Can your Thinkpad withstand having a cup of coffee dumped directly on the keyboard? These systems can. The "dump coffee on the keyboard" test is a relatively easy "rugged" feature to implement. Your initial point was correct (TFA's systems are more rugged in every way than a ThinkPad T Series), but ThinkPads are probably the most rugged "non-ruggedized" notebooks available. From the ThinkPad T Series "features" page:
Durability
ThinkPad T61 features the sturdy ThinkPad Roll Cage to protect the notebook body, plus the new Top Cover Roll Cage to give extra protection to the display. This adds rigidity and reduces stress points, helping set the bar for rock-solid design.
Carbon fiber reinforced plastic chassis, with Magnesium top cover on 14.1" standard models
Spill-resistant keyboards, each sealed and contained within a tray with special drainholes to channel spills to the bottom of the system to lessen opportunity for damage
Sturdy metal hinges designed for reliability even after thousands of openings and closings
Cnet is always good for a study in how to NOT conduct unbiased reviews, complete with high Dell ratings AND Dell advertisements right on the same page!
Their car reviews are especially bad Another example of CNET's bias and general crumminess: Slashdot | Game Journalist May Have Been Fired Over Negative Review
Gamespot was ruined when CNET bought them. A Gamespot reviewer dared to give Kane & Lynch a less-than-glowing review (6.0), even though the game's publisher had an ad campaign spread across the entire site. The reviewer was fired.
CNET's official comment on the rumors surrounding this suspicious firing: "For over a decade, Gamespot and the many members of its editorial team have produced thousands of unbiased reviews that have been a valuable resource for the gaming community. At CNET Networks, we stand behind the editorial content that our teams produce on a daily basis."
3.1 I heard the prize money doesn't really exist and that it's all just a scam.
The short answer: The money is real.
The medium-length answer: The money is held in the form of immediately negotiable bonds held by Goldman Sachs, a highly respected investment firm. Anyone can verify that the money exists by requesting the information in writing from the JREF. They will in turn forward you the most recent account statement from Goldman Sachs.
The long answer: The JREF is a 'tax exempt' organization, so they are required by law to have a level of financial transparency. That means that the public can request things like an annual report and copies of JREF's 990 (the tax return non-profits file). Go to http://tfcny.fdncenter.org/990s/990search/esearch.php (search for Randi, 2005 is here.) to look up JREF's 990. Contained within these types of documents is enough information to verify that the organization does indeed have special assets in a reserved account to cover the prize, should it ever be won. The contract between the claimant and JREF is binding enough that the JREF must pay the prize if someone wins it. This is a published, legal obligation, not just a casual offer. We have no choice in the matter. As a savvy applicant, all you need to do is verify that the organization has the funds to cover the prize. Also, if JREF were not able to hold up its end of the bargain, the IRS would investigate and pull the JREF's tax exempt status. It would mean severe penalties for the JREF, and Randi himself would also be personally liable and subject to potential incarceration. Rest assured: The money is there.
Long answer, continued: The JREF prize fund is maintained in a way that is similar to an endowment fund. Non-profits often create reserves of assets called endowments to build up enough money to take care of the organization in the case of bad financial times, or to save up money for a project down the road, like building a new facility or starting a large new program that would require a lot of capital. Endowment funds are held in a separate Goldman Sachs account designated, "James Randi Educational Foundation Prize Account." This prevents the JREF from accidentally spending the prize money. It is never a good idea to just let large sums of money sit in a savings account for years and years, so most non-profits invest their endowment funds. The way they invest it is really not important. JREF invests in bonds, which is fine. If a claimant wins the prize, it must be awarded within ten days, as per the Challenge rules and the legally binding contract entered into when the application was signed.
I know you are going to ask, "What if the bonds cannot be easily liquidated?" If the JREF did not pay a winning claimant in a reasonable amount of time, we would be open to a lawsuit for breach of contract. The claimant will be paid. The JREF states that the funds are held in immediately negotiable bonds so that a claimant can feel at ease about the ability of the JREF to pay. The fact that the JREF will do so is going above and beyond the requirements of the law and the generally accepted practices of good, responsible non-profits. It is an enormous act of good faith on JREF's part. The million dollars exist. Arguments to the contrary are utterly pointless, and they will not be entertained by the JRE
I've learned to buy Asus and SuperMicro boards only as well. You can't beat the SuperMicro boards when you need a solid but still affordable Dual-Xeon setup with 16GB of RAM:) If we're including workstation/server boards in this discussion...
I mourned when Tyan stopped making "consumer" desktop boards. For workstation/server boards, I lean toward Tyan (Opteron and Xeon) and SuperMicro. Stability, reliability, and support are what's important here.
In my experience, Intel-brand desktop boards have these same qualities, but they don't have the "enthusiast" features many users want (e.g. overclocking). For AMD-based desktops, I guess I'll go with Asus (based on comments in this thread).
Does any vendor offer an antivirus program that is delivered on an auto-booting CD-ROM / DVD-ROM?
I haven't looked at Windows antivirus products in a few years, but all antivirus products used to do this. Originally, it was a boot floppy; later, a boot CD. I think the NTFS file system may have changed things (on Windows) in the last few years (at least for free antivirus software). A quick check of my installation of AVG Free (on my Windows 2000 PC) displays this message when I try to create a "Rescue Disk":
"System drive C:\ with label "___" uses NTFS file system and Rescue Disk may not have access to this drive. Would you like to continue creating Rescue Disk anyway? (Y/N)"
I'm a bit surprised that, out of the "Three A's" of free Windows antivirus (AVG, avast!, and AntiVir), only AntiVir seems to provide a free bootable CD/DVD antivirus tool (and it's seperate from the installed Windows tool).
