What is it about DC that makes losses lower? AFAIK HVDC is used widely in power transmission, especially underseas where AC suffers losses due to induced currents in the water. I'd have thought corona losses would also be lower with DC, though correct me if I'm wrong. Modern solid state equipment means DC-DC conversion is more efficient than ever - AC was originally chosen because of how hard it was to convert DC between different voltages (the high ones required for transmission and the low ones required for it to be safe in the home), but this isn't true anymore. In fact, with the necessity of maintaining a good power factor, and power factor correction required in any sizable AC system, added to balancing phases to keep generation and transmission working efficiently, AC is something of a legacy standard. If the world needed to be wired today, I'd have to say DC would be a better choice.
If UNIX meant more than real world UNIX Compatibility, there's now an easily usable, affordable real UNIX on the market - is the jist of the news. For the few organisations that demand real UNIX this could be in Apple's favour. Yes, the hardware may be crappy, but admin costs would be lower. Or not. Either way the Pointy-haired bosses of the world will be all over it, so many admins will have no choice.
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note that this should read 'what is it about DC that makes losses higher'?
What is it about DC that makes losses lower? AFAIK HVDC is used widely in power transmission, especially underseas where AC suffers losses due to induced currents in the water. I'd have thought corona losses would also be lower with DC, though correct me if I'm wrong.
Modern solid state equipment means DC-DC conversion is more efficient than ever - AC was originally chosen because of how hard it was to convert DC between different voltages (the high ones required for transmission and the low ones required for it to be safe in the home), but this isn't true anymore.
In fact, with the necessity of maintaining a good power factor, and power factor correction required in any sizable AC system, added to balancing phases to keep generation and transmission working efficiently, AC is something of a legacy standard.
If the world needed to be wired today, I'd have to say DC would be a better choice.
If UNIX meant more than real world UNIX Compatibility, there's now an easily usable, affordable real UNIX on the market - is the jist of the news. For the few organisations that demand real UNIX this could be in Apple's favour. Yes, the hardware may be crappy, but admin costs would be lower. Or not. Either way the Pointy-haired bosses of the world will be all over it, so many admins will have no choice.