AMD64 is not a "crippled" 64-bit instruction set. It is a true 64-bit ISA running on a true 64-bit CPU.
Not to mention that your x86 cpu *isn't x86* inside. You're essentially running your code on a hardware emulator.
In the end, x86 is just another layer. It doesn't really matter if you use the x86 ISA or the POWER ISA. What matters is performance, and no CPU offers more bang for your buck than x86.
Remember all of those architectures that were supposed to replace x86? PowerPC. Alpha. EPIC. MIPS. ARM.
It never happened. We stil have x86 on the desktop. We're still running Windows. We're still using PCI and ATA. USB hasn't killed parallel, serial, or PS/2 yet.
Why? Because the technology we have already works well. To beat x86, someone has to offer a massive advantage to overcome the advantage of the platform: compatibility, performance, and price.
I'm so sick of hearing about Cell. 'Hugely parallel' architectures have been on the verge of revolutionizing computing for years. It hasn't happened. It's hard to write parallelized code, and even in an ideal situation you *never* get 100% scaling. 8 processors aren't 8 times faster than 1. You're lucky to get 4x. Cell doesn't change that.
Current programming languages, current programming practices, current algorithms - they are all designed to work with fast, serial processors. Cell doesn't change that.
Itanium was supposed to be the future. An instruction set that was *explicitly* parallel at the compiler level. Cell doesn't have that advantage. It's a technology without a future. Nothing more than marketing. Just like the emotion engine. Just like Itanium.
"He feels that allowing web sites to display arbitrary text on the status bar is a feature"
It is and it has been for quite some time. It's part of every major browser.
It's really *not a vulnerability* at all. Anyone who doesn't examine the address bar before entering personal information is going to get duped *anyway*.
It is no more a flaw than the alert() function. In a loop, the alert() function allows pages to prevent the browser from recieving input.
Should we disable that too?
What about a link that has the proper href but uses Javascript to send users to a different page?
Should we disable that too?
I'm amazed that you find this an issue AT ALL. It IS NOT a security flaw.
The files recorded by MCE2005 are not DRM protected. Using a simple app you can convert them to standard MPEG-2.
"Ironic that your name contains "myth" as we've had that capability in mythtv land for quite some time. "
Yeah, but in so many other ways, MythTV "blows". Unless you want to dedicate a PC to being a Myth box, you're pretty much screwed.
Not to mention the killer interface, ease of setup, and overall featureset of MCE.
Oh, and, yeah, MCE2005 supports multi-tuner configs. Works great, actually. I don't know what the grandparent is complaining about.
MCE2005 just *works*. Like a TiVo. If you want to mess with crap to get your TV system going, go for it. For the rest of us who want a tested, easy-to-config solution, MCE2005 is the way to go.
The real difference between the Windows XP UI and the OS X UI is fundamental, but people always seem to ignore it.
Windows is "document centric". Since 95, Microsoft has been steadily moving to eliminate the concept of the "application". That's why the taskbar displays windows, not applications.
The #1 thing that always bugged me on the Mac was that the window *wasn't* the application. On Windows, when you close a window you close the application. That's not the case on OS X. You can have Safari open without it having any windows. In some areas of the Mac, this is taken to a rediculous extreme. Apps like the System Profiler can be open without having a window open. Why you'd want to do that is beyond me.
Mac OS embraces the concept of the application. The dock shows applications - both active and inactive. They are all jumbled up. The idea is that you will leave applications running.
On the Mac, this is necessary. On Windows, it's not. Word starts up in about 2 seconds on my PC - less if it has been cached in disk cache. Even Firefox starts up quickly.
This isn't the case on the Mac or on Linux. I don't know why it is, but firing up Safari on my friend's 867MHz 640MB PowerBook G4 takes 6+ seconds. When I double-click on the IE icon, it pops up instantly.
But wait... you are about to shout that IE cheats. Perhaps it does. But XP still boots faster than OS X or Linux. Even with all of its "cheating", XP is faster from the instant you push the power button.
Windows Media Player. PowerPoint. Excel. Firefox. iTunes. Visual Studio.
They *all* start up in under 2 seconds on my PC. It's not even a particularly fast PC - an Athlon XP running at 900MHz (so it can use a passive heatsink), 1GB of DDR, and a Seagate 7200.7 HDD.
"For the love of fuck, I'm not asking to go back to 8.3, but would it have killed you, Mr. Gates, to have named the two most commonly-used directories on a Windows box "/Programs" and "/Users"?"
"However, I don't know how cleanly quotes are handled."
They are handled just like they are with a local user or with CIFS. Sharing a folder with WebDAV/IIS is functionally equivilent to sharing it with CIFS.
"Other then the singed fingers I find that the bigest problem with AMD is the motherboards and chipsets."
If you buy NFORCE, you won't have any trouble. NVIDIA's drivers are rock-solid, easy to find (NVIDIA.com) and easy to install. Good Linux support now, too.
"In addition I like that I can get an Intel motherboard without the addons like RAID, audio, LAN, etc etc.... I want to chose my own expansion cards and just want BASIC IO on the motherboard."