The neccessity of an internet connection to get the latest virus definitions would make this harder these days, as you'd need to support an incredible variety of network cards. This is how AntiVir gets around this (from its download page): "The Avira AntiVir Rescue System is updated several times a day so that the most recent security updates are always available."
I think The Boondocks said it elequently and tastefully. From the episode "Let's Nab Oprah":
Gin Rummy (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson): Man, I don't get that. Ed Wuncler III (voiced by Charlie Murphy): Get what? Gin Rummy: That textin' shit! Ed Wuncler: And what's wrong with textin'? Gin Rummy: You mean aside from the fact that it's the stupidest fucking thing in the world? I mean, why would anyone in their right mind spend fifteen minutes tryin' to type some shit they could've called and said in five seconds? Plus, it involves typing with your thumbs, which I just don't approve of. Shit, I don't know about you, but I don't have time to read nothin' that a motherfucker typed with his thumbs. Fun fact: Nothing typed by someone's thumbs has ever been important. It's all just Nigga Technology anyway. Ed: What'd you call it? Gin Rummy: Nigga Technology. Technology for Niggas. And you don't start trippin' and shit, call me a racist. 'Cause I don't mean Nigga in a disrespectful way, I-I mean it as a general term for an ignorant motherfucker. Anybody of any race can be an ignorant motherfucker. Ed: Shit, I be textin' my ass off, shit, bitches like text! I be textin' 'em all the time; 'matter of fact, I also be textin' my weed man, too, cause, you know, he don't like to be on the phone, so I text 'im! Gin Rummy:...Case in point.
Oh, sorry, I thought we were on the Rachel Ray forums for a second...:-p
dammit, where are my mod points? I know now I am not the only food network watcher here! I don't watch food networks, but you've piqued by curiousity. How's the throughput of food? Does this "Rachel Ray" protocol reliably transmit using the EVOO standard?
Re:not cost effective for the performance gain
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DDR3 RAM Explained
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DDR3 is still 5-10 times the cost of DDR2, and the performance gain is not big (maybe 10% at best) on overall system performance.
And to take it even further, that's just the cost of memory. A quick NewEgg search for DDR3 motherboard came up with a whopping 10 boards. The cheapest are 150 for open box items. The typical price is over 300. If you compare (using Newegg) otherwise identical motherboards where the only difference is DDR2 or DDR3 (e.g. ASUS P5K DELUXE vs ASUS P5K3 DELUXE), the price premium for the DDR3 motherboard is typically $50. Those "typical" $300 DDR3 motherboards are high-end enthusiast boards and their DDR2 equivalents are pretty darned expensive, too (typically $250).
I'm not saying it's better to buy DDR3 now, but I don't think it's as bad as you and the GP make it out to be. One advantage of going with the newer memory standard is that it's more future-proof. If you're likely to upgrade or re-use memory three years from now, fast high-capacity DDR3 will be significantly cheaper than DDR2 and it should be easier to move your "old" DDR3 to another computer. Currently, decent 2x1GB DDR400 is about 80% more expensive than decent DDR2 800.
The only buyers who would even consider DDR3 today are those building new high-end systems. Going with 2x1GB of DDR3 will cost about $125 more than DDR2 (~$50 for the board and ~$75 for memory). For a $1000+ system, I don't think it's that bad.
Re:How about a DDR2 versus DDR3 chart?
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DDR3 RAM Explained
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I'm still waiting for an AM2+ chipset that will support DDR3, as the Phenoms (I think) have a memory controller that supports it. That should give the AMD chips a boost when compared to the current crop of Intel chips as the on-chip memory controller should allow for better usage of the RAM, but again, I'll wait until a benchmark confirms it. From what I've read lately, Intel's Nehalem architecture, which features an on-chip memory controller and QuickPath interconnect (HyperTransport competitor), will be available around the same time AMD DDR3 platforms are available (maybe sooner). Therefore, instead of getting a boost from DDR3, AMD may get trumped by Nehalem.
Intel motherboards, at least to me, seem to be 2-3x as costly as AMD varieties, and don't always offer the same BIOS flexibility. "2-3x as costly" seems a bit high to me, but I do see a significant price premium for Intel chipsets (much less than 2x, though). However, I think (and I may be wrong) that Intel desktop chipsets have demonstrated more consistent stability, reliability, and support (especially Intel-brand motherboards) than chipsets for AMD CPUs. I notice more problems like the recent Windows XP SP3 endless reboot problem occuring on NVIDIA chipsets. AMD/ATI's current "performance" desktop chipset, 790FX, still has problems with its old, underperforming south bridge (SB600). AMD motherboards do seem to give more "bang-for-the-buck," though (especially budget boards with integrated graphics).
Not to mention the top-end Intel chips are 2x as much as the top-end AMD chips, and I still prefer AMD over Intel when building my own systems. In many applications that matter to builders like us, current top-end AMD CPUs are outperformed by mid-range Intel CPUs. The Tech Report's April review of Intel's Core 2 Quad Q9300 showed AMD's top-end getting outperformed by mid-range Intel CPUs in almost every benchmark. That's why AMD's top-end is currently priced like Intel's mid-range. Back when Athlon 64 X2 was killing Pentium D, AMD's top-end cost way more than it does today.
