Cullens Blog

You would be surprised to learn the quantum of data on laptops which have been irretrievably lost. Yet we don’t take time off to create essential backups on our laptops.

Lets face it - a computer is not a hundred percent trustworthy machine. The hard drive can crash, laptops get misplaced or dropped rendering it useless. To make sure that our precious information that is stored is never lost forever, we must keep back ups of the information stored.

Did you know that over the past years, over a million of laptops have been stolen in the United States alone ? when a laptop is stolen, chances are that it will never be found. In that case, the owner is not only without a laptop, but also without any information!

Back up data is all the more important if you have business information stored in your computer. Like desktop computers where you can create back ups, you can create back ups in your laptop as well. Using online services, remote back up operations, or many other methods are available which help you to store back up information on your laptop.

One of the best ways to store data is to burn a data CD. These data CDs have 700 MB memory space, which can hold a lot of data and files. To do this you need a CD/RW burner built in to your laptop. Most of the newer models carry this facility.

The biggest drawback of laptops is that the storage capacity and security system is not as proficient as a desktop. Since desktops are more powerful, they can store data, including backups in a jiffy.

Laptops were designed for people on the move - so the idea of keeping back up data never crossed anyone’s mind. When it does occur, it is perhaps too late.

As already mentioned the quickest and simplest way to create back up for your laptop is to use online back up services. Based on the speed of your internet connection, the operation can take from several minutes to several hours. Though the process is time consuming, but it is worth your while as at the end of the day, you are left safe and secure.

Keeping a back up data is always safe whether you use a laptop for personal or official use. Try and create your back ups at least once a month or more often, depending on the quantity of information you store everyday.

Daniel Travers is a staff writer at www.computing-times.com http://www.computing-times.com and is an occasional contributor to several other websites, including www.gamesenthusiast.com http://www.gamesenthusiast.com .

AP - The husband of an Army nurse who worked in the maternity ward at Fort Bragg’s hospital was charged Monday with murder in her death, a day after her body was discovered by authorities.

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Most of us have dangerous cleaners in our homes. The worst part of this is these products are designed to make our lives easier. But the health problems caused are far greater than the gains. Not to mention the impact on our fragile environment.

Let’s start by identifying some of the major poisons found in cleaners & their effects. First, lets look at oven cleaners. These contain petroleum-based compounds which are not replaceable. Oven cleaners are among the most caustic substances found in the home.

These products can cause breathing problems such as asthma. I was a childhood asthmatic so I understand fully the effects of household cleaners. These alkalis cause accumulating damage to our bodies. Common symptoms include difficulty breathing & excess fatigue.

The EPA has indicated that indoor pollution may be as high as 20 times the levels outside. This is primarily caused through slow release of gases contained in the petroleum-based cleaners. This can be virtually eliminated using all natural cleaning products that are made with replaceable resources such as essential oils found in our fruits & vegetables.

Another common poison found in home cleaning products is ammonia. It is also a by-product of pet urine. This can cause severe breathing problems such as tightening of chest which causes extremely difficult breathing. Ammonia also causes eye, nose, & throat irritations.

Fortunately, there are natural cleaners today which replace these toxins with products that are effective & do not create any noxious fumes. These can create a safe environment for pets, kids, the elderly, & anyone with respitory allergies. Not to mention these products are not made from oil which is non-replenishable. Eliminating the toxic cleaners from our homes will help protect our environment with no risk to our health.

John Marshall is an ex-asthmatic & the CEO of www.completegreencleaning.com http://www.completegreencleaning.com . John’s site has natural cleaner recipes & well as home how-to guides. John has been symptom-free since using natural products. This article (c) 2007 reprint only with this bio box intact.

AP - High gas prices could turn out to be a lifesaver for some drivers. The authors of a new study say gas prices are causing driving declines that could result in a third fewer auto deaths annually, with the most dramatic drop likely to be among teen drivers.

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As a business owner you have all kinds of ideas about what products and services you want to offer to your clients. If you’re like me, you probably think about it a lot.

The question is, do your clients really want what you are offering? Are you meeting their needs and helping them with the issues that are most important to them?

