"... and they've probably paid for it 10 times over by now."
If only 10 times, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Over 40 years it would probably be more like 10,000 times.
If they paid $1.00 (extra for the hardware rental) per month for 40 years, that represents $480, without regard to any appreciation.
The first $1 would be worth about $8 today at 5% annual compound interest.
The first year's $12 would be worth about $70 under the same terms.
This ignores many opportunities for capital appreciation (eg from about 1980 to about 1985 when $1 (1980) could turn into $4 (1986) under the prevailing interest rates available at the time). In my example I assumed it took about 22 years to turn $1 into $4.
The above figures are approximate but errors are very conservative (ie only an idiot couldn't have done better, and it is possible even gross stupididy wouldn't be enough to keep from exceeding these figures).
As far as the English language goes, it's the OED that is the defacto standard English Language dictionary. Webster's (an American Dictionary) refers to US spelling conventions only.
As far as US spelling goes, Aluminum is correct. For the rest of the world (you know, the ones who used to measure gallons as 10 pounds of water), Aluminium is correct.
SlashDot, as a nominally international forum, should accept both as correct without comment or revision.
As for citing Websters as some kind of authority on International English, this
reminds me of a recent AP story which stated that the US troops currently in Kurgestan marked the first time American Soldiers have been on soil of the former Soviet Union. This is the US "Party Line", without regard to historical fact, and explains the mystery of US media when a certain Soviet leader said in NY that (to paraphrase) "we have never invaded YOUR soil".
One US Encyclopedia (I don' t remember which) stated flatly (when I was a lowly college student researching such things) that "no US troops have ever set foot inside the USSR".
Of course, in both cases, we are relying on US news/media outlets for information; and in both cases they are flatly wrong.
US, British and Canadian troops fought in the former Tzarist Russia against the Bolseviks after the Russian Revolution from the end of the 1st WW to about 1921.
Broadband is alive and well in some places. 1 of 4 Canadians now connect via broadband; the province I live in completed a full fibre optic installation (copper to the nearest switching station, fibre everywhere after) over 21 years ago.
The government announced today a program to bring hi-speed to every rural resident within 3 years (a program to complete access to every address in Canada, no matter how remote, finished last year. Currently every school and public library in the country, no matter how remote, has a dedicated full-time link; in 3 years the goal is every classroom).
Broadband customers in Canada outnumber AOL sunbscribers over 10 to 1.
x86 chip manufacturers use Quake3 because it gives them favorable numbers. I would look to other benchmarks for performance ballparks.
In particular, x86 architectures look fantastic compared to PPC when using Quake3. Alternately, PPC gives great numbers vs. x86 when using Adobe Photoshop, FinalCut Pro, etc.
Similarly, there are differences between Quake3 and other (architecture-specific) benchmarks on the x86 family from different manufacturers (Intel vs AMD). Quake3 is a "bragging application " and there have been rumors in the past of chipmakers tweaking architecture to take advantage of Quake3; detractors claim that this practise can degrade other (so-called "real world") performance.
"So easy to use, no wonder it's number one."
AOL has about 8 or 10 million users in the US. Generally, all things being equal (and as far as a wired society goes in this case they are) you would expect about a million Canadians using AOL.
I don't have recent stats available, but in 1998 there were more people using highspeed in Canada than AOL. They are not even close to the most popular service in this country. I believe the number of subscribers to AOL in Canada is still well short of 400,000 (it was 280K then) and that includes those who have AOL as a "pay your own way" option over Cable/DSL with another provider.
AOL is number one in the USA but the rest of the world (Europe, other "wired" nations) it is an also-ran and losing fast.
Currently Samsung (a leader in the field) creates LCD displays on a sheet. With today's manufacturing systems, they can create:
9x 14.1" displays, or
6x 17" displays, or
4x 21.3" displays
on a single sheet. Presumably, the 24" monitor is produced in combination with other smaller sizes which fit within the sheet's dimensions, thus the new size announced.
Others are correct with regards to the compexity factors; that (rather than display size itself) is the reason for the higher costs of larger monitors.
Your analysis is essentially correct. This is a large factor in comparing most financial data; such as GNP, etc. Given two nearly identical entities (say, two nations, but could be anything similar) the least efficent will have the greater figure for GNP and GDP. The one with the greater need for fixes will distribute a given dollar many more times (companies will come to exist to fix problems, and each dollar is added each time it changes hands). However, if you are trying to save money in an individual enterprise, it is better if the fix is not needed in the first place.
In Canada (home of FutureShop) this is illegal. They must provide you with information regarding: how the informtion will be used; why they are asking; and allow you to refuse. If they use information for purposes not disclosed at the time of gathering, they must destroy it or subsequently aquire your specific permision.
It is an oft-repeated phrase amonst those who work with the masses of the third world, but I will repeat it here:
50% of the world's population have never SEEN a telephone.
I can assure you that the "old 486's" in Brazil are being used intensively. There is no supply of "extra" computers in countries like this, despite a relatively prosperous (by world standards) economy. We have cheap used computers because there is an excess of them in North America, but in Brazil (or Mexico, or Jamaica, etc) PC's are rare of any vintage.
