Although I'm sure this company has spent a lot of time working on this flywheel design, I wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot pole. A large, fast, high performance flywheel like that will be deadly when it fails. You might as well be sitting on a bomb! On a side note, I wish the pubic was more aware of the safety of hydrogen cars. Getting the Hindenberg out of people's heads seems to be pretty tough.
I just made the switch yesterday. In fact, I'm typing this post on my new wireless 12" iBook. Like others, I had been thinking about switching for a while. The price was of course the main thing keeping me from pulling the trigger, but I decided to just let my wallet take the hit. Having used the iBook for a day now, I can say I'm glad I switched. OSX is as awesome as awesome as everybody says. It is perhaps the only OS to really succeed in combining user friendliness with power. It's awesome for casual computer use and just as awesome for power computing. I also like the fact that macs tend to hold their value well. Sure, I could have bought a Dell for a lot cheaper, but in a year my iBook will have more market value than a Dell. Plus it's also great that the iBook came with tons of free software; everything from music composition software to development tools. I was a huge anti-mac guy years ago. Back in grade school I even waged an anti-mac campaign (long story). But with OSX, my long standing prejudice was gone. To anyone considering making the switch, I would recommend it. The price may seem high, but you really do get a lot for your money. I think the price premium is worth it for the top-notch hardware and software.
As someone who uses watercooling, I thought I'd address some of the comments mentioned here.
"Pump failure means watercooling isn't reliable"
-Fans fail too! If a pump fails in a watercooling system, you'll have more time before system failure than if a fan fails in an air cooling system. Although pumps typically do fail more often than fans, they can last a long time if kept within operating conditions. Also, there will likely be signs that pump failure is imminent.
"Watercooling can only get the processor down to room temp, so it's no better than air cooling!"
-Although watercooling and air cooling have the same theoretical limit, this means nothing in the real world. I'm using a 2.4A Prescott in my system. With the stock cooler (which is actually pretty decent), idle temps are in the mid 30's, load temps mid 40's. Overclocked to 3.2Ghz, idle temps are mid 40's, load temps are in the 50's. At an unstable 3.6Ghz overclock, load temps exceed 60. With watercooling, stock idle temps are in the hig 20's. Load temps are exactly the same! Overclocked to 3.6Ghz, idle temps are low 30's, load temps are high 30's. I think these numbers speak for themselves. By switching to watercooling, my temperatures dropped by as much as 30C!
"Water and electronics don't mix! Leaks scare me!"
-If you take time building your system, leaks should never occur. If you hack together a ghetto system from Lowe's, don't be surprised if you find leaks. I'm using Tygon tubing and stainless steel hose clamps, and I haven't had a single leak problem. The first few days I was cautious, but I now have no reservations about leaving the system unattended.
I'm not saying watercooling is perfect. It is definitely expensive. However, the price delta between crappy performance and high performance is surprisingly small. There's really no reason to spend money on these little compact easy to use systems. The performance is no different than air cooling, and it costs more! But spend a few extra bucks for good parts and you'll see the performance skyrocket.
I think its incorrect to say that most of Harbor Freight's and Homier's products are manufactured overseas. I think what you meant to say was ALL of their products are manufactured overseas. Hence the "Harbor" in Harbor Freight. They just try to cover up this fact by plastering American flags everywhere and using American-sounding brand names like "Chicago Electric" or "Pittsburgh Tools". Like many have already mentioned, you get what you pay for. Unfortunately, for us Americans, price is the bottom line, and product quality comes second. This is what allows places like Walmart and Harbor Freight to succeed. I recommend looking for high quality American branded products instead of the lowest-priced products. You'll pay more in the short term, but you'll likely save money in the long term, as well as supporting domestic companies at the same time.
Personally, I think DVHS could have decent market penetration if it wasn't so expensive. I like the idea of being able to create bit perfect copies of high definition TV broadcasts. At about $7.50 for a 40GB tape, it could be a pretty cheap method of data storage too. It may not have random access, but from a quality standpoint it's far superior to DVD. Now if only the VCRs would come down in price. Chances are, a high definition disc format will come out and quickly overpower DVHS, but for the moment, it seems to be the highest quality method of video recording money can buy.
