Sounds a bit odd. Its been pointed out the SSD they use is ancient though, an old Samsung drive from over 2 years ago (basically one of the earliest consumer SSDs, pre-TRIM era) with reads and writes that only peak at around 70-80mb/s, which is the same as their mechanical hard drive they use does for sustained tasks. A joke when compared to most 80gb SSDs with speeds that reach 250-300mb/s, with lower power consumption, and a much higher IOPS to boot.
Run Linux in a VM? Why oh why not just install Linux at the side, like our University suggests students do. Hell, I know Ubuntu even supports being installed inside your Windows partition - so you don't even need to mess up or change your partition size. And when you're done with it, you remove it like any other Windows program.
And as for dell - the Studio 15 with the quad core (aka 'real i7s') were quite cheap a while back, sub 1000$. Battery time restricted to only about 2-3 hours though. For multi threaded tasks, even the best Macbook ends up looking like a netbook.
They use a 2+ year old Samsung drive. I don't think I need to point out the massive difference between this SSD and the SSDs any other sane person would use. But hey; I guess I can't resist. 70-80mb sustained reads versus the 250+ found decent 80gb ones? Not to mention its got slower seek times, several times higher power draw? And lets not start with the missing TRIM issue, although for budget drives TRIM does tend to see more limited benefits.
Replacing this thing with that damn cheap Kingston drive thats floating around would be an upgrade (assuming its availible in 1.8'' size); and thats the cheapest damn thing I've found.
Apples Macbook Pro line uses TN based panels - the air is no different, unless they changed it for this model and forgot to mention it.
As for the desktop monitor you mentioned, just sounds like the usual IPS vs. TN. HP does have their own IPS monitors, in fact they actually are one of the very few companies that actually make the panels (And supply them to e.g. Dell).
Because your computer is responsible for creating the 'package' that is sent across networks. Your router doesn't actually do anything with the data; it just moves it around (and if a NAT, does NAT things).
Your computer needs to be able to stamp an IPv6 address on a package in order to send it to an IPv6 computer.
Of the addons listed - the following exist partially or completly;
all-in-one gestures
compact menu 2 (looks like a ribbon which 10.50+ uses - you can easily tweak opera to better use real estate than firefox; which is currently a well known looser in this department)
context search
Distrust (Isn't this just 'private browsing? - also triggers automatically for me when i open a link from a program like Skype or MSN)
exif viewer (seems to do camera related things just fine - if theres more rare listings not implemented I don't know)
firefox sync (opera sync - which also works with phones)
gmail notifier (not an actual addon?)
remove it permanently (limited - can't do text at least although adds pictures movies etc works fine)
stop-or-reload button
In the end, thats not a whole lot of things you're actually missing out. A few firefox appearence things obviously and firefox engine tweaks. Really the only thing that sticks out to me of significance is adblock and potentially the addon that allows you to remove text elements. I'll leave any conclusions to you though
They're cutting down on customization on the talents front a bit - but keep in mind that in the current state of the game, there are very few talent choices that aren't on the border of 'retarded'.
The new system instead makes each talent far more meaningful, since it does away with many of the terribly minor ones like adding a 1% more critchance or increasing damage by 2%, in favor of more potent talents instead.
Not sure I would agree about the necessity of point 6.
One thing I've seen consistently is that built-in voice chat almost always gets ignored in favor of more solid and 3rd party solutions (Mumble, TS, Ventrilo, Skype).
I think my old WoW account totals some 500 total days/played, with perhaps 150 or so on Wrath. I don't remember the specifics since I haven't actually played the game in 9 months - but I know I don't even have an hours worth of time spent on the built-in voicechat; and everyone I knew had the same impression/attitude.
A minority uses it, the majority ignores it. And whether it is present or not is virtually never a factor for most people, and generally at best - a luxury.
7 should have a file-only search parameter. That said, it doesn't seem to quite do what you'd expect (or does nothing I've not checked fully yet), bit odd that, I'll agree. That said, realize that the search is organized by folders then files and in general finding the first file should be a non-issue. Best result (which will generally be what you were looking for) will be on top.
If its a file you're looking for, simply ignore the folders section.
As for your start method - it works for a small amount of apps, something I never said XP would not compete in.
Rename your shortcuts to contain short codes in the beginning - such as "23 - Browse 4chan" or "62 - Delete Porn Folder" to just name two rather silly examples.
