Thoughts about Westworld

THE MAP OF WESTWORLD
The original Westworld showed a model with the various parts of the Delos park. It has one central spire, three large domes and three smaller domes fanning out between the large domes. The movie states that there’s three parks, but it also suggests that there is construction going on. Westworld would appear to have been in one of the larger domes, but based on the way Richard Benjamin’s character runs from one park to another, the parks would have to be adjacent and not at 120 degree angles to each other otherwise he would have had to go through the central hub, or at least other parks.

Roman World would seem to have been in a smaller dome adjacent to West World. Medieval World was adjacent to Roman World so it would have had to be in a larger park. That leaves three other parks, one large and two small. We saw in Futureworld a rocket ship which would appear to have either been in one of the larger domes or in the central complex, but it appears that Futureworld could have been in the remaining larger dome. There was also a Spa World which would have placed nicely into a smaller dome. That would leave one dome, likely a small one, unaccounted for. The Samurai World we see hinted at in the TV series finale could fit, although it could also have been planned as a Jurassic Park predecessor. Another possibility is that the smaller domes were in fact just docking stations for the shuttles. But that would mean that it would have been easier to run towards a shuttle than another dome.

In the TV series, Delos appears to be a mesa somewhere in, possibly the middle of, the park. The mesa houses not only the robots but staff residence, customer service areas and shopping as well. The Delos model in the movie only shows the overall layout of the parks but it doesn’t show how many layers there are. There is no need for staff members to ever leave Delos, which would make sense given the remote location of the park. One can find a map of the mesa online.

FORD’S FAREWELL
It’s been speculated that this may not be the last of Ford in the TV series because he made a host duplicate of himself. But considering this show makes heavy use of flashbacks, it’s possible that we’ll see him return in a flashback as well. We may well get a storyline in the past were Ford is very much alive. This also makes it possible for any dead characters to return in flashbacks, but aside from the major characters we’re not likely to see that. It makes the timeline too obvious and it can be hard to keep track of which minor characters are alive or dead.

ARNOLD’S FAMILY
Someone speculated that Charlotte Hale could be Arnold Weber’s daughter, a mirror of Bernard’s son. But in this case Arnold’s daughter lived and grew up. And she would have had to change her last name somehow, either through an adoption, marriage or taking on her mother’s maiden name. We don’t know if Arnold’s wife is still alive. If she died around the same time as Arnold did, then if he had a living child and the mother was dead, they child could have been adopted. If this is true, then it’s also possible that Maeve’s daughter is based upon Arnold’s child. If Arnold used his child for a model, then it’s possible that Maeve herself could be based upon Arnold’s wife.

THE PARK’S PAST PARKS
There’s a scene in one of the episodes where Theresa talks about remembering a villa from her younger days and discovers that it’s in Westworld. This villa could have been part of Roman World or another pre-West World park. But it suggests that there may have been a different park within the area now part of West World. This would suggest that the current West World covers multiple parks and that the androids and props for those parks were repurposed, reprogrammed or put into storage.

STAFF HOSTS
This then leads into the theory that the technician Felix Lutz was in fact a host who had been reprogrammed. We also saw in the finale a section in Delos for the Asian Samurai World. This could mean that Felix is a former Samurai World host who was reprogrammed, likely by Arnold. It’s also possible that Arnold and Ford were involved in creating Samurai World.

The use of hosts to do some of the menial tasks makes sense. It works out to be cheaper considering staff is not only paid but supplied with room, board and medical. Those costs are eliminated if artificial staff are used, although there may still be maintenance costs as well as the costs of the initial construction. But if staff were reused from the park, the only real cost would be for their maintenance. In all, it’s very cheap. In the original movie and apparently in the TV series, much of the customer support staff are hosts. We see that clearly in the train station in the TV show and in the reception area in the movie. So there’s precedence for Felix being a host.

TIME & PLACE
There is a time stamp on a website video that indicated Maeve’s escape was set at a time in the future, 2052. Although that mark has subsequently been removed. When the timeline is worked out it would indicate that Westworld started around 2015. It’s likely the producers want to change the date. The Westworld TV show was suppose to start in 2015 but was pushed back. The movie was set in 1983, which at the time was sometime in the near future or ten years later. If the current series follows the same pattern it would place the events of Young William around 2026. That would place Old William in 2056. But we aren’t given exact time differences, only approximate ones. Arnold died around 35 years ago and the park opened at least 30 years ago. Young William is in his first year at the park while Old William says it’s been going for about 30 years. If Old William is in 2052 that would place Young William in 2022, possible the first year of the park’s opening, and Arnold would have died around 2017. It’s possible the 2052 was meant to be for Young William’s timeline, placing the first beginnings of the park around 2040.

There’s also speculation that Westworld isn’t set on Earth but in space, like the Moon or maybe Mars. But there’s been no indication that it’s not on Earth yet. Access to the park is by train. In the movie it first appeared as if they were travelling by train but it was later revealed they were on a shuttle jet. But it’s possible the train takes them to another form of transportation, such as an aircraft or a shuttlecraft.

We did get one shot of the outside world. This is the photo that William had. The picture was set in front of what appeared to be a train, very similar to the train as we see Maeve getting on and off of. And the trains seemed to be in a city but the details were unclear. If that is so then it would place Westworld on Earth. The board members also came from the outside world, suggesting that there is some sort of prosperous society existing outside of Westworld. It’s not a post-apocalyptic world. Of course if that was the case Westworld would be closed immediately since there wouldn’t be any financial backing to keep it going.

LIVES OUTSIDE WESTWORLD

It’s hard to say what sort of life William and the others have outside of Westworld. It is suggested that Arnold had a wife and child but they’re never seen. It’s also suggested by Bernard’s story that Arnold’s child could have died, although if his wife had also died that would suggest a reason for him killing himself. It would also suggest a reason for him wanting to create new life through the androids.

We’re given no indication of any life outside the park for Ford. This would help explain why he never wanted to leave the park since there was nothing for him outside. It wouldn’t be surprising however if a child of his showed up, but it wouldn’t seem to fit. We did see a recreation of Ford’s childhood family but there’s no indication as to whether any of the real people survived. Obviously given Ford’s age his parents would be dead. That would leave a brother which given Ford’s age could also be dead. Of course if Ford’s brother married and had children then Ford could have nieces and nephews but wouldn’t be close with them.

Young William was engaged to Logan’s sister. However, after how he treated Logan it’s unlikely he married her. We don’t know if William did marry or not. It would seem for at least a few years he became obsessed with the park. But we also need to look at the ownership of the park. Old William was the majority shareholder in Delos, and it was Logan’s family who owned the park in Young William’s time. That would suggest he could be related to Ford in some way.

ARE FORD AND WILLIAM BROTHERS?

Another point of interest is that we never get William’s last name. It’s been taken that the young boy shown as part of Ford’s family was Ford himself, although it’s also possible that Ford was the older brother and the young boy is in fact William. This would mean that Ford and William are brothers. This would also give a good reason why Ford never tried to kill William even though Ford could have easily killed him any time. With William was the majority shareholder, replacing him with a clone would have given Ford control over Delos. It also means we’ve seen William at three different points in his life.

THE STATE OF DELOS

Ford is obviously at war with Delos. The park is all he has left and they want to get rid of him. He’s gone so far as to kill someone through Bernard. It’s been thought that the host Ford was creating in that basement may have been a replacement Ford, but it’s also possible it was a replacement for Theresa. He mentioned in a past episode of “they always send someone new” or something like that. It could mean that as board members were sent to the park to oppose him, he gradually replaced them with android clones. It’s unlikely that all board members were clones but many of them could have been. By controlling many of the board members Ford would have more control over the park.