The thing is that adding functionality to the motherboard is *very* cheap. Since there has to be a northbridge and a southbridge (or, in the case of NFORCE3/NFORCE4, a combined chip), it costs nothing to add LAN and other functionality.
If you want to add a discrete RAID controller, sound card, or ethernet controller - great. But for 99% of us, the onboard stuff is fine.
The onboard NFORCE2 audio is actually quite good, as is the 10/100 ethernet controller.
"It applies to any laptop that has a Pentium M AND an intel wireless chip."
AND the Intel 855 chipset.
It's brilliant, actually. Intel has never advertised "Pentium-M", so people ask for a "Centrino" notebook. Because "Centrino" only applies when resellers use their wireless chip and chipset in addition to the Pentium-M, Intel effectively locks their resellers into selling Intel components when they might otherwise have not.
Not that the Intel PRO/Wireless 2200 and 855 chipset are bad. I'm thoroughly impressed with the trio.
"AMD is struggling hard, as they always have, to hold a modicum of the market. They are still nothing more than a small Intel. Intel has proven again and again that all they can do is make CPUs. The dismisal of the p4 line is a sign they acknowledge the trend in low power computing.
They are both about to get blown out of the water by Apple.
Apple is about to introduce an entertainment server. Everyone knows the future is networked consoles, but Sony et al are still focusing on games only. Apple will introduce a device that will displace the PC in a very short time. Fortunately their suppliers have horrible fab capacity. It wouldn't surprise me if Apple built in x86 if their volumes get high enough.
My bet is on the apple device."
You are so full of shit that you don't understand up from down.
1: Apple does not, and will not manufacture or design CPUs.
2: AMD *does* design and manufacture CPUs.
Intel and Apple *don't* compete because they don't manufacture the same products. Intel competes with AMD, Transmeta, IBM, VIA, Samsung, and other companies in a variety of fields.
Apple competes with software companies - like Microsoft, PC companies - like Dell, and, more recently, with
"Apple is about to introduce an entertainment server. Everyone knows the future is networked consoles, but Sony et al are still focusing on games only. Apple will introduce a device that will displace the PC in a very short time."
A media server is going to "displace" the PC? What a load of crap. Analysts have been spelling doom for the PC for *years*. Cellphones were going to kill the PC. Or PDAs. Or "smart" TVs.
Guess what? It's never happened. Because the PC is the best tool for communication. You can't displace the PC with a media center because, for most people, the PC isn't a media center. Most people use their PCs to get on the Internet. They surf the web and read email. A media server isn't going to displace that.
"It wouldn't surprise me if Apple built in x86 if their volumes get high enough."
Assuming your crackpot theory is correct, who do you think is going to manufacture those x86 chips?
AMD or Intel. That's who. They are the only companies producing high-performance x86 CPUs. Heck, they are the only companies *capable* of producing a high-performance x86 cpu in the short term.
"Everyone knows the future is networked consoles"
If by "everyone", you mean crackpot analysts, then, yes, "everyone" knows that.
Remember the PS2 hype? With it's FireWire and USB ports, the PS2 was supposed to be the "future networked console". It wasn't. It's just another game system, just like the XBOX. The PS2 hasn't killed the PC.
"Fortunately their suppliers have horrible fab capacity."
IBM can fab a lot more than you think. Not as much as AMD or Intel, but they have the resources to bring Apple as many PPC970 CPUs as they will need.
"Well, just you wait until they savy up and "cut out the middleman". Won't that be an interesting day."
Clevo corporation already has. They are selling their notebooks in the US market under the "Sager" brand.
Personally, I purchased a notebook that was ODM'd by Compal called the CL-56. It's sold in the US under a number of brands such as the VoodoPC Envy M:360 and the Chembook 2056.
If you buy the "brand name", you're getting ripped off. You can get a much better deal if you buy a no-brand notebook from a reputable reseller. You get better support, too - my notebook included a custom driver CD, 24/7 support (and, yes, they have real people based in the US to answer your questions), and a 2-year warranty.
You can get a heck of a laptop for very little if you buy an ODM notebook. Pentium-M 1.7, 512M PC2700, Mobility Radeon 9700 128M, 15" SXGA+ display, Intel PRO/2200 WLAN, a DVD/CD combo drive, and a Hitachi 7200rpm 60GB laptop HDD. All for $1500. No OS of couse, but that doesn't bother me.
"Yes, you can... http://www.megagames.com/dc/dc_backup_faq. shtml#1. 1 http://www.dvd-supply.com/double-sided-mini-dvd -r. html"
No, you can't. The Cube discs *aren't* dual-layer DVDs. They are a proprietary optical disc from Matshusta. To my knowledge, there isn't even a GDROM-R, and if there were, you can bet that you wouldn't be able to buy them.
The "use the broadband adaptor" trick that you linked to changes nothing. The DC also used proprietary discs, and that article says what the grandparent said - you cannot burn Dreamcast games just as you cannot burn Gamecube games.
Yes, you can use the PSO hack to image and play 'Cube games over the network. Most people won't be doing that, though.
