet.. but now that im in the position to buy almost any game i want.. and after using things like emulators.. i realize that its so much more refreshing to choose from a list.
if msft, sony, and nintendo make blu ray playing consoles that do what normal consoles do.. and apple has a box that actually is built with game playing in mind.. and it comes out BEFORE anyone elses next console... i think theyd be able to pull it off. at least if its no more than 400 starting off. thats the only thing i think would sink them.. theyd probably try to charge 700 plus.
but yeah.. i say im all for it as long as its at least as powerful as whatever else is out.. i dont see why resident evil 6, gta 5, final fantasy XIV, and madden 13 wouldnt all show up in attendance.
im sorry, but the fact that you can buy/rent movies, tv shows, music, and games all on one device and not have to move is probably extremely appealing to the general public.
05/27/09
05/27/09
The Panther was going to be "32bit", instead they skipped to the "64bit" Jaguar (that didn't have any 64bit processors in it apart the fuckin' blitter. Woowee.)
05/27/09
Just keep in mind that there has yet to be an easy solution to getting high-resolution textures that map against geometry automatically.
05/27/09
The only thing Apple has for it is it's iPod and iPhone.
I think it's safe to all say that PC's are better than Macs, and that the Xbox brand is better than whatever Apple will think up of with it's "iConsole".
Seriously. Apple cares more about looks rather than functionality.
05/27/09
05/27/09
05/27/09
You guys are all ridiculous.
If it has good games on it who cares who makes it?
05/27/09
Yes, most companies want you to just use their products, that's natural, but Apple actually actively promotes that anyone not using their product is somehow less of a PERSON for not using it, and that's not something I can get behind. It doesn't help that the users just gleefully sponge onto this mindset either. 9/10 times, someone using apple products is someone that I simply can't be around for more than a few minutes.
So I avoid them. Period.
05/27/09
05/27/09
The Apple store or service centers, where the employees are actually trained to treat people that are knowledgeable about apple products, or that look a certain way, better than other people.
And the sheer amount of people that use Apple products that simply act like they're the kings of the world simply because they paid more and got suckered into that grossly over-bearing marketing.
Oh, I guess you only asked for one instance...
05/27/09
Bullshit. There are plenty of legitimate reasons to use a Mac. Your argument holds no more water than any other presented by a Windows Fanboy.
Apple is proud of the work they do. Mac users like their computers. So what? Car nuts like their cars, and gamers like their platforms.
05/27/09
Avoiding Apple as a company is simply a personal decision based on many factors. I'm not on a crusade to stop others from using them, or anything else.
You also seem to be responding on an emotional and personal level. I'm sorry I struck a nerve.
05/27/09
"Oh, let's see. The Apple vs. Mac commercials where the Mac guy is a hip young guy and the PC guy is an overweight geek, where they make up complete falsehoods based on myths and user errors, where PC users are simply incompetent and vengeful. Other marketing may say "we're better", but just about none that I can think of go to such a degree to belittle another demographic."
Ok I'll give you some (if not most) of their commercials aren't accurate, but I neither is most of the stuff I hear on these boards about Macs. Take your quote "they paid more and got suckered into that grossly over-bearing marketing." for example. You knew as you were writing that that it isn't true for all or most Apple users. Their has to be some savvy shoppers out there who actually like the OS and know how to shop around. But hey, it's a bold statement and it gets people's attention and as long as it's true in some instances you feel comfortable enough to say it.
Also I'd like to take the time to address the sad, misconception with these commercials. Please read carefully as I have had to say this many times. THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMERCIALS REPRESENT THE COMPUTERS NOT THE USER BASE.
Did you read that? Shall I repeat it?
THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMERCIALS REPRESENT THE COMPUTERS NOT THE USER BASE.
Ok, now that I have that out of the way can we please get over this sad, "victimized" mentality of the "big bad means guys at Apple made fun of me" because it just isn't true. You might say it's implied but please go watch the commercials and listen to the first couple seconds of each one. You'll distinctly hear them say "I'm a PC" and "I'm a Mac" not "I'm a PC user" and "I'm a Mac user.
To imply that they actually mean you (when they clearly don't say such a thing) and then cry about it is really just sad. I mean I don't have a better word for it, but then again I'm not that verbose.
Ok and lastly:
The Apple store or service centers, where the employees are actually trained to treat people that are knowledgeable about apple products, or that look a certain way, better than other people.