Imagine being able to see inside of your client’s brains and know what they are thinking. It is actually possible and you don’t have to be a mind reader. The way to find out is to ask!

Yes, the ultimate marketing source is each of your clients. They know better than anyone what they want and need. It seems obvious yet many business owners don’t ask their clients specific questions about how they can best serve them. To get you started, here are some examples.

You can ask your clients questions about:

- Existing products and services

- New products and services

- The biggest obstacles they face

- What might be missing from your offer

So now you know what you want to find out, but how do you do it? There are many ways to ask your clients are thinking. Here are some ideas to get you started.

You can:

* Call them yourself

* Hire a third party to call them

* Send them a survey in the mail

* Create an on-line survey (Survey Monkey offers a free option
www.surveymonkey.com http://www.surveymonkey.com and has a helpful demo)

Since you are asking your clients to spend a few minutes of their time, it is normal to give them a reason to answer your questions. What could you give to your clients as a way to say thank you for their willingness to share their insights with you?

What about:

> Offer to include everyone who answers into a lottery to win a valuable prize

> Give valuable information to everyone who completes the survey

> Offer a discount on future purchases to people who respond

Ready to stop guessing what your clients need and find out directly from them what they really want? First, think about the best questions you can ask. Questions that will reveal information that you will be able to use to create products and services that will really help your clients.

Next, take a look at your client base and decide on the best method to use to ask them your questions. Then offer your clients something in exchange for their cooperation. Once you have the results of your survey, analyze it and create something your clients are really waiting for!

(c) 2006

Stephanie Ward, MA

AP - In the upcoming video game “Star Wars: The Force Unleashed,” the evil Stormtroopers are smart enough to keep players guessing.

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Expressed as a two-way bridge between childhood and adulthood, magical thinking is a developmental stage during childhood that serves a very important function in the process of creativity and imagination. Like so many of our developmental constructs, when magical thinking is held onto and not revised in the light of reality it becomes maladaptive.

The Perfect Other

Many of our illusions about relationships are childhood fairy tales exported into adulthood fairy tales in the form of myths about relationships. The myth of the “perfect other,” usually represented in fairy tales by the prince or the princess, sends many dreamers on a lifelong path of searching and rejecting serial candidates. The rapturous “falling in love” stage of relationship leads them to believe in the possibility of perpetual bliss with a perfect other. They believe they can sustain this rapture if only they could find that perfect partner. This is the fodder of romantic novels, music and singles bars and other partner-seeking activities. Sadly, most of these efforts lead us on a false trail.

When Harry met Phyllis, Fleetwood Mac was singing “You’ll Never Break the Chain,” and they took the lyrics to heart: “If you don’t love me now, you will never love me again.” They swore they’d never break the chain of love, and for several months they succeeded in stuffing anything that threatened their love. The tension was palpable when they came to see me, and when I encouraged them to talk about what disturbed them, a litany of complaints overwhelmed the levies they had erected to protect their relationship. Once that was out of the way, however, they could begin to relate to the real person beneath the perfect mask each was trying to wear.

The Pygmalion Dynamic

Another variation of the perfect other myth is the belief that one partner can change the other into his or her perfect person. Believing that you can change your partner to fit your ideal image of what the perfect partner should be creates an unbalanced relationship. In My Fair Lady , adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s play based on the Pygmalion myth, an ill-bred Eliza Doolittle is transformed into a cultured lady through the efforts of Mr. Higgins, who places a bet on his ability to perform social magic. Whether or not the experiment is successful, one person is constantly “under construction” and being made over, while the other is constantly kneading and shaping their partner. This tug of war can become a lifetime struggle that ultimately leads to disappointment, stalemate, affairs, and divorce. We suggest that people never marry “potential.”

Although you can change many aspects of yourself if you really want to, attempts to change your partner are rarely successful and even more rarely appreciated. You’ll more likely encounter resistance, intransigence, and resentment despite your best intentions. In an egalitarian relationship, both partners respect one another and offer support and encouragement when the other partner decides to alter his or her behavior, appearance, or lifestyle.

