Ah, today I get moderated 100% troll. Why? For stating the facts. Dell leads in computer sales in the world, and gained 3% market share this last quarter. MSNBC url today: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4890341/ says Dell 18.6%, HP 15.5%, IBM 5.5%, Fijitsu 4.5%, Acer 3.3% Acer gains are attributed to following the Dell/HP model.
IDC research published in The Register, url http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/04/16/pc_bo x_shi fts/ says that global pc sales are up 16.5% over a year ago, but HP (number 2 above) lost 0.1% market share, slipping to 15.6%. Hmm. and HP growth was only 15.8%, less than the global growth. But HP is the world's largest seller of AMD PCs? Dell sales grew 28%, and market share grew 3%, far ahead of market growth. Dell only sells Intel. So the conclusion is obvious - Intel gained market share over AMD. AMD zealots would say anything to worm away from that fact. The next obvious conclusion is direct sales gained significantly against retail. Why say that? because Dell sells exclusively directly. and gained market share in a period where all the other major players did not. Oops. So some people (like me) would jump to the conclusion that Retail is dying, and Direct sales is taking retail's place. There is a lot of anti-Dell sentiment on slashdot, and a lot of anti-Intel sentiment. What did Tom's Hardware say a while ago? Oh, yes, I remember. AMD is just another big corporation looking for profits, like Intel, and worshipping AMD while crucifying Intel is just a lot of bullshit. Some people have moved on from hero worshipping AMD. Tom's Hardware grew up, and realized that both companies are in the business strictly for the profit. Neither one gives a rat's ass about the individual except where it affects their bottom line. When are the rest of you going to grow up? I thought you were all trying to condemn the for profit business model (Microsoft), and worship linux? Ahh, I see. Double standards. Tunnel vision.
Dell outsells HP says many things. Retail is dying. Who cares if AMD dominates the retail market. HP lost market share, with AMD's help. Yes, I work for Dell. Much of the PC / Server saless are done by contract, not retail. So some AMD dolt uses miss-leading and uninformed headlines to start a troll / flame war. Boy, I am sure glad I have idiots like that on my side. Could you show any more bias out there, instead of common sense? Hey, stupid. Her's your sign. wear it with pride.
Freedom of speech is NOT freedom of broadcast. He can get his own website and post his stuff there. He can stand on a street corner on his own soapbox. But that does not mean he can use expensive air time (Radio power is like any other use of electricity, it costs money). That does not mean he can use expensive satellite channels. He first has to find someone stupid enough to pay for the facilities and personnel to do the broadcast. Otherwise, we have another freeloader on our hands. A rich freeloader. I for one do not need more freeloaders.
Far more money gets stolen by dishonest tellers and bank personnel than fake or rigged atms. These people, when caught, do not get prosecuted, because the banks do not want anyone to know of the level of internal crime. So the criminals get fired. They go to another bank, apply for a job, and get hired, because when the bank calls up the old bank, all they can say is yes, they used to work here. I am certain of this, because I once dated a bank teller who did this. Also, the people who take your credit card applications (one stole my wife's grandpa's card), and store tellers who impress your credit card onto the carbon paper system, and anyone who has access to the discarded paper from impressing machines (that would be anyone). People who make mistakes on their deposit slips and throw them away (I got hit indirectly by this one), etc. These criminals take orders of magnitude more money than all the atm scams combined. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
This so-called "security" software has little to do with security. The largest single source of data loss / theft is mis-configured systems allowing people to get into them, or allowing virii and worms to steal info from them. The second largest source of data loss / theft is software holes (defects, bugs, or features if you are a MS marketing droid) allowing people to break into systems, using worms, virii, etc. The third largest source of data loss / theft is people on the inside selling or giving away the info (spies of the mole sort). As far as I know, the biggest cause of mis-configured systems is Microsoft shipping OS installs that are wide open, and difficult / complex to secure. The same goes for MS bugs. The third problem, moles, is not being addressed except through password protection.
The earth is to some extent self-regulating. AN increase in greenhouse gases aids growth of greenhouse-consuming plants. So there is a limit to what humans can cause without extreme releases. What I have not seen is a comparison of the size of human greenhouse releases versus natural releases and consumption. Unfortunately, the largest issue is not man's release of greenhouse gases, but his cutting down of the balancers - Trees. The rainforest depletion, in South America, India, Asia, and Africa, are the biggest problems in the greenhouse balance. But that does not affect the natural timing of the oceanic cycles, which appear to cause ice ages. We are headed for one. Ice ages are always preceeded by a warm swing.