Another aspect that tends to get overlooked is how many of those related to Delos wind up being park patrons. Young William and Logan visited the park early on, possibly before it was open to the public. And Logan’s father was at that time the majority shareholder. If William was Ford’s brother that would also tie William to the park. It sets up an interesting scenario where William marries into the family that owns the park his brother worked at.

We know that Delos wants to sell Westworld. If Samurai World is a new theme for the park, then it would suggest there’s a Japanese company who wants to take it over. Westworld at this point would be about 30 or 40 years old. It’s no longer new and exciting so it may not be drawing in the customers it once did, especially the big money customers the park needs. The board wants to sell Westworld off but can’t because of Ford. Yet if William is the majority shareholder then Ford wouldn’t have control. However, if William and Ford are brothers and share the majority shares that would mean that William alone isn’t the majority shareholder. It could be that William manages Ford’s shares for him and represents him in board votes. But something like selling would be something he needs Ford’s approval.

ANAGRAM NAMES
We know that Bernard’s name is an anagram of Arnold Weber’s. Trying other names gives,
Dolores Abernathy = “A Thorny Rose Blade”
Maeve Millay = “Me A Lively Ma” (A Daughter reference?)
Robert Ford = “Bred For Rot” (A reference to a clone?)
Clementine Pennyfeather = “A Penile Entrenchment Fey” (She was a prostitute.)
Charlotte Hale = “Reattach Hello” or “A Chatter Hello” (There’s a message on the website where she says hello.)
Peter Abernathy = “A Parent Thereby” or “Betray Then Rape” (We saw him as a parent, but there was a dark backstory suggested for him.)

Ghostbusters 2016

The new remake of Ghostbusters is getting a lot of criticism. Most of this appears to be aimed at the fact that it’s an all-female cast. Although all this criticism is based at most on just a few movie trailers and posters. The actual reaction of fans to the movie has yet to wait until the movie gets released next week.

So why do fans seem to be so against this film? For years fans have been promised a new Ghostbusters movie. And they expected all, or at least most, of the original cast to be in it. But with this reboot it’s clear that the film fans have been wanting will never happen. What they appear to be getting is a commercialized attempt to take advantage of an established property.

Now remakes are nothing new by any means, although calling them “reboots” is fairly new. When “talkies” came in, many older films from the silent period were remade. During the 40s and 50s it was common to find remakes of films made during the 20s. For instance, Frankenstein had already been done as a silent film in 1910 before the most famous version appeared in 1931. (And for a 80+ year film it holds up quite well.) The story has been revisited many times since, mostly as adaptations. The most recent would be the TV show Second Chance which is loosely based on the concept. So there is nothing inherently wrong with a remake.

One thing that is new is to remake a movie with an all-female cast. This is the gender equivalent of remaking movies with black characters like we’ve seen done with The Nutty Professor (which itself was a variation of Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde), Doctor Dolittle and The Wild Wild West (which was adapted from a TV show). These films cast black actors to appeal mainly to a black market with hopes that they’ll also appeal to the general market as well. And it appears that Ghostbusters has done something similar. By using an all female cast the studio hopes to appeal more to a female audience.

But women were also fans of the original movie. And a movie with a strong female lead is nothing new either. Typically those films have been more “click flicks” and have told dramatic stories rather than action stories. Laura Croft was a case of creating an action movie without the need to coat-tail on an existing franchise. She was a female Indiana Jones (or Quartermass) but was quite distinct from him. And we’ve seen many other similar parallels. Agatha Christie created both Hercule Perot and Miss Marple. V.I. Warshawski was a female noir detective in a traditionally male role. So it’s possible to create strong female characters without the need to resort to transgenering existing characters.  Although there is nothing wrong with having female leads in a movie.

However, what’s really going on here may have nothing to do with the film. The film may be nothing more than a multi-million dollar toy commercial. The original Ghostbusters toys sold quite well. It’s quite likely that whatever money is lost on the film will be gained back on the toys. George Lucas made much of his money from toy sales. And even if the film does poorly in the box-office it could still do well on DVD since many will just want to have it as part of their collection regardless of whether they actually watch it. So the movie doesn’t have to be good. The franchise name will bring in the revenue. The original movie spawned toys which were more for boys than girls. But with this new film they can produce toys, especially dolls, based on the Ghostbusters characters that are marketed at girls.

I do think fans should give this film a chance and wait for the reviews of the actual film. It doesn’t mean one has to watch it, just as one has the freedom to choose what films they want to see. And there will be many who think the film will be bad who are interested in seeing just how bad it is. While the trailers don’t create a lot of excitement about the acting, the special effects do look interesting. And an action/comedy film with a female team does sound appealing.

So I would suggest anyone who wants to see this film, for good or bad reasons, to wait at least a week or more until it’s better understood exactly whether it’s worth seeing. There’s a good chance that the DVD will come out before Halloween, and it’s almost certain that the movie will be on Netflix by Christmas. There will be plenty of opportunity to see the film even if you don’t go to the theater. In fact this is the sort of film that could be enjoyed more if one waits until October to watch, possibly at a Halloween party.

More on Windows 10

Now that more information has come out and the beta version of Windows 10 is closer to it’s final form, I thought I’d post more about my thoughts on Windows 10.

Pricing Plan
Microsoft has released more information about it’s pricing plan. It’s probably best to break it down by operating system. Many users who would have bought Windows 8 didn’t because of it’s poor performance and clumsy behavior so Windows 10 could have a good market if it’s reasonably priced and doesn’t impose a subscription system.

Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 (UPDATED)

(Please note that there’s a great deal of speculation being passed off as fact that makes it hard sometimes to determine Microsoft’s exact plan for Windows 10.)

These operating systems will qualify for a free upgrade during Windows 10’s first year. But they’re ONLY free upgrades, not free retail versions. And after that one-year period owners of these operating systems who don’t upgrade will have to BUY a new copy (or license) of Windows 10. Otherwise they’ll have to revert back to their old version of Windows.

The key to making this work is the Windows Registration Key. The key for upgraded versions is designed to work ONLY on the computer that was upgraded from 7 service pack 1 or 8.1. It will not work on a new machine. And it appears from my experience that it may not work on a computer if installed on a different drive. (Different drives installs are treated as different computers.) So if you bought or plan to buy Windows 7 or 8.1 to save money on Windows 10, you’re only cheating yourself. This appears to be a strategy Microsoft was taking so that people wouldn’t stop buying Windows 8 while waiting for 10 to come out.

Windows XP, Vista, etc.
Since these versions cannot be upgraded to Windows 10 from within the operating system and require a clean install of Windows 10, those users will have to buy Windows 10. But all that these users are missing out on is one year of free use. But as long as it’s a “lifetime” license this really doesn’t matter. It only means they have to buy Windows 10 earlier than those using later operating systems.

Pirate versions of Windows 7 and later
It was previously thought that these users would be allowed to upgrade for free but Microsoft has stated that they won’t. What’s likely to happen is that they’ll be able to upgrade to a trial version of Windows 10 but will have 30 days in which to install a legal licensed serial number. There was mention of “attractive offers” but those are likely to be discounts offered to all Windows users.

