Considering how many more transistors and raw power are in NV40 compared to the CPU seated next to it, it's a wonder that it doesn't require much larger/more exotic cooling methods. On top of that, there are single-slot solutions on the way.
Why stop at complaining that a Shuttle couldn't support a $500 video card? Let's bitch about its lack of PCI-X slots for GbE, or SCSI RAID. In a small form factor system, you have to expect some tradeoffs.
How many PCI slots do you need, though? Twin DVI ports take care of most people's video needs, and most motherboards ship with excellent networking, audio, Serial ATA, and even FireWire onboard these days. My oldest system, a dual P3-800, uses two PCI slots for an additional ATA/100 controller and a NIC, and if it had sound, that would take an additional slot. My P4 2.4B has only a PCI TV tuner card. The nForce2 based Athlon machine doesn't use *ANY* PCI slots, just AGP for graphics.
Re:When has he been to Mars?
on
Methane on Mars?
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· Score: 0, Redundant
Until a few years ago, I used my U.S. passport as ID at bars and convenience stores, but apparently, this is not legal proof of age in the state of Minnesota. After a couple of inopportune moments where I was refused service (and after getting sick of the funny looks at places that would take it), I finally got a state ID card (since I don't have a driver's license).
About this time last year, I went to a convention in Orlando, and while I was there, I wanted to try some of the beers that I can't get in Minnesota. I went to the ABC Liquors on International Drive, picked some bottles out of the cooler, took them to the counter, supplied my ID when they asked for it, and they wouldn't accept it -- apparently, they can only take out-of-state DRIVERS' LICENSES, but not ID cards. Apparently in the tourism-oriented state of Florida, outsiders need to be drivers before they can buy booze there.
As for cost, the price of a high end Mac doesn't seem so unreasonable compared to similarly configured high end dual Xeon (and even Athlon MP) workstations. It may even come out favorably for Apple. The Apple entry level isn't so high, either. The cost argument has just been the most popular anti-Apple FUD lately.
As for ease of use, I'm still not buying the idea that Macs are easier to use. There are ancient studies and a lot of unsubstantiated anecdotal evidence, but not much proof of anything. I think it's pretty much a wash, and probably a dead issue.
As for speed, the G4 leaves me unimpressed. Altivec optimized binaries _do_ scream, but for >95% of the code you run, they don't seem any faster (MHz for MHz) than Intel's Pentium 2/3 generation. Binaries optimized for the P4's extended instructions, and account for the branch predictor that is woefully inadequate for its deep pipeline are also very fast, but in the PC world, this is considered a Bad Thing(R).
Of course, that brings me to one of the more interesting concepts: there is a perverse relationship between the Macintosh and PC worlds. Hardware/software/design deemed good by one camp is considered bad for the other. All-in-one systems have never been popular PC designs, and so on.
Not this lame old argument again. PDF gains nothing, as far as tamper proofing goes. This comment says that you only need Acrobat.
Suppose there is a protected format that doesn't allow one to tamper with the output file. The minute this information reveals its output image, it's not really protected anymore, is it?
My personal thought was that it happened when David Duchovny left as a regular. Some people might say it was even sooner. The remaining doubters of its demise had to be convinced otherwise after seeing the umpteenth plot about Mulder, with Duchovny nowhere to be found.
WRT The Simpsons, one can only wish that they would run on the "one season per month" schedule. Image quality left something to be desired in some cases, too.
I'm not an "artiste" -- those guys only do layouts and illustrations. I program the logic and behavior they and the curriculum developers need to make intelligent educational software, not stupid splash pages.
Yes, I would agree with what you meant to say: a Flash virus is a meta-virus. I'm very happy that my current project is in C, and has nothing to do with Flash.
All you should need is the SWF file. As far as I can tell, the only difference between a fully standalone Flash file (a "projector") and the app that opens SWF files is that it has an additional resource that contains the SWF data.
I work in Flash, and I can explain exactly what this is.
Formats like Flash, Director, or Toolbook are fairly safe when run in a browser, but when run locally, most gain much more functionality, including the ability to execute arbitrary commands. Many people have the Flash Player plugin, but no standalone executable to open the files locallly is supplied. 99% of all people that do have the standalone player are getting it from an installation of Macromedia Flash (the creation/editing application), and anyone else with a player isn't likely to have one that implements FSCommand calls, of which one of the functions is the ability to execute commands.