Copyright 2005 Linda Miles Ph.D

Dr. Linda Miles is deeply committed to helping individuals and couples achieve rewarding relationships. She is an expert with a doctorate in Counseling Psychology, and has worked in the mental health field for over thirty years. She has been interviewed extensively on radio, TV, and in newspapers and magazines. Find more relationship ideas and relaxation techniques on her web site and in the award-winning book she co-authored, The New Marriage: Transcending the Happily-Ever-After Myth, and Train Your Brain: For Successful Relationships, CD. www.drlindamiles.com http://www.drlindamiles.com .

Jonathan Coulton went from being just another “code monkey” to the Godfather of “Geek Rock.” Here???s how he did it.

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Instead of the usual sandwiches, at Halloween why not surprise the kids with these spooky snacks!

Pumpkin crackers

A round cracker with a slice of red cheese cut into circle on top. Decorate to look like a pumpkin with either soft cheese piped or a white cheese cut into shapes.

Skull sandwiches

Cut two slices of bread into skull shapes. Cut eye and mouth shapes into the top slice. Spread with butter. Spread the bottom slice thickly with jam and place the top slice on letting the jam ooze through the gaps.

Devil egg eyes

Slice a hard boiled egg in two. Scoop out the yolk and in a separate bowl mix in some mayonnaise. Spoon egg mixture back into boiled egg. To make the eye look bloodshot use tomato ketchup.

Ice scream eyes

Scope of raspberry ripple ice cream with a cherry on top. Add strawberry sauce for more blood.

Bat wings

Arrange chicken wings on a plate to look like bats.

Dried scabs

Simply a bowl of dried fruit. Red berries and raisins look good.

Blood and guts

Make up a red jelly and allow to set. Chop up jelly and add red fruits for a gory look.

Fangs

Slices of peeled apple with a strawberry (blood) sauce.

Witches fingers

Simply cocktail sausages with red or green peppers. Cut a small (1cm) slice out of the top of the sausage to form a shelf for the finger nail to rest. Cut the pepper into finger nail shapes and add a bit of soft cheese on the back to stick it onto the sausage.

Witch heads

Cover a fairy cake with green butter icing (or add green food colouring to cake mixture - a lot less messy and time consuming). Cover an ice cream cone in melted chocolate and allow to set. Add a little spare butter icing to the base of the cone to stick it to a chocolate digestive to form a hat. Cut up some liquorice laces and add to the top of the fairy cake to form hair. Place the hat on top. Use dolly mixtures for eyes and pipe black icing to form the rest of the face.

Blood

Any red fruit juice or squash.

Mud

Chocolate milkshake, mixed with ice cream and crushed chocolate flakes.

Lastly why not serve up crisps in a bowl with plastic skeleton or bats for decoration.

For other recipes and activities for the kids go to www.b4school.co.uk

Rachael Willerton publishes b4 school an online magazine for parents with fantastic competitions, features, reviews, activities, crafts, recipes and local information. For more information go to www.b4school.co.uk http://www.b4school.co.uk .

John Hargrave has pulled pranks on everyone from Ashton Kutcher to Wal-Mart. His goal is to make you laugh, but he won???t mind if you think a little, too.

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But divorce is increasingly becoming more common due to a variety of factors. Women are no longer tied to the stove and children; they have been socially and economically liberated. They are well-educated and readily employable. Family size is getting smaller and women now do not hesitate to divorce since it is easy to bring up a couple of children.

The society has become more individualistic and individual rights have begun to take precedence over rights of the family as one unit. Moral norms have become liberal and spouses, bored of living with the same person, increasingly look to broaden their horizons and move on to new relationships.

Favouring Women

The UK divorce laws have changed in recent years and are loaded in favour of women due to a new found concern for their plight among the legal fraternity. The procedure for granting divorce has been simplified and separation is now quite easy to get for anyone.

Financial settlements are getting more equitable and in a majority of cases the family wealth is being distributed on a 50/50 basis, though that does not stop some women from staking claim to the entire assets brought to the marriage by their husbands.

The British courts, full of sympathetic judges, have started taking into account women’s abandonment of jobs as well as their contribution to marriage and promotion of their husband’s careers while considering the distribution of assets in divorce cases. This has given the country a reputation of being the most liberal and magnanimous nation in the world for divorcing wives.