There’s still no word as to whether Microsoft will sell Windows 10 by subscription, but it would appear that if they do it will be on an annual basis. It’s also possible that while the basic version of Windows 10 will be non-subscription, Windows update could be by subscription or possibly a combination. Some updates, such as security updates, may be free while major updates require a fee, much like the fast ring and slow ring of the Windows 10 development versions. Microsoft does have to be aware that it’s competing with its older versions of Windows and if the price isn’t right many people will just stick with the older software. Windows 7 is perfectly adequate for the latest desktop computers on the market today.

Performance

One of the latest tricks Microsoft has introduced is to force users to go to into settings to change their default programs. This makes it harder to switch from the default Microsoft programs to something like Firefox. It also makes it more difficult to change all the music and video defaults. Microsoft even has a “choose Microsoft defaults” button in the settings to assure people are likely to use their programs. It’s not hard to use another program, but it does make it more difficult. This is reminiscent of the way Microsoft made Internet Explorer a necessary part of the operating system and is likely to face some legal actions by Firefox and other developers, as well as complaints from users, for this so it’s hard to say if it will stick around.

Windows 10 is far from bug free, but overall it’s stable enough for the average person to use. There’s still a couple months before the official release which gives them plenty of time to deal with those problems. And even after Windows 10 comes out to the general public, Microsoft can fix a number of problems through it’s update, which is expected to be something that users won’t be able to turn off.

Windows 7 touted a fast startup time, although as more software was installed on the machine the startup time slowed down. Windows 10 doesn’t promote that, especially since many upgrades and updates are installed during startup. There may also be some software such as anti-virus software that runs when Windows starts, and many programs will often load their own startup or initialization programs. Windows 10 also has a lock screen, something included as part of it’s attempt to work on portable devices as well as desktops. It is possible to auto-login Windows 10 into the desktop but it’s takes a little fiddling and isn’t currently accessed through the system menu.

Windows 10 also seems to still have the hibernate problem that Windows 7 had. Although hibernate or sleep has been set, there are times when Windows will jump out of hibernation without any reason. This is a problem if you’re trying to hibernate your desktop overnight and it wakes itself up in the middle of the night. This is a particular problem if someone is sleeping in the same room. Typically one would just shut down the computer but with Windows startup at times taking more than a minute it can be useful to just wake the computer instead.

No More Windows Media Center

Microsoft has let it slip that Windows Media Center, which was a highlight of Windows 7, will no longer be offered. Instead it would have users using a variety of music and video programs. TV card users would be expected to stick with the software that came with their TV card, although that software has generally improved over the years as well. Hauppage now offers WinTV 8 and there are a number of programs such as NextPVR and Kodi (formerly XBMC) that can do the job that Windows Media Center did.

This move isn’t unexpected. Those who wanted to use Windows Media Center in Windows 8 had to use a Pro version and had to pay extra for the Media Center Program. The program also suffered from problems with lack of proper support for many TV cards and difficulty in setting them up, especially for those trying to use a cable or satellite box. It would not even allow the use of the video or composite input without such a box set up. This limited those who didn’t have an IR blaster on their video cards.

It’s likely that Microsoft found the software to be too problematic for them. While it was fine with video files stored on a computer, getting it to work with TV cards could be a challenge. Microsoft also had to maintain TV listings that could be downloaded into Windows Media Center, which would require a small but constant maintenance. It’s hard to say if or for how long these will be maintained. And Microsoft is also offering TV shows and Movies through it’s store, expecting that people will move away from broadcast TV to online services.

There’s also less need for Windows Media Center. It was designed for those who wanted to use their computers for TV or with their TV sets, but we now have set-top boxes or TVs with computers built-in that do the job more efficiently. While there are a number of users who do use Windows Media Center, it’s hard to say what percentage of Windows users they are. It’s good for a specific setup of computer and TV integration, but not everyone uses it the same way. And it’s much simpler and easier to use something like Roku to access Netflix while regular TV channels can be handled through regular TV systems.

Summary

Overall I’m not as impressed with Windows 10 as I was with Windows 7. It feels too much as if Microsoft is pushing their way of doing things on the users. While it makes sense for a portable device, many of the features such as the lock screen become minor annoyances on the desktop. Microsoft tends to take the approach that the average user is a novice and needs guidance, but also tends to get caught up in idea that users are willing to do what Microsoft feels is best for them. However, it does appear to be the second best version of Windows after Windows 7.

Not everyone will have a system that supports Windows 10, although if your system can handle Windows 7 there’s a good chance it will also be able to handle Windows 10. There are also a number of computers that were shipped with XP installed but could handle Windows 10 without a problem. Chances are if your computer was made within the last five years, especially if it’s a dual-core or quad-core computer you’ll be able to handle Windows 10. But whether it will be worth switching will depend upon how Microsoft plans on pricing Windows 10. It would be better to stick with Windows 7 or even 8 than to have to pay a fee every year to keep using it.

Will Windows 10 Be By Subscription?

It appears the next version of Windows, Windows 10, will be subscription based. That means if you want to use your computer you have to pay Microsoft $10 or $20 each month.

Of course Microsoft didn’t come out and say it, but in their last presentation they referred to Windows as a “service.” They also talked about how Windows 7 and 8 users would get Windows 10 free “for one year after the release of Windows 10.” They may offer users the opportunity to buy Windows 8.1 or subscribe to Windows 10, but Windows 8.x has turned out to be a catastrophe. The last decent version of Windows was version 7, and it’s hard to find any stores with Windows 7 in stock. And a second-hand version could mean the license has been used up.

This is a bad direction for Microsoft to go. It’s one thing to offer a program like Office on a subscription basis because people can always choose another program. But there really isn’t an alternative for Windows on the PC. Linux does most things, but there’s still a lot of software it doesn’t run, especially in the field of games. Software companies have been programming for Windows for decades and would have to start programming for Linux. Sure there’s programs like Wine which allow Windows programs to be run in Linux, but it doesn’t work for all programs.

Even if Microsoft offered both a full paid package and subscription, there’s going to be a lot of new PC users who are wondering why their operating system isn’t working after a year. Retailers are likely to only offer a one year trial rather than a full install of the operating system. But not all PC owners will understand this. So when the computer starts giving them messages that they have to renew their operating system license, they’ll have to turn to some sort of technical support. And they’ll be expecting the retailer to cover that cost for free.

It could be the biggest mistake Microsoft ever makes. It will definitely make people angry. It would amount to extortion. Either you pay up each month or you can’t use your computer. And retailers would be getting the brunt of that anger. If there’s enough anger against Microsoft it will open up the field for alternative operating systems. Apple’s OSX will work on the PC, but it’s not something a novice can install. Linux is also a leading choice and many laptops come with some form of Linux on them.

On the other hand, it could turn out to be a big marketing success–for Apple. Apple could develop it’s operating system more to work on the PC. Although Apple has been hesitant to do that in the past because they want people to buy their equipment as well, if they properly support the PC they stand an chance to take over Microsoft’s control of the operating system market. Currently tablets come with OSX, Android and Windows, depending upon the device. That same diversity could be found in PCs. It is possible to install Apple’s OS on a PC but it’s not as simple and easy as installing Windows. And you need compatible hardware on your PC. So it shouldn’t be too much trouble for retailers to offer it but home users may have trouble converting.