Which computer company has the strongest 1st quarter PC sales? you know the post Christmas, not yet tax refund season when people are swimming in Christmas debt?
Apple computer, they are usually within 1 million units or so of their 4th quarter (the strongest quarter for any PC maker) numbers in the 1st quarter... what does that spell to me or to you or to anyone else?
There are people who because they couldn't get an apple computer for Christmas tucked that money away and bought it in the 1st quarter. There are enough of these people who couldn't get it in Christmas, that the 1st quarter sales for apple are insanely high.
If you're going by 1st quarter sales reported by Apple, then your theories might be negated by the fact that Apple's fiscal 1st quarter runs from October 1 to December 30. Here's an example: Apple Reports First Quarter Results
"CUPERTINO, California--January 17, 2007--Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2007 first quarter ended December 30, 2006."
Re:It wasn't all roses.
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iMac Turns 10
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On the other hand the hockey-puck mouse was a disaster, and its descendants (down to and including the Mighty Mouse) are still ergonomic nightmares. The iMac keyboard was also pretty but unpleasant to use compared to the ADB keyboards The worst part (for me) was that Apple later bundled the puck mouse and that crummy miniature, incomplete keyboard with their Power Mac G3 and early Power Mac G4 towers. I remember requesting an old beige Mac at my school's computer lab (instead of a new Power Mac G4) because the old Macs had decent keyboards (and I was mostly telneting anyway).
That must have been in 1999.. as UT wasn't released in 1998;) Also, the iMac didn't get Rage 128 VR graphics (8 MB of VRAM!) until October 1999. UT would have been a slide show on Rage Pro or Rage II and I don't think they ever got OpenGL working on those GPUs.
I remember that "graphics milestone" for the iMac because, before it was announced, I thought that's what the iMac needed to be an "acceptable" low-end gaming computer. Ah... iMac memories.
Re:Hmm...
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iMac Turns 10
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· Score: 3, Interesting
I would say that iPod/iTunes actually saved Apple
No, Apple was already back on its feet financially by the time the iPod shipped.
But Apple got "back on its feet financially" largely because of cost cuts and downsizing (started by Amelio), not from increased revenues. If I remember correctly, the revenues didn't really start "rolling in" until the iPod became a cultural phenomenom.
I remember Steve Jobs's first use (I'm pretty sure) of his "One Last Thing" catchphrase at Macworld 1998 to announce Apple's first quartly profit in ages. However, revenues were down half a billion dollars from the same quarter the previous year ($1.6 billion down from $2.1 billion).
Three years later, quarterly revenues would be down to about $1 billion and Apple would be losing money again. Apple had a net loss for the year 2001 and a net operating loss in 2003. Revenues/profits bounced back, then took off in 2004 and 2005. Note that iTunes Music Store and iTunes for Windows were launched/released during 2003. In January 2007, even with increased Mac sales, 48% of revenues were from iPod sales.
I'm not sure if the iPod "saved" Apple, but I don't for sure if Apple could have continued with Mac sales being their primary revenue source (without the iPod halo effect and a smaller share of the market).
Yes, you can convert an OO document to Word with an open source tool. But that's Open source's strength; Microsoft didn't write the tool. Actually, Microsoft did write the tool. They released the tool as open source and they still sponsor the project.
"Expanding on its customer-focused commitment to interoperability, Microsoft Corp. today announced the creation of the Open XML Translator project. The project, developed with partners, will create tools to build a technical bridge between the Microsoft® Office Open XML Formats and the OpenDocument Format (ODF)."
If you want a player that plays music purchased from the Zune site, you may wish to consider one, but remember, it won't play songs from iTunes. <nitpick> The Zune plays AAC, so it will play iTunes Plus songs and "standard" iTunes songs that have had their Fairplay DRM stripped (do it before you update to iTunes 7.6). Also, the iPod will play the 1 million+ DRM-free songs at the Zune Marketplace (320kbps MP3). </nitpick>
My understanding was that they didn't expect much of the PC market, so they threw together a bunch of cheap parts from other vendors and stamped their name on it. Triumph of the Nerds: The Transcripts, Part II
According to the guys that created the IBM PC (Bill Lowe and Jack Sams), they did it this way because they thought they were running out of time in an important new market (PCs). The Apple II had been introduced in 1977 and was a runaway success. IBM noticed Apple IIs being used in the engineering departments of their clients.
IBM's top management met in August 1979 to discuss their "PC crisis." In another year, the PC industry might be too big for even IBM to take on. IBM chairman Frank Carey knew that it took "four years and three hundred people to do anything" at IBM. Bill Lowe, who would lead the IBM PC development team, claimed that his team could provide their product in a year. Carey gave Lowe two weeks to set up a proposal. Two weeks later, Carey bought it.
From the transcript:
[Cringely narrating] He knew the company was in a quandary. Wait another year and the PC industry would be too big even for IBM to take on. Chairman Frank Carey turned to the department heads and said HELP!!!
Bill Lowe: Head, IBM IBM PC Development Team 1980: He kind of said well, what should we do, and I said well, we think we know what we would like to do if we were going to proceed with our own product and he said no, he said at IBM it would take four years and three hundred people to do anything, I mean it's just a fact of life. And I said no sir, we can provide with product in a year. And he abruptly ended the meeting, he said you're on Lowe, come back in two weeks and tell me what you need.