"AMD had that whole package cracking issue with the heatsink, though."
Pre-AMD64 Athlons did not have a heatspreader. This actually improves thermal transfer between the CPU and the heatsink.
If you install your heatsink carefully, it shouldn't be a problem. You have to be careful, but it's not like you don't have to do that with Intel CPUs too.
That's because landlines are *really cheap* in the US. Qwest provides unlimited, reliable dialtone with unlimited local calls for about $13 around here.
If you actually take the time to compare how much people pay *per minute* on mobile phones in the US, it's actually less than it is in places like Germany or the UK. Compare T-Mobile Germany and T-Mobile USA, for example.
- Is $15 cheaper - Offers *five times* more inclusive minutes - Does not charge for roaming throughout the US (the Germany plan charges for roaming outside of Germany) - Offers free nighttime calling and free calling on weekends
Compared to the US plan, the Germany plan offers:
- Free incoming calls
"You pay to make AND receive calls."
Yes, but with my free nights/weekends and 2000 extra minutes, I'm not too concerned about being charged for incoming calls.
Oh, and by the way, do you realize why people don't pay to recieve calls on mobiles in Europe?
It's because the person calling pays a lot more than they do in the US. In the US, calling a mobile is just like calling a landline. If it's a local call, it's almost always free. If it's long-distance, it's covered by your long distance plan - often as little as $.05 a minute.
In Europe, calling a mobile phone on a different carrier than your own or calling a mobile phone from a landline can cost 0.25 a minute or more.
Oh, and what about data? T-Mobile USA offers unlimited GPRS for $20 a month (with any voice plan). If you subscribe to their WAP service ("T-Zones"), you can use that APN to get on the internet (albeit with a NAT IP address) for $5 a month. Try to find that in Europe.
Get your facts straight before you start claimin g that US mobile service is more expensive than it is in Europe.
"Competing technologies (CDMA, TDMA, GSM, iDEN)"
iDEN is only used by Nextel. TDMA is used by ATT/Cingular but it is currently being phased out (ATT/Cingular is GSM/GPRS/EDGE).
Really, there are only two serious wireless technologies in the US. GSM, used by T-Mobile and ATT/Cingular, and CDMA2000, used by Sprint PCS and Verizon Wireless.
"Competing technologies" are the reason that CDMA was given a chance. If the US had mandated GSM, it is unlikely that Qualcomm would have ever been able to develop CDMA. And, before you start badmouthing CDMA, consider this: UMTS, the successor to GSM, is based on Qualcomm's CDMA technology.
"If only we would get great technology like that of Asia and Europe quicker in the US! "
What "great technology of Asia and Europe" are you talking about?
The same CDMA2000 1x EV-DO phones used in South Korea could be brought to the US. Verizon is deploying a CDMA2000 1x EV-DO network. 14 networks down, and they hope to have the entire network upgraded by the end of 2005.
Or did you mean the UMTS phones in Europe? ATT/Cingular is deploying UMTS.
Or did you mean the GSM phones used in Europe like the XDAIII? Those *already* work in the US. Choose ATT/Cingular or T-Mobile.
"We enabled full roaming already, and yes, with both network it is bigger than Verizon. "
Not according to your coverage map, and not according to my experience. I have a Verizon phone with 1XRTT and was surfing in Northern Wyoming while my T-Mobile phone and my friend's AT&T Wireless phones had *no service*.
This was about 2 weeks ago, and it wasn't a spot incident. The experience was consistant - AT&T/T-Mobile provided no coverage while Verizon provided 1xRTT.
Go drive up I-25 into Montana. You can *see* the Verizon towers mounted on their 300 foot poles.
Of course, I'm just going by your coverage map. Maybe it's because I'm confusing "light yellow" and "slightly lighter yellow". One is GPRS, one is "future coverage". But from my experience, up in Wyoming that certainly is "lighter yellow".
"OMG and I said 2 way SMS for cheap, you cant get 2 way SMS pagers for 30 bux even off Ebay, nice try."
Nice try? How about I f***ing purchased one and used it for months. It's called a GSM phone. The $30 Nokia's on eBay have SMS.
"And those GSM phones work more places in the world than Verizon."
My SKII is triband. Great. Here's the thing, though: I've never had to take my phone out of the country. If I did, I wouldn't use it at the $.50 a minute you want to charge me.
"SKII is locked into Tmobile for now, and then you get all those nice roaming charges. But goodie 4 you."
Mine is Sim-unlocked. T-Mo will do it after 180 days of service. Unlike ATT/Cingular, who have the policy of "just say no". I had to hack my Nokia 3590 to get it off of ATTWS.
"Check the facts before you try to comment with the big boys."
The "big boys" are apparently Cingular employees who talk based on their own marketing and not the facts.
Here's an example of your ignorance:
"You can take any GSM phone and it will work in the UK..."
WRONG! Your provider must have a roaming agreement, and your phone must support the frequencies used in the UK.
Not every phone supports GSM 900/1800. My original SK was 1900 only, and my Nokia was 850/1900. Neither of those devices would have worked in the UK.