Linux has evolved a lot over the years and is much easier for the average person to use. Android, which is popular on many tablet devices, is a version of Linux. But the leading version of Linux for PCs right now is Ubuntu. Since retailers are use to offering Linux on some computers it wouldn’t be difficult for them to offer it on PCs as well. But it would depend a lot on what sort of deals Microsoft has made with the manufacturing companies. Retails may not have a choice.

Linux also has the advantage of being able to work on just about any PC out there. Even an old Pentium II could run Linux. And Linux is free and should always be free, although there are some paid versions out there. But it was developed as an open-source or free operating system. This makes it attractive to retailers since they don’t have to pay to install it and can as such offer a cheaper computer. Linux also has a program called Wine which allows many Windows programs to work on Linux. And there are many major programs such as Open Office and Firefox that also offer Linux versions. So you can do pretty much the same things in Linux, it’s just that you may need a different program to do them with.

But Microsoft still has time to reconsider. It looks like a good plan to Microsoft because they realize they’ve reached the peak of their operating system’s development and once someone has a copy of Windows 7 or later they don’t need another copy. They could keep re-installing it on any new computers they get. They would never need to buy Windows again.

But to the consumer it’s a very bad idea. If they don’t have another OS or an older version of Windows to revert to, it means they have to pay each month to be able use their computer. While it’s true they had to buy Windows to use their computer, it was a one-time deal and it usually came as part of the computer package. And after a number of years they can still use it, so that a computer that’s 10 years old can still be used without added expenses. But having to pay each month amounts to nothing less than extortion. And it hurts computer re-sales since someone buying a second-hand computer can’t just use the installed OS.

Windows 10 is still months away from a proper release. In that time it’s likely that consumers will be giving Microsoft plenty of feedback on their subscription plan and it won’t be positive. That should give Microsoft a change to change their minds about a subscription approach or at least offer a reasonable alternative. But simply the fact that they would even offer subscription could do more damage than their lack of consumer consideration shown by Windows 8.

Predicting the Ending of Naruto

There’s been a lot of speculation as to when the Naruto series will end, especially after a quote by it’s creator, Masashi Kishimoto. The key part of the quote says:

“The battle of Naruto and his comrades is in it’s final phase, in the truest sense of the term. About the Ten Tails, about Madara, and then, about Sasuke…”

Currently, the manga upon which the anime is based is still being produced.

The anime is currently dealing with the Ten Tails, Madara and has just brought back Sasuke. The Ten Tails story appears to be coming to an end. It also spent time dealing with Madara and his backstory. But Madara is still about (in the anime) so his story isn’t over with. Ten Tails is also still about, although it appears that story will end within a few episodes. That leaves Sasuke’s story, which we could get into or could be bypassed altogether since he seems to have suddenly taken a turn for good. But Sasuke’s story could also be dealt with in a movie after the TV series ends.

Predicting the end of the anime is much easier than predicting the end of the manga. The manga is suppose to end sometime this year, but that may not be until Christmas. However, since Japan has four TV seasons instead of the one main one that the US has, it’s almost certain the anime will end with the end of a season.

The current Summer 2014 season ends in about a month. That would leave only four or five episodes left. That seems too early considering the manga is still going.

The Fall 2014 season will end in about four months, or around New Years Day. That gives the show about sixteen weeks or episodes. Given how close the show appears to the ending, this would seem like a reasonable period.

However, should the manga be concluded around New Years Day, it’s possible the anime could extend until Winter 2015, ending around the start of April. That would give the show about thirty episodes. It’s not unreasonable if the production company decides to throw in some filler episodes, but I don’t know if fans would stand for a lot of filler this late in the show. That’s not to say they wouldn’t watch anyways just to catch the end of the show. It was also said back in 2013 there was about 50 episodes left, and given the math that would suggest that another 30 from now is unlikely.

Of course with filler the show could go indefinitely. We saw the last Naruto series spend more than a year on filler episodes. But something like that would be better handled as a sequel or follow-up series rather than as part of the main series. It’s also possible that the anime could end before the manga, with any remaining story left for a movie.

It’s also worth noting that New Years is a major holiday in Japan. Only recently have they been getting into Christmas, but for the longest time New Years has been their biggest holiday of the year. That suggests that Masashi Kishimoto may choose to end the series with the end of the year. That would make either a New Years or April date most likely.

If however he chooses to end the series earlier, and considering how close the story of the anime series is following the release of the manga episodes, then a New Years ending seems highly likely.

I would also not rule out the possibility of only four or five episodes remaining in the show, but I would think that might be a little too quick. Yet again, when Bleach ended we saw a rush to wrap up the story that we’re currently seeing with the TV show. It came with only a few weeks notice. So it can’t be ruled out.

There’s just no way to know for certain. About the only thing one can say is that we’re probably within the last six or seven months of it’s ending. The New Years Day 2015 ending seems the most likely possibility and it’s the one I would most expect. A one month ending around the end of September 2014 is the second most likely, and I wouldn’t be surprised by it. But I can’t say when it will end, all I can do is go by probability and the reliability of the Japanese TV seasons.

Whatever the outcome, I will and I won’t miss the show. I’ll miss the good episodes; the ones which had strong story and action, but I won’t miss the filler and weak episodes. With 220 original episodes and currently more than 370 Shipuuden episodes (around 600 overall), it’s not like it’s ending too early. One could even go back and re-watch all the episodes, although with the repeated story and filler episodes, it hardly seems worthwhile. I would also expect some sort of Kai version to be produced the way they did with Dragonball which tells the same story in a condensed form.

Edit: Since writing this Naruto Shipuuden has added a lot of filler episodes and based upon the amount of story left it’s likely it could take until the end of 2015 to end the series. A follow-up series about Naruto’s children is in the works.

Five Things I’d Like To See For Fall TV

With the TV networks announcing their fall schedules next week, along with what new shows are picked up, I thought I’d list five things I’d like to see in the fall.

1. Less crowded Tuesday. I generally don’t want to see any night too filled, but this past year has been busy on Tuesdays. I’m usually recording from 7pm to 2:30am, and then some. It’s been hard to catch everything on TV, and if I show doesn’t record properly I’m usually forced to find it online.

This season on Tuesdays I’ve been watching:
Person of Interest
NCIS
NCIS: Las Angeles
Agents of SHIELD
Supernatural
Jim Henson’s Creature Shop
Storage Wars (which just ended)
Barry’d Treasure (if it wasn’t only 8 episodes I probably would have dropped it)
Pioneers of Television (a special 4 part annual series which has been running over the past month)

I’ve been PVRing things so I can skip ads. But I can only watch and record one show at a time. I can find the shows on at different times, for instance I can catch Person of Interest at 7pm, but if I miss the ending–especially when the show runs a minute over–I just don’t have a chance to catch it again. It wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for having so little to watch other nights of the week. Last season I found myself without anything to watch on Wednesdays. This year it was Thursdays. Although with so much on Tuesdays I often wound up watching Tuesday shows the rest of the week.

2. Original programming on Saturday nights (again). Networks use to put shows on Saturday night. One of the best lineups was a Saturday night lineup of Love Boat followed by Fantasy Island. But networks also use to run movies, and they’ve mostly dropped those as well now. Even when VCRs came in networks still aired movies. But now there’s just too many alternatives. In fact it was the success of the VCR that lead to the death of Saturday night television. Instead of watching original Saturday night programming, people would watch something on the VCR, either a movie or something they missed during the week.