I am a Hardware engineer at Dell. Everyone I meet here is very concerned about what a computer ought to be. We are also very concerned about what the customer thinks a computer ought to be. We have more customers than most other computer companies, so we must be more correct than most other computer companies in figuring out what a computer ought to be. Our customers mostly always come back to us for repeat business, so we know they are not all first time, newbie buyers, but instead satisfied customers. Our innovation is in many areas. Quality, reliability, and customer satisfaction are some of them. There is nothing wrong with that. If Apple and Sun were so great at what they do, then why do so many customers not buy them? (I love Apple, so don't think I am bashing them. If I could afford it, I would own one) You have to do great things that people can afford, or what you are doing is not great, it is a luxury reserved for the rich or obsessed.
There are 25,000 + Dell employees in the Austin area who would disagree with you about the above statements, if they wanted to waste their time. All Dell equipment is seen by Dell employees throughout the design phase, and much of it is seen by Dell employees in the manufacturing phase. Accuracy is not one of your high points. I am a Dell engineer, and I feel that our quality is at the top of the list, not the bottom. This is born out by our low return rate and complaint rates compared to the industry. So Dell is an equipment designer and manufacturer. Yes, a lot of Dell product may be manufactured by someone else, but that statement is true of all computer manufacturers. Who did you think manufactured most or all of their own products? You are dreaming on that one, buddy. Dell adds a great deal of value. Too bad you did not want to bother adding value to your comments.
Elephants are just being found to use subsonics to communicate with each other, over miles. Mastodons, mamoths may have, as well. Dinosaurs? Maybe this is deep in our genes, as a defense mechanism?
The fact is, at least half the planet is just that dumb. How many people smoke? Do drugs? Drink to excess? Have babies when they cannot feed themselves? Vote for Clinton? (Notice I did not say which one) 25% of "educated" US population is superstitious. Ask anyone, and they will tell you their team would not have lost if they had gone to the game. With their lucky hat. Ask anyone, most polititions are so stupid they think we believe the bull they spout. And you say people are smart? Well educated does not mean wise, or even having one iota of common sense. Genius does not mean all-knowing in every area. And, yes, our education system is so screwed up that we are lucky to escape with more than one working brain cell left in our heads.
I am not sure that what you have been reported to say, or what is attributed to you, is what you actually said or meant. So I am writing this to clear up any misunderstandings I may have, and, perhaps, to illuminate some small things for you.
You appear to feel that free software is a critical freedom, and a very high priority. I get the impression that you have dedicated your life to it, and have little time for anything else. We will get back to that.
You list four freedoms:
The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).
The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).
The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits (freedom 3). Access to the source code is a precondition for this. There are many and varied assumptions hidden in these statements, which I would like clarification about. Hidden assumptions are always mistakes. If they have been at some time in the past uncovered and decisions made about them, then hiding them simply to get the point out in a simple form is completely ok, as long as at some time they were not hidden.
The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).
This assumes the necessary hardware and training to run the program. This freedom is denied to over 90% of the world's population, who do not even have electricity, much less any type of computer, or any education.
This assumes the time to run a computer program. Most of the world is trying, unsuccessfully, to survive and progress. They have no time for entertainment. Wait a minute; did I just imply that a computer is entertainment? We will get back to that one.
This assumes all possible purposes are moral, ethical, and constructive to society as a whole. Much of what most governments, ours included, do cannot be considered moral or ethical or constructive to society even in part. Most of what most computer programs are used to do, GNU and Linux included, are to dominate and divide people, subjugate them, collect spoils from them, and perpetuate their power over the people. Hmm, I seem to be using many of your hot button terms here... The governments, the entertainment industry, and indeed most of businesses in the world fall into this immoral, unethical, destructive, subjugative, and predatory category. They are by far the largest usage base of programs, even GNU and Linux.
The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
This assumes the necessary hardware and training to run the program. This freedom is denied to over 90% of the world's population, who do not even have electricity, much less any type of computer. Or any education. Oops, I appear to be repeating myself. I am truly sorry about that. Wait a minute; you are very repetitive as well. Ok, I withdraw my apology. Never mind.