Women from other countries in Europe are flocking to the UK to file their divorce cases in the hope of making a fortune from their husbands’ wealth, a phenomenon that has been derisively labelled as “divorce tourism.” It seems women never had it as good in the entire history of marriage as a social institution as they are currently having in the UK.

According to some analysts, the reasons why women get such a good and - sometimes unfair to men - deal, is because in divorce cases women are considered victims who sacrificed their career and earning potential after marriage to become commercially unproductive home-makers. They raised children and minded the kitchen when their husband was at the office doing a job and furthering his career and salary.

This arrangement and the responsibility of raising a family put wives at a disadvantage career-wise in their crucial young years. They find it impossible to recover from the handicap whey they re-enter job market after a decade compared to women who have been working continuously without a “family-raising” break.

When the time comes to part ways, it is considered reasonable and fair by the judges to give at least half of the husband’s assets to women who more often than not would also have children living with them after divorce. Apart from that, the wives are also granted maintenance from their ex-husbands for years and sometimes even a share from their future earnings!

Getting Richer

Women in Britain over the years have been getting richer and improving their social status. So much so that, according to recent UK government figures, today there are more women millionaires than men in the age group of late teens to mid forties. The trend is largely being fuelled by inheritance and divorces whose rate is seeing an upward swing across the board.

The phenomenon of the rapidly climbing divorce rate and the wives getting a large chunk of their husband’s wealth as well as their future earnings has the potential to reorganise the distribution of wealth between the sexes in the UK.

Overall, taking into consideration the population as a whole, today there are as many women millionaires as men in the UK, which is a drastic change from the time when all wealth was seen as controlled by men. The scale is evenly balanced for now, but it is slowly but perceptibly tilting toward women as the divorce rate goes up and women get a large share of marital assets. Another factor that is going to making many women richer is the substantial wealth that is being inherited by them as they outlive their millionaire husbands.

Maybe the only way for men to stop this tide is to argue before the judge that they should be compensated for their reduced lifespan and increased blood pressure as they stressed it out in the office earning bread for the family while their wives sat in comfort at home, their only serious challenge being catching up on the neighbourhood gossip.

James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. For more information on getting a Divorce see www.quickie-divorce.com http://www.quickie-divorce.com

Reuters - Yahoo Inc on Saturday rejected a proposal to sell its search business to Microsoft Corp and hand over the remainder of the company to activist investor Carl Icahn.

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Home owner loans UK can be define as the synonym for a secured loan. Home owner loans in UK are secured of backed up by the home of the borrower as collateral. This means that when the agreement for the loan is signed, the title deed of the home of the borrower transfers to the lender. But please don’t misunderstood title with possession. The possession of the home still remains with the borrower. However, if you make any defaults in repayment installments, in such situation the lender has the right to take the possession of your home to recover his money.

Presence of collateral helps you support larger cash requirements with home owner loans. Depending upon factors such as requirement of the amount, value of your home and repayment capacity you can borrow amount varying between ₤5000 to ₤75000 and even more in certain situations. The repayment period for a home owner loans in UK lies between 5 to 30 years based upon the amount borrowed by you.

A large segment of homeowners in UK is suffering from the status of bad credit which is the result of mismanagement of debts by them in the past. These people most of the time face trouble while looking for unsecured form of loans. A home owner loans UK easily considers such people for loan approval simultaneously giving them a chance to recover from their bad credit score. These people include defaulters and arrears, CCJ’s and IVA’s, late payment makers and other such people with poor credit score or bad credit history.

Coming back to home owner loans in UK, these loans serves a wide variety of your personal needs. These needs include buying your dream property, home improvements, holiday or vacations at beautiful places of the world. You can even start your new business or finance your ideas for the expansion the existing one. Other than this you can also consolidate your debts to get rid of all your mental stress and anxiety due to unpaid debts.

The most important step in getting any loan is the research factor. The more you search the better you will get and the lesser you have to repay. Internet revolution has made the task of searching easier with lot of online loan websites to serve you with free online quotes. You can study and compare these quotes before filling application form for a home owner loans in UK. It will take 12 to 15 days to get the approval as the valuation of your home takes time. A home owner loan in UK can help you achieve your goals which, till now are kept on hold due to your financial incompetence.