I've been researching mobile technologies for 5 years now. Personally, I have a GSM/GPRS mobile device, the Danger Hiptop2. I've also owned the Treo 270, a Treo 180, a Nokia 3590, the original SK, and an HTC Wallaby. I have an LG 4500 for Verizon. Two of my friends have AT&T Wireless, one with GSM and one with IS-136. My coverage with T-Mobile amd Verizon is consistantly better than my friend's around town. Up in Wyoming, none of the GPRS providers offered me service once I strayed even a few miles from I-25. Verizon had 1xRTT in
"we have UMTS which is the standard"
You have it because DoCoMo will sue your ass of if you didn't. It's not a production service that I can walk into my local ATTWS store and purchase. Meanwhile, VZW has CDMA2000 1x EV-DO deployed in 14 markets.
And, by "the standard", do you mean "successor to GSM"? The US government has not mandated a wireless standard. In the US, *nothing* is "the standard".
GSM is the "de facto" standard worldwide. UMTS is logical successor, but that does not make it "the standard".
"As for your comments on GSM/GPRS, you don't know how it works do you."
Yes, I do. You are condescending and angry. You believe the marketing of your company over the practical experience of millions.
There's a reason that you've been running those "Our best network ever" advertisements - it's because millions of people think your network is shit.
AT&T's IS-136 network was shit, and until recently their GSM/GPRS/EDGE network was shit. Only after years of building and a merger with Cingular can you call your network "good".
The Ogo, with it's passive-matrix screen, lack of a phone, $99 price tag, and lack of web browsing is essentially an overpriced 2-way pager. Motorola had similar devices in 2001, and they flopped because no on
"why were four of my rendering pipelines disabled by default on my 9800se?"
Usually because they are defective. I've tried to softmod several 9800SEs and usually end up with severe rendering artifacts. I'd say that only about 15% softmod without any rendering problems.
Remember, too, that enabling the extra four pipelines increases the power draw. The default heatsink definately can't handle the extra power and will cause stability issues.
That's why the 4 pipelines are disabled in the 9800SE.
"why is my SB Live severely limited when using the creative drivers, and only reveals its true potential with the KX project drivers"
Primarily because the Creative drivers blow. Remember that the Omega drivers are basically just the ATI drivers with a few extra components.
They let you softmod, overclock, and install on mobile hardware. And you get the cool RadLinker tool. I don't think that ATI's default drivers should let you softmod or overclock because doing either can cause damage to your card if it is done improperly. I do wish that the ATI drivers would install on mobile cards and I wish that they included a way to tie profiles to applications (like NVIDIA's drivers do).
"Are the PocketPC devices also running as cellphones? If not, the comparison is hardly apt."
The iPaq 6315 has Bluetooth, WiFi, a cellphone, and it runs for 12-hours if you turn down the display brightness and turn WiFi off (the Treo doesn't have WiFi).
It also has more memory than the Treo, and it's the same price.
This is simply not true anymore. It may have been true in the days of the Palm III, but it's not true anymore. Many PocketPC devices will go for 12 hours of *continuous* use. The Treo 600/650 is good for less than 8.
"clean simple interface, easy to use and understand"
This is highly subjective.
Here's why PocketPC devices make Palm devices look dated:
- Multitasking - A *real* FAT FS for the entire device; not the "half-and-half" split of FAT and the proprietary Palm FS - Lots of memory that can be used by programs. Even the new Tungsten T5 only allows around 5MB of heap. PocketPCs can use 64MB+. - High-res. 320x320 or 480x320 may seem high, but the new high-res PocketPCs have 640x480 resolution; that's more than double the resolution of the Treo 650. - Speed. The Treo is decent, but new Pocket PC devices use the XScale at 600+ MHz. - Graphics. Many new Pocket PC devices have hardware accelerated 2D chips from ATI or Intel. This lets them play back high-resolution video without dropping frames. - Sound. Every Pocket PC ever made can play MP3s and WMAs. Every Pocket PC has removable flash storage. Since these capabilities existed from the start, they are implemented in a standard way. Every app can take advantage of them. Many Palm apps still aren't high-res, and those that are frequently don't take advantage of the soft input area on some Palm OS devices. Every Pocket PC has a soft-input area.
Slashdot Mirror
"this model runs a TI chip"
Yes, but it is still an ARM CPU. The problem isn't the CPU - it's the rest of the hardware.
Your comment shows the depths of your ignorance.
AMD64 is not a "crippled" 64-bit instruction set. It is a true 64-bit ISA running on a true 64-bit CPU.
Not to mention that your x86 cpu *isn't x86* inside. You're essentially running your code on a hardware emulator.
In the end, x86 is just another layer. It doesn't really matter if you use the x86 ISA or the POWER ISA. What matters is performance, and no CPU offers more bang for your buck than x86.
Remember all of those architectures that were supposed to replace x86? PowerPC. Alpha. EPIC. MIPS. ARM.
It never happened. We stil have x86 on the desktop. We're still running Windows. We're still using PCI and ATA. USB hasn't killed parallel, serial, or PS/2 yet.