This assumes that your programs, or any programs, have any relation to any of a person's needs. What a person needs is air, water, food, room, safety,... and the necessary education and resources to fulfill that long list of needs. Why would a person need a computer? They would need a computer to communicate with others, to learn about others, even to get an education. These are admirable goals, which GNU and Linux do assist those who have access to them to achieve. Wait a minute, most of what is currently communicated on the internet is pr0n, spam, scams, cheap goods and other rip-offs, "entertainment", lies by big government and big business... Oops. Did I say immoral,... Yeh, I already covered that topic.
The time to run... Oh said that one, too.
This is only true if RCU and NUMA are derivitive works, something that is yet to be addressed. If they are original works done for Unix of any sort, that does not automatically mean they are derivitive works. Or am I wrong?
You say that the principal of the Ionic Breeze will not work over a range of more than a few centimeters. I do not know where you got that idea, but it certainly was not in any college physics class. Brownian motion is a very effective disburser of particles and molecules. open a bottle of perfume in a very large room without any air circulation equipment operating. I gaurantee that a person standing at the far end of the room will smell it in a few seconds, even though you can do the experiment so that the do not know when you open the bottle. A physics 101 demo. Admittedly, if you ar in the room, there is a very large hot air dispenser going full blast, but that is another subject. Another way that Ionic devices operate to change the distribution of particules in the air is by charging them. This causes them to clump togehter, and setle into the carpet. When you vacuum up the carpet, you get a noticable release of the stuff in it. Another method of operation is that the ozone and ionization actually kills off some of the pathogens in the air. some bacteria, etc. this is a scientifically proven item. Admittedly, the Ionic Breeze is probably the most expensive way to get the benefits, so do a little factual research, and find less expensive products. Notice the word factual above. Many of the respondents are not factual, just making what turn out to be dumb assumptions. They are in/. for the fun of it, not for accuracy.
Hey! I have not seen any progress in humankind since I was born, and I am over 50. Are we at WAR? Yes. Is there torture, rape, kidnap, murder, child abuse (institutionalized by churches, no less), drugs, alcoholism, presidents who could not pass a low level security clearance check? Yes. Religious persicution, slavery, prostitution, AIDs? The only progress I see is in our ability to degrade and dehumanize ourselves and others.
Dual CPU systems only gain if you have several windows apps open at the same time. Unfortunately, "several" meant "3 to 4" in WinNT 3.51, and has dropped for later releases of NT. Too much overhead, too much code, too much bloat. So even an ordinary user could easily see slowdowns on a single CPU system if he was just doing email, browsing the web, doing a doc, and viewing anything on the web that required an extra app open, like Adobe acrobat, shockwave, etc. Heaven forbid if he actually wanted to listen to music at the same time! The slowdowns in that situation would be seen whenever he switched from app to app - the task switch time is much longer on a single CPU system because the CPU is full of tasks, and actually has to do a task switch, context swap, or memory swap. You would also hear dropouts in the audio, or see dropped frames in a video playback. On a dual cpu system, "several" meant "13" in WinNT 3.51, and has decreased since that release, but less than 13 still gives a lot of head room. I do not know where you heard that single cpu systems are more efficient, but I know better because I design both single and dual cpu motherboards, and have done the benchmarks. A single cpu system has 70% of its resources used up just supporting WinNT, so it has only 30% left available for apps. A dual cpu system has only 30% of each cpu's resources used up, so it has 70% x 2 available. do the math. 140% / 30% = 4. 3 x 4 = 12, so you can see where the 13 came from above, although I actually measured 13, not just calculated it. CPU task switching, context swapping, and memory swapping are big slowdowns on the system. More memory can help some, but dual cpus can help a lot on stuff that more memory cannot, like task switching, and context swapping.
Slashdot Mirror
I thought were were doing seti on the universe to find intelligence, since there obviously was none here?
Ah, today I get moderated 100% troll. Why? For stating the facts. Dell leads in computer sales in the world, and gained 3% market share this last quarter.s Dell 18.6%, HP 15.5%, IBM 5.5%, Fijitsu 4.5%, Acer 3.3% Acer gains are attributed to following the Dell/HP model.
o x_shi fts/
MSNBC url today:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4890341/
say
IDC research published in The Register, url
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/04/16/pc_b
says that global pc sales are up 16.5% over a year ago, but HP (number 2 above) lost 0.1% market share, slipping to 15.6%. Hmm. and HP growth was only 15.8%, less than the global growth. But HP is the world's largest seller of AMD PCs? Dell sales grew 28%, and market share grew 3%, far ahead of market growth. Dell only sells Intel.