Peter Taylor is a senior financial analyst at Loans UK with an acumen for finance and insurance. In recent years he has taken up to provide independant financial advice through his informative articles. His articles are widely read because of the lucid manner of wriiting and thoroughly researched datas. To find home owner loans UK, personal loans UK, secured loans UK, unsecured loans UK, debt consolidation loans UK UK that best suits your need visit www.loansuk.eu.com http://www.loansuk.eu.com

AP - BEIJING (AP) - Broadcasters and the IOC are pushing China to keep its promises and open up Tiananmen Square to more hours of live coverage for the Beijing Olympics.

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Other names the Chinese Crested is known as are:

? Chinese Edible Dog
? Chinese Ship Dog
? Chinese Hairless
? Chinese Royal Hairless
? Pyramid or Giza Hairless
? South African Hairless
? Turkish Hairless

The “crest” in its name refers to a copious shock of silky hair that graces the dog’s head.

The Chinese Crested is found everywhere, but has never reached great popularity. It has often been exhibited in circuses and carnivals as a “freak.” However, this little dog has many assets that go unrecognized.

There are two types of the Chinese Crested:

? Hairless
? With a full coat, which is called the Powderpuff

The Powderpuff is just about identical to the hairless except for the coat. The two are interbred and shown together. If you breed a hairless to a hairless or a Powderpuff to a hairless you can end up with either type or both types of puppies. Breeding a Powderpuff to a Powderpuff will always produce the Powderpuff type puppies.

Some authors claim the origin of the Chinese Crested is Africa. Others find its origin in Mexico or any of several other warm countries. The Chinese Crested is known to have been carried by trading ships from and to many different ports where it was bought and sold. Therefore, its origin is shrouded by sea tales.

The date of origin of the Chinese Crested is considered to be during the thirteenth century. Oriental countries concentrated on breeding miniaturized dogs, so the Chinese Crested ancestors probably include some of these small, hairless mutations.

The Chinese Crested originally enjoyed a pampered life with few duties except those associated with being a good companion. Very early in the development of the Chinese Crested breed it was probably used as a ratter on trading ships and was even sometimes eaten by human residents of these trading ships (how horribly awful to think of eating such a beautiful creature).

Personality

The Chinese Crested is said to be “a nimble and cunning playmate.” He is a vigilant and sensitive house dog. The Chinese Crested is a loving and obedient pet. He socializes well with other pets and is only a little cautious of strangers. The Chinese Crested is lively and active, but is rarely seen in agility contests. He is easily trained and should do well in obedience work.

Appearance

The Chinese Crested is fine-boned and graceful. He stands about 11 to 13 inches tall and weighs 5 to 12 pounds. He is athletic-looking and well muscled. The legs of a Chinese Crested are straight and strong. The Chinese Crested has a copious shock of silky hair that graces his head. Hair is absent over much of the remainder of its body except for tufts of hair on the tail and feet.

The Powderpuff has a flowing double coat of silky hair that covers its entire body. It is seen in any coat color or combination of colors.

Exercise Requirements

As with most toy breeds the Chinese Crested needs a minimal amount of exercise which can be obtained in your backyard.

Grooming

The Chinese Crested needs to be kept clean with frequent baths using a good shampoo followed by a moisturizer like baby oil or baby lotion. This routine is especially true for the hairless type.

The Powderpuff requires regular brushing and combing. The teeth need cleaning regularly.

You will need a good-quality bristle brush and a safety razor (to shave the face) for the Hairless variety. For the Powderpuff coat you will need a good-quality bristle brush, a wide-toothed comb and clippers.

The skin of the Hairless type responds well to frequent oiling by massaging baby oil or Nivea face cream into the hairless parts. This helps to keep the skin on the Chinese Crested Hairless type smooth and nicely moisturized.

The Powderpuff puppy requires frequent brushing with a bristle or pin brush particularly when the puppy coat changes to the adult coat, at which time daily grooming may be needed. The coat of a Powderpuff Chinese Crested should be brushed in layers with the lie of the coat.

