A crazy clown out to destroy the universe just isn't a great storyline. FF7 is better, but there's a lot of WTF in it too. That stupid 'remote controlled' robot is the most retarded character ever, and pretty much ruined FF7 for me.
But a fast usermode to kernel interface is difficult to get right. It's in large part why microkernel based operation systems are so hard to get working fast. Then there's GDI to contend with, and making any changes to GDI is troublesome. I believe much of the work done with Vista have been in battle with GDI. In fact, I heard that GDI is emulated on Vista. MS must have said "screw it" at some point, and sent GDI headfirst out of the kernel and into some emulated environment.
BTW, if you want to know how troublesome GDI is you should check out the Stardock people. They made a theming engine on top of it (no small feat). I heard from unreliable sources that MS ended up licensing theirs for XP.
If you like tweaking you can get more than 512 RAM on Win98 already. However, I suspect that if Windows 98 was ever GPLed, the Linux community would take one look at it, then proceed to gouge their eyes out.
Actually they moved GFX parts (and more) _out_ of the kernel, that's why they had so much difficulty doing it. IOW, with DX10 a large part of the driver is in user mode.
Linux, in this case, is a poor counterexample. Linux is monolithic, with lots of stuff in the Kernel that strictly don't need to be in the kernel. For instance the OpenGL part is in the Kernel, not on top of the Window manager like you stated. OpenGL talks directly with the GFX card, and runs in Kernel mode in both Windows and Linux. What I believe you wanted to referee to was GDI, which MS put in the kernel in NT 4.0.
A better example of a layered OS is Max OS X, with its mach microkernel, but there you have to pay for point upgrades (10.1, 10.2, etc.) which is a bit like paying for service packs. GNU Hurd might be closer to your ideal, but I've not heard a lot about that OS lately, or ever.
As for kernel based webservers, that's a feature of the webserver (and there's kernel based webservers for Linux in case you wondered). I've yet to hear about a kernel based Webbrowser. If you have any info about it, I'd like a link.
I do not know what "DirectX" is about, but I do know that NT 4.0 only had half-hearted support for it. The problem with DirectX (or OpenGL) is that it needs a direct path to the GFX card. This path has to go through the Windows kernel, one way or the other. With Vista and DX10 MS have spent a lot of time to make that as smooth as possible, at the same time they also (I believe) made some simplifications for driver writers.
My point, in any case, is that DX10 is not artificially prevented from running on Windows XP like the OP claim, but that it would take significant effort to backport it.
Ehe, from what little I've read about DX10 I don't think I can agree with this. DX10 is very much a rework of the entire applicationAPIKernel pipeline, and can't simply be backported without backporting the Vista kernel while at it.
Naturally, it should be possible to make a DX10 runtime that sits on top of DX9 or OpenGL, and run that on XP. Or have GPU vendors create a DX10 driver from scratch.
Bottom line, you can't just copy some *.dll files to have DX10 working on XP.
So they basically put some letters closer together when possible. Personally I've noted that Magazines and Papers put a good bit of thought into layout, but I've never found them easier to read. On the contrary, screen fonts are bigger and are easier on the eyes than letters on glossy paper.
The most readable text I've seen is what is output from a common Laser printer, and I do not believe they use 'kerning' fonts.
But, I think the PS3's price might actually help the console, giving it a sort of 'status symbol' badge. Then again, we're not talking about a car so probably not:)
As for me, all current consoles (from the PS2/Wii to the PS3) is waaay to expensive for what they offer.
most applications, like games and emulators, benefit more from one fast core contra multiple slower ones. There are also applications such as Matlab, where ease of use takes the high seat over performance.
I installed Vista alongside XP thinking I'd stay with XP a while yet, but I have not booted XP once since bringing up Vista. Vista application compability wasn't as bad as I'd been lead to believe. Sure I had to scratch my head a bit to get Pixel Shaders working in Media Player Classic (I used them to correct some corrupt videos I have), and some games needed a few XP files from the System32 directory, but the only piece of software I've yet to get running is 3D Mark 99 Max.
This reminds me a little about the Windows 2000 switchover. There was a lot of talk about compatibility issues with various games and apps, but the only thing that affected me was the wonky Sound Blaster Live drivers. Come to think of it, Vista actually supports all my hardware, although I had to slack my memory timings bellow specs. Tip, if you get a BSOD with Win32.sys as the culprit then run memtest86, hell run memtest86 anyway.
Meh, it's only Word. Firefox goes down in flames every now and then, but it recovers at the spot it left off so no big deal. I guess the same thing is happening with Word. Annoying but no big deal.