Search for 23, press enter (or rather, use one of your mouse buttons for it - you do have that set up, right?). Even if its not showed up yet when you hit enter, it will launch. Programs always take priority over anything else in the results, so you'll always launch a program if it exists. If you're a power user, you should be aware of what exists and what doesn't, your own method certainly required no less deal of customization.
As a plus - I also suggest getting a programmable keyboard. The G11s macro keys are great as 'launch X' keys. Just remember where you bound things...
Just let each user configure it on their own. Some prefer higher graphics and lower framerates, other prefer higher framerates even at the cost of graphics.
If you force it to be universal - you rob them of this choice.
Hardware per say doesn't require it, but Windows XP isn't as good at handling the latest generation of AMD processors - and its even worse with the i7s. Same with GPUs.
It'll still go fast, make no mistake - but 7 will generally allow programs to work much faster.
And for advanced users Windows XP often works BETTER than Win 7.
Yeah - no.
I've never had search fail me in Windows 7 or even Vista. The plus side is that its also faster - compared to XP where searching for something manually often ended up being the better solution unless you intended to leave the system on overnight.
The strong organizational capabilities and ability to rapidly access multiple programs leans heavily in favor for the power user. When I need to organize multiple programs or switch between them XP is far slower than 7. If you run with a lot of programs installed - Windows XPs start menu becomes a complete mess. With 7 you just quickly type in the name of the program and it will 90% of the time show up before you're done typing it. Nice thing is this works even for system programs that might not be in the start menu. In other words, even if i have 300 programs installed - nothing ever takes more than 3 seconds to start.
Individual sound control for programs is very much a power user setting as well (Great for controlling programs with rogue or no sound control). Most regular users might not realize it even exists.
In addition - XP goes completly crazy if you try and tamper with DPI settings; something that doesn't bode well for high resolution laptops.
In short - I've never run into a situation in Windows 7 where the OS gets in the way, that isn't due to me being used to doing things in one way and just having to realize a faster more efficient method. Once thats done, I don't go back.
C:\Users\Public\
As for settings - you can also run old or poorly written programs in administrative mode. The files written in the Program Files directory will typically take precedence over local/private ones, so your settings should carry over to other user profiles. However at the same time - why on earth do you need to do this?
My point was simply that the overcoverage as you say may have skewed the percentages, since they only cover 12 months, simply because there was a lot of coverage on it. That was all I was implying.
Still, how much of this coverage was caused by the iPhone 4 antenna debacle?
Because on a lot of places there would be dozens of articles on that very issue - which would significantly push up the percentage.
Save for Windows 7, the latest Xbox, and the Kinekt - nothing much has really happened from Microsofts end - and Apple I expect should be able to match those articles with various product revisions of their own.
As for Google - they tend to be on the forefront a lot in general - search update here, mail changes there, new service here - and so on, not to mention its somewhat different compared to physical product businesses as well.
Still XP was just as much of a mess as Vista until SP2; not a lot of people remember this though.
And for performance; XP generally wanted 256mb RAM to run most programs fully. While 128mb was 'ok', most machines at the time contained a mere 64mb, and newer kits generally sold with 128mb. The 256mb systems only came out later.
Chrome, Opera, and recently IE9 as well.
None really upholds my personal expectations.
HTML5 videos are a bit tough to find, particularly amongst 'normal' stuff - but I've done my fair share of comparisons around; and I just can't get HTML5 to really come out anything more than slightly ahead at best, performance wise... and I'm sorry to say, that tiny performance advantage is severely hurt by its poor reliability and functionality loss.
And I should point out, things run very smooth despite the systems limited resources... the comparison becomes pointless on the more regular machines; the work laptop - and the gaming desktop.
You make it seem as if firewalls don't permit this with as little hassle.
I've got a nice 16 port switch at home connected with a solid wireless router just to bring the 30 or so different devices that needs connectivity to the Internet, the local network server (particularly the TV playback device), and each other. They do so fluently, with no hassle, despite soft firewalls in place.
And as a bonus, the system isn't nearly as easy to break down in the event of a compromised system - e.g. one of the kid's friends computer... and they're still capable of accessing each other and the server files in standard manners.