[Cringely narrating] An IBM product in a year! Ridiculous! Down in the basement Bill still has the plan. To save time, instead of building a computer from scratch, they would buy components off the shelf and assemble them -- what in IBM speak was called 'open architecture.' IBM never did this. Two weeks later Bill proposed his heresy to the Chairman.
Bill Lowe: And frankly this is it. The key decisions were to go with an open architecture, non IBM technology, non IBM software, non IBM sales and non IBM service. And we probably spent a full half of the presentation carrying the corporate management committee into this concept. Because this was a new concept for IBM at that point.
The documentary goes on to describe how Microsoft (a computer language company at the time) ended up providing the operating system after the company that should have provided the OS (Digital Research) blew it when they met with IBM. Interesting documentary with interviews with the key guys involved.
I have a $500 full size laptop, and I don't find it hard to carry around by any means. It's has a 14.1 inch screen and is pretty light and pretty thin. I agree that $500 can buy a lot of value these days. For example, Dell's $500 base Vostro 1400 (with Core 2 based Celeron) can do a lot more than an Eee PC.
but neither one can just be shoved in your pocket as you leave the house. Both of them require some kind of backpack or shoulder bag to bring with you. So as far as I see it, the ultraportables, don't really offer much in terms of portability, because you can' just put them in your pocket, and a standard laptop lets you get your work done much easier. This is where I disagree with your opinion. When carrying your laptop around, the size/weight difference between an Eee PC and a 5-lb 14" laptop is huge. At 8.9" x 6.5" x 1.4" and approximately 2 lbs, the Eee PC is comparable in "footprint" to a DVD box (just a little longer). I think many users can just carry an Eee PC around in one hand. Unlike a 14" laptop, the Eee PC easily fits in a purse or messenger bag. It will even fit in some large jacket pockets. If you don't mind looking like an uber-dork, I bet it can be comfortably carried in a large fanny pack.
Double++ ditto. The crap/adminware that comes installed on the default image at work grinds my laptop to a halt. I don't know where to draw the line between useful (for business use) "adminware" and useless, bloated "crapware," but some "business" PCs have a "no trialware" feature or option.
Dell's Vostro line of cheap laptops and desktops for small business feature "no trialware":
No Trialware.
Customers said they hated Trialware, so we took it away. Vostro systems come without annoying Trialware pre-installed. You only get the software you want.
On some of Sony's "configure-to-order" laptops (e.g. VAIO TZ2000), they have an option called "Fresh Start":
Fresh Start(TM)
Opt for a Fresh Start(TM) and your VAIO PC will undergo a system optimization service where specific VAIO applications, trial software and games are removed from your unit prior to shipment. Fresh Start(TM) safely scrubs your PC to free up valuable hard drive space and conserve memory and processing power while maximizing overall system performance right from the start.
other than Intel I have yet to see a reliable software roadmap. Half the shit they just make up as they go, and drop it when it isn't possible.
Besides software roadmaps aren't meant to plan your business around. if that was the case more people would be upgrading to Vista. They are only for slowing down your competitors.
When it comes to software, I think "roadmaps" also include product lifecycle policies that let businesses know how long the software will be supported and available for purchase. AFAIK, Apple does not have lifecycle policies for any of their "business" software products. Is OS X 10.3 supported anymore? When will OS X 10.4 stop being supported?
Users of Ubuntu LTS versions know that they'll be supported for at least 3 years on the desktop and at least 5 years on the server. Users of non-free (as in beer) versions of Novell/SUSE Linux know that they'll get at least 5 years of "general" support and an additional 2 years of "extended" support.
Users of Microsoft "business/pro" software know that they'll get at least 5 years of "mainstream" support and 5 additional years of "extended" support. Users of MS Windows can be reasonably assured that new versions of Office will work with their version of Windows as long as it's still in its "maintream" support phase. They also know that Windows desktop licenses will be available for at least 4 years after the date of general availability.
A base system with the Leopard 10.5 OS, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB HDD and Core2Duo processor costs $555 plus shipping. It does not come with a monitor or keyboard. Since TFA reveals that the motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-G31M-S2L (and the black case is obviously an Asus TM-210), I think we can further evaluate its "value" by "building" a nearly identical system on Newegg. Here's what I got:
Since companies like Psystar can buy parts at much lower prices than we can, it seems like Psystar is making a nice profit on each system. In contrast, when I try to "build" a Newegg PC that's comparable to a cheap HP or Dell, the HP or Dell is always cheaper.
The price of the Psystar seems cheap compared to Apple branded products, although there appear to be several rough edges. The two articles I've seen on shipped Psystar computers seem to indicate that they did a craptacular job of hacking OS X to work on their hardware. I'm sure most of us can do a better job by referring to OSx86 Project. I'm sure the "rough edges" can be avoided by simply asking on the OSx86 Project's forums, "Which motherboard works correctly with OS X?" (including fan control and OS X Software Update)
By comparison, for example, a Mac mini with 2GB of RAM, but a smaller HDD and slower CPU costs $949. Although, the aesthetics of the mini can't be denied. Of course. Although, comparing an expandable minitower to a SFF computer with laptop parts is ridiculous. Also, don't forget the bundled iLife that comes with the Mac mini (assuming the buyer wants it).