If you want a 'big deal' you should check out Words (XP and downwards) file handling bug. Now _that's_ brain-dead. Basically, every time you use the undo function Word opens a new file handler. Keep at it and the OS eventually runs out (especially a problem on the Mac) and you can't save your document or open any files.
Oh, and what was MS's excuse for not fixing this bug sooner? The idiotic teck complained that his debugger crashed because it opened too many handles, so he couldn't fine the bug. Well DUH!
My god, Slashdot renders badly in IE5.0. Anyway, it is amazing how troublesome bad memory can be. I recently installed 'new' hardware in my box, and got the dreaded BSOD. At first I blamed the new hardware, but stumbling over a tip that bad memory could cause those things I ran memtest86+. Several red errors later I'm now running my memory _bellow_ specs, and all is fine and dandy. Sigh.
Point is, some hardware work together perfectly, some don't. I doubt Microsoft ever can be 100% certain your new and shiny graphic card, or mouse for that matter, will work with 100% of Windows systems.
It can! Doesn't look very nice, granted, but it did it! That makes it as powerful as a PS3, right? Because we need the power of the PS3 for real time ray tracing. Wheee.
Reminds me of a security presentation about how Nintendo had secured the Wii, over the gamecube. Apparently they had changed the physical interface to a JTag like port and changed to password to all capitals. heh.
The A600 was indeed referred to as the A300 by some people, but they're actually separate models designed by the same guy. I have no idea what the difference was, but David Hayne (a Commodore engineer) touched upon it on a newsgroup. Something about a shift of management closing down projects left and right while starting up new ones.
Having heard good stuff about this game I got the PC version the other day. To anyone contemplating the same, I say avoid! The game pretends to be 'serious', but is only half hearted so. I chuckled at a few parts, but it was not the big scare I'd hoped for. The acting and storyline is simply too silly. Oh well, I heard Bioshock is headed to the shops in not too long. It'll hopefully best RE4.
Slashdot Mirror
A crazy clown out to destroy the universe just isn't a great storyline. FF7 is better, but there's a lot of WTF in it too. That stupid 'remote controlled' robot is the most retarded character ever, and pretty much ruined FF7 for me.
But a fast usermode to kernel interface is difficult to get right. It's in large part why microkernel based operation systems are so hard to get working fast. Then there's GDI to contend with, and making any changes to GDI is troublesome. I believe much of the work done with Vista have been in battle with GDI. In fact, I heard that GDI is emulated on Vista. MS must have said "screw it" at some point, and sent GDI headfirst out of the kernel and into some emulated environment. BTW, if you want to know how troublesome GDI is you should check out the Stardock people. They made a theming engine on top of it (no small feat). I heard from unreliable sources that MS ended up licensing theirs for XP.
If you like tweaking you can get more than 512 RAM on Win98 already. However, I suspect that if Windows 98 was ever GPLed, the Linux community would take one look at it, then proceed to gouge their eyes out.
The day Intel adopts Hypertransport is the day I move to Antarctica.
Cheers
Actually they moved GFX parts (and more) _out_ of the kernel, that's why they had so much difficulty doing it. IOW, with DX10 a large part of the driver is in user mode.
Linux, in this case, is a poor counterexample. Linux is monolithic, with lots of stuff in the Kernel that strictly don't need to be in the kernel. For instance the OpenGL part is in the Kernel, not on top of the Window manager like you stated. OpenGL talks directly with the GFX card, and runs in Kernel mode in both Windows and Linux. What I believe you wanted to referee to was GDI, which MS put in the kernel in NT 4.0.
A better example of a layered OS is Max OS X, with its mach microkernel, but there you have to pay for point upgrades (10.1, 10.2, etc.) which is a bit like paying for service packs. GNU Hurd might be closer to your ideal, but I've not heard a lot about that OS lately, or ever.
As for kernel based webservers, that's a feature of the webserver (and there's kernel based webservers for Linux in case you wondered). I've yet to hear about a kernel based Webbrowser. If you have any info about it, I'd like a link.
I do not know what "DirectX" is about, but I do know that NT 4.0 only had half-hearted support for it. The problem with DirectX (or OpenGL) is that it needs a direct path to the GFX card. This path has to go through the Windows kernel, one way or the other. With Vista and DX10 MS have spent a lot of time to make that as smooth as possible, at the same time they also (I believe) made some simplifications for driver writers.
My point, in any case, is that DX10 is not artificially prevented from running on Windows XP like the OP claim, but that it would take significant effort to backport it.
Ehe, from what little I've read about DX10 I don't think I can agree with this. DX10 is very much a rework of the entire applicationAPIKernel pipeline, and can't simply be backported without backporting the Vista kernel while at it.
