Definitions
1. Physics is the study of the closed system: our universe.
2. God is defined as the external (but interacting) creator of said closed system.
3. Omnipotence is defined as the ability to do anything, not the requirement to do so.
Since the qualities of a derivative subset cannot meaningfully define the superset, how can you make that claim?
True, which is why I'm using a 192mm fan. However, I think that most 192mm fans are fairly noisy even when PWMed or downvolted. They aren't built to be quiet. However, there are a number of 120mm fans that are built to be quiet. If I need less CFM for cooling, I could use one or two 120mm fans that are meant for quieter (and thus less CFM) operation.
What kind of caps do you typically use? In other words, what specs do you find are most critical? Is it ESR of some amount or do you just go for bulk capacitance?
Also, what about the inductors and MOSFETs? I find that many motherboards have inductors that get extremely hot. Heat = wasted energy and I've always wondered how easy it would be to upgrade some of the components on-board. Plus, that extra heat does no good for the neighboring CPU. I've got my computer down to one fan, and I could use a smaller fan if I could reduce the amount of heat being generated.
Quiet, reliable, efficient and cool computers are good.
This is what a local electrician told me (IANAE, of course):
It is not the intrinsic resistance of aluminum that causes the greater fire risk. It is the thermal expansion/contraction of aluminum. As the wiring goes through cycles of being used (gets hot) then not used (gets cool), it can cause crystalization (it gets brittle) of itself and changes that make it into a higher resistance material. So, as it ages, it turns into a higher resistance and higher temperature wire. Then, when you run your nifty 15A vacuum cleaner, the wiring in the walls starts a fire.
Can you link to any examples of this modification? I'd like to modify a PC SMPS to lower the heat so that I can reduce the fan noise, so this is an attractive notion.
I didn't think that you could make the switch to MOSFETs from the standard diodes because of leakage during the reverse cycle.
The drivers aren't done yet, but the product isn't in stores yet either.
I think you are jumping the gun here and predicting the future. It is possible that they will fix the drivers before they ship, and they probably will provide much improved versions to the retail channel when they do ship. As for bug free... no one ships SW that is bug free.
As for open-source drivers... I think that is unlikely to work well unless we get some seriously bright developer with a bug in his bonnet, or S3 ships a ton of these cards. Both are possible, but I wouldn't count my chickens before they hatch. 3D video drivers aren't as easy as you might think...
Our newest project is (partially) written in C#, thank you. It is, however, an awkward blend. Using heterogenous environments for development brings it's own problems as you probably know.
The intent I was trying to communicate was that the existing framework is not always sufficient and that working around the limitations may cost just as much or more than the savings gotten by using the framework. I was using the term "low-level" to denote programming environments with less of a predefined support structure and more primitive (and more flexible) primitives.
For instance, in.NET you cannot easily implement COM Automation servers. This happens to be because of a Microsoft choice to lessen the complications of mapping CLR executables into normal EXE memory space, but it is still annoying. We have to implement a proxy in another language and communicate with another interprocess protocol. It takes time to implement this and other workarounds.
Also, the.NET framework (and most others) is written very well to support a certain class of applications. When doing other kinds of applications, you end up with nearly the same lack of support you would have gotten in plain C++ with (insert your favorite UI library). String processing actually seems WORSE (to me) than C++.
Finally, I have to say that I actually like C# and Java. I just don't think they are some sort of God-send that will make my life peaches-and-cream. My point is to stop the hype, not ignore the benefits. I really LOVE having built-in garbage collection, stronger type checking, better IDE for UI creation, and memory corruption checking.
However... is the number of serious programmers who prefer Python larger than the number of serious programmers who prefer C/C++? By serious, I mean the number of people who would contribute meaningful improvements.
I'm not trying to flame python programmers here. But there seems to be a LOT more C and C++ programmers than Python programmers. After all, most of the software I see on the internet is written in C. BitTorrent is an exception rather than the norm.
The book is about web frameworks. The short blurb at the top is not. It irritates me that snobs always pop up saying that this 4GL or that 5GL (or even TK/TCL, LISP, Smalltalk, Java, Eiffel, etc...) will "solve all your problems" and make low-level coding obsolete. The intro text made it seem like this was another one of those misguided zealots.
So, yeah. It's a hot button. But the leader text was misleading. Many journalists do it, but that doesn't make it OK.
Low-level code is not only for handheld devices and embedded software. Sometimes the existing framework just plain doesn't cut it.
It seems there is a huge blind spot concerning "the rest of the code". Not everyone is coding web pages and Java/.NET commerce systems! What about the applications like MS-Word, Mathcad, Compilers, or BitTorrent. OK, the last example is written in Perl which is not really a low-level language but it is certainly not a framework like.NET, but it COULD be written in a low-level language.