After bathing, grooming and blow-drying, the face should be shaved using clippers (10 mm blade). Take a line from the outer corner of the eye to the ear and in a gentle curve from the ear down to the “Adam’s apple.” This cut is similar to the face of a Poodle. In the U.S. the Powderpuff face is not shaved. Finish off the entire body with a wide-toothed comb if desired. The comb will find any remaining tangles in the coat. Of note in the Chinese Crested is that the dog’s nails should be moderately long.

Connie Limon. Visit us at www.abouttoydogs.com http://www.abouttoydogs.com and sign up for our newsletters. About Toy Dogs is a guide to the selection and care of toy dog breeds. We feature articles, dog training resources, dog books, dog supplies and a toy dog breeder directory. Purchase a full page ad with up to 3 pictures, a 12 picture video, and advertising in our newsletters for one year at the rate of $25 per year.

AP - Former Sen. Jesse Helms, an unyielding champion of the conservative movement who spent three combative and sometimes caustic decades in Congress, where he relished his battles against liberals, Communists and occasionally a fellow Republican, died on the Fourth of July. He was 86.

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If you find yourself in a situation wherein payday is still a few days away and you urgently need some money, then a payday loan may be the perfect solution for you. All sorts of emergencies or needs can come up at any time in our lives and you never when this will happen. Many times, we are not equipped well enough to financially deal with such emergencies. In such times, a payday loan would come in handy, no matter what specific need you have.

What to expect from a payday loan

The basic feature of a payday loan is that it is a short term loan which has been designed to meet the temporary financial needs of people in between paydays. It is meant to be paid off in a relatively short amount of time. That is, when the borrower’s next payday comes around, he should be able to pay off the payday loan. In certain situations though, if for whatever reason, the borrower is not able to pay back the payday loan on his next payday, he could be given another payday in which to pay off the loan. This would mean that additional charges and more interest will be applied, however.

Another feature of a payday loan is that is can be obtained pretty quickly. With the numerous payday loan providers operating online today, one can apply for a payday loan and receive his money within a few days or even as short as 24 hours. With all these positive features, though, you may want to know that a payday loan carries with it relatively higher interest rates as compared to other types of loans. Yet this can be offset by the convenience and the speed by which you can get your money to tide you over till the next payday.

How to apply for a payday loan

As mentioned earlier, there are numerous online payday loan providers. Specific requirements vary from lender to lender but the basics are the same. One has to be at least 18 years old to qualify for a payday loan. More so, one has to have a stable job or a regular source of income. Last, one has to have a current bank account. A credit check is not part of the requisites for a payday loan. This is one big reason why many people patronise payday loans.

So how do you go about applying for a payday loan? It is simple and easy - you just go to the web site of the online payday loan and fill out their application form. Once you submit it, you have to wait for a reply. This takes anywhere from minutes to hours, depending on the load of the payday loan provider. Once you have been approved for the loan, you can expect your cash to be deposited into your bank account within the next day or so.

First time borrowers may be limited to a couple hundred pounds but if they pay off this loan on time, they can borrow more the second time around. Indeed, there are many options when it comes to financial emergencies and a payday loan is one of the most feasible ones if you get caught in between paydays.

James Archer is an author working with payday loans and has been involved in the financial services and financial planning business. He has written many articles on finance including mortgage, loans and debt advice.Its easy to apply for a online payday loan. ( www.epaydayloanadvance.co.uk http://www.epaydayloanadvance.co.uk ). He is providing his useful advice through his articles on finance for the residents of the UK.

AP - A volcano erupted Saturday with little warning on a remote island in Alaska, sending residents of a nearby ranch fleeing from falling ash and volcanic rock.

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As a result of problems related to the mass production of a key component of its Blu-ray DVD player, Sony (SNE) will delay the European launch of its next generation video game console, the PlayStation 3 (PS3). Sony will also reduce the number of PS3 units immediately available in both the U.S. and Japan.

In the U.S., the PS3 will launch on November 17th, with approximately 400,000 consoles available for sale. The U.S. launch will come almost a week after the Japanese launch which will consist of merely 100,000 units.