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Sounds a bit odd. Its been pointed out the SSD they use is ancient though, an old Samsung drive from over 2 years ago (basically one of the earliest consumer SSDs, pre-TRIM era) with reads and writes that only peak at around 70-80mb/s, which is the same as their mechanical hard drive they use does for sustained tasks. A joke when compared to most 80gb SSDs with speeds that reach 250-300mb/s, with lower power consumption, and a much higher IOPS to boot.
And as for dell - the Studio 15 with the quad core (aka 'real i7s') were quite cheap a while back, sub 1000$. Battery time restricted to only about 2-3 hours though. For multi threaded tasks, even the best Macbook ends up looking like a netbook.
Fast SSD?
They use a 2+ year old Samsung drive. I don't think I need to point out the massive difference between this SSD and the SSDs any other sane person would use. But hey; I guess I can't resist. 70-80mb sustained reads versus the 250+ found decent 80gb ones? Not to mention its got slower seek times, several times higher power draw? And lets not start with the missing TRIM issue, although for budget drives TRIM does tend to see more limited benefits.
Replacing this thing with that damn cheap Kingston drive thats floating around would be an upgrade (assuming its availible in 1.8'' size); and thats the cheapest damn thing I've found.
Strange. In the computing world, Mac OS is known to perform all tasks given to it slower than any Linux distribution or NT based Windows OS.
As for the desktop monitor you mentioned, just sounds like the usual IPS vs. TN. HP does have their own IPS monitors, in fact they actually are one of the very few companies that actually make the panels (And supply them to e.g. Dell).
All the more reason to be worried about 2012... even if the date might be off by as much as 60 days.
Because your computer is responsible for creating the 'package' that is sent across networks. Your router doesn't actually do anything with the data; it just moves it around (and if a NAT, does NAT things). Your computer needs to be able to stamp an IPv6 address on a package in order to send it to an IPv6 computer.
Of the addons listed - the following exist partially or completly;
all-in-one gestures
compact menu 2 (looks like a ribbon which 10.50+ uses - you can easily tweak opera to better use real estate than firefox; which is currently a well known looser in this department)
context search
Distrust (Isn't this just 'private browsing? - also triggers automatically for me when i open a link from a program like Skype or MSN)
exif viewer (seems to do camera related things just fine - if theres more rare listings not implemented I don't know)
firefox sync (opera sync - which also works with phones)
gmail notifier (not an actual addon?)
remove it permanently (limited - can't do text at least although adds pictures movies etc works fine)
stop-or-reload button
In the end, thats not a whole lot of things you're actually missing out. A few firefox appearence things obviously and firefox engine tweaks. Really the only thing that sticks out to me of significance is adblock and potentially the addon that allows you to remove text elements. I'll leave any conclusions to you though
Unless you apply the wrong update.
The new system instead makes each talent far more meaningful, since it does away with many of the terribly minor ones like adding a 1% more critchance or increasing damage by 2%, in favor of more potent talents instead.
One thing I've seen consistently is that built-in voice chat almost always gets ignored in favor of more solid and 3rd party solutions (Mumble, TS, Ventrilo, Skype).
I think my old WoW account totals some 500 total days /played, with perhaps 150 or so on Wrath. I don't remember the specifics since I haven't actually played the game in 9 months - but I know I don't even have an hours worth of time spent on the built-in voicechat; and everyone I knew had the same impression/attitude.
A minority uses it, the majority ignores it. And whether it is present or not is virtually never a factor for most people, and generally at best - a luxury.
They just had to make it look like a traditional Alien 'U.F.O.' didn't they? (Skylifter)
Or even easier, [WINKEY] + [LEFT] or [RIGHT].
7 should have a file-only search parameter. That said, it doesn't seem to quite do what you'd expect (or does nothing I've not checked fully yet), bit odd that, I'll agree. That said, realize that the search is organized by folders then files and in general finding the first file should be a non-issue. Best result (which will generally be what you were looking for) will be on top.
If its a file you're looking for, simply ignore the folders section.
As for your start method - it works for a small amount of apps, something I never said XP would not compete in.
Rename your shortcuts to contain short codes in the beginning - such as "23 - Browse 4chan" or "62 - Delete Porn Folder" to just name two rather silly examples.
Search for 23, press enter (or rather, use one of your mouse buttons for it - you do have that set up, right?). Even if its not showed up yet when you hit enter, it will launch. Programs always take priority over anything else in the results, so you'll always launch a program if it exists. If you're a power user, you should be aware of what exists and what doesn't, your own method certainly required no less deal of customization.