Or, how about stuff like what we do at http://www.cmicro.com for probing semiconductor wafers (hardware control/IO/mathematical analysis of signals, etc...). We use a standard PC to do things with a (unfortunately) Windows OS as a base, but we HAVE to do low-level code. The existing frameworks of.NET and MFC simply are not sophisticated enough to do the UI we need, and it does not allow access to hardware that we need. Re-inventing the wheel? I wish I didn't have to!
Eh... you don't get it.
A small community may not get the content that it prefers because it will be easier to serve up the same pap that a larger metropolitan audience desires.
If a majority of a community hates some particular chunk of pop culture, shouldn't it be able to select something else? Instead, the conglomerates will happily ship the same stuff to everyone because CONTENT CUSTOMIZATION IS EXPENSIVE.
As for the socialist slur, uhh... wrong again. Name calling is quite easy, but the label was inaccurate. I like the fact that our govt was designed to be a representative system, which means that our representatives are there to uphold our best interests. This means that our federal government is supposed to be more resistant to the demagogue-style stupidity that encourages socialism. On the other-hand, the voting is supposed to keep them representing the people, not the big businesses. All about balance and common sense.
Not that our govt ended up like that, but I still dream.
With media conglomerations owning local channels, there is no incentive to provide news with a local slant. Thus, no one will hear about local issues. Since (thanks to the incredible human intelligence) nothing exists unless we see/hear it, small cities will cease to exist.
I say that only partially in jest, but think about how many local issues that get squashed because it conflicts with a more profitable (in the minds of the corporate master) slant? Local environmental impact? Oh, no. Mustn't give that airtime lest it impact the profit machines in the big cities.
Also, how about this for a twist on the first amendment?
Condider offensive material. People in different areas have different standards, and THAT'S OK. If your city believes that the Golden Girls are the harem of Satan, it should be able to keep Golden Girl re-runs off their local stations. More power to'em. We shouldn't force global culture to be homogenous, even in the name of "Free Speech" and equal access.
Ahh... yet more reasons for rejoicing in our household. We have taken our media budget (TV, movies, etc...) and plowed it into books and other activities.
The laptop looks like a good set of compromises that all laptop manufacturers have to make. I don't see what all the negative comments are based upon!
Now, the question that should have been asked and answered by the review is: DOES IT RUN LINUX WELL? Who wants to buy a computer only to be stuck with Windows? Do all the components have Linux drivers or at least have freely available documentation for those of us who can write drivers?
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Definitions
1. Physics is the study of the closed system: our universe.
2. God is defined as the external (but interacting) creator of said closed system.
3. Omnipotence is defined as the ability to do anything, not the requirement to do so.
Since the qualities of a derivative subset cannot meaningfully define the superset, how can you make that claim?
Logic?
True, which is why I'm using a 192mm fan. However, I think that most 192mm fans are fairly noisy even when PWMed or downvolted. They aren't built to be quiet. However, there are a number of 120mm fans that are built to be quiet. If I need less CFM for cooling, I could use one or two 120mm fans that are meant for quieter (and thus less CFM) operation.
What kind of caps do you typically use? In other words, what specs do you find are most critical? Is it ESR of some amount or do you just go for bulk capacitance? Also, what about the inductors and MOSFETs? I find that many motherboards have inductors that get extremely hot. Heat = wasted energy and I've always wondered how easy it would be to upgrade some of the components on-board. Plus, that extra heat does no good for the neighboring CPU. I've got my computer down to one fan, and I could use a smaller fan if I could reduce the amount of heat being generated. Quiet, reliable, efficient and cool computers are good.
This is what a local electrician told me (IANAE, of course):
It is not the intrinsic resistance of aluminum that causes the greater fire risk. It is the thermal expansion/contraction of aluminum. As the wiring goes through cycles of being used (gets hot) then not used (gets cool), it can cause crystalization (it gets brittle) of itself and changes that make it into a higher resistance material. So, as it ages, it turns into a higher resistance and higher temperature wire. Then, when you run your nifty 15A vacuum cleaner, the wiring in the walls starts a fire.
Can you link to any examples of this modification? I'd like to modify a PC SMPS to lower the heat so that I can reduce the fan noise, so this is an attractive notion.
I didn't think that you could make the switch to MOSFETs from the standard diodes because of leakage during the reverse cycle.
The drivers aren't done yet, but the product isn't in stores yet either.
I think you are jumping the gun here and predicting the future. It is possible that they will fix the drivers before they ship, and they probably will provide much improved versions to the retail channel when they do ship. As for bug free... no one ships SW that is bug free.
As for open-source drivers... I think that is unlikely to work well unless we get some seriously bright developer with a bug in his bonnet, or S3 ships a ton of these cards. Both are possible, but I wouldn't count my chickens before they hatch. 3D video drivers aren't as easy as you might think...
Ha! You actually made me smile before the caffiene kicked in, which is nigh amazing. :-)
Our newest project is (partially) written in C#, thank you. It is, however, an awkward blend. Using heterogenous environments for development brings it's own problems as you probably know.