Sony’s PlayStation 3 is the successor to the PlayStation 2, the world’s most popular (and as recently as July, the world’s best selling) video game console.

The Number That Really Matters

The fact that there will only be 400,000 PS3 units available for sale in the United States on November 17th is totally unimportant. The launch date itself is unimportant. What matters is how many units will be available for sale in mid to late December.

Sony claims it will have 1 million to 1.2 million consoles available for sale by December 31st. I think it’s safe to assume they don’t plan to have many arrive between December 26th and December 31st. So, let’s assume there will be at least a million PS3 consoles available for sale in the U.S. by Christmas.

Will that be enough to put a PlayStation in the living room of every household that wants one?

No. There will almost certainly be many people who have to go without a PS3 for Christmas, despite being willing to pay the very high price Sony is asking. But, that’s nothing new. Other consoles (including the Xbox 360) have been launched without an adequate number of units immediately available for sale.

This isn’t like failing to get enough Glad trash bags on store shelves. Once the console has launched, limited availability shouldn’t cause many people to switch their planned purchase. If they want it and it’s out, they’ll wait for it.

A delay is much worse than a mere shortage. There’s a promise (and a tangible product) behind a console that has already launched. So, very few people in the U.S. or Japan who planned to buy a PS3 are likely to change their minds because of a Christmas shortage - no matter how severe.

The Things That Really Matter

The success of any gaming platform is largely based on five factors:

Available Titles

Relative Launch Date

Price

Predecessor’s Installed Base

Technology

Of these five, technology is by far the least important factor. The four most important factors (available titles, relative launch date, price, and predecessor’s installed base) are difficult to separate. Clearly, having a predecessor with a large installed base (such as the PS2) can be tremendously beneficial, if you get satisfactory marks in the other three areas (titles, launch date, and price).

Predecessor’s Installed Base

The PlayStation 3 dominates when it comes to having a predecessor with a large installed base. So, how does it score in the other three areas?

In terms of available titles, the PS3 scores as well as any of its competitors, if not better. However, none of the three consoles (Xbox 360, PS3, or Wii) does very well in this regard. Unfortunately, the titles are likely to be somewhat segregated by console. There will be quality games on each system; but, almost no one will buy all three. Simply put, there will be some games exclusive to each console that a lot of people would really love to play - but can’t.

Also, there’s the danger that both the PS3 and the Xbox 360 will be seen as the more adult and less casual consoles. Microsoft (MSFT) and Sony have Nintendo to blame for this - but, let’s put that issue aside for now.

Relative Launch Date

Returning to the list of factors that determine a console’s success, let’s consider the launch date issue. Sony clearly has a bit of a problem in Europe, because it will have one less Christmas season than both the Xbox 360 and the Wii. Some analysts think Sony will lose no more than a few hundred thousand console sales to substitutions. If that’s true, lost revenue might be in the hundreds of millions rather than the billions.

Strong sales of the Xbox in Europe during the Christmas season would be a very bad indication for Sony. The combined price of an Xbox and a PS3 is prohibitively expensive. Furthermore, the two consoles are far more similar to each other than they are to the Wii. As a result, while some European Wii sales might be recoverable by Sony at a later date, because individuals will choose to buy the Wii first and the PS3 later, very few Xbox 360 sales would be recoverable. Essentially, every Xbox sold in Europe this Christmas is a PS3 that will never be born.

Three Separate Markets

The U.S., Japan, and Europe are really three very different markets. It’s quite possible you could have a console that is very successful in one market and yet unable to get any real momentum in another.

Before this delay, I felt strongly that Europe was the market where the PS3 could come closest to duplicating the performance of the PS2 in terms of market share. There’s a long-term danger that Microsoft will gain market share in the U.S. and Nintendo will gain market share in both the U.S. and Japan.

Obviously, Europe isn’t as well defined a market as either the U.S. or Japan. So, it’s much harder to predict how a certain type of console or a certain type of game will go over there. The U.S. and Japan are very clearly defined game markets, largely because they have very clearly defined consumer cultures in general and entertainment cultures in particular.