Slashdot Mirror
"... and they've probably paid for it 10 times over by now."
If only 10 times, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Over 40 years it would probably be more like 10,000 times.
If they paid $1.00 (extra for the hardware rental) per month for 40 years, that represents $480, without regard to any appreciation.
The first $1 would be worth about $8 today at 5% annual compound interest.
The first year's $12 would be worth about $70 under the same terms.
This ignores many opportunities for capital appreciation (eg from about 1980 to about 1985 when $1 (1980) could turn into $4 (1986) under the prevailing interest rates available at the time). In my example I assumed it took about 22 years to turn $1 into $4.
The above figures are approximate but errors are very conservative (ie only an idiot couldn't have done better, and it is possible even gross stupididy wouldn't be enough to keep from exceeding these figures).
As far as the English language goes, it's the OED that is the defacto standard English Language dictionary. Webster's (an American Dictionary) refers to US spelling conventions only.
As far as US spelling goes, Aluminum is correct. For the rest of the world (you know, the ones who used to measure gallons as 10 pounds of water), Aluminium is correct.
SlashDot, as a nominally international forum, should accept both as correct without comment or revision.
As for citing Websters as some kind of authority on International English, this
reminds me of a recent AP story which stated that the US troops currently in Kurgestan marked the first time American Soldiers have been on soil of the former Soviet Union. This is the US "Party Line", without regard to historical fact, and explains the mystery of US media when a certain Soviet leader said in NY that (to paraphrase) "we have never invaded YOUR soil".
One US Encyclopedia (I don' t remember which) stated flatly (when I was a lowly college student researching such things) that "no US troops have ever set foot inside the USSR".
Of course, in both cases, we are relying on US news/media outlets for information; and in both cases they are flatly wrong.
US, British and Canadian troops fought in the former Tzarist Russia against the Bolseviks after the Russian Revolution from the end of the 1st WW to about 1921.
Broadband is alive and well in some places. 1 of 4 Canadians now connect via broadband; the province I live in completed a full fibre optic installation (copper to the nearest switching station, fibre everywhere after) over 21 years ago.
The government announced today a program to bring hi-speed to every rural resident within 3 years (a program to complete access to every address in Canada, no matter how remote, finished last year. Currently every school and public library in the country, no matter how remote, has a dedicated full-time link; in 3 years the goal is every classroom).
Broadband customers in Canada outnumber AOL sunbscribers over 10 to 1.
x86 chip manufacturers use Quake3 because it gives them favorable numbers. I would look to other benchmarks for performance ballparks. In particular, x86 architectures look fantastic compared to PPC when using Quake3. Alternately, PPC gives great numbers vs. x86 when using Adobe Photoshop, FinalCut Pro, etc. Similarly, there are differences between Quake3 and other (architecture-specific) benchmarks on the x86 family from different manufacturers (Intel vs AMD). Quake3 is a "bragging application " and there have been rumors in the past of chipmakers tweaking architecture to take advantage of Quake3; detractors claim that this practise can degrade other (so-called "real world") performance.
"So easy to use, no wonder it's number one." AOL has about 8 or 10 million users in the US. Generally, all things being equal (and as far as a wired society goes in this case they are) you would expect about a million Canadians using AOL. I don't have recent stats available, but in 1998 there were more people using highspeed in Canada than AOL. They are not even close to the most popular service in this country. I believe the number of subscribers to AOL in Canada is still well short of 400,000 (it was 280K then) and that includes those who have AOL as a "pay your own way" option over Cable/DSL with another provider. AOL is number one in the USA but the rest of the world (Europe, other "wired" nations) it is an also-ran and losing fast.
Currently Samsung (a leader in the field) creates LCD displays on a sheet. With today's manufacturing systems, they can create: 9x 14.1" displays, or 6x 17" displays, or 4x 21.3" displays on a single sheet. Presumably, the 24" monitor is produced in combination with other smaller sizes which fit within the sheet's dimensions, thus the new size announced. Others are correct with regards to the compexity factors; that (rather than display size itself) is the reason for the higher costs of larger monitors.
Your analysis is essentially correct. This is a large factor in comparing most financial data; such as GNP, etc. Given two nearly identical entities (say, two nations, but could be anything similar) the least efficent will have the greater figure for GNP and GDP. The one with the greater need for fixes will distribute a given dollar many more times (companies will come to exist to fix problems, and each dollar is added each time it changes hands). However, if you are trying to save money in an individual enterprise, it is better if the fix is not needed in the first place.
In Canada (home of FutureShop) this is illegal. They must provide you with information regarding: how the informtion will be used; why they are asking; and allow you to refuse. If they use information for purposes not disclosed at the time of gathering, they must destroy it or subsequently aquire your specific permision.
It is an oft-repeated phrase amonst those who work with the masses of the third world, but I will repeat it here: 50% of the world's population have never SEEN a telephone.
I can assure you that the "old 486's" in Brazil are being used intensively. There is no supply of "extra" computers in countries like this, despite a relatively prosperous (by world standards) economy. We have cheap used computers because there is an excess of them in North America, but in Brazil (or Mexico, or Jamaica, etc) PC's are rare of any vintage.