Are things too fast ? Part 2

[shakenama]

Are things too fast ??? Part II

Yeah .....Computer & Internet technology is buzzing by the speed of light. I have a 533mhz machine with a 15Gig HD, 128ram that I bought last year that is considered outdated.
(Outdated ??.... heck....almost extinct with the 2Ghz chip out !!)

But it works fine by my standards. For Word/Web authoring, the Internet, Video editing (no problem there) & Games. Its a good machine.
The word 'obselete' is relative to the user and operator.

Gunthnp,, at thread

http://www.tek-tips.com/gviewthread.cfm/lev2/83/lev3/86/pid/656/qid/81259,

worries that computer technology is going too fast. I don't see it going too fast...I see the other areas of industry going too slow.

Think about what we use to drive to work everyday.
No matter what you have...a Ford, Chevy, Honda.......it's all the same underneath.
The internal combustion engine was invented by Nikolaus Otto, who invented it in 1867.
In 1879 Edison invented the light bulb. (And still lighting up our lives !)
Technology advanced ?? (I wonder..)

The first computer as a PC by todays standards was Altairs' 8800. It used an 8-bit Intel 8080 microprocessor, had 256 bytes of RAM, received input through switches on the front panel, and displayed output on rows of light-emitting diodes. It appeared in 1975. Hmmm??

I like my computer.....I figure I might trade it or upgrade it in in a year
or so....I'm not really in a hurry about it. There getting cheaper by the day.

I'm still saving money for my next car......


Shawn 'reality..........what a rush!' X-)

 

[hotfusion]

I feel the only valid reason for anyone to upgrade their computer is if they wish to run specific software which is only compatible with a faster/more capable machine. Too many people get drawn into the "I've got the best available" trap when in reality they could have seved a small fortune. For example, a coleague recently bought a P4 256Mb 75Gb PC for around £2,000 and all he does is compose and edit magazine articles! Can he really type that fast??? I'll stick with my P3 600 as it runs all of my audio and graphics editing software without any problems, more to the point, in 10 years it will continue to do so. (If nothing breaks of course - you get my point!) Andy. My suggestions are what I would try myself. If incorrect, I welcome corrections to my rather limited knowledge. Andy.

 

[butchrecon]

Sure computers are getting faster. But the software for the computers is still writtin on old slow machines with olser machines in mind. Until we start producing software to take ful advantage of the processors produced today along with the peripherals that are produced we will always be a little behind. Heck my PIII 600 with 256meg RAM and 20gig HDD can run any program out there written for the home PC market. James Collins
Systems Support Engineer
A+, MCP

email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

Please let us (Tek-tips members) know if the solutions we provide are helpful to you. Not only do they help you but they may help others.

 

[vaoldschl]

That's funny, I certainly have a hot rod on my desk at work but you know what I use at home? P133 w/32meg RAM and a half gig drive. Know how much I paid for it? Nothing, I found it in the garbage, worked on it for about an hour and got it running. My wife keeps after me to buy a new one but why spend the cash, the one I have will connect to the internet and send e-mail all day long and that, with a little word processing on the side is all it's used for. I guess it goes back to the light bulb question and the old addage, 'if it ain't broke...'

 

[iza]

max ! just the same for me - i work on great machines, and at home i use exactly the same : p133 with 32M ram (actually i found the ram in a garbage, i used to have only 8 M !!!)
- i don't feel like upgrading, i don't need more than notepad to develop, the internet is running ok, i can receive my emails, and i have playstation&dreamcast to play ...

 

[MasterRacker]

It's all relative to not only what you're doing, but how valuable you're time is while doing it. When I'm doing serious work, if there is any noticible delay at all between clicking on something and the new screen being drawn, I'm impatient. Even on somw real hotrods at work, it annoys me that it takes more thatn 0.05 seconsd for even notepad to start up not to mention full applications. Even sett ing fly-out menus to their fastest setting is barely fast enough.

If, on the other hand, I'm having a beer, watching TV and doing some personal e-mail in the evening, I can tolerate delays.

It's all relative to what you're doing with it.

There is another issue though. For normal, non-techie users, I would always recommend that they keep their maching current enought to run the same versions of OS and productivity applications that they use at work. It's hard enough for these people to use one UI reasonably well let alone having to keep two straight.
Jeff

I haven't lost my mind - I know it's backed up on tape somewhere ....

 

[vaoldschl]

I certainly agree with keeping non-tech users in formats they recognise, even though there's gravy in it for side work when they don't recognise their shortcuts.

However, I disagree with the current practise of selling someone a 1.5 ghz machine with 128 meg of RAM, a 40 gig HD and a DVD player if all they are looking for is something to connect to the Internet and maybe do personal finance on. I had that come up recently w/a customer I do wiring work for. She spent over two grand on a machine because the company she called to spec it for her said that was what she needed in order to do spreadsheets, word processing and e-mail.

So, to go back to the original question, for her that's too fast. Like you say, Jeff, it depends on what you use it for and I wish there was a little more realism on the sales end.

 

[iza]

and anyway, i find notepad is faster to load than, say, jbuilder ;] (emacs is even fastest ;]]])

 

[SpiritOfLennon]

What needs to be considered here is that as far as human development is concerned, the computer has for most disciplines become intrinsically linked with the work being carried out and in many disciplines operating at the boundaries of human knowledge,is always and will always be a limiting factor to the work being carried out. So no I really don't think things are too fast. Except possibly life. SOL
"If I'm talking c**p, I'm probably p****d"

 

[gunthnp]

you think because it still remains in the realm of human thought that its not to fast

we build without thinking this might cause a porblem and then we never do a thing about the porblems we make until lives are at risk

look at the world, animals that saw the rise and fall of the dinosaurs are dieing off now most people live in ruble human tought can move to fast.

with specialization we no longer have to know how a computer works very few know that(if any) but we have a guy who knows how to make part of a cpu well and a guy who can make a hard drive platter thats fast and a guy can make data briges, you get the idea so a computer might be past the realm of the human mind already. gunthnp
Have you ever woken up and realized you where not alive.

 

[SpiritOfLennon]

No what I am saying is that there are areas of human development and research for example Astrophysics and biochemistry where the limiting factor in making scientific breakthroughs is the technology used to analyse and store the results. As much of this research is being carried out to further mankind then the faster the better to be honest. However if you want to discuss the ethical side of this argument, I am happy to. SOL
"If I'm talking c**p, I'm probably p****d"

 

[gunthnp]

I was just pionting out that man never find a use good for the public first with a technogly it always as a weapon or way to get power. (compters came around to plot canon fire.)


and my other piont is that man is the the best a muilt processing and each day we learn more about very little and by doing this we can never see what the result of are actions will be when it comes to technogly gunthnp
Have you ever woken up and realized you where not alive.

 

[SpiritOfLennon]

Yes I would agree that a lot of technology comes into existence purely for violent conduct and that humanity should spend more time concentrating on understanding each other. However the uses that technology is put to after we use it to blow each other up are arguably as important and influential in our lives. SOL
"If I'm talking c**p, I'm probably p****d"

 

[hotfusion]

That sounds about right. Most of our most important inventions and dicoveries have come about directly as a result of military research. Active conflicts are as yet unsurpassed as 'research accelerators', as demonstrated by the advent of RADAR and as mentioned above, computers. Even space research has always had a strong military undercurrent, although I hope that will change. The only other motivator is profit, but this seems largly limited to medical advances. However, these advances do eventually filter down to our level, hopefully enhancing and enriching our lives. (That is, those that survive the wars. :-I ) My suggestions are what I would try myself. If incorrect, I welcome corrections to my rather limited knowledge. Andy.