Why? Because the technology we have already works well. To beat x86, someone has to offer a massive advantage to overcome the advantage of the platform: compatibility, performance, and price.
I'm so sick of hearing about Cell. 'Hugely parallel' architectures have been on the verge of revolutionizing computing for years. It hasn't happened. It's hard to write parallelized code, and even in an ideal situation you *never* get 100% scaling. 8 processors aren't 8 times faster than 1. You're lucky to get 4x. Cell doesn't change that.
Current programming languages, current programming practices, current algorithms - they are all designed to work with fast, serial processors. Cell doesn't change that.
Itanium was supposed to be the future. An instruction set that was *explicitly* parallel at the compiler level. Cell doesn't have that advantage. It's a technology without a future. Nothing more than marketing. Just like the emotion engine. Just like Itanium.
"He feels that allowing web sites to display arbitrary text on the status bar is a feature"
It is and it has been for quite some time. It's part of every major browser.
It's really *not a vulnerability* at all. Anyone who doesn't examine the address bar before entering personal information is going to get duped *anyway*.
It is no more a flaw than the alert() function. In a loop, the alert() function allows pages to prevent the browser from recieving input.
Should we disable that too?
What about a link that has the proper href but uses Javascript to send users to a different page?
Should we disable that too?
I'm amazed that you find this an issue AT ALL. It IS NOT a security flaw.
Perhaps WoW is a Microsoft conspiracy to disrupt open-source development.
"microsoft drm-encumbered proprietary evilness"
The files recorded by MCE2005 are not DRM protected. Using a simple app you can convert them to standard MPEG-2.
"Ironic that your name contains "myth" as we've had that capability in mythtv land for quite some time. "
Yeah, but in so many other ways, MythTV "blows". Unless you want to dedicate a PC to being a Myth box, you're pretty much screwed.
Not to mention the killer interface, ease of setup, and overall featureset of MCE.
Oh, and, yeah, MCE2005 supports multi-tuner configs. Works great, actually. I don't know what the grandparent is complaining about.
MCE2005 just *works*. Like a TiVo. If you want to mess with crap to get your TV system going, go for it. For the rest of us who want a tested, easy-to-config solution, MCE2005 is the way to go.
The real difference between the Windows XP UI and the OS X UI is fundamental, but people always seem to ignore it.
Windows is "document centric". Since 95, Microsoft has been steadily moving to eliminate the concept of the "application". That's why the taskbar displays windows, not applications.
The #1 thing that always bugged me on the Mac was that the window *wasn't* the application. On Windows, when you close a window you close the application. That's not the case on OS X. You can have Safari open without it having any windows. In some areas of the Mac, this is taken to a rediculous extreme. Apps like the System Profiler can be open without having a window open. Why you'd want to do that is beyond me.
Mac OS embraces the concept of the application. The dock shows applications - both active and inactive. They are all jumbled up. The idea is that you will leave applications running.
On the Mac, this is necessary. On Windows, it's not. Word starts up in about 2 seconds on my PC - less if it has been cached in disk cache. Even Firefox starts up quickly.
This isn't the case on the Mac or on Linux. I don't know why it is, but firing up Safari on my friend's 867MHz 640MB PowerBook G4 takes 6+ seconds. When I double-click on the IE icon, it pops up instantly.
But wait... you are about to shout that IE cheats. Perhaps it does. But XP still boots faster than OS X or Linux. Even with all of its "cheating", XP is faster from the instant you push the power button.
Windows Media Player. PowerPoint. Excel. Firefox. iTunes. Visual Studio.
They *all* start up in under 2 seconds on my PC. It's not even a particularly fast PC - an Athlon XP running at 900MHz (so it can use a passive heatsink), 1GB of DDR, and a Seagate 7200.7 HDD.
The interface "feels" faster too in XP.
Why is that?
Folder Options > View Tab > Launch folder windows in a seperate process
"For the love of fuck, I'm not asking to go back to 8.3, but would it have killed you, Mr. Gates, to have named the two most commonly-used directories on a Windows box "/Programs" and "/Users"?"
Why don't you symlink them and stop bitching?
http://www.rekenwonder.com/linkmagic.htm
"However, I don't know how cleanly quotes are handled."
They are handled just like they are with a local user or with CIFS. Sharing a folder with WebDAV/IIS is functionally equivilent to sharing it with CIFS.
"Other then the singed fingers I find that the bigest problem with AMD is the motherboards and chipsets."
If you buy NFORCE, you won't have any trouble. NVIDIA's drivers are rock-solid, easy to find (NVIDIA.com) and easy to install. Good Linux support now, too.
"In addition I like that I can get an Intel motherboard without the addons like RAID, audio, LAN, etc etc.... I want to chose my own expansion cards and just want BASIC IO on the motherboard."
The thing is that adding functionality to the motherboard is *very* cheap. Since there has to be a northbridge and a southbridge (or, in the case of NFORCE3/NFORCE4, a combined chip), it costs nothing to add LAN and other functionality.
If you want to add a discrete RAID controller, sound card, or ethernet controller - great. But for 99% of us, the onboard stuff is fine.