So, what does the PS3 delay mean for Sony’s future in Europe? It’s hard to say. I’m more interested in seeing what the installed base of each next generation console will look like in the American and Japanese markets after Christmas 2007, when we’ll have the first real chance to predict how this round of the console wars will play out.

Of course, there are some predictions that seem pretty safe even now. For instance, it seems safe to say Sony will lose worldwide market share. Simply put, the PS3 won’t be able to duplicate the market share dominance of the PS2.

So, most likely we’re talking about Sony’s PS3 falling somewhere north of catastrophic failure and south of market share gains. Although I think both of these scenarios are extremely unlikely, catastrophic failure is more likely, simply because improving upon the PS2’s market share seems a near impossibility given the much tougher competition this time around.

Is there a real risk that the PS3 might end up being a catastrophic failure? I don’t think so, simply because of the number of PS2 systems still out there. Price combined with solid competition on both of Sony’s flanks is the only thing that could cause such a failure. If the price prevents widespread acceptance of the system, third party publisher support would be a problem down the line. Nintendo doesn’t need a lot of third party support. Sony does.

Although I do think Sony is doing serious harm to its PlayStation line by insisting upon including Blu-ray and charging a ridiculous price, I don’t think any amount of managerial ineptitude is likely to cause the catastrophic failure of a successor to such a dominant console as the PS2.

Price

If price isn’t the elephant in the room, it should be. Most of the articles I read about the recently announced PS3 delay / production scale-down didn’t say much about the pricing of the PS3. That’s a mistake - especially, because several articles mentioned the laptop battery recall, which has nothing to do with the PS3 and very little to do with Sony (it has everything to do with lithium-ion batteries irrespective of their manufacturer).

The PS3’s price is a big problem. One that might have manifested itself in poor Christmas sales, if the number of units available for sale had approached the expected demand. For now, Sony is planning on having so few units available in the U.S. by Christmas that the launch will go well even if the PS3 is ultimately a failure. Sony claims it will have 6 million units by the end of its fiscal year. A few analysts are skeptical, but Sony is sticking to that line.

In the weeks ahead, expect Sony to make a big deal about the fact that it will actually make more PS3 units available by the end of December than the number of Xbox 360s Microsoft had made available by the same time the year before. It’s a valid point. But, it omits two key facts. The PS3 is launching after the Xbox 360 and there are more PS2 owners out there who will want to trade up for the new system.

Since the PS3 is launching after the Xbox 360, no one is waiting around to see what the alternative will look like. They already know what the Xbox 360 is, what it can do, and what (some of) the games available for it are. As soon as the PS3 launches, the comparisons can begin. That wasn’t possible when the Xbox 360 launched and everybody knew the PS3 was on its way.

The second reason why no parallel exists between the demand for Xbox 360s at launch and the demand for PS3s at launch is simply that there are more PS2s out there. As a result, Sony having as many units available by Christmas as Microsoft had the year before would be a lot like Gillette having as many new razors available as Schick had produced the year before. The difference in market share obliterates any possible comparison.

So, even though I think the PS3 is far too expensive going into the Christmas season, I’m quite sure that fact won’t be evident in the sales numbers, because there will be a severe PS3 shortage throughout 2006. Even if the PlayStation 3 is too expensive, it will look like it’s selling well, because there simply won’t be enough of them produced in 2006.

Why am I so convinced the PS3 is priced too high?

The PS3 is too expensive to be a Christmas gift. Around Christmas, a lot of these consoles are bought by parents as gifts for their kids. Parents are willing to pay a lot for them, because they’re a huge one-time item for the kid (and the parents have been hearing about it since well before the launch). But, the prices likely to be charged in 2006 for the PS3 are simply beyond what parents are willing to spend.

It’s not an issue of how much consumers have to spend versus the value they’re getting. It’s an issue of being psychologically unprepared for paying this kind of price for any gift.

It may be a price older gamers are willing to pay to get a PS3 for themselves. But, it’s not a price parents will be willing to spend on their kids.

Geoff Gannon writes a daily value investing blog and produces a twice weekly (half hour) value investing podcast at: www.gannononinvesting.com http://www.gannononinvesting.com

AP - Hundreds of volunteers have proven pennies really can go a long way. Miles, in fact.

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