However, with alternatives available all the time it doesn’t matter as much anymore when a show is aired. And the lower ratings nowadays don’t look as bad. Ratings on a Saturday will still be lower than other nights, but that doesn’t mean that there’s nobody watching. What’s needed is programming people will want to watch, regardless of the night. And if they want to run repeats, why not air same-week reruns of cable channel shows for those who don’t get the channels. I’m sure a Saturday night airing of Game of Thrones–despite the required censoring–could get ratings as good as any show aired any other night of the week. Not everyone wants to pay for a channel that has only one or two worthwhile shows.

3. Half-hour dramas. At one time networks did broadcast half-hour dramas, although that was at a time that half-hour shows actually got twenty-five minutes of air time. Nowadays they only get twenty minutes, which would seem to make it more difficulty to tell a story in that amount of time. Yet sitcoms do it, so why can’t dramas? 

But many dramas are ensemble shows which take time to tell multiple stories with multiple characters. If they reduce the number of character stories it would be possible to tell a good story in only half-an-hour. And considering the way so many shows today are serialized, a hour long show could easily be split into two half-hours. It’s almost as if the skill to write the half-hour dramas have been lost.

4. Less gore and death. It’s not that shows never had deaths, but nowadays they tend to go overboard with them. Just compare a show today with one thirty years ago. While the lack of blood in the past when showing gunshots and stabbings seems ridiculous today, there’s no need to dwell on the goriest scenes in a show. I never got into watching CSI because the gore went overboard. There is a matter of realism, but there are some things better implied than seen. It’s one thing to show a bit of blood, it’s another to show desiccated remains. Quincy was a show about a coroner yet managed to do a shocking scene by just implying how badly decomposed the remains were. People can imagine things, you don’t have to show them on screen.

And why can’t a detective work on a simple robbery? It always has to be a murder. You almost never see a show today about a private detective because private detectives aren’t allowed to investigate murders. And if it’s not a murder it’s a kidnapping. But what happened to the good old robbery stories? Are they just considered cartoon fare? Some shows do deal with robberies, but in those episodes someone always seems to wind up dead.

5. More limitations on commercial time. I tend to PVR everything now because it allows me to skip past ads. But the amount of commercials now have made live TV unwatchable. People aren’t watching the ads now, but they use to back when ad breaks didn’t run more than a couple minutes long. It’s not benefitting the viewers and it’s not benefitting the advertisers. It’s only benefitting the broadcasters who sell more ad time. But we don’t seem to be seeing any improvement in the TV shows as a result. It’s just people getting more money to deliver the same or less.

It’s easy to say that broadcasters need to make their money and as such need to run ads, but are you watching those ads? Or do you feel that ads should be watched by other people so you can watch the show for free. The system is broken and needs to be fixed. There’s no need to see the same ad two, three or four times during one half-hour, especially if it’s for a product one has no interest in. One of the reasons ratings are so low is that commercial breaks have made the shows unwatchable. If I have to wait five minutes for the show to return I’ve forgotten what’s going on. And it’s hard to stay excited or interested in the show with such an extended break. Would Game of Thrones be doing so well if it had ad breaks?

It’s not to say I want TV to go back to what it was during the 70s, although TV was pretty good during that time. But if networks want people to watch, then why do things to drive viewers away? Running two shows at the same time splits the audience. While it’s always been a strategy, over-fragmenting the audience is not going to result in some good shows getting dropped. Saturday nights may not have a large audience, but it provides an opportunity to try out shows that wouldn’t have a chance otherwise. Even Fantasy Island had their share of deaths, but they found after the pilot that fans wanted to see characters live. And long commercials breaks cause one to forget what’s happening in the show they’re watching and as such loose interest.

But with the exception of the first point, I don’t expect things to change.

Some Thoughts on Primetime Dramas

Continuing with my previous post about TV shows, I thought I’d give some ideas I had about various TV dramas, particularly ones I’m actually watching. I was going to put them in the last post but it got a little long. I’m skipping over other reality shows for now because it’s easy to pick them apart in detail and many of the criticisms are the same as the storage shows.

I’m also skipping sitcoms because I just don’t watch them anymore. They just use all the same recycled jokes as sitcoms of the past. And there’s too much reliance on putting people down or crude humor to get laughs. Situational humor that requires thought is considered too complex for modern audiences. And many times the shows are aimed at people with a certain income bracket, a certain lifestyle, a certain age–usually young–or a certain background. For example, Seinfeld was about a group of Jewish people living in New York. The Office was about a group of people who work in an office environment. And there’s plenty of “family” sitcoms which make the kids out to be smarter than the adults. While one doesn’t have to be part of those groups to enjoy the show, they do tend to appeal more to those groups.

But for this post I’m going to focus on some of the dramas I’ve been watching. I’m also focusing on the full-season network shows. Cable shows tend to follow slightly different rules and have shorter runs. They  are more likely to get full season order or even a two season order since a full season may only be 10 episodes long. As well, a single season is more likely to be aired over two or more years. The channels also don’t air nearly the quantity of shows the networks do and are more likely to put all their backing into just one or two shows.

The Mentalist

It looks as if the show is in it’s last year. If not, then it could only have one year left, but CBS has little room for it’s new dramas so it’s only likely to get another year if almost all it’s new dramas aren’t good enough to go to series.

Most of the show’s story has been sustained by the Red John, but that character was revealed and dealt with earlier in this season. And the whole setting of the show has changed to where it appears almost as a spinoff. Some of the characters are now working for the FBI. The titles of the episodes have changed from being red related to using other colors.

It’s as if they’re making changes in the hopes of extending the show’s life, although it could already be too late. The Red John story was extended too long, and it appears now as if that was because the writers had no Red John. The show reached it’s peak when Jane show who he claimed was Red John. And for the sake of the story that should have been it. But then they had to go into revealing a proper Red John and it turned out to be someone the audience couldn’t care about at all, let alone even remember.

This only goes to show that the writers never had a proper villain in mind when they wrote the earlier seasons. It’s a common problem with many shows, especially science fiction shows. There’s usually some major villain or mystery that the show focuses around, but the writers have no idea what that is. Lost was a good example of this. In order to come up with an ending they writers had to ignore almost everything past the first season because while they found it easy to introduce questions they didn’t have the answers.

Bones

Bones is another show that looks to have outstayed it’s welcome. The show really should have ended a couple years ago. Everything feels recycled. I’m not saying it’s a bad show because I still enjoy watching it, but it feels as if the show will never be as good as it use to be. Still, being able to continue a show past a wedding of the major characters, let alone a baby, is admirable. Much of the time the wedding marks the end of the show. And the danger of a good show getting stretched too far results in killing off any syndication interest the show could have. A shorter show can be watched twice or more, a longer one is harder to. If Star Trek had lasted the full seven years it might not have been as popular as it turned out to be.

Supernatural

Supernatural is yet another show I like be feel that it’s about time to be retired. And it can’t have much life left in it, although the introduction of the Men of Letters did a lot to help give the show a few more years. Unfortunately, it would probably have been more interesting if Sam had been more a Man of Letters and using spells to deal with situations while Dean was more of a Hunter. Although they have been showing some of that.

Hawaii Five-0

I’ve found myself getting further and further behind on the episodes lately. It just doesn’t seem to draw my interest. Everything seems to be following a formula. It tried to tie itself in with NCIS:LA through crossover episodes, and has appeared to survive but acting as an NCIS:Hawaii. But I find the episodes are so forgettable that once I’ve watched it I forget what just happened. And many of the episodes are very badly written, with story elements that are insultingly wrong. Although the show managed to get renewed, I wouldn’t have been surprised if it has been cancelled.