Naturally, it should be possible to make a DX10 runtime that sits on top of DX9 or OpenGL, and run that on XP. Or have GPU vendors create a DX10 driver from scratch.
Bottom line, you can't just copy some *.dll files to have DX10 working on XP.
But I'm totally clueless how a Black hole can spawn anything. I thought they were 'Black holes', or have that changed recently?
So they basically put some letters closer together when possible. Personally I've noted that Magazines and Papers put a good bit of thought into layout, but I've never found them easier to read. On the contrary, screen fonts are bigger and are easier on the eyes than letters on glossy paper.
The most readable text I've seen is what is output from a common Laser printer, and I do not believe they use 'kerning' fonts.
But, I think the PS3's price might actually help the console, giving it a sort of 'status symbol' badge. Then again, we're not talking about a car so probably not :)
As for me, all current consoles (from the PS2/Wii to the PS3) is waaay to expensive for what they offer.
Even "ordinary" printers would consume 200 pages + inc in that case.
But if someone gave me a free copy of Mac OS X, or for that sake Amiga OS 4, I wouldn't install that. Anecdotal evidence only goes so far, ya know.
Oh, and you should sell that license. I'd pay for it, but admittedly not full price.
most applications, like games and emulators, benefit more from one fast core contra multiple slower ones. There are also applications such as Matlab, where ease of use takes the high seat over performance.
The submitter said UEFI, It's usualy only called EFI. The Universal must have thrown them off.
Assuming they read the submission, of course.
I installed Vista alongside XP thinking I'd stay with XP a while yet, but I have not booted XP once since bringing up Vista. Vista application compability wasn't as bad as I'd been lead to believe. Sure I had to scratch my head a bit to get Pixel Shaders working in Media Player Classic (I used them to correct some corrupt videos I have), and some games needed a few XP files from the System32 directory, but the only piece of software I've yet to get running is 3D Mark 99 Max.
This reminds me a little about the Windows 2000 switchover. There was a lot of talk about compatibility issues with various games and apps, but the only thing that affected me was the wonky Sound Blaster Live drivers. Come to think of it, Vista actually supports all my hardware, although I had to slack my memory timings bellow specs. Tip, if you get a BSOD with Win32.sys as the culprit then run memtest86, hell run memtest86 anyway.
Enjoy your stay.
It saves time, and is often correct.
C:\>
Meh, it's only Word. Firefox goes down in flames every now and then, but it recovers at the spot it left off so no big deal. I guess the same thing is happening with Word. Annoying but no big deal.
If you want a 'big deal' you should check out Words (XP and downwards) file handling bug. Now _that's_ brain-dead. Basically, every time you use the undo function Word opens a new file handler. Keep at it and the OS eventually runs out (especially a problem on the Mac) and you can't save your document or open any files.
Oh, and what was MS's excuse for not fixing this bug sooner? The idiotic teck complained that his debugger crashed because it opened too many handles, so he couldn't fine the bug. Well DUH!
My god, Slashdot renders badly in IE5.0. Anyway, it is amazing how troublesome bad memory can be. I recently installed 'new' hardware in my box, and got the dreaded BSOD. At first I blamed the new hardware, but stumbling over a tip that bad memory could cause those things I ran memtest86+. Several red errors later I'm now running my memory _bellow_ specs, and all is fine and dandy. Sigh.
Point is, some hardware work together perfectly, some don't. I doubt Microsoft ever can be 100% certain your new and shiny graphic card, or mouse for that matter, will work with 100% of Windows systems.
Worked for me, now she swears by it and even the secretaries come snooping for spare monitors. Heh.
It can! Doesn't look very nice, granted, but it did it! That makes it as powerful as a PS3, right? Because we need the power of the PS3 for real time ray tracing. Wheee.
Reminds me of a security presentation about how Nintendo had secured the Wii, over the gamecube. Apparently they had changed the physical interface to a JTag like port and changed to password to all capitals. heh.
The A600 was indeed referred to as the A300 by some people, but they're actually separate models designed by the same guy. I have no idea what the difference was, but David Hayne (a Commodore engineer) touched upon it on a newsgroup. Something about a shift of management closing down projects left and right while starting up new ones.
Having heard good stuff about this game I got the PC version the other day. To anyone contemplating the same, I say avoid! The game pretends to be 'serious', but is only half hearted so. I chuckled at a few parts, but it was not the big scare I'd hoped for. The acting and storyline is simply too silly. Oh well, I heard Bioshock is headed to the shops in not too long. It'll hopefully best RE4.