Look at the specs though, you cant compare the two.
and the options to select it bump it up to the same price as the only slightly slower Apple Mini. Slightly slower? Did you read TFA? The MacBook (which is comparable to the Mac mini) got pwned by the cheap Psystar. This shouldn't be surprising, since the MacBook (and the Mac mini) has a slower notebook hard drive, a slower CPU (with slower frontside bus), and the slower notebook version of Intel's integrated graphics (lower GPU clock speed and less allocated memory).
Where the clone is faster and has more memory, it lacks firewire, wireless (while you could get away with no wireless unless your using it for a media PC, firewire I find essential no matter what until Apple adds external SATA), The $600 Mac mini only has a DVD/CD-RW combo drive and 80GB hard drive, while the entry-level Open Computer comes with a DVD writer and 250GB hard drive. You need to spend $800 on the Mac mini to get a DVD writer and a whopping 120GB hard drive.
Of course, I'm not saying the Psystar "hackintosh" is a better value than the Mac mini. In fact, I think the Psystar is a piece of crap when it's running OS X (no fan speed control and not update-able). It's kind of ridiculous to compare the two, but I guess we're "forced" to since Apple doesn't offer a headless desktop Mac with desktop (not notebook) parts. At least the Mac mini works like it's supposed to.
The Psystar systems can take a real video card the mini can't also the open pro has a bigger case and likely less fan noise.
The previous psystar video had horrible fain noise. The Psystar in that video with the horrible fan noise was not the OpenPro, which uses the famously quiet Antec P182 case. That video, and the current article, featured the cheaper Open Computer, which uses the much cheaper Asus TM-211 case.
However, the current article says the loud fan problem seems to be caused by incompatibilies between the motherboard/case fan controller and OS X (and maybe the hacked EFI). If the same motherboard/case was used with Windows, it would surely be much quieter.
Apple is pretty good at planning things but they are secretive so you don't know what they are planning.
Over 10 years ago, Apple bought NeXT to save themselves. Some analysts couldn't understand why Apple with it's faltering personal computer product line would buy a Unix computer company whose product line wasn't very successful. Was Apple going to start selling 2 product lines? What few understood was Apple bought NeXT for their OS expertise not their hardware business. That expertise became OS X. WTF? Every analyst (and even know-nothings like me) knew that Apple was buying NeXT for their OS (and Steve Jobs, of course). Mac OS (version 7 at the time) was an archaic mess underneath its pretty interface and the Copland project (which was supposed to modernize Mac OS) had been cancelled. Every analyst, business journalist, and tech enthusiast knew that Apple had been having discussions for months with Be Inc. so that Apple could use the PowerPC-compatible BeOS. What shocked most of these people at the time was that Apple bought NeXT instead of Be Inc. for their OS.
Let's go back to CNET News's story on that historic day (December 20, 1996): Apple acquires Next, Jobs
"In a stunning move, Apple Computer (AAPL) said tonight that it will purchase Next Software in a $400 million deal that will bring former Apple CEO Steve Jobs back to the company he cofounded."
[snip]
"The surprise merger also answers the long-awaited question of what Apple's next-generation operating system will hold. The company has been shopping for an operating system since abandoning its own Copland system earlier this year and had been negotiating with Be and other companies to fill that void.
Apple hopes that Next's object-oriented, Java-enabled open development platform will significantly improve its Internet and intranet position because its technology is agile. It also hopes to capture strength with Next's enterprise position.
Next's cross-platform development environments in the enterprise and Internet and intranet space allow developers to write once and deploy across a range of Internet and client-server platforms. Amelio said Apple expects to ship products with the Next operating system in 1997."
And furthermore, TR's reviews are witty, clever, and worth reading beginning to end. Why do so many hardware review sites read like an industry press release or use the same tired analogies and figures of speech? Tech Report's writers actually know how to write, not just run benchmarks and post the results. They're my current fave for reviews. I think Ars Technica said it best when the Core 2 Duo was launched:
"The NDAs have lifted on the Core 2 Duo reviews, and you can surf on over to your review site of choice for a boatload of benchmarks and bar graphs. The Tech Report's Core 2 Duo review was the only one that didn't make me want to jab my own eyes out with my mechanical pencil after reading it, so it's the only one I'm actually going to link up here. In fact, I was so frustrated after reading a few of these reviews, that I surfed over to CNN and read up on the latest developments in the Middle East to lighten my mood."
Slashdot Mirror
ThinkPad T61 features the sturdy ThinkPad Roll Cage to protect the notebook body, plus the new Top Cover Roll Cage to give extra protection to the display. This adds rigidity and reduces stress points, helping set the bar for rock-solid design.
Their car reviews are especially bad Another example of CNET's bias and general crumminess: Slashdot | Game Journalist May Have Been Fired Over Negative Review
Gamespot was ruined when CNET bought them. A Gamespot reviewer dared to give Kane & Lynch a less-than-glowing review (6.0), even though the game's publisher had an ad campaign spread across the entire site. The reviewer was fired.
CNET's official comment on the rumors surrounding this suspicious firing: "For over a decade, Gamespot and the many members of its editorial team have produced thousands of unbiased reviews that have been a valuable resource for the gaming community. At CNET Networks, we stand behind the editorial content that our teams produce on a daily basis."
My comment: "Bullshit."