NCIS and it’s spinoffs

NCIS also looks as if it might just be time to retire. The new female character, Bishop, just isn’t fitting in. It’s the top show on TV right now so it’s hard for CBS to cancel it, even if they had to replace major actors. We saw that with Two and a Half Men which was the top sitcom when Charlie Sheen left. But it’s been going so long that there’s not much story left for it. Tony still gets written as a stooge when after this long he should be acting more as an adult. And it’s unlikely that two such skilled detectives as Tony and Gibbs would be allowed to stay on the same team this long.

NCIS:Las Angeles successfully spun-off from NCIS, just as NCIS did from JAG. But how NCIS:LA looked when it started on it’s own was significantly different than it did in the backdoor pilot. The location changed and Heddy was put in charge. Over the years two of the original team members were replaced. Now we’ve seen a backdoor pilot for another NCIS spin-off, NCIS:New Orleans. Although this one looks closer in feel to the original series than NCIS:LA.

However, it’s hard to say how many changes will be made should the show get picked up. NCIS:Red was suppose to be an NCIS:LA spinoff but didn’t fly with the viewers, so it’s hard to say of NCIS:NOLA will be picked up for the fall. CBS wants to have a show to replace the original NCIS when it leaves, but there’s not a lot of room on it’s schedule. It’s very possible that NCIS:NOLA could be a mid-season replacement for NCIS and share the same spot for a number of years until NCIS is ready to retire. Although CBS did have three CSI shows going at once so it wouldn’t seem unlikely to have three NCIS shows at once.

Person of Interest

Right now it appears the best writers on TV are writing for Person of Interest. There’s enough twists and turns in the stories to keep them interesting. The show started with the premise that the “numbers” could be criminals or victims, but lately it’s been making them all out to be victims. Still, that would make this a good time to introduce a villain as a number. It’s just the sort of twist that makes this show work, because these sorts of twists help to keep the show from becoming predictable.

Agents of SHIELD

If there’s anything working against the show it’s using characters that many people aren’t as familiar with. If you were into comics and are familiar with the Marvel universe you shouldn’t have a problem. But for those who don’t know much about Marvel beyond the major characters it can get a little confusing. Especially when some of the “super” villains don’t appear to be all that super.

It’s really hard to say what sort of future the show has. The ratings have not been great, and for a big budget show like this the ratings have to be great or it’s not worth airing. Last week it was beat in the young viewer category by both The Voice and the “old guys show”, NCIS. Yet this show is suppose to be targeting the young audience.

The show can work as a promotional tool for movie releases, but since it’s tied in with the current casting of characters, should that casting change it will date the show very quickly. There’s only so many Avengers and Iron Man movies that Marvel can make before they have to change things up. If the show does get renewed it will need a new timeslot, although unless the last few episode of the season make a dramatic upturn that doesn’t appear likely. Maybe coming out with something with a single hero that isn’t tied in might work a little better, as the WB superhero shows seem to be doing.

I should also add that I’m not against the shows I think should be cancelled. I do watch and enjoy them but feel as if they will never be as good as they have been. If the network drops a show I like, they may replace it with one I don’t like but they may also replace it with one I like more. Sometimes it feels like I’m watching a show just because I use to like it but don’t anymore. And depending upon which night the show is on, I may not even miss it. There’s so much on Tuesdays right not that I’m recording from 7pm to 2:30am straight just to catch everything. So if a show such as Supernatural was to disappear I might not miss it at all, although I do tend to watch it later in the week when there’s not as much to watch. I’m also inclined to catch up on these shows during the summer, although lately there’s been so much new summer viewing that I don’t have a problem finding something to watch.

There’s also a lot of shows I haven’t watched. I never got into Castle mainly because it aired against NCIS, but it was also too similar to The Mentalist. If the Mentalist is dropped I may get into Castle if I don’t get into watching it during the summer. But chances are there will be some other new show that attracts my interest. I usually find for ever show I’m watching that gets cancelled, some other new show appears in the fall that I start watching. And for the past couple summers there’s been enough new material to watch that I haven’t had as much time to get into watching older material.

Some Thoughts on Storage Auction TV shows

This is a big time for TV as many shows wrap up the season and find out if they have a future. I’ve had a few ideas about some shows so I thought I’d post them together rather than a lot of small posts. I thought it best to start with auction shows.

Auction Hunters:Pawn Shop Edition

It’s hard to say whether this show will get renewed or not. One thing that is clear is that it appears the pawn shop will be sold, or rather has already sold. It’s likely that the pawn show was closed even before the show aired, however it was running before that.

If you notice at the end of the season finale, the year the pawn shop was established was 2012. And since the show is filmed ahead of time, it’s quite likely it all happened before the show aired. The season premiered January 20th and went into it’s long hiatus, which now appears to be a season split, in April. If the pawn shop was sold before or early in the season, it would explain the absence of any signage on Google Maps and Ton’s past statement that he wasn’t going to give out the location because it was a working business. Obviously at the time he couldn’t tell people that their pawn shop was closed. But because of the time difference between when things happened and when they were shown on TV, it made it seem as if the shop was still open when the show aired.

It looks as if there is a next season, it could be a road trip.

Storage Wars

Excluding the spin-offs, it appears that Storage Wars is coming to an end. Dave is gone, Barry is gone, and it looks as if we could be loosing Brandi and Jarrod. They could be busy enough trying to sell the inventory they already have for a while. The show has aired over 100 episodes and has a couple spin-offs that may or may not be back, so it does seem time for the main show to end.

Storage Hunters

In many ways I find this the most realistic of the shows. The bidders are a crowd you just wouldn’t want to mess with. It’s common for bidders to overpay. And the lockers tend to look like real lockers would, with many of them being mostly empty or having related items such as car parts or contracting materials. But not everyone would bid on this stuff because they have to know how and where to sell it, while these bidders do.

Reality and Reality Shows

And on the subject of storage shows, there’s a lot of people who like to call them fake. That only points out a lack of understanding of how reality shows are put together. The actions are real, but the editing can make it seem as if things happen in a different order, or if they happen at a different time or over a different period of time. So what you are seeing isn’t quite the same as the way things happened.

A lawsuit Dave Hester filed clamed that the show was “salting” the lockers. Rather, it’s likely that the producers knew what was in the lockers ahead of time. Locker company owners will often inventory lockers before the auction, although they’re not suppose to take anything out or put anything in. It’s likely the producers of the show got hold of the inventory lists and steered the bidders into picking out certain boxes for the cameras. Nothing in the locker was planted, but the reveal was arranged.

In the case of Auction Hunters, and likely Storage Wars as well, it’s only the best lockers that are shown on TV. It’s sort of like filming someone playing slots all day then showing only the wins. It would appear that the person is good at slots when viewers are only seeing part of the picture. And the Auction Hunters have openly admitted and wish people to understand that it’s only their best lockers that get shown on TV.

So the shows aren’t faked, because faking would imply that everything was setup. I do think that the parts where the bidders are talking to camera could be in part scripted, or at least the bidders are coached as to what to say. Some of the lines seem a little too clever. But for the show to be totally faked would cost the producers a lot of money in props, labor and actors, and it’s the cheapness of the show that makes it so appealing to the broadcasters.