As a plus - I also suggest getting a programmable keyboard. The G11s macro keys are great as 'launch X' keys. Just remember where you bound things...
Just let each user configure it on their own. Some prefer higher graphics and lower framerates, other prefer higher framerates even at the cost of graphics. If you force it to be universal - you rob them of this choice.
Hardware per say doesn't require it, but Windows XP isn't as good at handling the latest generation of AMD processors - and its even worse with the i7s. Same with GPUs. It'll still go fast, make no mistake - but 7 will generally allow programs to work much faster.
And for advanced users Windows XP often works BETTER than Win 7.
Yeah - no.
I've never had search fail me in Windows 7 or even Vista. The plus side is that its also faster - compared to XP where searching for something manually often ended up being the better solution unless you intended to leave the system on overnight.
The strong organizational capabilities and ability to rapidly access multiple programs leans heavily in favor for the power user. When I need to organize multiple programs or switch between them XP is far slower than 7. If you run with a lot of programs installed - Windows XPs start menu becomes a complete mess. With 7 you just quickly type in the name of the program and it will 90% of the time show up before you're done typing it. Nice thing is this works even for system programs that might not be in the start menu. In other words, even if i have 300 programs installed - nothing ever takes more than 3 seconds to start.
Individual sound control for programs is very much a power user setting as well (Great for controlling programs with rogue or no sound control). Most regular users might not realize it even exists.
In addition - XP goes completly crazy if you try and tamper with DPI settings; something that doesn't bode well for high resolution laptops.
In short - I've never run into a situation in Windows 7 where the OS gets in the way, that isn't due to me being used to doing things in one way and just having to realize a faster more efficient method. Once thats done, I don't go back.
C:\Users\Public\ As for settings - you can also run old or poorly written programs in administrative mode. The files written in the Program Files directory will typically take precedence over local/private ones, so your settings should carry over to other user profiles. However at the same time - why on earth do you need to do this?
And its some 50€ for the full package of new items. I know what I'm -not- buying.
An IPv6 address that has a bunch of collected 0s after each other can be shortened down by using ::
E.g. 0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:224:16:100:100, can be written as ::224:16:100:100.
Or you can write 100:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:1 as 100::1
The device/software will interpret the :: as 'fill in the missing sections here with 0s'
And it'll be written in Hex rather than decimals
My point was simply that the overcoverage as you say may have skewed the percentages, since they only cover 12 months, simply because there was a lot of coverage on it. That was all I was implying.
Because on a lot of places there would be dozens of articles on that very issue - which would significantly push up the percentage.
Save for Windows 7, the latest Xbox, and the Kinekt - nothing much has really happened from Microsofts end - and Apple I expect should be able to match those articles with various product revisions of their own.
As for Google - they tend to be on the forefront a lot in general - search update here, mail changes there, new service here - and so on, not to mention its somewhat different compared to physical product businesses as well.
Still XP was just as much of a mess as Vista until SP2; not a lot of people remember this though. And for performance; XP generally wanted 256mb RAM to run most programs fully. While 128mb was 'ok', most machines at the time contained a mere 64mb, and newer kits generally sold with 128mb. The 256mb systems only came out later.
I've been using Chrome.
Chrome, Opera, and recently IE9 as well. None really upholds my personal expectations. HTML5 videos are a bit tough to find, particularly amongst 'normal' stuff - but I've done my fair share of comparisons around; and I just can't get HTML5 to really come out anything more than slightly ahead at best, performance wise... and I'm sorry to say, that tiny performance advantage is severely hurt by its poor reliability and functionality loss. And I should point out, things run very smooth despite the systems limited resources... the comparison becomes pointless on the more regular machines; the work laptop - and the gaming desktop.
You make it seem as if firewalls don't permit this with as little hassle. I've got a nice 16 port switch at home connected with a solid wireless router just to bring the 30 or so different devices that needs connectivity to the Internet, the local network server (particularly the TV playback device), and each other. They do so fluently, with no hassle, despite soft firewalls in place. And as a bonus, the system isn't nearly as easy to break down in the event of a compromised system - e.g. one of the kid's friends computer... and they're still capable of accessing each other and the server files in standard manners.