Randi is a sad little man who cannot get the world's attention, even with a million dollars (a million non-existent dollars, by the way).
So is this (PDF file) and this fake? From the Million Dollar Challenge FAQ:
The medium-length answer: The money is held in the form of immediately negotiable bonds held by Goldman Sachs, a highly respected investment firm. Anyone can verify that the money exists by requesting the information in writing from the JREF. They will in turn forward you the most recent account statement from Goldman Sachs.
The long answer: The JREF is a 'tax exempt' organization, so they are required by law to have a level of financial transparency. That means that the public can request things like an annual report and copies of JREF's 990 (the tax return non-profits file). Go to http://tfcny.fdncenter.org/990s/990search/esearch.php (search for Randi, 2005 is here.) to look up JREF's 990. Contained within these types of documents is enough information to verify that the organization does indeed have special assets in a reserved account to cover the prize, should it ever be won. The contract between the claimant and JREF is binding enough that the JREF must pay the prize if someone wins it. This is a published, legal obligation, not just a casual offer. We have no choice in the matter. As a savvy applicant, all you need to do is verify that the organization has the funds to cover the prize. Also, if JREF were not able to hold up its end of the bargain, the IRS would investigate and pull the JREF's tax exempt status. It would mean severe penalties for the JREF, and Randi himself would also be personally liable and subject to potential incarceration. Rest assured: The money is there.
Long answer, continued: The JREF prize fund is maintained in a way that is similar to an endowment fund. Non-profits often create reserves of assets called endowments to build up enough money to take care of the organization in the case of bad financial times, or to save up money for a project down the road, like building a new facility or starting a large new program that would require a lot of capital. Endowment funds are held in a separate Goldman Sachs account designated, "James Randi Educational Foundation Prize Account." This prevents the JREF from accidentally spending the prize money. It is never a good idea to just let large sums of money sit in a savings account for years and years, so most non-profits invest their endowment funds. The way they invest it is really not important. JREF invests in bonds, which is fine. If a claimant wins the prize, it must be awarded within ten days, as per the Challenge rules and the legally binding contract entered into when the application was signed.
I know you are going to ask, "What if the bonds cannot be easily liquidated?" If the JREF did not pay a winning claimant in a reasonable amount of time, we would be open to a lawsuit for breach of contract. The claimant will be paid. The JREF states that the funds are held in immediately negotiable bonds so that a claimant can feel at ease about the ability of the JREF to pay. The fact that the JREF will do so is going above and beyond the requirements of the law and the generally accepted practices of good, responsible non-profits. It is an enormous act of good faith on JREF's part. The million dollars exist. Arguments to the contrary are utterly pointless, and they will not be entertained by the JRE
I mourned when Tyan stopped making "consumer" desktop boards. For workstation/server boards, I lean toward Tyan (Opteron and Xeon) and SuperMicro. Stability, reliability, and support are what's important here.
In my experience, Intel-brand desktop boards have these same qualities, but they don't have the "enthusiast" features many users want (e.g. overclocking). For AMD-based desktops, I guess I'll go with Asus (based on comments in this thread).
- "System drive C:\ with label "___" uses NTFS file system and Rescue Disk may not have access to this drive. Would you like to continue creating Rescue Disk anyway? (Y/N)"
AntiVir's free bootable antivirus tool seems to get around this apparent NTFS limitation by being Linux-based. avast! BART CD is not free.I'm a bit surprised that, out of the "Three A's" of free Windows antivirus (AVG, avast!, and AntiVir), only AntiVir seems to provide a free bootable CD/DVD antivirus tool (and it's seperate from the installed Windows tool).
The neccessity of an internet connection to get the latest virus definitions would make this harder these days, as you'd need to support an incredible variety of network cards. This is how AntiVir gets around this (from its download page): "The Avira AntiVir Rescue System is updated several times a day so that the most recent security updates are always available."Gin Rummy (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson): Man, I don't get that. ...Case in point.
Ed Wuncler III (voiced by Charlie Murphy): Get what?
Gin Rummy: That textin' shit!
Ed Wuncler: And what's wrong with textin'?
Gin Rummy: You mean aside from the fact that it's the stupidest fucking thing in the world? I mean, why would anyone in their right mind spend fifteen minutes tryin' to type some shit they could've called and said in five seconds? Plus, it involves typing with your thumbs, which I just don't approve of. Shit, I don't know about you, but I don't have time to read nothin' that a motherfucker typed with his thumbs. Fun fact: Nothing typed by someone's thumbs has ever been important. It's all just Nigga Technology anyway.
Ed: What'd you call it?
Gin Rummy: Nigga Technology. Technology for Niggas. And you don't start trippin' and shit, call me a racist. 'Cause I don't mean Nigga in a disrespectful way, I-I mean it as a general term for an ignorant motherfucker. Anybody of any race can be an ignorant motherfucker.
Ed: Shit, I be textin' my ass off, shit, bitches like text! I be textin' 'em all the time; 'matter of fact, I also be textin' my weed man, too, cause, you know, he don't like to be on the phone, so I text 'im!
Gin Rummy:
I'm not saying it's better to buy DDR3 now, but I don't think it's as bad as you and the GP make it out to be. One advantage of going with the newer memory standard is that it's more future-proof. If you're likely to upgrade or re-use memory three years from now, fast high-capacity DDR3 will be significantly cheaper than DDR2 and it should be easier to move your "old" DDR3 to another computer. Currently, decent 2x1GB DDR400 is about 80% more expensive than decent DDR2 800.