Do you ever hear people brag about their regional roads/transit system? For that matter, I don't know many people that are particularly thrilled with any of the services you named, public or private.
Warcraft II was a demanding game? I remember it (the original DOS version) seeming to run flawlessly on the DX4-100 I had at the time, and just as well on my friend's SX-25... in the age of 120+ MHz Pentiums, it was one of the few games that weren't a stretch of my system specs.
Some of the founders had much to do with the founding of a company named Rambus, Inc. as well. Here's hoping they've learned from the mistakes of their former company.
You should be able to do the same thing with any version of Windows, starting with Win98. The same UI feature that causes "throbbing" taskbar buttons also produces this effect when coupled with X-Mouse. I happen to dislike both behaviors, but turning them off (if you can) involves making the compromise that any application can steal focus.
Back then, water cooling was also kludgey looking, an inexact science, and prone to problems like leakage. This isn't a problem anymore, so you can also reap the benefits of improved thermals without the drawbacks, not to mention quieter operation than the typical air cooled system.
Binaries have gone into COMMAND or SYSTEM32 for ages. It's where small Windows support programs (SYSEDIT, MSCONFIG, etc.), and MS-DOS console apps like XCOPY live:
I believe the poster was referring to Serial ATA, which once again offers backward compatibility, and a significantly lower pin count: 8 (IIRC) vs. 80 (for ATA/66+).
Also worth noting: the post specifically stated "low cost", and on top of that, SCSI cables typically aren't round, either. Both ATA and SCSI cables can be made this way, but the process with such a high number of wires is expensive. Not that it matters -- tests have shown the only real benefit of round cables to be that they are more flexible, thus easier to work with, and the airflow advantage they provide does not produce any noticeable improvement in system thermals.
Having worked for an ISP out of Mankato, MN, I can tell you that there are several areas with wireless access. Rural areas are taking to wireless as the solution for their local utilities' lack of interest and/or ability to provide alternatives: http://www.wirelessinitiative.net/
In Duluth, my friend used to work for Superior Broadband, where fixed wireless is available throughout the city and neighboring towns.
When my friend got cable Internet in St. Paul, the customer service rep pointed out that AT&T Broadband would not support his Windows 2000 Server system, then politely asked him if he "meant to say" Windows 2000 Professional.
Creative is putting a 1394 host in their new Audigy line of sound cards. I don't think it will be coincidental when the next Nomad is found sporting the same interface...
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It's all relative.
Considering how many more transistors and raw power are in NV40 compared to the CPU seated next to it, it's a wonder that it doesn't require much larger/more exotic cooling methods. On top of that, there are single-slot solutions on the way.
Why stop at complaining that a Shuttle couldn't support a $500 video card? Let's bitch about its lack of PCI-X slots for GbE, or SCSI RAID. In a small form factor system, you have to expect some tradeoffs.
How many PCI slots do you need, though? Twin DVI ports take care of most people's video needs, and most motherboards ship with excellent networking, audio, Serial ATA, and even FireWire onboard these days. My oldest system, a dual P3-800, uses two PCI slots for an additional ATA/100 controller and a NIC, and if it had sound, that would take an additional slot. My P4 2.4B has only a PCI TV tuner card. The nForce2 based Athlon machine doesn't use *ANY* PCI slots, just AGP for graphics.
You know what they say...
He who smelt it, dealt it.
Oh, now we're talking...
Until a few years ago, I used my U.S. passport as ID at bars and convenience stores, but apparently, this is not legal proof of age in the state of Minnesota. After a couple of inopportune moments where I was refused service (and after getting sick of the funny looks at places that would take it), I finally got a state ID card (since I don't have a driver's license).
About this time last year, I went to a convention in Orlando, and while I was there, I wanted to try some of the beers that I can't get in Minnesota. I went to the ABC Liquors on International Drive, picked some bottles out of the cooler, took them to the counter, supplied my ID when they asked for it, and they wouldn't accept it -- apparently, they can only take out-of-state DRIVERS' LICENSES, but not ID cards. Apparently in the tourism-oriented state of Florida, outsiders need to be drivers before they can buy booze there.
I believe it was Songs 4 Life -- I got a laugh when I saw it, too.
As for cost, the price of a high end Mac doesn't seem so unreasonable compared to similarly configured high end dual Xeon (and even Athlon MP) workstations. It may even come out favorably for Apple. The Apple entry level isn't so high, either. The cost argument has just been the most popular anti-Apple FUD lately.
