It's about time someone got this format killed off.
It does have it's niche for small size web graphics. But there are other, newer, better, more open formats that can do the job just as well.
I think the biggest potential negative effect this might lead to is the appearance of multiple new formats. We already have way more than enough; I don't think there's much need for more than 2 or 3 bitmap and 2 or 3 vector formats. (BTW it sure would be nice for browsers to support a vector format or two).
I'd have to go with AudioCatalyst 2.0 using variable bitrate one notch above default quality.
AudioCatalyst uses Xing to encode. Compared to l3enc with -hq it sounds much better. BladeEnc introduces high pitched ringing artifacts.
On a PPro200 I can simultaneously rip and encode using variable bitrate at about 3.0x normal playback speed. This is CPU limited; I've seen it as high as 10x on a fast celeron.
While I realize these comparisons are pretty qualitative I feel I have some important tools to help me do the job right, such as my pair of Grado SR-125's plugged into a NAD 1300 series preamp.
AudioCatalyst has other important features when it comes to ripping+encoding a number of discs. For example, it can automatically name your mp3 files using info retrieved from CDDB (and gives you a pretty good degree of control over exactly how the names are formatted).
It also provides a variety of different ripping methods, from ASPI to analog, to help ensure that no matter how funky your disc is, you'll still be able to get mp3s out of it.
If you want to call my bluff on this, contact me and I might be able to provide you some 'demo' songs encoded with AC2.0.
A typical motherboard today has two onboard (E)IDE controllers, called the primary and the secondary. The primary controller is usually assigned IRQ14, and the secondary IRQ15.
Each controller can control two (E)IDE devices, but can only actually read or write to ONE of those devices at a given moment. The first device is called the 'master' and the second device the 'slave'.
However, the controllers are independent of each other, meaning that you can access a drive on the primary controller while simultaneously accessing a drive on the secondary controller.
For example, one way to essentially double your disk swapping performance is to put half your swapspace on a drive attached to the primary controller, and the other half on a drive attached to a secondary controller. (Note that when 'swapon'ing the swapfiles or swap partitions, they need to be assigned the same priority. 'man swapon' for details.)
I'm not sure that you can really relate the brain's capacity in terms of bits.
It's not too refreshing to think that all my memories and experiences could be digitized and fit into a dozen TB, but it's probably true.
On the other hand, knowing the capacity of the brain would give us a good idea of the kind of computing power we'd need to 'simulate' life.
It would be really cool if the brain could be used as a storage device (please leave aside the allusions this makes to a variety of cheap scifi movies).
In an earlier post I mentioned that I get IDSL service from Concentric/Covad.
I pay $124/mo, receive a range of 8 permanent IPs, and can use the bandwidth as I see fit, provided it's not somehow illegal. Servers are OK, and multiple machines are obviously welcome.
My bandwidth is lower than most xDSL services, at 144kbits up and down, but it blows away modem and beats out ISDN too (for cost and speed). Additionally, latency is very low (lower than ISDN, which I thought was pretty good).
I also have an IDSL connection through Concentric/Covad. I placed the install order on February 26, and my connection went up today (just over two months later).
The fact is that both concentric and covad did their best to help me out. Both companies have been very courteous, prompt in returning my phone calls and keeping me abreast of the situation.
Covad always showed up for their appointments when they said they would (unlike bell atlantic who says "we'll be there some time on wednesday, so stay home all day sitting by the front door and ready to answer the phone").
Covad delivered the router and installed a wall jack about two weeks after I placed the order. From that time I waited on bell atlantic to deliver my loop. There were wiring problems both at the street level (telephone pole next to my house) and at the CO, requiring equipment upgrades at both locations.
These equipment upgrades did not begin until the 1st of June. Bell atlantic repeatedly scheduled appointments to complete the loop and repeatedly failed to keep those appointments.
This is not the first issue I've had with bell atlantic. Prior to DSL, I used bell atlantic ISDN. At its scheduled rates, my monthly bill should have been $120. But my bills were routinely over $400. Each month I had to call to receive a credit for improper billing, but even with the credit the bill was usually close to $200.
Concentric is providing two months of free service due to bell atlantic's failures.
I live in the DC Metro area and there's no ADSL here! I'm using ISDN which is expensive as hell!! Nearly $150/month! Geeze!
ISDN is cool but I'd love to have ADSL since it's a lot cheaper. BellAtlantic stated they planned on making it available in Nov/Dec 1998. Of course, it's still not available.
Slashdot Mirror
We're already way too far down that road, and what makes it REALLY scary is that nobody seems to realize it.
Think about how much of your life is tracked by a variety of large businesses.
..gone bad.
It's about time someone got this format killed off.
It does have it's niche for small size web graphics. But there are other, newer, better, more open formats that can do the job just as well.