It’s all about perception. People are use to dramatic TV shows that fit nicely and take place in this altered reality that somehow seems to keep track with the current date. But unless a show is live, a show can easily have been filmed well ahead of it’s air date. However, because viewers have been conditioned to shows airing weekly with their weekly dramas, they tend to think of the events as happening as they are aired, not as having already happened. Survivor is a good example. The show is filmed over the course of a month but aired over the course of three months, so it appears that the contestants spend more time in isolation than they actually do.

Although it’s because people want to know how much their stuff is worth that they really watch these shows in the first place. But most don’t realize that items can have more than one value. There’s the retail value, which most think of as the item’s value, which is generally how much something would cost if you were to buy it new. Then there’s the wholesale value, which is what retailers buy it for. This may be half of what the retail value is because the item is bought in bulk and doesn’t have the costs to the business added in. There’s also the insurance value which is common with jewelry but isn’t used much for action shows. That’s how much the insurance appraises an item for. But because of the way insurance works, it’s often twice that of what it can be sold for. The insurance is paid based upon the insurance value, and when the item is lost, stolen or damaged the payout is often a percentage of the appraised value. But the actual value is really how much the item is sold for.

If you want to see what a storage auction is like, try going to one. Or even at least a regular auction. It’s common to pick up good deals if you know what you’re doing. And of course you barely see how much work the bidders do in trying to sell this stuff. Even if something is appraised for $1000, it may only sell for $500. And Storage Wars tends to use the prices given by the bidders as to how much something is worth. Auction Hunters usually tells you what things actually sold for, and shows how much work there is in selling some of the stuff.

A good way to see how reality is edited for TV is to watch both the live feeds and the TV show of Big Brother. The live feeds show what is actually happening, but the TV show tries to present it in an entertaining way, even if that means they make a small incident out to be bigger than it was. But they do not determine the winner of the show and cannot tell the houseguests how to vote. This is mostly evident in the US version since game shows in the US are regulated, although in many other countries the game does appear to be manipulated to favor certain players. But the actions and reactions of the houseguests are real, even if the presentation of them makes them appear false.

Windows 8- Chasing After a Dream?

I recently got an Android tablet and it’s clear that smaller computing is the growing trend. There’s still value in the larger desktop computers, especially for those who are doing things that require serious computing power. While it may be capable of it, a laptop really isn’t suitable for heavy processing. And when you consider the price of computers, it’s reasonable to own more than one computer. One can have a desktop at home to act as their main workstation and primary server to store movies, music, pictures and whatever else they want on it, and use a portable tablet or cellphone for mobile convenience. And set up properly, one can access all their desktop files remotely with their portable device.

Microsoft came out with Windows 8 to take advantage of the shift in computing but they may have made a mistake in doing so. The most common operating system for tablets isn’t Microsoft’s Windows 8 nor even an Apple OS but Android. The main reason for Android being so popular is that it’s free and can do pretty much everything any other operating system can do. The only exception is of course the OS specific software that requires Windows or Apple, but that tends to be most evident in games. Many programmers of utilities such as browsers and word processors have realized that the Android market is large enough to be worth pursuing. And many game makers are also realizing there’s money to be made in Android products. And since Android is open-source, programmers of open-source software are also supporting it. Android is version of Linux, which is the open source version of Unix which was popular on many mainframe computers decades ago and is still in some use today. There are many versions or flavors of Linux, with Android being the main one designed for the tablet.

What made Apple popular in the 1980s was its open publication of it’s hardware schematics. This lead to many companies producing clone machines, often with improvements over the Apple’s hardware. This made the Apple market attractive to software makers. But when Apple came out with it’s Macintosh machine they closed up the clone market and the clone makers switched to IBM’s Personal Computer machines. This allowed PCs to become the main player in the market but also wound up turning IBM into a minority producer of it’s own product. But IBM’s biggest mistake was to essentially give Microsoft the rights to it’s operating system which turned out to be where the real profit was.

Now Microsoft, as well as Apple, have to contend with a new shift in computing. Apple managed to get into it early with the introduction of their iPads and iPhones, but Microsoft has had to catch up. Microsoft missed the MP3 player market because Apple already had established itself with the iPod and many other companies were producing MP3 players before Microsoft managed to get it’s Zune to the market place. As such it was impossible to catch up to Apple’s sales. But it wasn’t that people were buying iPods, it that people were buying the cheap MP3 players that were already available. Had the Zune come out at the same time as the iPad it could have dominated the market since most people were already using Microsoft’s Windows on their computers.

This is not to say in any way that Apple is a better product. They’ve just managed to make a some smart moves at the right time. The Apple OS itself isn’t anything special. If you’ve ever looked at the command code and you’re familiar with Unix or Linux then you’re realize that the current Apple OS is essentially Unix based. Android is based on Linux, the open-source version of Unix. So Android tablets and cell-phones are effectively identical to Apple devices, with specific software being the only real difference. And even at that it’s possible to find some usually-free software to do the same job. The difference tends to be most visible in the games since most game manufacturers are small and only program for a single operating system.

So this is why Microsoft decided to change it’s OS to something more suitable to a tablet. Unfortunately, since nobody seemed willing to replace their current tabloid OS with a new one, if one could even figure out how to do so, Microsoft needed to come out with it’s own portable computing device to support it. And because they focused so heavily on the new tablet they wound up making PC computer more complex and difficult. They took away the start menu that Windows users had become use to and replaced it with a second screen that requires the user to switch away from the desktop to run another program. Windows 8 is also very demanding in it’s computing requirements, so some tablets wouldn’t even be able to support it.

It’s not to say that Windows 8 is a bad OS. It works very well on a adequate tablet or even a laptop. The problem is that in focusing so heavily on portable computing devices they alienated desktop users. It has many technical improvements over even Windows 7 but those aren’t really visible to the average computer user. It even sells for half of what it’s previous versions have sold for. It’s main mistake was in getting rid of the start menu. Had they kept that then everyone would be talking about how good a system it is. And hopefully Microsoft will come to it’s senses with it’s next OS release and make it easier for desktop PC users to use again.

The old customers of Apple and Microsoft are getting older and so is their support base. The marketplace is changing. While the new market is willing to pay for hardware as it did in the past, it’s not willing to pay, at least not much, for the software. A game that in the past sold for $20 might sell today for $2. And because the OS has been typically packaged and sold with computers, the market has come to believe that the OS should be free. Some people are willing to upgrade their OS in hopes of improving the performance of their machines, but most tend to stick with the OS their computer came with. And unlike Microsoft or Apple, later versions of the Android OS should be free.

However, I don’t believe that Microsoft is dead. Windows is still the standard OS for any desktop PC that’s sold and there’s far more software available that requires a Windows computer than any other. If anyone is in danger it would be Apple since Android devices are so similar and Apple doesn’t have the same library of software behind it as Windows does, but as long as they managed to come out with leading edge devices they can stick around. And Apple does have it’s fan base of people who are willing to support Apple and buy it’s products, even if they can’t actually give enough reason for paying the higher price that Apple demands. But there’s practically no real difference between an Apple device and an Android device, so over time people are going to go for the Android or Linux-based device, especially if they’ve never used an Apple device before.

But Microsoft needs to realize that while tablet computing is popular, people still need desktop computers and an OS that properly supports it. The shift to the Metro interface was an attempt to keep from going obsolete, but it’s their support of their customers that’s going to keep them around. There’s still need for desktops and there will be for a long time. Any application such as word processing that requires a lot of typing is best done on a full-sized keyboard with a reasonably sized-screen. And applications that require video processing also require hardware that can handle the load. (I know I’ve maxed out my computer’s capabilities many times by running multiple video processes at the same time.) And for the current time being, the main operating system for the PC will be Windows.