The only buyers who would even consider DDR3 today are those building new high-end systems. Going with 2x1GB of DDR3 will cost about $125 more than DDR2 (~$50 for the board and ~$75 for memory). For a $1000+ system, I don't think it's that bad.
- March 4, 2008: AMD demos 45nm server and desktop processors
- September 12, 2007: AMD K10 Family Chips Support DDR3 Memory - Documents.
Intel motherboards, at least to me, seem to be 2-3x as costly as AMD varieties, and don't always offer the same BIOS flexibility. "2-3x as costly" seems a bit high to me, but I do see a significant price premium for Intel chipsets (much less than 2x, though). However, I think (and I may be wrong) that Intel desktop chipsets have demonstrated more consistent stability, reliability, and support (especially Intel-brand motherboards) than chipsets for AMD CPUs. I notice more problems like the recent Windows XP SP3 endless reboot problem occuring on NVIDIA chipsets. AMD/ATI's current "performance" desktop chipset, 790FX, still has problems with its old, underperforming south bridge (SB600). AMD motherboards do seem to give more "bang-for-the-buck," though (especially budget boards with integrated graphics). Not to mention the top-end Intel chips are 2x as much as the top-end AMD chips, and I still prefer AMD over Intel when building my own systems. In many applications that matter to builders like us, current top-end AMD CPUs are outperformed by mid-range Intel CPUs. The Tech Report's April review of Intel's Core 2 Quad Q9300 showed AMD's top-end getting outperformed by mid-range Intel CPUs in almost every benchmark. That's why AMD's top-end is currently priced like Intel's mid-range. Back when Athlon 64 X2 was killing Pentium D, AMD's top-end cost way more than it does today.Apple computer, they are usually within 1 million units or so of their 4th quarter (the strongest quarter for any PC maker) numbers in the 1st quarter... what does that spell to me or to you or to anyone else?
There are people who because they couldn't get an apple computer for Christmas tucked that money away and bought it in the 1st quarter. There are enough of these people who couldn't get it in Christmas, that the 1st quarter sales for apple are insanely high.
If you're going by 1st quarter sales reported by Apple, then your theories might be negated by the fact that Apple's fiscal 1st quarter runs from October 1 to December 30. Here's an example: Apple Reports First Quarter Results- "CUPERTINO, California--January 17, 2007--Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2007 first quarter ended December 30, 2006."
In contrast, Dell's fiscal 1st quarter runs from February thru April.I remember that "graphics milestone" for the iMac because, before it was announced, I thought that's what the iMac needed to be an "acceptable" low-end gaming computer. Ah... iMac memories.
No, Apple was already back on its feet financially by the time the iPod shipped.
But Apple got "back on its feet financially" largely because of cost cuts and downsizing (started by Amelio), not from increased revenues. If I remember correctly, the revenues didn't really start "rolling in" until the iPod became a cultural phenomenom.I remember Steve Jobs's first use (I'm pretty sure) of his "One Last Thing" catchphrase at Macworld 1998 to announce Apple's first quartly profit in ages. However, revenues were down half a billion dollars from the same quarter the previous year ($1.6 billion down from $2.1 billion).
Three years later, quarterly revenues would be down to about $1 billion and Apple would be losing money again. Apple had a net loss for the year 2001 and a net operating loss in 2003. Revenues/profits bounced back, then took off in 2004 and 2005. Note that iTunes Music Store and iTunes for Windows were launched/released during 2003. In January 2007, even with increased Mac sales, 48% of revenues were from iPod sales.
A nice page with Apple's income data over the last ten years: AAPL - Apple, Inc. Stock Report | Financial Statements
I'm not sure if the iPod "saved" Apple, but I don't for sure if Apple could have continued with Mac sales being their primary revenue source (without the iPod halo effect and a smaller share of the market).
- Microsoft Expands Document Interoperability
- "Expanding on its customer-focused commitment to interoperability, Microsoft Corp. today announced the creation of the Open XML Translator project. The project, developed with partners, will create tools to build a technical bridge between the Microsoft® Office Open XML Formats and the OpenDocument Format (ODF)."
From the "Contributors" section of the project's "About" page:Other than that, I agree with your comment.
According to the guys that created the IBM PC (Bill Lowe and Jack Sams), they did it this way because they thought they were running out of time in an important new market (PCs). The Apple II had been introduced in 1977 and was a runaway success. IBM noticed Apple IIs being used in the engineering departments of their clients.
IBM's top management met in August 1979 to discuss their "PC crisis." In another year, the PC industry might be too big for even IBM to take on. IBM chairman Frank Carey knew that it took "four years and three hundred people to do anything" at IBM. Bill Lowe, who would lead the IBM PC development team, claimed that his team could provide their product in a year. Carey gave Lowe two weeks to set up a proposal. Two weeks later, Carey bought it.
From the transcript:
- [Cringely narrating] He knew the company was in a quandary. Wait another year and the PC industry would be too big even for IBM to take on. Chairman Frank Carey turned to the department heads and said HELP!!!