So the conclusion is obvious - Intel gained market share over AMD.
AMD zealots would say anything to worm away from that fact.
The next obvious conclusion is direct sales gained significantly against retail.
Why say that? because Dell sells exclusively directly. and gained market share in a period where all the other major players did not.
Oops.
So some people (like me) would jump to the conclusion that Retail is dying, and Direct sales is taking retail's place.
There is a lot of anti-Dell sentiment on slashdot, and a lot of anti-Intel sentiment.
What did Tom's Hardware say a while ago?
Oh, yes, I remember.
AMD is just another big corporation looking for profits, like Intel, and worshipping AMD while crucifying Intel is just a lot of bullshit.
Some people have moved on from hero worshipping AMD. Tom's Hardware grew up, and realized that both companies are in the business strictly for the profit.
Neither one gives a rat's ass about the individual except where it affects their bottom line.
When are the rest of you going to grow up?
I thought you were all trying to condemn the for profit business model (Microsoft), and worship linux?
Ahh, I see. Double standards.
Tunnel vision.
Dell outsells HP says many things.
Retail is dying. Who cares if AMD dominates the retail market. HP lost market share, with AMD's help. Yes, I work for Dell. Much of the PC / Server saless are done by contract, not retail.
So some AMD dolt uses miss-leading and uninformed headlines to start a troll / flame war.
Boy, I am sure glad I have idiots like that on my side.
Could you show any more bias out there, instead of common sense?
Hey, stupid. Her's your sign. wear it with pride.
It is right next to the Post Humorously button you also cannot see.
Freedom of speech is NOT freedom of broadcast.
He can get his own website and post his stuff there.
He can stand on a street corner on his own soapbox.
But that does not mean he can use expensive air time (Radio power is like any other use of electricity, it costs money).
That does not mean he can use expensive satellite channels.
He first has to find someone stupid enough to pay for the facilities and personnel to do the broadcast.
Otherwise, we have another freeloader on our hands.
A rich freeloader.
I for one do not need more freeloaders.
So what you are saying is Linux needs an Open Source advertising campaign.
Actually, if you eat stuff with hot sauce on it, or whatever, you had better wash yor hands before you piss
Far more money gets stolen by dishonest tellers and bank personnel than fake or rigged atms.
These people, when caught, do not get prosecuted, because the banks do not want anyone to know of the level of internal crime.
So the criminals get fired.
They go to another bank, apply for a job, and get hired, because when the bank calls up the old bank, all they can say is yes, they used to work here.
I am certain of this, because I once dated a bank teller who did this.
Also, the people who take your credit card applications (one stole my wife's grandpa's card), and store tellers who impress your credit card onto the carbon paper system, and anyone who has access to the discarded paper from impressing machines (that would be anyone).
People who make mistakes on their deposit slips and throw them away (I got hit indirectly by this one), etc.
These criminals take orders of magnitude more money than all the atm scams combined.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
This so-called "security" software has little to do with security. The largest single source of data loss / theft is mis-configured systems allowing people to get into them, or allowing virii and worms to steal info from them.
The second largest source of data loss / theft is software holes (defects, bugs, or features if you are a MS marketing droid) allowing people to break into systems, using worms, virii, etc.
The third largest source of data loss / theft is people on the inside selling or giving away the info (spies of the mole sort).
As far as I know, the biggest cause of mis-configured systems is Microsoft shipping OS installs that are wide open, and difficult / complex to secure.
The same goes for MS bugs.
The third problem, moles, is not being addressed except through password protection.
Wouldn' it be more accurate to count IP Adresses?
You've got to be kidding! They get their drugs by the truckload. You just cannot get that high off the mail.
