Like Napster and every other file sharing service since, BitTorrent has altered (some would say scarred) the digital landscape immensely. I’m not going to go into the legalities here - we all know people who use it, a noble few for genuine legal file sharing, vastly more for getting the latest Coldplay album without having to shell out for it (I’ve heard it, I can sympathise).

It’s part cause and part by-product of the fact that the Internet has hugely magnified the hype and speculation around new albums, movies and games, to the extent where we often know far more than we need to about something before we experience it.

Simon over at fanboy site Den Of Geek makes the point well here, with even seemingly innocent Facebook walls proving a minefield before a much anticipated film release. I can understand this to a certain extent - I read previews and speculate about films more than is really healthy. But I stop there.

The people I simply won’t ever understand are those seemingly intent on deliberately ruining their own enjoyment of the thing they’re so desperate to get hold of. (more…)

We’ve seen some pretty ridiculous systems at PC Pro aimed at gamers. Without naming the main culprits, it’s obvious that plenty of marketing departments think that those who play games on their PCs want a machine that looks like a Transformer after a Pimp My Ride makeover.

However, Acer appeared to have wandered into the gaming PC market and taken first prize in the competition for making a gaudy, over-the-top garish machine with this, their new Predator desktop. This orange creation may pack in some decent specs - the top configuration includes a QX9650 CPU and two 9800 GX2 graphics cards in SLI configuration. It’s a little bit ludicrous and, for all of its vaguely embarrasing styling, part of me wants one very badly indeed.

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And here it is.

Virgin on Oxford Street (what’s Zavvi?!) had less than ten copies left at 9:45 this morning, and this copy is currently under lock and key somewhere secure and secret at Dennis Towers (err…my bag).

It’s not for PC Pro; hell, it’s not even on the PC, but it will eat up the best part of my May, June, probably even July when everyone else out getting sunlight and exercise. I’ll move the telly next to the window and wave at them with pity. Fools.

It’s actually provoked a feisty debate here at Pro. (more…)