Versus (Ferris in Focus)

The following is about a Ferris in Focus'' segment. For the cable network, see Versus (TV channel)''

"Versus" is a segment of Ferris in Focus which compares two relatively similar products in a given market and allows students to judge for themselves which one is best suited to their needs. "Versus" shares its weekly production teams with "E-News."

iPad vs. Kindle
Nick Dean and Andrika Lyons host the Versus segment, in which they compare and contrast the Apple iPad and Amazon Kindle. Nick starts by talking about the iPad; opening by discussing how it can be used to view videos e-mail, pictures, even read e-books. He continues by stating that the iPad's screen is a touch screen with a high-resolution display. It also has a 24-oz weight, meaning it is great for use both around the house and elsewhere. It even comes with an up-datable wireless 3G network if a data plan is purchased.

After Nick finishes trashing the Kindle, Andrika discusses its features. These include wireless web access, which allows viewers easy access to Wikipedia if they need it. Also, the Kindle is a lot cheaper than the iPad. The battery of a Kindle lasts a lot longer, and doesn't require syncing with a computer. Also, the Kindle can store up to 1,500 publications.


 * Winner: Nick

Amp versus Rockstar
Nick and Andrika resume their roles as hosts, with the topic this week being energy drinks. At this point, Versus was still a segment that focused on products, rather than on pop culture in general.

Nick took the side of Amp Lightning Energy, while Andrika stood behind Rockstar's Energy Recovery. Nick opens by discussing the lemon flavor of his Amp drink, and how at the price, he'd have three. Andrika counters that "lemony goodness" is "for grannies," and that Rockstar is for users who "want to rock." She also points out that Rockstar has a very smooth taste, without the aftertaste that characterizes Amp.

Both argue that their drinks will keep drinkers up for hours with hyperactivity, but only Rockstar has the electrolytes to counter-act caffeinated jitters. They finished by warning viewers that pregnant women should avoid energy drinks. According to Andrika, it's "like giving the baby cocaine." Nick reminds everyone that taurine comes from ox bile.

Winner: Draw

Firefox versus Chrome
Content will be decided for this episode's segment once producer Nate Totten decides on said content.

Babies versus the Elderly
Content will be decided for this episode's segment once producer Tabby Young decides on said content.

Kermit versus Elmo
Content will be decided for this episode's segment once producer Dominique Gibbs decides on said content.

Vampires versus Werewolves
Content will be decided for this episode's segment once producer Eric Stacy decides on said content.

iTunes Store versus Zune Pass
Content will be decided for this episode's segment once producer Nick Blohm decides on said content.

The '70's versus the '80's
Content will be decided for this episode's segment once producer Lamarr English decides on said content.

X-Men versus Heroes


Nick and Andrika debated which franchise was better than the other; as Nick claimed X-Men is better while Andrika, dressed as Sylar, promoted Heroes.

Nick argued that Heroes is "a hack of a show," that X-Men came first, that X-Men became a motion picture franchise while Heroes didn't, that the X-Men are actual superheroes within their framework while the various leads of Heroes only try to be superheroes, and so on.

He also pointed out how the plot of Heroes is simpler because everything revolves around Sylar in the end. He drove his point even further home by mentioning that Wolverine has claws whilst Claire does not. He also argued that Wolverine isn't as suicidal as Claire; meaning that the temporal paradoxes he deals with are not as much like Groundhog Day as Claire's. And unlike Claire, Wolverine doesn't have to deal with butterfly effects quite as often. He also points out that My Way Entertainment has never made a Heroes parody. He conceded, however, that the X-Men "have no fashion sense" because they wear spandex, and that Heroes is easier to follow.

Andrika argued that Heroes doesn't require you to know Norse mythology to understand the plot, while showing a picture of Thor to back up her argument. She also reminded Nick that Heroes has used nearly all the same tropes as X-Men, but in more realistic ways. Characters in Heroes are more believable because they refuse to wear spandex, as a picture of Jean Grey demonstrated just how bad spandex costume design can be. She conceded, however, that Heroes was more recent.

Of interesting note, Andrika was dressed in a black jacket and black baseball cap, to look more like Sylar. When she stopped time to slice Nick's forehead, the sound effect was identical to that used by Hiro Nakamura on Heroes. Nick's forehead was cut in a manner consistent with one of Sylar's victims. In fact, it resembled Hiro's vision of Jackie Wilcox in " Pass/Fail ." His "blood" was a mixture of chocolate and strawberry syrup, similar to what was used to create Matt Parkman 's nosebleed in " Fallout ." Abilities portrayed in the video included invisibility, lie detection, space-time manipulation, and telekinesis.


 * Winner: Andrika

Organic versus Preservatives
Content will be decided for this episode's segment once producer Megan Barker decides on said content.