As for ease of use, I'm still not buying the idea that Macs are easier to use. There are ancient studies and a lot of unsubstantiated anecdotal evidence, but not much proof of anything. I think it's pretty much a wash, and probably a dead issue.
As for speed, the G4 leaves me unimpressed. Altivec optimized binaries _do_ scream, but for >95% of the code you run, they don't seem any faster (MHz for MHz) than Intel's Pentium 2/3 generation. Binaries optimized for the P4's extended instructions, and account for the branch predictor that is woefully inadequate for its deep pipeline are also very fast, but in the PC world, this is considered a Bad Thing(R).
Of course, that brings me to one of the more interesting concepts: there is a perverse relationship between the Macintosh and PC worlds. Hardware/software/design deemed good by one camp is considered bad for the other. All-in-one systems have never been popular PC designs, and so on.
Of course, for some perspective on the nature of processor speculation, I point you to nearly any issue in Byte's print archive.
Suppose there is a protected format that doesn't allow one to tamper with the output file. The minute this information reveals its output image, it's not really protected anymore, is it?
My personal thought was that it happened when David Duchovny left as a regular. Some people might say it was even sooner. The remaining doubters of its demise had to be convinced otherwise after seeing the umpteenth plot about Mulder, with Duchovny nowhere to be found.
WRT The Simpsons, one can only wish that they would run on the "one season per month" schedule. Image quality left something to be desired in some cases, too.
Yes, I would agree with what you meant to say: a Flash virus is a meta-virus. I'm very happy that my current project is in C, and has nothing to do with Flash.
All you should need is the SWF file. As far as I can tell, the only difference between a fully standalone Flash file (a "projector") and the app that opens SWF files is that it has an additional resource that contains the SWF data.
Formats like Flash, Director, or Toolbook are fairly safe when run in a browser, but when run locally, most gain much more functionality, including the ability to execute arbitrary commands. Many people have the Flash Player plugin, but no standalone executable to open the files locallly is supplied. 99% of all people that do have the standalone player are getting it from an installation of Macromedia Flash (the creation/editing application), and anyone else with a player isn't likely to have one that implements FSCommand calls, of which one of the functions is the ability to execute commands.
Do you ever hear people brag about their regional roads/transit system? For that matter, I don't know many people that are particularly thrilled with any of the services you named, public or private.
You fire up the buzzsaw, of course!
Warcraft II was a demanding game? I remember it (the original DOS version) seeming to run flawlessly on the DX4-100 I had at the time, and just as well on my friend's SX-25... in the age of 120+ MHz Pentiums, it was one of the few games that weren't a stretch of my system specs.
Well, it depends on what the original size was...
Some of the founders had much to do with the founding of a company named Rambus, Inc. as well. Here's hoping they've learned from the mistakes of their former company.
You should be able to do the same thing with any version of Windows, starting with Win98. The same UI feature that causes "throbbing" taskbar buttons also produces this effect when coupled with X-Mouse. I happen to dislike both behaviors, but turning them off (if you can) involves making the compromise that any application can steal focus.
Back then, water cooling was also kludgey looking, an inexact science, and prone to problems like leakage. This isn't a problem anymore, so you can also reap the benefits of improved thermals without the drawbacks, not to mention quieter operation than the typical air cooled system.
Binaries have gone into COMMAND or SYSTEM32 for ages. It's where small Windows support programs (SYSEDIT, MSCONFIG, etc.), and MS-DOS console apps like XCOPY live:
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND (9x)
C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32 (NT)
I believe the poster was referring to Serial ATA, which once again offers backward compatibility, and a significantly lower pin count: 8 (IIRC) vs. 80 (for ATA/66+).
Also worth noting: the post specifically stated "low cost", and on top of that, SCSI cables typically aren't round, either. Both ATA and SCSI cables can be made this way, but the process with such a high number of wires is expensive. Not that it matters -- tests have shown the only real benefit of round cables to be that they are more flexible, thus easier to work with, and the airflow advantage they provide does not produce any noticeable improvement in system thermals.
http://www.wirelessinitiative.net/
In Duluth, my friend used to work for Superior Broadband, where fixed wireless is available throughout the city and neighboring towns.
There are good eggs out there.
Creative is putting a 1394 host in their new Audigy line of sound cards. I don't think it will be coincidental when the next Nomad is found sporting the same interface...