Really? That sucks. Can you give a reference for this claim?
I know it sounds fanatical for me to write this all out but I don't have much to do right now. So please humor some more if you'd like.
05/27/09
I'll give those commercials one thing, they're very effective. They're also very horrible, and I'll continue to refuse to associate with a company that continues to create such things. Such is my prerogative.
As for the second part, the only references I have are from a half-dozen friends and acquaintances I have that either worked for Apple, or were very close with people that worked for Apple. I have no reason to disbelieve them.
As for fanatical, I'm always fanatical, it's a good waste of a morning ;D
05/27/09
As for the second part, well that sucks. There's no excuse for it. However, for complete anecdotal evidence, I've always been treated well at Apple stores, but I could be in the category of preferential treatment.
05/27/09
This. I love the iTunes store, but I couldn't give a shit about the rest of Apple's products (not even QuickTime, Jesus is that a shitty video player).
@Theoutlet:
..the Xbox had games besides Halo? :O
05/27/09
:P
05/27/09
Yea the culture of FUD you are creating is a real fucking slice of keylime pie.
05/27/09
Wow.
05/27/09
Apple isn't alone in this, I fully agree with that, but it's the only company I know that does it with such a level of corporate *intent*. At least, in the electronics world. I'm not touching the fashion world.
05/27/09
05/27/09
When is it coming out, 2012?
*this generalization is based on personal experience and may not reflect on all apple users
05/27/09
05/27/09
I think you miss the point. I don't think many people bought an iPhone because you can play games on it. They bought it because of the cellphone feature set. Likewise, I would expect Apple to leverage, say, the Apple TV or its successor as a gaming device: buy it for the multimedia features, buy lots of games as an afterthought.
This might well work. No one can deny that it is working for the iPhone.
05/27/09
No, they bought it because it's Apple, shiny and has a touchscreen.
There are much cheaper phones with equivalent features, minus the shininess,touchscreen and Appleness.
05/27/09
05/27/09
My argument would be that they may be satisfied customers, but generally (and this mainly applies to iPod owners) they don't know any better. Most iPod owners I know have never owned any other mp3 player.
The first time I plug my Sansa Fuze in an drag and drop mp3s, they're amazed! This bothers me.
To use an analogy, I love my Doc Martens but that doesn't mean they're the only kind of boots I'll buy or have bought and I'm always open to another boot or shoe being more comfortable and durable. Most Apple owners I have encountered are either intransigent and unable to justify their purposes beyond "it works better".
I have nothing against Apple products (besides the marketing and fucking iTunes - I owned an iPod once for all of four hours. There's no reason an mp3 player shouldn't be able to function just like any other mass storage device, seriously.).
05/27/09
iStation?
iWii?
Am I the only person here who never owned an iPod/iPhone?
It's only a matter of time I suppose before Apple actually does create gaming hardware. But what do I know?
05/27/09
05/27/09
Is it better than the others?
- No, just more expensive.
What's are the systems specs?
- The entire system is run off of Steve Job's self-adoration
When can we expect it?
- Tomorrow!
How much will it cost?
- $2,500, to be cut to $2,000 in a month
Why do we need it?
- Because it's Apple, duh!
05/27/09
Wow, that ended up being way longer than it looked while writing it.
Preview button, please?
05/27/09
05/27/09
05/27/09
I dunno. How would I change said settings?
05/27/09
Yes, every single apply consumer is an idiot buying an inferior product just because it's shiny.
Just think for a moment, how arrogant and condescending your position is and how that makes you look like a royal asshole.
Then consider how people might have different priorities in computing and try and respect that. It'll promote a better discussion rather than this vitriol that gets spewed by both sides of this stupid "war".
05/27/09
You may joke about that, but I know a gal with 3 iPhones. Three! I don't know how she can afford to pay for the phones, and then the bloody 90 dollar a month plans for three separate phones!
If they build it, they will buy...
05/27/09
...says the obvious Apple buyer.
I kid, I kid. But seriously dude, no need to get your knickers in a twist, I'm pretty sure he was just joking around. You're the one coming off as a royal asshole at the moment, and your obviously abrasive response is the only thing here that's going to start a "war".
Simmer down, chief. No ill-will in my thread!
05/27/09
05/27/09
But this is Apple's fanbase we're talking about...