.NET you cannot easily implement COM Automation servers. This happens to be because of a Microsoft choice to lessen the complications of mapping CLR executables into normal EXE memory space, but it is still annoying. We have to implement a proxy in another language and communicate with another interprocess protocol. It takes time to implement this and other workarounds.
.NET framework (and most others) is written very well to support a certain class of applications. When doing other kinds of applications, you end up with nearly the same lack of support you would have gotten in plain C++ with (insert your favorite UI library). String processing actually seems WORSE (to me) than C++.
The intent I was trying to communicate was that the existing framework is not always sufficient and that working around the limitations may cost just as much or more than the savings gotten by using the framework. I was using the term "low-level" to denote programming environments with less of a predefined support structure and more primitive (and more flexible) primitives.
For instance, in
Also, the
Finally, I have to say that I actually like C# and Java. I just don't think they are some sort of God-send that will make my life peaches-and-cream. My point is to stop the hype, not ignore the benefits. I really LOVE having built-in garbage collection, stronger type checking, better IDE for UI creation, and memory corruption checking.
Oops. Sorry about the Perl vs. Python mixup.
However... is the number of serious programmers who prefer Python larger than the number of serious programmers who prefer C/C++? By serious, I mean the number of people who would contribute meaningful improvements.
I'm not trying to flame python programmers here. But there seems to be a LOT more C and C++ programmers than Python programmers. After all, most of the software I see on the internet is written in C. BitTorrent is an exception rather than the norm.
The book is about web frameworks. The short blurb at the top is not. It irritates me that snobs always pop up saying that this 4GL or that 5GL (or even TK/TCL, LISP, Smalltalk, Java, Eiffel, etc...) will "solve all your problems" and make low-level coding obsolete. The intro text made it seem like this was another one of those misguided zealots.
So, yeah. It's a hot button. But the leader text was misleading. Many journalists do it, but that doesn't make it OK.
Low-level code is not only for handheld devices and embedded software. Sometimes the existing framework just plain doesn't cut it.
.NET, but it COULD be written in a low-level language.
.NET and MFC simply are not sophisticated enough to do the UI we need, and it does not allow access to hardware that we need. Re-inventing the wheel? I wish I didn't have to!
It seems there is a huge blind spot concerning "the rest of the code". Not everyone is coding web pages and Java/.NET commerce systems! What about the applications like MS-Word, Mathcad, Compilers, or BitTorrent. OK, the last example is written in Perl which is not really a low-level language but it is certainly not a framework like
Or, how about stuff like what we do at http://www.cmicro.com for probing semiconductor wafers (hardware control/IO/mathematical analysis of signals, etc...). We use a standard PC to do things with a (unfortunately) Windows OS as a base, but we HAVE to do low-level code. The existing frameworks of
Dangit! Not everything is the Web!
Where is the attack against WASTE been documented? Is there a better method of secure data exchange?
Dang nabbit! I'm a bonehead and used the "B" tag when I meant the "BR" tag. Sorry for the screaming bold crud.
:-)
Yup. I'm a bone-head and publicly proved it.
Eh... you don't get it. A small community may not get the content that it prefers because it will be easier to serve up the same pap that a larger metropolitan audience desires. If a majority of a community hates some particular chunk of pop culture, shouldn't it be able to select something else? Instead, the conglomerates will happily ship the same stuff to everyone because CONTENT CUSTOMIZATION IS EXPENSIVE. As for the socialist slur, uhh... wrong again. Name calling is quite easy, but the label was inaccurate. I like the fact that our govt was designed to be a representative system, which means that our representatives are there to uphold our best interests. This means that our federal government is supposed to be more resistant to the demagogue-style stupidity that encourages socialism. On the other-hand, the voting is supposed to keep them representing the people, not the big businesses. All about balance and common sense. Not that our govt ended up like that, but I still dream.
With media conglomerations owning local channels, there is no incentive to provide news with a local slant. Thus, no one will hear about local issues. Since (thanks to the incredible human intelligence) nothing exists unless we see/hear it, small cities will cease to exist. I say that only partially in jest, but think about how many local issues that get squashed because it conflicts with a more profitable (in the minds of the corporate master) slant? Local environmental impact? Oh, no. Mustn't give that airtime lest it impact the profit machines in the big cities. Also, how about this for a twist on the first amendment? Condider offensive material. People in different areas have different standards, and THAT'S OK. If your city believes that the Golden Girls are the harem of Satan, it should be able to keep Golden Girl re-runs off their local stations. More power to'em. We shouldn't force global culture to be homogenous, even in the name of "Free Speech" and equal access. Ahh... yet more reasons for rejoicing in our household. We have taken our media budget (TV, movies, etc...) and plowed it into books and other activities.
The laptop looks like a good set of compromises that all laptop manufacturers have to make. I don't see what all the negative comments are based upon! Now, the question that should have been asked and answered by the review is: DOES IT RUN LINUX WELL? Who wants to buy a computer only to be stuck with Windows? Do all the components have Linux drivers or at least have freely available documentation for those of us who can write drivers?