Hum
I’ve not actually been given owt to do yet (and, being still in Training, I’ve not got clearance to start playing about and seeing how I can do on my own) so I reckon it’s probably OK for me to make a quick post whilst I wait for further instructions…
 …I’ve got a dual processor terminal. No, really. OK, so they’re both Intel (“They’re both shit, you say?” “Aye, that’s right…”) but since I’ve not built it I’m not going to fuss too much.
So yeah, two Pentium [ugh] 4’s, at around 3.20 Ghz a throw…
…I’m beginning to wonder if there’s something about this job they’ve not told me; I’m sure I can’t need to devote a full processor over to the data entry program.
I’m now torn between going “Wow! Two processors, what do I need those for?” and “Eew, double Intel…” But then, I do lots of gaming on my computers, and you really need an AMD if you’re after much more than, well, er, using Microsoft Office.
Got a cool wallpaper, too; it’s this shot of the war memorial I took a couple of years back.
Commuting remains exhausting, but I just went into the break room and had a hugely strong coffee before I came and signed in to work, so I’m feeling more perky, at least.
I still reckon this’ll be easier once I’m done with the training and don’t come in and sit about looking for something to do, as I am now, but that’s probably just me, and I reckon I’ll be missing these days of gentle “waiting for something to turn up” in a couple of months.
TinyIRC got blocked by the Windows pseudo-firewall, so I’m guessing that’s out, which is fair enough, although it does rank as “another thing I don’t need a seperate processor for” (but I’ve never been a dual-core fan anyway, so that’s predictable).
E-mail still can’t work. Anyone ever use Simeon (it’s be a long time ago; it talks about itself as providing ‘Electronic mail’ in order to ‘replace paper memos in offices with electronic versions which are more economical,’ and I can’t get it to work at all. I need it to work so I can ask someone in the local equivilent of IS is I can have Firefox, please, not IE.
Hey ho. Back to locating someone who can find me a grindstone to practise putting my nose to, I guess…
Have fun!
Comments
Shit; posted a comment and forgot to do my sums. Bastard thing doesn’t store what I typed. Grr.
Can’t be arsed retyping it. Here’s the summary: USB pen, Ghostzilla, SSH->IRC, screen.
Please, please get rid of this stupid sums thing. I remembered to do it and the bloody thing ate my comment. It can’t do maths!
I’ll try to recall it:
As I think I mentioned, and if I didn’t, Ewart certainly did, Intel Duos are out-performing Athlon X2s price-for-price in the first reversal of the AMD/Intel war since AMD started calling its processors “Athlon”.
Stop being prejudiced! This mindless, broad-brush, brand-based criticism can do nothing for any claims of impartiality you might make whilst, for example, promoting GMail, now can it?
And also, why the Hell have you “never been a dual-core fan anyway”?!?
Also, where’s the plug about our being mentioned on the Beeb?!
Didn’t realise I’d said I was being impartial. Whoops… Never liked sounding impartial whilst pushing people to do things, sounds hollow. Will go back and fix it when I get a minute. Remain unconvinced that it’s possible to affiliate to a code of ideals and not be unprejudiced anyway – I’m anti-DRM, for example, which pretty much automatically makes me anti-iPod; I’d hate to try and be anti-DRM but indifferent to fatass overpriced iPods that demand DRM from the faultless consumer; I’d give myself a headache!
Beeb plug likewise coming in a bit; IE here, so giving links is a pain as no new tabs for fixing things.
Never been dual core, because I don’t need two processors; I don’t sit about editing films in my spare time (or, at least, I didn’t when I had any); I sit about playing Battlefield 2, or Neverwinter Nights. About the only time I’ve had chugging is when I’m trying to rip CDs, play games, play music and do full virus and spyware scans all at once, and the solution there is to pause a couple of tasks, not shift one of them to a processor all of its own. End of the day, I’m going to be one of those users with a limited budget that I’d rather throw at one beefy high-end processor than two not-so-high end processors.
But, again, I’m prejudiced.
Never used the sums thing, myself, because it’s my website, so I’ve got a login. Seems to be making a nuisance of itself though, so it’s gone for now.
Will see if that causes vast resurgence in spamming, in which case may put it back.
Would’ve said this last comment, but forgot to deactivate it, so didn’t.
…Two rows back on the left.*
*I’m feeling my posts are a bit short-sentenced at the moment. Pint if you’re first to get the reference, which isn’t hard. Answers on a comment, etc.
Surely it sounds convincing because you’ve chosen the option which is good based on its merits rather than arbitrary bias?