05/27/09
Says the obvious Non-Apple buyer.
All of these comments come off as condescending to anyone who does purchase Apple products and it's pretty apparent that none of you think much of people who do.
Seriously, it doesn't take much to read in to the undertones and don't make me out to be the bad guy for pointing it out. It's quite hypocritical and I don't appreciate the grandstanding.
05/27/09
I'm sorry I don't find the jokes funny anymore, maybe if they were original they might force a chuckle.
05/27/09
Since you mention cost, I'll bite. A PC for my needs costs more money in the long run than any Mac I've ever owned because of higher failure rates for HDs and vulnerability to malware. I relish in the fact that I haven't had to use Disk Warrior once on any of my personal Macs and am glad I no longer have to keep a collection of data recovery software for my PCs.
05/27/09
People rip on other items all the time, yet it's mostly these Apple fanatics, mostly posing as non Apple fans or neutral, that have to go on their ways saying how everyone teasing it is condescending and an asshole.
Don't believe me? tell me this then. Why is it that when someone makes fun of an Apple product that there's suddenly people like you who have to put down others making fun of a product bought by millions? You say it's common and that you're tired of it? Jeez bro deal with it. No need to get your panties in a bunch. We may be giving away too much from our posts, but sometimes that's how we feel and believe ourselves to be the truth. Remember opinions fucking sucks when it's not yours.
05/27/09
05/27/09
I'm sorry you didn't like having it pointed out, but no one likes being told they're acting like an asshole.
I apologize I made you change.
I'll try not to do it again.
05/27/09
I bought a 30 Gig video. Still use it to this day. It's been a great little media player for me, and the USB input in my car's CD deck only makes it better. I have nothing against Macs. Seriously. I do know that the youth in todays world tend to snatch their products right up only because it'll make them the coolest kid in the coffee shop. They make a very reliable product, but it is simply far too expensive for me to justify spending my hard-earned money for. Maybe if I was a professional music/film producer. Then I could justify it because Pro Tools and Final Cut are Mac only.
@rudeskata:
I joke about the date thing, but it does suck if it's a purchase that people without a disposable income will have to save up for. It makes it a little harder to plan for is all. And as far as cost goes, I built a custom PC that would rival any prebuilt Mac out there for only 800 bucks. I do a lot of video editing as filmmaking is a hobby of mine, and my rig has handled it beautifully.
It just goes to show that it truly is all preference, and that is fine by me. The more options for the consumer, the better it is for everyone.
05/27/09
I have owned dozens of hard drives over the years and have yet to have a single one fail. From 30mb drives to 500tb drives, IDE, SATA, SATAII, SCSI, laptop drives, external drives. Not one has failed since I got my first cheapass Tandy in 1989. Don't know what the hell you're doing to yours.
And there's no reason whatsoever to spend money to protect yourself from malware or remove it. Hijack This! is free. Noscript is free. AVG is free. Spybot is free. Regedit, Task Manager and MSCONFIG are built in to Windows and thus are free. Common sense is free. And don't forget, most Linux distros are free.
05/27/09
Er, not 500tb. 500GB. Tired.
05/27/09
The only times I hit enter are at the beginning of a post (because I don't like writing immediately after the @USERNAME thingy) and also when starting a new thought I used to hit it twice for separation. Now hitting it twice creates three lines, and hitting it once makes two. Why won't it just show up the way I type it...
...nah, that'd be too easy.
05/27/09
I accept your sarcastic apology. Now apologize for running over my dog and we'll call it even.
As for changing me... I believe there's a time for that and it's called marriage. Or so I'm told :/
05/27/09
Yes, I could have gotten "more" for my money, but it suits my needs perfectly.
05/27/09
05/27/09
05/27/09
05/27/09
R.I.P Puddles.
We'll miss you peeing on the carpet, ruining my favourite pillow, biting my shoes and humping my leg to oblivion... actually thank you for running over that twat.
05/27/09
05/27/09
@Gyaruson: Agreed. It's called a joke.
Although, it is well documented that Apple does have extremely high brand loyalty. So, it's no so much people being buying stuff just because it's shiny, it's people buying stuff just because it says Apple.
@Theoutlet: Get the fuck over it. I use both OS X and Vista. People rag on me using Vista all the time. Do I throw a hissy fit? No. Get over it. He's not attacking your way of life, he's not calling you names, he's making a fucking joke. Grow some thicker skin and learn to laugh at yourself.
