Emily Young

Yeah, there's a good reason people call them Microslop left and right. I mean they had a CVE for *Notepad* because they couldn't do *markdown* right. The fact that it *sounds* credible should be terrifying to them.

Still, I sort of figured. It's why I didn't quote a source and called it a rumour.

Mind you, I don't think there's any chance people will stop buying PCs altogether, and almost all PCs come with Windows, so Microsoft still gets some cut even if you never use it.

But let's be real: Even ChromeOS handles the majority of what typical users need a PC to do.

Gamers don't have much of a choice if they like games that use kernel anti-cheat, but professionals who depend on the likes of Adobe could migrate to a Mac next time they upgrade. The worse it gets, even a captive audience gains incentive to find an alternative.

They rightly believe that people will buy whatever they give them, but the question is always for how long. Even if something like this happened, there would be people who hang onto it out of (benign) ignorance or spite.

As I understand it, the corporate culture is very siloed, which means it's very difficult to have a cohesive picture of any project within the org. I attribute most of Microsoft's (post-Gates) poor decision-making to a(n increasing) disconnect between the engineering teams and the decision-makers.

Honestly, I don't know why they would need an NPU if they're going to turn around and sell you AI credits. Like, correct me if I'm wrong, but the current stuff largely runs locally, right? Like there's a world where this makes sense, but I don't have faith in Microsoft being the ones to pull it off.

Yeah. I wish we could just buy a core version of the OS without being enterprise users. The truth of it is they don't really sell operating systems anymore.

I mean I have to hope, right? Whatever 12 looks like, though, I'd expect it to be a service pack / semi-annual update with a coat of paint. Whatever they bolt onto it won't be worth the asking price.

Legitimately, if Microsoft sold a non-enterprise version that didn't have all the "features"...

It's so frustrating because Windows as a core operating system is not a bad operating system. It's solid, it's proven, but the more they bolt onto it, the less reliable and the less useful it becomes. A company with some of the best software engineers, and the absolute worst bean counters.

Greedy enough, sure. Desperate enough to justify the investment, absolutely. But surely someone with some common sense and a voice would prevent this.

Like, this dragging-users-kicking-&-screaming thing paired with more odious data collection is largely why Windows 11 needed 10 to die to catch on.

Apparently there are rumours that Windows 12 is coming this year and will not only double down on Copilot, but introduce a subscription model for it, despite requiring an NPU.

I refuse to believe Microsoft is stupid enough to try the heated seats DRM trick.

Windows for GameCube #vtuber #tech #shorts

Yeah, above the "sweet spot" you start getting the blur back, below you start getting ring artifacts. 1.50MHz is technically sharper for me than 2.00, but the haloing feels more distracting to me.

Interesting, I expected it to vary slightly from rev to rev but I figured it'd be +/- 0.25MHz. I'll have to crack open my SNES and have a peek.

The 5x actually has a few advantages over the 4K-CE, like inverse telecine support (mostly for movies at 3:2 but 2:2 also works to turn interlaced games that run at 30 FPS into progressive), and support for the horizontal low-pass (and presumably high-pass as seen here) filter, which the CE lacks.

I don't have experience with the 4K-CE, but it has several advantages on paper over the 5x like 4K output, 120Hz, HDMI-in, and VGA-in. Many of the firmware features have been backported to the 5x, so it depends on what you need; I'd go with the 5x if you don't need the extra inputs & CRT masks.

I don't recall off hand, I should probably crack it open either way since it definitely needs a recap.

More or less tbh

A screenshot of the main menu for Artemio's 240p Test Suite on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. This screenshot was captured using a "2-Chip" SNES, which is known for bad horizontal blur. This screenshot uses a 0.50 MHz high pass filter on the RetroTINK-4K, where the horizontal blur is not eliminated, and instead a new form of horizontal blur artifact emerges.

What happens when you try a more aggressive setting like the minimum 0.50MHz? Well...

A screenshot of the opening stage of Mega Man X, with X on the highway overlooking the city. This screenshot was captured using a "2-Chip" SNES, unfiltered but otherwise captured at the highest quality possible. This screenshot displays the characteristic heavy blur this hardware is notorious for, particularly in the background details like the traffic lights and underside of the overpass.

A screenshot of the opening stage of Mega Man X, with X on the highway overlooking the city. This screenshot was captured using a "2-Chip" SNES, which is known for bad horizontal blur. This screenshot uses a 2.00 MHz high pass filter on the RetroTINK-4K, where the horizontal blur is not eliminated, but is greatly diminished.