I think the biggest potential negative effect this might lead to is the appearance of multiple new formats. We already have way more than enough; I don't think there's much need for more than 2 or 3 bitmap and 2 or 3 vector formats. (BTW it sure would be nice for browsers to support a vector format or two).
mdm
I'd have to go with AudioCatalyst 2.0 using variable bitrate one notch above default quality.
AudioCatalyst uses Xing to encode. Compared to l3enc with -hq it sounds much better. BladeEnc introduces high pitched ringing artifacts.
On a PPro200 I can simultaneously rip and encode using variable bitrate at about 3.0x normal playback speed. This is CPU limited; I've seen it as high as 10x on a fast celeron.
While I realize these comparisons are pretty qualitative I feel I have some important tools to help me do the job right, such as my pair of Grado SR-125's plugged into a NAD 1300 series preamp.
AudioCatalyst has other important features when it comes to ripping+encoding a number of discs. For example, it can automatically name your mp3 files using info retrieved from CDDB (and gives you a pretty good degree of control over exactly how the names are formatted).
It also provides a variety of different ripping methods, from ASPI to analog, to help ensure that no matter how funky your disc is, you'll still be able to get mp3s out of it.
If you want to call my bluff on this, contact me and I might be able to provide you some 'demo' songs encoded with AC2.0.
mdm
Try sitting as far back in the theater as possible.
A typical motherboard today has two onboard (E)IDE controllers, called the primary and the secondary. The primary controller is usually assigned IRQ14, and the secondary IRQ15.
Each controller can control two (E)IDE devices, but can only actually read or write to ONE of those devices at a given moment. The first device is called the 'master' and the second device the 'slave'.
However, the controllers are independent of each other, meaning that you can access a drive on the primary controller while simultaneously accessing a drive on the secondary controller.
For example, one way to essentially double your disk swapping performance is to put half your swapspace on a drive attached to the primary controller, and the other half on a drive attached to a secondary controller. (Note that when 'swapon'ing the swapfiles or swap partitions, they need to be assigned the same priority. 'man swapon' for details.)
Hope this helps.
mdm
I'm not sure that you can really relate the brain's capacity in terms of bits.
It's not too refreshing to think that all my memories and experiences could be digitized and fit into a dozen TB, but it's probably true.
On the other hand, knowing the capacity of the brain would give us a good idea of the kind of computing power we'd need to 'simulate' life.
It would be really cool if the brain could be used as a storage device (please leave aside the allusions this makes to a variety of cheap scifi movies).
In an earlier post I mentioned that I get IDSL service from Concentric/Covad.
I pay $124/mo, receive a range of 8 permanent IPs, and can use the bandwidth as I see fit, provided it's not somehow illegal. Servers are OK, and multiple machines are obviously welcome.
My bandwidth is lower than most xDSL services, at 144kbits up and down, but it blows away modem and beats out ISDN too (for cost and speed). Additionally, latency is very low (lower than ISDN, which I thought was pretty good).
Joseph
Hi,
I also have an IDSL connection through Concentric/Covad. I placed the install order on February 26, and my connection went up today (just over two months later).
The fact is that both concentric and covad did their best to help me out. Both companies have been very courteous, prompt in returning my phone calls and keeping me abreast of the situation.
Covad always showed up for their appointments when they said they would (unlike bell atlantic who says "we'll be there some time on wednesday, so stay home all day sitting by the front door and ready to answer the phone").
Covad delivered the router and installed a wall jack about two weeks after I placed the order. From that time I waited on bell atlantic to deliver my loop. There were wiring problems both at the street level (telephone pole next to my house) and at the CO, requiring equipment upgrades at both locations.
These equipment upgrades did not begin until the 1st of June. Bell atlantic repeatedly scheduled appointments to complete the loop and repeatedly failed to keep those appointments.
This is not the first issue I've had with bell atlantic. Prior to DSL, I used bell atlantic ISDN. At its scheduled rates, my monthly bill should have been $120. But my bills were routinely over $400. Each month I had to call to receive a credit for improper billing, but even with the credit the bill was usually close to $200.
Concentric is providing two months of free service due to bell atlantic's failures.
Joseph
Where does bellatlantic provide ADSL?
I live in the DC Metro area and there's no ADSL here! I'm using ISDN which is expensive as hell!! Nearly $150/month! Geeze!
ISDN is cool but I'd love to have ADSL since it's a lot cheaper. BellAtlantic stated they planned on making it available in Nov/Dec 1998. Of course, it's still not available.
Joseph
you DO realize you're going to end up with thousands of self-adhesive labels?
why doesn't this article show up on the main page?
what gives?
I've managed to avoid paying for windows by always building my own system.
Gimp DOES do layers .. mebbe you oughta try using it!