@rudeskata: A PC for my needs costs more money in the long run than any Mac I've ever owned because of higher failure rates for HDs and vulnerability to malware.
Bullshit. The HDDs used in a Mac are the exact same ones available in PCs. Just don't buy a shithole eMachine. As dgd1542 said, don't be an idiot and you won't have to worry about viruses. I run both a PC and a Mac, my PC had XP before and now has Vista. I use Avast! Anti-Virus (free edition) and Spybot for both. Within the past 8 years I have not had a single virus, spyware, or malware. Also, you might like to know that there actually is Malware out there for OS X 10.5. (Leopard). If I were you, I would seriously suggest getting ClamXav.
[www.clamxav.com]
05/27/09
Fantastic! That is exactly what I've been saying this whole time, buy what you prefer and what suits your needs. If it's a Mac, I'm happy. If it's a Windows, I'm happy. If it's a Linux...
...get the fuck out.
05/27/09
The odd thing though is that I got an iPod back in 2002 (holy shit that's old 10GB model complete with black and white liquid crystal display) that I kept for five years, dropped countless times, and didn't have the HD fail on me once.
05/27/09
No. My argument is that hard drive failure isn't as common as rudeskata made it out to be.
05/27/09
You got FC Pro? Queue Gyarusons infinite rage and jealousy?
I use Sony Vegas Video. Just upgraded to 9.0 and it works very well for me. I've been using the program since high school (which is how I came to like it) so I haven't really tried much else. I've used that Pinnacle bullcrap on friend's rigs, but not having an infinite amount of audio/video tracks is ridiculous.
Vegas is pretty low-grade, but like I said it's a hobby and it's got the bells-and-whistles to make me happy :)
05/27/09
Also the commercial will have some god-awful catchy song that I hate but will have stuck in my head until I die.
05/27/09
In all seriousness, you can overlook it many times but sometimes you can't. This morning I couldn't and I said something, but I know a lot of the time it doesn't matter if you're right, but if you're funny and those jokes weren't funny. Sorry guys! Get new material!
Also, viruses for Mac are an eventuality as the market share keeps growing, but all virus protection for Macs have been known to cause more problems than they supposedly solve.
05/27/09
Something like this then?
Bwahaha!! There goes your sanity!
05/27/09
05/27/09
I have to say, though, that no matter how much better than XP Vista is, OS X 10.5 Leopard is still a much, much, much better user platform than Vista. All I use my PC for is gaming and game-related stuff (map building, modules in NWN2, etc). When i want to browse around and juts "be on the computer" is when I use OS X.
Anways, sorry to be so brash. We all have those days where we get fed up with hearing a bunch of fanboyish BS. I have a guy that constantly asks me if I had to reinstall Vista last night again even though I've told him repeatedly that I've only reinstalled once, and that was so because I bought a new HDD. Now when he asks, I just reply, "yes. 3 times, actually. I just had to be sure."
In all honesty, each OS has its strong and weak points. I think Windows is easier to navigate file storage and I like that the two side buttons on my MX 518 mouse can browse me forward and backward easily. I think Dashboard is incredibly awesome and is lightyears beyond Vista's Sidebar (which is a complete piece of crap). I also think that OSX's Time Machine is much better than Windows restore or backup solutions, which have NEVER worked properly for me.
In the end, I think it's more about what you prefer. I prefer OSX for general use. If OSX had DirectX and I could play my PC games on it, then I don't think I would ever bother with Vista or with Windows 7.
05/27/09
Actually, I have generally sworn by Western Digital for the last ten years. Including my main PC (1x320GB,1x500GB, both WD 7200RPM 16MB SATAII - in the same HD bay) which has had a constant uptime of nearly a year minus forced reboots for updates.
05/27/09
As far as Windows goes, I stopped making fun of it a couple years ago when I stopped running it. I decided I can't really make fun of something I'm not familiar with.
However, I am interested in trying out Windows 7 because I've been hearing lots of good things.
05/27/09
99% of the people i know use apples for work, you know why? Cause they fucking rock, whether you are developing software (without having to pay for the programs to do it) mixing music, you just cannot beat the power and flexibility of OS X, YOU CANT. The reason, UNIX. On my apple i can run unix, linux, os x, and god forbid windows applications all without rebooting and only one of those requires a second program.