The earth is to some extent self-regulating. AN increase in greenhouse gases aids growth of greenhouse-consuming plants. So there is a limit to what humans can cause without extreme releases. What I have not seen is a comparison of the size of human greenhouse releases versus natural releases and consumption. Unfortunately, the largest issue is not man's release of greenhouse gases, but his cutting down of the balancers - Trees. The rainforest depletion, in South America, India, Asia, and Africa, are the biggest problems in the greenhouse balance. But that does not affect the natural timing of the oceanic cycles, which appear to cause ice ages. We are headed for one. Ice ages are always preceeded by a warm swing.
I am a Hardware engineer at Dell. Everyone I meet here is very concerned about what a computer ought to be. We are also very concerned about what the customer thinks a computer ought to be.
We have more customers than most other computer companies, so we must be more correct than most other computer companies in figuring out what a computer ought to be. Our customers mostly always come back to us for repeat business, so we know they are not all first time, newbie buyers, but instead satisfied customers.
Our innovation is in many areas.
Quality, reliability, and customer satisfaction are some of them.
There is nothing wrong with that.
If Apple and Sun were so great at what they do, then why do so many customers not buy them?
(I love Apple, so don't think I am bashing them. If I could afford it, I would own one)
You have to do great things that people can afford, or what you are doing is not great, it is a luxury reserved for the rich or obsessed.
There are 25,000 + Dell employees in the Austin area who would disagree with you about the above statements, if they wanted to waste their time.
All Dell equipment is seen by Dell employees throughout the design phase, and much of it is seen by Dell employees in the manufacturing phase.
Accuracy is not one of your high points.
I am a Dell engineer, and I feel that our quality is at the top of the list, not the bottom.
This is born out by our low return rate and complaint rates compared to the industry.
So Dell is an equipment designer and manufacturer.
Yes, a lot of Dell product may be manufactured by someone else, but that statement is true of all computer manufacturers.
Who did you think manufactured most or all of their own products? You are dreaming on that one, buddy.
Dell adds a great deal of value.
Too bad you did not want to bother adding value to your comments.
Isn't most spam just pr0n searching for you?
Not just in Russia any more.
geeks with backbones...
now there is a contradiction in terms.
Elephants are just being found to use subsonics to communicate with each other, over miles.
Mastodons, mamoths may have, as well.
Dinosaurs?
Maybe this is deep in our genes, as a defense mechanism?
I think a picture of Lorena Bobbit, with a copy of the case, would be more appropriate.
The fact is, at least half the planet is just that dumb. How many people smoke? Do drugs? Drink to excess? Have babies when they cannot feed themselves? Vote for Clinton? (Notice I did not say which one) 25% of "educated" US population is superstitious. Ask anyone, and they will tell you their team would not have lost if they had gone to the game. With their lucky hat.
Ask anyone, most polititions are so stupid they think we believe the bull they spout. And you say people are smart? Well educated does not mean wise, or even having one iota of common sense. Genius does not mean all-knowing in every area.
And, yes, our education system is so screwed up that we are lucky to escape with more than one working brain cell left in our heads.
I am not sure that what you have been reported to say, or what is attributed to you, is what you actually said or meant.
... and the necessary education and resources to fulfill that long list of needs. ... ... Yeh, I already covered that topic. ... Oh said that one, too.
So I am writing this to clear up any misunderstandings I may have, and, perhaps, to illuminate some small things for you.
You appear to feel that free software is a critical freedom, and a very high priority.
I get the impression that you have dedicated your life to it, and have little time for anything else.
We will get back to that.
You list four freedoms:
The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).
The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).
The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits (freedom 3). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
There are many and varied assumptions hidden in these statements, which I would like clarification about.
Hidden assumptions are always mistakes. If they have been at some time in the past uncovered and decisions made about them, then hiding them simply to get the point out in a simple form is completely ok, as long as at some time they were not hidden.
The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).
This assumes the necessary hardware and training to run the program.
This freedom is denied to over 90% of the world's population, who do not even have electricity, much less any type of computer, or any education.
This assumes the time to run a computer program.
Most of the world is trying, unsuccessfully, to survive and progress. They have no time for entertainment. Wait a minute; did I just imply that a computer is entertainment? We will get back to that one.
This assumes all possible purposes are moral, ethical, and constructive to society as a whole.
Much of what most governments, ours included, do cannot be considered moral or ethical or constructive to society even in part.
Most of what most computer programs are used to do, GNU and Linux included, are to dominate and divide people, subjugate them, collect spoils from them, and perpetuate their power over the people.
Hmm, I seem to be using many of your hot button terms here...
