Got a question about technology? Ask it here. Discussion of hardware, software, TiVos, multi-region DVDs, Windows, Macs, LINUX, hand-helds, iPods, anything tech related. Better than any helpdesk!
In case you're, um, looking for something to read: The Free Lunch Is Over: A Fundamental Turn Toward Concurrency in Software
Long, but interesting (if you're a programmer) article....
Your free lunch will soon be over. What can you do about it? What are you doing about it?
The major processor manufacturers and architectures, from Intel and AMD to Sparc and PowerPC, have run out of room with most of their traditional approaches to boosting CPU performance. Instead of driving clock speeds and straight-line instruction throughput ever higher, they are instead turning en masse to hyperthreading and multicore architectures. Both of these features are already available on chips today; in particular, multicore is available on current PowerPC and Sparc IV processors, and is coming in 2005 from Intel and AMD. Indeed, the big theme of the 2004 In-Stat/MDR Fall Processor Forum was multicore devices, as many companies showed new or updated multicore processors. Looking back, it’s not much of a stretch to call 2004 the year of multicore.
And that puts us at a fundamental turning point in software development, at least for the next few years and for applications targeting general-purpose desktop computers and low-end servers (which happens to account for the vast bulk of the dollar value of software sold today). In this article, I’ll describe the changing face of hardware, why it suddenly does matter to software, and how specifically it matters to you and is going to change the way you will likely be writing software in the future.
Those little sticks rely on Windows already having the drivers for them, and NT is too old to have the drivers.
Yeah, that was what I was afraid of (my company is SOOOOOOO behind in tech stuff). If I could find drivers I'm hoping I could convince them that since they didn't give me a laptop, they should let me use a memory stick, but the website didn't list NT drivers, just 2000, 98, ME, etc.
Just a test:
"My new Apple wireless keyboard and mouse are freaking awsome!"
OK, test complete....
eta: OK, something useful:
Apple will launch its new iWork '05 productivity suite at Macworld Expo, Think Secret has learned. The software, code-named Sugar (as alluded to in our previous Expo report), will include Keynote 2 as well as a new application, Pages. >[link]
I have a Sony 5-CD Changer (carousel style). When the unit is unplugged and I tip the unit forward the tray falls open. When I put CD's in it they will play, but the moment I try to open it to put in a new CD it won't let me. The thing is about 7 years old. Is it worth it to try to fix it or is it just a pile of metal to throw out?
Betsy, thanks for the rec. for Process Explorer. I like it.
Wolfram, thanks for the rec. for Gaim. I don't often launch an IM app., but I am more likely to now. I couldn't remember the password that went with my old AOL screen name , so I couldn't use that, but the process of generating a new ID was surprisingly painless.
beathen, sounds like the machine is ripe for tinkering/experimentation/dissection (and if it's lucky, you'll do it in that order). Best case, you find a better work-around than unplugging it and tipping it every time you want to change disks. Worst case, you have to replace it anyway.
So, talked to the IT lady today (we're a small company, we have two IT people), and she said that no, I couldn't use my flash drive with Windows NT. The good news is, I will be able to use it when we upgrade to WinXP. The bad news is, that's not planned for at least six months. But she did suggest that I could use it on a coworker's laptop...of course, if I had a laptop, I wouldn't NEED to bring files between there and home.
So what makes GAIM better than Trillian again?
I think GAIM works with Linux and Trillian doesn't.
eta: Perhaps with MAC as well, but I have Linux, so paid more attention to that. See info at [link]
Another multi-IM alternative is Miranda [link] Unlike GAIM, it's a native Windows application so may perform better on older hardware.
Support for various IM protocols can easily be added [link]
So what makes GAIM better than Trillian again?
Just from personal experience, Trillian always seemed to have trouble with some of the protocols especially Yahoo but also AIM. Since I've used GAIM, only once have I had to download a newer version to fix a problem with Yahoo and never had a problem with AIM. And it's going on 7 months now.