Since when is AMD/Intel “affiliating to a code of ideals”?
So are you suggesting that one should never upgrade one’s PC? When Battlefield 3 or Neverwinter Nights 2 comes out and requires more processing power than a single core can supply, surely you’d like to upgrade then?
Dual core isn’t just something they’ve started pushing for a laugh; it’s a necessity because they’ve stopped being able to easily squeeze more speed out of single cores. If you believe in progress in computing of any kind, for example that which has allowed you to run even one of the tasks you outline at once, let alone a modern game, then dual core is a necessary progression, surely?
You do also realise that it will soon be impossible to buy a single-core chip in all likelihood?
Since I’m not planning on buying a new PC within the next couple of years, I don’t see why that’s a problem, to be honest; what I’ve got at the moment still suits me fine, and until I need to upgrade it, dual core isn’t going to bother me. Programs aren’t going to demand more of dual core in a hurry, because it’s not nearly common enough yet, so I’m in no great panic over here.
And I don’t agree that in something like computers, where so much is down to personal preference or indifference, that you get any advantage from arguing something on it’s abstract merits, since they don’t apply to everyone! All you can say is “I use this, because … and it works for me, and it’s what I like;” trying anything else would be like arguing in favour of people eating brocolli rather than asparagus – you can make a load of complicated nutritional arguments, but you can’t do anything with ’em because it’s all about personal choice.
As far as the affiliating to one thing or another goes, you’ve taken it too specifically, possibly bad phrasing on my part; was talking computers in general, rather than processor manufacturers specifically. But I still think that imparitality is rubbish – if I tried to argue something from a totally detatched perspective, I’d sound dull, and a partially detatched perspective would always make me worry I was giving too little weight to one side or the other, like trying to play chess against yourself.
Also, I still fail to see any reason why I need a dual core over here; Hell, if I can’t use the processor I’ve got running all my stuff, how I’m supposed to use this lot up from here, where things like games and DVD-playing and the like aren’t under “things to get up to,” I don’t see there’s much point in it. Sure, they might know something I don’t, but the point is I don’t, hence the confusion!
I’d certainly agree. I’d not suggest to anyone with a PC less than a few years old to upgrade under most circumstances, and the introduction of dual core, like 64-bit before it, is no reason for most users to spontaneously buy a new PC. There’ll only be some new-fangled technology in six months’ time which would encourage one to do so again…
I never suggested using “abstract” merits. I’m talking about things like “processing information faster” in the case of processors, or “having more storage space” in the case of GMail.
The lack of impartiality I’m talking about isn’t saying “sit on the fence on all topics” or “speak about them in a tedious way”. Perhaps impartiality was an ill-chosen word.
What I object to is statements, as those in your post above, like “Eew, double Intel…â€, “I’ve never been a dual-core fan†and prefacing Windows Firewall with “pseudo†where you seem to be arbitrarily passing judgement on the product in spite of the fact that none of them are instrinsically bad just for having been made by Intel or Microsoft, or being dual core.
Microsoft, Intel and iPods aren’t intrinsically bad just because of their brand name. Dual core isn’t intrinsically bad. There are valid arguments for and against each. What annoys me is the total lack of any of them above!
Why the apparently motive-less slander? It just looks childish!
That analogy doesn’t fit. Two issues:
It doesn’t work as it stands. The “personal choice” element is easily quantified…one tastes better, cooks faster, is more versatile in different dishes… It would be quite possible to decide on asparagus because it was more nutritious to such an extent that it over-rode those other concerns, or vice-versa. This nebulous “personal choice” doesn’t exist in this case, surely?
It especially doesn’t work for processors. You can, with some certainty, perform benchmarks which indicate that one is faster than the other for task x, and this provides a perfect basis for entirely even-handed comparison.
That I don’t disagree with, but only in the same way that I wouldn’t expect you to have a massive single-core processor or eight gigs of RAM, either (that will look silly when I read it back in a few years and everyone’s got sixteen). That it isn’t necessary in low-end applications at present is not an argument against dual core, which is what you seem to be suggesting.
And it won’t be non-essential for long. As user interfaces improve and become ever-more graphical, virus scanners get smarter, Internet connections get faster, files get bigger, music/video compression gets better…and so on, even basic tasks start to require more juice.
But that’s not what irked me. I’m sure the Bodleian’s purchasing strategy is open to question, but that’s certainly not what you emphasised above, and it’s not what worked me up enough to make several comments. I’m not trying to encourage everyone to upgrade to dual core, either, as I said in my first paragraph.
My compulsion to comment was because you seem totally prejudiced in a silly way and it made me cross.