My primary day job is a systems administrator for a commercial/industrial construction conglomerate, we have quite a few windows servers, and a couple hundred desktops. There are ALWAYS issues, ALWAYS. The small sector of estimators that i have switched to mac minis, havent had a single problem in 3 months, other than needing to work the new learning curve a bit and get used to not having to fight the os just to get work done.
Say anything you want about how there are 200 windows programs for each apple one, and ill say find one that works worth a fuck.
Bah, you idiots are making me rant again, im the fuck out of here, i don't know why im typing this since im sure it will just be glossed over on the next bout of how awsome that 34% xbox failure rate is and how they have it under control.
05/27/09
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *big breath in* HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
Good god, take the time to read the freaking comments before you just post like some asshole. I've said it countless time in this stupid thread: it was a joke. I like Macs. I use a Windows PC but have no problem admitting the usefulness of a Mac product. Right now the only thing your doing is making yourself look the same way that every PC user already thinks of you.
Oh lawlz, I just saw your avatar. God you're a riot. This is almost pleasure overload.
Wait *checks watch* it's been a week, I think they're about to unveil some new iProduct. Better break out the Vaseline and tissue box. This is gonna be good!
05/27/09
05/27/09
05/27/09
05/27/09
05/27/09
Of course we could always have a Pippin v2. Costs as much as a PS3 did at launch and loses Apple 2x's the money!
05/27/09
There's a lot to take into account with a console. The SDK, hardware, support, server infrastructure for online, licensing, whether to have internal devs, etc. It's not an easy move, and it is horrendously expensive. Everyone seems to think that Apple Console == Wii in terms of success, but that's an idiotic notion for a console that no one knows anything about and has zero information on. At least Nintendo can ride on their franchise history of well known and longtime beloved characters (Link, Mario, Kirby, etc.). What does Apple have? Nothing.
05/27/09
The Ipod was a stroke of genius, not so much because of what it does, but because they did the same thing Nintendo did this gen, but better, they created a whole market for it AND ate into the market shares of other MP3 players, because we know while their were many and even better MP3 players then the Ipod out their before the Ipod, it didn't matter a hill of beans because pretty soon everyone else had to follow Apple's lead, even Microsoft. This I think helped them a lot when it came to the Iphone.
But the MP3/Phone market and video games aren't the same pot of fish. Even Microsoft before jumping in had Halo..and for a long time that's all they had. What they did back then isn't something Apple should really attempt to repeat on any level..it was 2001, the GameCube was suffering still from the backlash that saw the N64 fade and the PS2 was really hitting it's stride, even with DRE's hitting a all time hide. Microsoft could get away with it, but it cost them big time.
Apple does not have Microsoft's war chest and I doubt they have investors with the proper mindset to watch them piss millions on millions of dollars away to grab ahold of the video game market. They would do better to spend the next couple of years buying up small developers who make great Iphone games and then compete on that level instead of aiming for the living room where Microsoft and Sony would largely join forces to deliver a duel beat down. You don't even have to factor Nintendo into that, because the marketshare Apple wants, Nintendo's already got.
05/27/09
However, when I see this, or the Live (thing), it makes me wonder when my dad had a WebTV.
That didn't last long. . . . but, televisions have become more interactive since then. When my pop comes to visit, he plays games on my digital cable box - like trivia. . . .
05/27/09
05/27/09
Lies.
My PC cost 900$ in 2007 and can max out any game made since. I opened it twice - once to slot in an 8800GT to replace my 640mb GTS and another time I dropped it when moving and had to reapply thermal grease and reseat the heatsink.
I also haven't turned it off since May 2008.
05/27/09
05/27/09
Like I said, I can max out any game on the market (short of f'n Age of Conan) at 1600x1200 with my 900$ 2007 PC.
The fastest graphics cards on the market are essentially useless right now due to cross-platform development, which is why the generational jumps from Nvidia's 8800 series to the 9800 were negligible, and the new cards while impressive confer barely any advantage.
I will agree about the laser mouse. I love my Sidewinder (I have large hands and long fingers, find Logitech mice cramped).
As for maxed out RAM, I assure you there is no point to having 32GB of RAM for gaming. Play the most demanding game, and 4GB won't even be fully used - and 4GB costs like 40 bucks now.
05/27/09
05/27/09