The onboard NFORCE2 audio is actually quite good, as is the 10/100 ethernet controller.
"It applies to any laptop that has a Pentium M AND an intel wireless chip."
AND the Intel 855 chipset.
It's brilliant, actually. Intel has never advertised "Pentium-M", so people ask for a "Centrino" notebook. Because "Centrino" only applies when resellers use their wireless chip and chipset in addition to the Pentium-M, Intel effectively locks their resellers into selling Intel components when they might otherwise have not.
Not that the Intel PRO/Wireless 2200 and 855 chipset are bad. I'm thoroughly impressed with the trio.
"AMD is struggling hard, as they always have, to hold a modicum of the market. They are still nothing more than a small Intel. Intel has proven again and again that all they can do is make CPUs. The dismisal of the p4 line is a sign they acknowledge the trend in low power computing.
They are both about to get blown out of the water by Apple.
Apple is about to introduce an entertainment server. Everyone knows the future is networked consoles, but Sony et al are still focusing on games only. Apple will introduce a device that will displace the PC in a very short time. Fortunately their suppliers have horrible fab capacity. It wouldn't surprise me if Apple built in x86 if their volumes get high enough.
My bet is on the apple device."
You are so full of shit that you don't understand up from down.
1: Apple does not, and will not manufacture or design CPUs.
2: AMD *does* design and manufacture CPUs.
Intel and Apple *don't* compete because they don't manufacture the same products. Intel competes with AMD, Transmeta, IBM, VIA, Samsung, and other companies in a variety of fields.
Apple competes with software companies - like Microsoft, PC companies - like Dell, and, more recently, with
"Apple is about to introduce an entertainment server. Everyone knows the future is networked consoles, but Sony et al are still focusing on games only. Apple will introduce a device that will displace the PC in a very short time."
A media server is going to "displace" the PC? What a load of crap. Analysts have been spelling doom for the PC for *years*. Cellphones were going to kill the PC. Or PDAs. Or "smart" TVs.
Guess what? It's never happened. Because the PC is the best tool for communication. You can't displace the PC with a media center because, for most people, the PC isn't a media center. Most people use their PCs to get on the Internet. They surf the web and read email. A media server isn't going to displace that.
"It wouldn't surprise me if Apple built in x86 if their volumes get high enough."
Assuming your crackpot theory is correct, who do you think is going to manufacture those x86 chips?
AMD or Intel. That's who. They are the only companies producing high-performance x86 CPUs. Heck, they are the only companies *capable* of producing a high-performance x86 cpu in the short term.
"Everyone knows the future is networked consoles"
If by "everyone", you mean crackpot analysts, then, yes, "everyone" knows that.
Remember the PS2 hype? With it's FireWire and USB ports, the PS2 was supposed to be the "future networked console". It wasn't. It's just another game system, just like the XBOX. The PS2 hasn't killed the PC.
"Fortunately their suppliers have horrible fab capacity."
IBM can fab a lot more than you think. Not as much as AMD or Intel, but they have the resources to bring Apple as many PPC970 CPUs as they will need.
"I don't remember if Spike does that but Sci-Fi channel cut out many parts of the original Star Trek to make room for commercials. "
Spike claims not to cut their Trek episodes - the program is actually called "Trek Uncut".
They don't do the funny business with the picture squishing anymore, either.
IIS?
"Well, just you wait until they savy up and "cut out the middleman". Won't that be an interesting day."
Clevo corporation already has. They are selling their notebooks in the US market under the "Sager" brand.
Personally, I purchased a notebook that was ODM'd by Compal called the CL-56. It's sold in the US under a number of brands such as the VoodoPC Envy M:360 and the Chembook 2056.
If you buy the "brand name", you're getting ripped off. You can get a much better deal if you buy a no-brand notebook from a reputable reseller. You get better support, too - my notebook included a custom driver CD, 24/7 support (and, yes, they have real people based in the US to answer your questions), and a 2-year warranty.
You can get a heck of a laptop for very little if you buy an ODM notebook. Pentium-M 1.7, 512M PC2700, Mobility Radeon 9700 128M, 15" SXGA+ display, Intel PRO/2200 WLAN, a DVD/CD combo drive, and a Hitachi 7200rpm 60GB laptop HDD. All for $1500. No OS of couse, but that doesn't bother me.
"Yes, you can.... shtml#1. 1d -r. html"
http://www.megagames.com/dc/dc_backup_faq
http://www.dvd-supply.com/double-sided-mini-dv
No, you can't. The Cube discs *aren't* dual-layer DVDs. They are a proprietary optical disc from Matshusta. To my knowledge, there isn't even a GDROM-R, and if there were, you can bet that you wouldn't be able to buy them.
The "use the broadband adaptor" trick that you linked to changes nothing. The DC also used proprietary discs, and that article says what the grandparent said - you cannot burn Dreamcast games just as you cannot burn Gamecube games.
Yes, you can use the PSO hack to image and play 'Cube games over the network. Most people won't be doing that, though.
"AMD had that whole package cracking issue with the heatsink, though."