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Although I'm sure this company has spent a lot of time working on this flywheel design, I wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot pole. A large, fast, high performance flywheel like that will be deadly when it fails. You might as well be sitting on a bomb!
On a side note, I wish the pubic was more aware of the safety of hydrogen cars. Getting the Hindenberg out of people's heads seems to be pretty tough.
Do you remember a time when cell phones were simple and easy to use? Pepperidge Farms does.
I just made the switch yesterday. In fact, I'm typing this post on my new wireless 12" iBook. Like others, I had been thinking about switching for a while. The price was of course the main thing keeping me from pulling the trigger, but I decided to just let my wallet take the hit. Having used the iBook for a day now, I can say I'm glad I switched. OSX is as awesome as awesome as everybody says. It is perhaps the only OS to really succeed in combining user friendliness with power. It's awesome for casual computer use and just as awesome for power computing. I also like the fact that macs tend to hold their value well. Sure, I could have bought a Dell for a lot cheaper, but in a year my iBook will have more market value than a Dell. Plus it's also great that the iBook came with tons of free software; everything from music composition software to development tools. I was a huge anti-mac guy years ago. Back in grade school I even waged an anti-mac campaign (long story). But with OSX, my long standing prejudice was gone. To anyone considering making the switch, I would recommend it. The price may seem high, but you really do get a lot for your money. I think the price premium is worth it for the top-notch hardware and software.
As someone who uses watercooling, I thought I'd address some of the comments mentioned here.
"Pump failure means watercooling isn't reliable"
-Fans fail too! If a pump fails in a watercooling system, you'll have more time before system failure than if a fan fails in an air cooling system. Although pumps typically do fail more often than fans, they can last a long time if kept within operating conditions. Also, there will likely be signs that pump failure is imminent.
"Watercooling can only get the processor down to room temp, so it's no better than air cooling!"
-Although watercooling and air cooling have the same theoretical limit, this means nothing in the real world. I'm using a 2.4A Prescott in my system. With the stock cooler (which is actually pretty decent), idle temps are in the mid 30's, load temps mid 40's. Overclocked to 3.2Ghz, idle temps are mid 40's, load temps are in the 50's. At an unstable 3.6Ghz overclock, load temps exceed 60. With watercooling, stock idle temps are in the hig 20's. Load temps are exactly the same! Overclocked to 3.6Ghz, idle temps are low 30's, load temps are high 30's. I think these numbers speak for themselves. By switching to watercooling, my temperatures dropped by as much as 30C!
"Water and electronics don't mix! Leaks scare me!"
-If you take time building your system, leaks should never occur. If you hack together a ghetto system from Lowe's, don't be surprised if you find leaks. I'm using Tygon tubing and stainless steel hose clamps, and I haven't had a single leak problem. The first few days I was cautious, but I now have no reservations about leaving the system unattended.
I'm not saying watercooling is perfect. It is definitely expensive. However, the price delta between crappy performance and high performance is surprisingly small. There's really no reason to spend money on these little compact easy to use systems. The performance is no different than air cooling, and it costs more! But spend a few extra bucks for good parts and you'll see the performance skyrocket.
I think its incorrect to say that most of Harbor Freight's and Homier's products are manufactured overseas. I think what you meant to say was ALL of their products are manufactured overseas. Hence the "Harbor" in Harbor Freight. They just try to cover up this fact by plastering American flags everywhere and using American-sounding brand names like "Chicago Electric" or "Pittsburgh Tools". Like many have already mentioned, you get what you pay for. Unfortunately, for us Americans, price is the bottom line, and product quality comes second. This is what allows places like Walmart and Harbor Freight to succeed. I recommend looking for high quality American branded products instead of the lowest-priced products. You'll pay more in the short term, but you'll likely save money in the long term, as well as supporting domestic companies at the same time.
Personally, I think DVHS could have decent market penetration if it wasn't so expensive. I like the idea of being able to create bit perfect copies of high definition TV broadcasts. At about $7.50 for a 40GB tape, it could be a pretty cheap method of data storage too. It may not have random access, but from a quality standpoint it's far superior to DVD. Now if only the VCRs would come down in price. Chances are, a high definition disc format will come out and quickly overpower DVHS, but for the moment, it seems to be the highest quality method of video recording money can buy.