The governments, the entertainment industry, and indeed most of businesses in the world fall into this immoral, unethical, destructive, subjugative, and predatory category.
They are by far the largest usage base of programs, even GNU and Linux.
The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
This assumes the necessary hardware and training to run the program.
This freedom is denied to over 90% of the world's population, who do not even have electricity, much less any type of computer.
Or any education.
Oops, I appear to be repeating myself. I am truly sorry about that.
Wait a minute; you are very repetitive as well. Ok, I withdraw my apology. Never mind.
This assumes that your programs, or any programs, have any relation to any of a person's needs.
What a person needs is air, water, food, room, safety,
Why would a person need a computer?
They would need a computer to communicate with others, to learn about others, even to get an education.
These are admirable goals, which GNU and Linux do assist those who have access to them to achieve. Wait a minute, most of what is currently communicated on the internet is pr0n, spam, scams, cheap goods and other rip-offs, "entertainment", lies by big government and big business
Oops. Did I say immoral,
The time to run
The freedom to
He could have asked me how to snort. I have 100s of kbucks invested in that key learning and I would have told him everything I know for free:
Don't snort!
This is only true if RCU and NUMA are derivitive works, something that is yet to be addressed. If they are original works done for Unix of any sort, that does not automatically mean they are derivitive works. Or am I wrong?
You say that the principal of the Ionic Breeze will not work over a range of more than a few centimeters. I do not know where you got that idea, but it certainly was not in any college physics class. Brownian motion is a very effective disburser of particles and molecules. open a bottle of perfume in a very large room without any air circulation equipment operating. I gaurantee that a person standing at the far end of the room will smell it in a few seconds, even though you can do the experiment so that the do not know when you open the bottle. A physics 101 demo. Admittedly, if you ar in the room, there is a very large hot air dispenser going full blast, but that is another subject. Another way that Ionic devices operate to change the distribution of particules in the air is by charging them. This causes them to clump togehter, and setle into the carpet. When you vacuum up the carpet, you get a noticable release of the stuff in it. /. for the fun of it, not for accuracy.
Another method of operation is that the ozone and ionization actually kills off some of the pathogens in the air. some bacteria, etc. this is a scientifically proven item. Admittedly, the Ionic Breeze is probably the most expensive way to get the benefits, so do a little factual research, and find less expensive products. Notice the word factual above. Many of the respondents are not factual, just making what turn out to be dumb assumptions. They are in
Hey! I have not seen any progress in humankind since I was born, and I am over 50.
Are we at WAR? Yes.
Is there torture, rape, kidnap, murder, child abuse (institutionalized by churches, no less),
drugs, alcoholism, presidents who could not pass a low level security clearance check? Yes.
Religious persicution, slavery, prostitution, AIDs?
The only progress I see is in our ability to degrade and dehumanize ourselves and others.
Dual CPU systems only gain if you have several windows apps open at the same time. Unfortunately, "several" meant "3 to 4" in WinNT 3.51, and has dropped for later releases of NT. Too much overhead, too much code, too much bloat. So even an ordinary user could easily see slowdowns on a single CPU system if he was just doing email, browsing the web, doing a doc, and viewing anything on the web that required an extra app open, like Adobe acrobat, shockwave, etc. Heaven forbid if he actually wanted to listen to music at the same time! The slowdowns in that situation would be seen whenever he switched from app to app - the task switch time is much longer on a single CPU system because the CPU is full of tasks, and actually has to do a task switch, context swap, or memory swap. You would also hear dropouts in the audio, or see dropped frames in a video playback. On a dual cpu system, "several" meant "13" in WinNT 3.51, and has decreased since that release, but less than 13 still gives a lot of head room. I do not know where you heard that single cpu systems are more efficient, but I know better because I design both single and dual cpu motherboards, and have done the benchmarks. A single cpu system has 70% of its resources used up just supporting WinNT, so it has only 30% left available for apps. A dual cpu system has only 30% of each cpu's resources used up, so it has 70% x 2 available. do the math. 140% / 30% = 4. 3 x 4 = 12, so you can see where the 13 came from above, although I actually measured 13, not just calculated it. CPU task switching, context swapping, and memory swapping are big slowdowns on the system. More memory can help some, but dual cpus can help a lot on stuff that more memory cannot, like task switching, and context swapping.