Pre-AMD64 Athlons did not have a heatspreader. This actually improves thermal transfer between the CPU and the heatsink.
If you install your heatsink carefully, it shouldn't be a problem. You have to be careful, but it's not like you don't have to do that with Intel CPUs too.
"Costs are often more than landlines."
2 -_,00.html
a ils.asp?PlanID=3952
That's because landlines are *really cheap* in the US. Qwest provides unlimited, reliable dialtone with unlimited local calls for about $13 around here.
If you actually take the time to compare how much people pay *per minute* on mobile phones in the US, it's actually less than it is in places like Germany or the UK. Compare T-Mobile Germany and T-Mobile USA, for example.
Here's a plan from T-Mobile Germany:
http://www.t-mobile.de/business/relax/1,6243,1053
500 minutes (inclusive) for 86.21 per month - about $115. This is a "business" plan, but the "personal" plan is 100 per month.
Here's a plan from T-Mobile USA:
http://www.t-mobile.com/plans/NationalRatePlanDet
2500 minutes (inclusive) for $100 a month.
Compared to the Germany plan, the US plan:
- Is $15 cheaper
- Offers *five times* more inclusive minutes
- Does not charge for roaming throughout the US (the Germany plan charges for roaming outside of Germany)
- Offers free nighttime calling and free calling on weekends
Compared to the US plan, the Germany plan offers:
- Free incoming calls
"You pay to make AND receive calls."
Yes, but with my free nights/weekends and 2000 extra minutes, I'm not too concerned about being charged for incoming calls.
Oh, and by the way, do you realize why people don't pay to recieve calls on mobiles in Europe?
It's because the person calling pays a lot more than they do in the US. In the US, calling a mobile is just like calling a landline. If it's a local call, it's almost always free. If it's long-distance, it's covered by your long distance plan - often as little as $.05 a minute.
In Europe, calling a mobile phone on a different carrier than your own or calling a mobile phone from a landline can cost 0.25 a minute or more.
Oh, and what about data? T-Mobile USA offers unlimited GPRS for $20 a month (with any voice plan). If you subscribe to their WAP service ("T-Zones"), you can use that APN to get on the internet (albeit with a NAT IP address) for $5 a month. Try to find that in Europe.
Get your facts straight before you start claimin g that US mobile service is more expensive than it is in Europe.
"Competing technologies (CDMA, TDMA, GSM, iDEN)"
iDEN is only used by Nextel. TDMA is used by ATT/Cingular but it is currently being phased out (ATT/Cingular is GSM/GPRS/EDGE).
Really, there are only two serious wireless technologies in the US. GSM, used by T-Mobile and ATT/Cingular, and CDMA2000, used by Sprint PCS and Verizon Wireless.
"Competing technologies" are the reason that CDMA was given a chance. If the US had mandated GSM, it is unlikely that Qualcomm would have ever been able to develop CDMA. And, before you start badmouthing CDMA, consider this: UMTS, the successor to GSM, is based on Qualcomm's CDMA technology.
"You wan't believe how much time I gained by doing this!"
How much of that time did you waste recompiling modules to get your hardware to work?
"If only we would get great technology like that of Asia and Europe quicker in the US! "
What "great technology of Asia and Europe" are you talking about?
The same CDMA2000 1x EV-DO phones used in South Korea could be brought to the US. Verizon is deploying a CDMA2000 1x EV-DO network. 14 networks down, and they hope to have the entire network upgraded by the end of 2005.
Or did you mean the UMTS phones in Europe? ATT/Cingular is deploying UMTS.
Or did you mean the GSM phones used in Europe like the XDAIII? Those *already* work in the US. Choose ATT/Cingular or T-Mobile.
"We enabled full roaming already, and yes, with both network it is bigger than Verizon. "
Not according to your coverage map, and not according to my experience. I have a Verizon phone with 1XRTT and was surfing in Northern Wyoming while my T-Mobile phone and my friend's AT&T Wireless phones had *no service*.
This was about 2 weeks ago, and it wasn't a spot incident. The experience was consistant - AT&T/T-Mobile provided no coverage while Verizon provided 1xRTT.
Go drive up I-25 into Montana. You can *see* the Verizon towers mounted on their 300 foot poles.
Of course, I'm just going by your coverage map. Maybe it's because I'm confusing "light yellow" and "slightly lighter yellow". One is GPRS, one is "future coverage". But from my experience, up in Wyoming that certainly is "lighter yellow".
"OMG and I said 2 way SMS for cheap, you cant get 2 way SMS pagers for 30 bux even off Ebay, nice try."
Nice try? How about I f***ing purchased one and used it for months. It's called a GSM phone. The $30 Nokia's on eBay have SMS.
"And those GSM phones work more places in the world than Verizon."
My SKII is triband. Great. Here's the thing, though: I've never had to take my phone out of the country. If I did, I wouldn't use it at the $.50 a minute you want to charge me.
"SKII is locked into Tmobile for now, and then you get all those nice roaming charges. But goodie 4 you."
Mine is Sim-unlocked. T-Mo will do it after 180 days of service. Unlike ATT/Cingular, who have the policy of "just say no". I had to hack my Nokia 3590 to get it off of ATTWS.