The lack of a start button was the one thing that kept people from seeing how advanced Windows 8 was over it’s predecessors. Everyone was focused on what was missing rather than what was there. And Microsoft has been hearing from their customers how much they want that start button back. There are those who prefer the start screen over the start button, and there are users who will want to use it on their laptops while others will want to use it on their desktops. This suggests that a dynamic option needs to be taken. Users should be able to configure whether they want their computer to have a start button or whether they want the start screen. Windows needs to have a portable mode and a desktop mode so it can be adjusted to whatever device it’s put on and to whatever format the user prefers. People are use to customizing how their desktop looks and what software is on it, so why not how the OS works?

Microsoft is changing to keep from becoming obsolete and to stay relevant in the marketplace. But is Microsoft making the changes too late? Currently companies will sell Windows with their latest computers, and software companies support Windows over all other operating systems. But if those things change and Linux suddenly becomes the big OS, Microsoft will have a hard time convincing people to buy an OS when they can get one for free. Apple owns it’s hardware but (for the most part) Microsoft does not. Microsoft is a software company and if it looses ground in the market it will have a hard time getting that back. That’s why Microsoft made the change in the first place. And it’s likely that they’re afraid to make Windows 8 look too much like 7 or people will just stick with the older OS. But at some point there’s only so many changes and improvements one can make to an OS. They can change the way it looks but they need to make Windows work the way their customers want it to. If they can’t do that then people will just switch to someone who does.

Is Auction Hunters Really Over?

Auction Hunters is, or was, a reality about two action hunters named Allen Haff and Ton Jones who worked together. In it’s forth season, they started a pawn shop business. But then they broke up and the show disappeared. Now fans of the show are wondering whether or not the show has been cancelled.

What makes matters worse is that there’s no official or even unofficial word from anyone. This only leaves fans to speculate. Many fans wouldn’t mind that much if the show was cancelled, but they are bothered by not knowing whether the show will come back or not. The show is effectively MIA with all the frustration that brings.

From what one can tell so far it looks very unlikely that the show will return. But why the secrecy? Couldn’t they just say the season is over? There’s a few points to look at.

1) The show was suppose to run 26 episodes in it’s current season. The last episode of the season was episode 13, so only half the season was finished. This ended with the breakup of Allen and Ton. If Allen and Ton were contracted for 26 episodes and only delved 13, there would be a lot of legal issues to deal with and those couldn’t be publicly disclosed.

2) It’s the fall and this is when many shows return, however the previous seasons of the show didn’t follow any specific pattern so it’s very possible that if the show does return it won’t be until January or so. But given that was the case, there should be some promotional material prior to it’s return. They don’t bring a show back without promoting it.

3) Allen and Ton went from a position of having little more to take care of than just the van to having a store with employees and monthly rent and other expenses to cover. They could easily have found themselves spending an additional $5000 per month which they would then have to make up for. Furthermore, it was mentioned on the show that the bought a failing business, and they may have discovered the reason that business failed.

4) The building that the show is suppose to be located at 141 Culver Blvd, Playa Del Rey, CA 90293. If you look it up on Google it appears to be the right building, but you get an image dated August 2012, before the shop was suppose to have opened. There is a white van in the parking lot, but not the milk truck that is seen on the show. And the new season started in January 2013, suggesting the store opened a month or two earlier. So the Google map picture is too early.

5) I’ve been unable to find any website for the pawn shop online. This is most likely because there never was one created, and that’s simply bad business management. Many would use this as evidence that it’s fake but there’s many small businesses that have never leaned to make use of online stores. But they really should have one since they could make online sales.

Allen Huff has appeared on other TV shows, at least one involving his knowledge of antiques and collectables. He had even done a little acting, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know his stuff. He’s not someone who was hired to act on Auction Hunters but rather chosen for his comfort in front of a camera. He comes from a background of antiques and grew up around them. It’s like the cooking show host who is also a chef.

Ton Jones did not have any acting or TV background. He’s a self-taught collector and likely has never run a store front business before. Because of Allen’s experience with both TV and business, Ton could have felt like a sidekick in the fourth season.

I think the key here is something the TV show may not have shown, at least no specifically. There was plenty of reference to the pawn shop costing money to operate and we did see the shop expanding staff. Before they could just buy stuff and sell it directly, without having to cover rent or other expenses. It’s quite possible that Allen and Ton got in over their heads with the pawn shop and found themselves in serious financial trouble. The TV show made it out that the breakup was over a single purchase, but it’s most likely an overall financial crisis that caused the rift.

I expect that both Allen and Ton invested their own money heavily in getting the business going. But then when things didn’t work out Ton got angry not over a single purchase but over Allen’s handling of the business and it’s finances. We did see that Allen had ordered T-shirts without consulting Ton. It’s possible that there were many other things that Allen did without consulting Ton. Ton could easily have put tens of thousands into the business with no return. And if the business failed Ton would never seen any of that money back. Not everyone is good a running a business and business do have a high failure rate. Although Allen has had at least one business in the past.

So if the business went under, it’s quite likely that there’s no pawn shop to do the pawn shop edition and neither Allen nor Ton have the money to buy lockers. As such there’s no way to make the show because there’s nothing to show. A visit to the location would confirm whether the business was in fact still in business, but it wouldn’t confirm the return of the show.

But there’s still a chance that something can be done. Even without the pawn shop it’s possible for Allen and Ton to still buy storage lockers, but that would also require them settling the rift between them. And since the title doesn’t refer to Allen and Ton specifically, it’s possible that it could come back following either Allen or Ton, both of them, or entirely different storage buyers.

Other storage locker shows have the advantage of following multiple buyers. Storage Wars has already lost two of it’s initial buyers, but they can just as easily focus on other buyers to replace them. Auction Hunters has only focused on Allen and Ton. The show may find itself having to turn it’s attention to other buyers to continue.

Some wonder if the show is fake. No, but the editing can be very misleading. It’s very easy to show two different events and edit them together to make it appear as one. So things did happen, but not always in the way or order they were shown on TV. Furthermore, it’s quite possible that many scenes were recreated for the cameras, particularly things that happened when the camera crew wasn’t there. There are many scenes in the store which don’t look real. It’s also possible that many of the customers in the store were in fact actors but using real people would have involved getting consent or people misbehaving in front of the camera. That doesn’t mean that real people didn’t go into the store or that the store wasn’t real, it’s just that the scenes shown in the store may have been recreated based upon what happened at an earlier time. This appears most evident in the last episode.

I think we may need to wait until January to know for sure. The current season started in January and if it’s going to return it will have to come back by then. I also think the pawn shop may currently be closed and that Allen and Ton are still separate. And it’s almost certain that there’s legal issues involved. Legal issues are one of the best reasons why nobody would be talking.

So is Auction Hunters over? Yes. Even if the show does manage to come back it’s never going to be the same show it was. And if it does come back it will only be to finish out the remaining contracted 13 episodes. But after the breakup and long hiatus, it seems doubtful that it could ever be a show about two friends who bought storage lockers together.

Update: The show is to return January 18th. From the previews it’s clear that Allen and Ton are not together, and it looks as if the show may be continuing with Allen getting a new partner. Whether Ton ever does come back will likely take a number of episodes to see, but at this point it seems unlikely. He does appear sometime in the series though.