A screenshot of Air Strike Patrol's loadout menu, with "A10AGM-A" selected. This game uses the 512x448 high-res mode for its menus and briefing screens to help make the large amount of text and fine details legible. This screenshot was captured using a "2-Chip" SNES, unfiltered but otherwise captured at the highest quality possible. This screenshot displays the characteristic heavy blur this hardware is notorious for, particularly in the text (gray text like "AIR FORCE" and "HANGAR" especially) and fine UI details. The left menu reads: "F15AGM-B [gray] F15AAM A10AGM-A {yellow/selected,flashing} A10AGM-B {gray} A10AGM-C {gray}" The sub-text on the main graphic reads: "CLOSE-SUPPORT-ATTACK A-10 THUNDERBOLT II {PAVEWAY} {30}m/{GAU-8} {ROCKEYE}" The "DATE"/"TIME" display reads "JAN 16" and "03:03" The text window reads: "30MM GAU-8 AVENGER (VS TANKS) MK-82 SMART BOMB RAYLOAD [ 039 ]"

A screenshot of Air Strike Patrol's loadout menu, with "A10AGM-A" selected. This game uses the 512x448 high-res mode for its menus and briefing screens to help make the large amount of text and fine details legible. This screenshot uses a 3.00 MHz high pass filter on the RetroTINK-4K, where the horizontal blur is not eliminated, but is greatly diminished. The left menu reads: "F15AGM-B [gray] F15AAM A10AGM-A {yellow/selected,flashing} A10AGM-B {gray} A10AGM-C {gray}" The sub-text on the main graphic reads: "CLOSE-SUPPORT-ATTACK A-10 THUNDERBOLT II {PAVEWAY} {30}m/{GAU-8} {ROCKEYE}" The "DATE"/"TIME" display reads "JAN 16" and "03:04" The text window reads: "30MM GAU-8 AVENGER (VS TANKS) MK-82 SMART BOMB RAYLOAD [ 039 ]"

A screenshot of the main menu for Artemio's 240p Test Suite on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. This screenshot was captured using a "2-Chip" SNES, unfiltered but otherwise captured at the highest quality possible. This screenshot displays the characteristic heavy blur this hardware is notorious for, particularly on the edges of the text.

A screenshot of the main menu for Artemio's 240p Test Suite on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. This screenshot was captured using a "2-Chip" SNES, which is known for bad horizontal blur. This screenshot uses a 2.00 MHz high pass filter on the RetroTINK-4K, where the horizontal blur is not eliminated, but is greatly diminished.

A screenshot of the nighttime opening scene of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, where Link is asleep in bed receiving a psychic message from Princess Zelda. This screenshot was captured using a "2-Chip" SNES, unfiltered but otherwise captured at the highest quality possible. This screenshot displays the characteristic heavy blur this hardware is notorious for, particularly in darker areas with less contrast such as the pots, floor, fireplace, and wall trim. The text reads "Agahnim has seized control of the castle and is now trying to open the seven wise men's(...)"

A screenshot of the nighttime opening scene of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, where Link is asleep in bed receiving a psychic message from Princess Zelda. This screenshot was captured using a "2-Chip" SNES, which is known for bad horizontal blur. This screenshot uses a 2.00 MHz high pass filter on the RetroTINK-4K, where the horizontal blur is not eliminated, but is greatly diminished. This is especially visible in darker areas with details like the pots, floor, fireplace, and wall trim. The text reads "Agahnim has seized control of the castle and is now trying to open the seven wise men's(...)"

I led with a bright SMW screenshot, but text and darker scenes gain a lot from this.

That's totally fair. There's not a correct way to play games like this anyway, and the pedantic would notice I took these screens at an 8:7 aspect ratio, which is correct but incorrect.

I first played these games is with RF hookups, so for me, soft images, rainbow artifacts, and buzz are correct.

Not sure if PAL will be the same settings, but mess with it a bit and see what it does - I was really surprised. For me in NTSC land, 2MHz was the sweet spot, any lower gave me ring artifacts, higher just incrementally returned the blur.

A screenshot of Super Mario World on the Super Nintendo Entertainment system, cropped to the upper left corner to show the lives counter (x 5) and red text reading "MARIO". This screenshot was captured using a "2-Chip" SNES, unfiltered but otherwise captured at the highest quality possible. This screenshot displays the characteristic heavy blur this hardware is notorious for.

A screenshot of Super Mario World on the Super Nintendo Entertainment system, cropped to the upper left corner to show the lives counter (x 5) and red text reading "MARIO". This screenshot was captured using a "2-Chip" SNES, which is known for bad horizontal blur. This screenshot uses a 2.00 MHz high pass filter on the RetroTINK-4K, where the horizontal blur is not eliminated, but is greatly diminished.

Messing with the RetroTINK-4K's latest experimental firmware, shrugged at the new high-pass filter until I tried it on my 2-chip SNES...

RT5x's pre-emph did similar, but the RT4K seems to have finer control.

A 2.00 MHz HPF (3.00 for hi-res modes) very nearly fixes the smear for me.

Most people I know ended up naturally shortening my name to Em and I've just kind of rolled with it.

I believe she's some kind of cervid, but both are ungulates.

Reminds me of what Rondo of Blood does when you load it up on a PC Engine CD without a Super CD-ROM2 System Card... I really miss when games did things like this, like popping a Dreamcast GD-ROM into a PC and sometimes getting wallpapers or other files to poke at.

Pretty sure my name is one of the big ones... I swear I didn't know at the time please don't take away my hipster card

Well this is a pleasant surprise. Believe it or not, I have a video written about this game's "sequel", F-22 Total Air War. Not many people remember these games now, but this has excellent damage modeling+wingman control+stealth, and an AWACS mode that makes the game into an RTS/"sim-medium" hybrid.

The poor thing, you activated its freeze response when you were going for a fawn response