"Check the facts before you try to comment with the big boys."
The "big boys" are apparently Cingular employees who talk based on their own marketing and not the facts.
Here's an example of your ignorance:
"You can take any GSM phone and it will work in the UK..."
WRONG! Your provider must have a roaming agreement, and your phone must support the frequencies used in the UK.
Not every phone supports GSM 900/1800. My original SK was 1900 only, and my Nokia was 850/1900. Neither of those devices would have worked in the UK.
I've been researching mobile technologies for 5 years now. Personally, I have a GSM/GPRS mobile device, the Danger Hiptop2. I've also owned the Treo 270, a Treo 180, a Nokia 3590, the original SK, and an HTC Wallaby. I have an LG 4500 for Verizon. Two of my friends have AT&T Wireless, one with GSM and one with IS-136. My coverage with T-Mobile amd Verizon is consistantly better than my friend's around town. Up in Wyoming, none of the GPRS providers offered me service once I strayed even a few miles from I-25. Verizon had 1xRTT in
"we have UMTS which is the standard"
You have it because DoCoMo will sue your ass of if you didn't. It's not a production service that I can walk into my local ATTWS store and purchase. Meanwhile, VZW has CDMA2000 1x EV-DO deployed in 14 markets.
And, by "the standard", do you mean "successor to GSM"? The US government has not mandated a wireless standard. In the US, *nothing* is "the standard".
GSM is the "de facto" standard worldwide. UMTS is logical successor, but that does not make it "the standard".
"As for your comments on GSM/GPRS, you don't know how it works do you."
Yes, I do. You are condescending and angry. You believe the marketing of your company over the practical experience of millions.
There's a reason that you've been running those "Our best network ever" advertisements - it's because millions of people think your network is shit.
AT&T's IS-136 network was shit, and until recently their GSM/GPRS/EDGE network was shit. Only after years of building and a merger with Cingular can you call your network "good".
The Ogo, with it's passive-matrix screen, lack of a phone, $99 price tag, and lack of web browsing is essentially an overpriced 2-way pager. Motorola had similar devices in 2001, and they flopped because no on
"why were four of my rendering pipelines disabled by default on my 9800se?"
Usually because they are defective. I've tried to softmod several 9800SEs and usually end up with severe rendering artifacts. I'd say that only about 15% softmod without any rendering problems.
Remember, too, that enabling the extra four pipelines increases the power draw. The default heatsink definately can't handle the extra power and will cause stability issues.
That's why the 4 pipelines are disabled in the 9800SE.
"why is my SB Live severely limited when using the creative drivers, and only reveals its true potential with the KX project drivers"
Primarily because the Creative drivers blow. Remember that the Omega drivers are basically just the ATI drivers with a few extra components.
They let you softmod, overclock, and install on mobile hardware. And you get the cool RadLinker tool. I don't think that ATI's default drivers should let you softmod or overclock because doing either can cause damage to your card if it is done improperly. I do wish that the ATI drivers would install on mobile cards and I wish that they included a way to tie profiles to applications (like NVIDIA's drivers do).
"Are the PocketPC devices also running as cellphones? If not, the comparison is hardly apt."
The iPaq 6315 has Bluetooth, WiFi, a cellphone, and it runs for 12-hours if you turn down the display brightness and turn WiFi off (the Treo doesn't have WiFi).
It also has more memory than the Treo, and it's the same price.
"Longer batter life"
This is simply not true anymore. It may have been true in the days of the Palm III, but it's not true anymore. Many PocketPC devices will go for 12 hours of *continuous* use. The Treo 600/650 is good for less than 8.
"clean simple interface, easy to use and understand"
This is highly subjective.
Here's why PocketPC devices make Palm devices look dated:
- Multitasking
- A *real* FAT FS for the entire device; not the "half-and-half" split of FAT and the proprietary Palm FS
- Lots of memory that can be used by programs. Even the new Tungsten T5 only allows around 5MB of heap. PocketPCs can use 64MB+.
- High-res. 320x320 or 480x320 may seem high, but the new high-res PocketPCs have 640x480 resolution; that's more than double the resolution of the Treo 650.
- Speed. The Treo is decent, but new Pocket PC devices use the XScale at 600+ MHz.
- Graphics. Many new Pocket PC devices have hardware accelerated 2D chips from ATI or Intel. This lets them play back high-resolution video without dropping frames.
- Sound. Every Pocket PC ever made can play MP3s and WMAs. Every Pocket PC has removable flash storage. Since these capabilities existed from the start, they are implemented in a standard way. Every app can take advantage of them. Many Palm apps still aren't high-res, and those that are frequently don't take advantage of the soft input area on some Palm OS devices. Every Pocket PC has a soft-input area.
If you have a Shuttle that is noisy, you can make it quiet:
- Ditch the 80mm Sunon fan. A 32CFM Panaflo ($16 on Newegg) is a much better choice.
- Get the PC40 "SilenX" power supply. Shuttle sells it for around $70. It's the same power supply they use on the new systems.