The documentary goes on to describe how Microsoft (a computer language company at the time) ended up providing the operating system after the company that should have provided the OS (Digital Research) blew it when they met with IBM. Interesting documentary with interviews with the key guys involved.Bill Lowe: Head, IBM IBM PC Development Team 1980: He kind of said well, what should we do, and I said well, we think we know what we would like to do if we were going to proceed with our own product and he said no, he said at IBM it would take four years and three hundred people to do anything, I mean it's just a fact of life. And I said no sir, we can provide with product in a year. And he abruptly ended the meeting, he said you're on Lowe, come back in two weeks and tell me what you need.
[Cringely narrating] An IBM product in a year! Ridiculous! Down in the basement Bill still has the plan. To save time, instead of building a computer from scratch, they would buy components off the shelf and assemble them -- what in IBM speak was called 'open architecture.' IBM never did this. Two weeks later Bill proposed his heresy to the Chairman.
Bill Lowe: And frankly this is it. The key decisions were to go with an open architecture, non IBM technology, non IBM software, non IBM sales and non IBM service. And we probably spent a full half of the presentation carrying the corporate management committee into this concept. Because this was a new concept for IBM at that point.
Oh, wait... nevermind.
Dell's Vostro line of cheap laptops and desktops for small business feature "no trialware":
- No Trialware.
On some of Sony's "configure-to-order" laptops (e.g. VAIO TZ2000), they have an option called "Fresh Start":Customers said they hated Trialware, so we took it away. Vostro systems come without annoying Trialware pre-installed. You only get the software you want.
Opt for a Fresh Start(TM) and your VAIO PC will undergo a system optimization service where specific VAIO applications, trial software and games are removed from your unit prior to shipment. Fresh Start(TM) safely scrubs your PC to free up valuable hard drive space and conserve memory and processing power while maximizing overall system performance right from the start.
Besides software roadmaps aren't meant to plan your business around. if that was the case more people would be upgrading to Vista. They are only for slowing down your competitors.
When it comes to software, I think "roadmaps" also include product lifecycle policies that let businesses know how long the software will be supported and available for purchase. AFAIK, Apple does not have lifecycle policies for any of their "business" software products. Is OS X 10.3 supported anymore? When will OS X 10.4 stop being supported?Users of Ubuntu LTS versions know that they'll be supported for at least 3 years on the desktop and at least 5 years on the server. Users of non-free (as in beer) versions of Novell/SUSE Linux know that they'll get at least 5 years of "general" support and an additional 2 years of "extended" support.
Users of Microsoft "business/pro" software know that they'll get at least 5 years of "mainstream" support and 5 additional years of "extended" support. Users of MS Windows can be reasonably assured that new versions of Office will work with their version of Windows as long as it's still in its "maintream" support phase. They also know that Windows desktop licenses will be available for at least 4 years after the date of general availability.
- ASUS TM-210 Black 0.6mm SECC MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case 300W Power Supply $54.99
- GIGABYTE GA-G31M-S2L LGA 775 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard $66.99
- Intel Core 2 Duo E4600 Allendale 2.4GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80557E4600 - Retail $119.99
- SUPER TALENT 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model T800UX2GC5 $37.99
- Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250310AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM $59.99
- LG 20X DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH20NS10 - OEM $24.99
- APPLE Mac OS X v10.5.1 Leopard - Retail $109.99
- TOTAL: $474.93 (plus shipping)
Since companies like Psystar can buy parts at much lower prices than we can, it seems like Psystar is making a nice profit on each system. In contrast, when I try to "build" a Newegg PC that's comparable to a cheap HP or Dell, the HP or Dell is always cheaper. The price of the Psystar seems cheap compared to Apple branded products, although there appear to be several rough edges. The two articles I've seen on shipped Psystar computers seem to indicate that they did a craptacular job of hacking OS X to work on their hardware. I'm sure most of us can do a better job by referring to OSx86 Project. I'm sure the "rough edges" can be avoided by simply asking on the OSx86 Project's forums, "Which motherboard works correctly with OS X?" (including fan control and OS X Software Update) By comparison, for example, a Mac mini with 2GB of RAM, but a smaller HDD and slower CPU costs $949. Although, the aesthetics of the mini can't be denied. Of course. Although, comparing an expandable minitower to a SFF computer with laptop parts is ridiculous. Also, don't forget the bundled iLife that comes with the Mac mini (assuming the buyer wants it).Of course, I'm not saying the Psystar "hackintosh" is a better value than the Mac mini. In fact, I think the Psystar is a piece of crap when it's running OS X (no fan speed control and not update-able). It's kind of ridiculous to compare the two, but I guess we're "forced" to since Apple doesn't offer a headless desktop Mac with desktop (not notebook) parts. At least the Mac mini works like it's supposed to.
However, the current article says the loud fan problem seems to be caused by incompatibilies between the motherboard/case fan controller and OS X (and maybe the hacked EFI). If the same motherboard/case was used with Windows, it would surely be much quieter.
Let's go back to CNET News's story on that historic day (December 20, 1996): Apple acquires Next, Jobs
[snip]
"The surprise merger also answers the long-awaited question of what Apple's next-generation operating system will hold. The company has been shopping for an operating system since abandoning its own Copland system earlier this year and had been negotiating with Be and other companies to fill that void.
Apple hopes that Next's object-oriented, Java-enabled open development platform will significantly improve its Internet and intranet position because its technology is agile. It also hopes to capture strength with Next's enterprise position.
Next's cross-platform development environments in the enterprise and Internet and intranet space allow developers to write once and deploy across a range of Internet and client-server platforms. Amelio said Apple expects to ship products with the Next operating system in 1997."