http://www.techlinks.net/articleNew.cfm?articleurl=5304182924
The venerable PC bus which connects the CPU to the rest of its parts has been a major drag on systems ever since processors broke the 1GHz barrier [in contrast, Apple, with its G5 systems, was able to implement a new 1GHz bus from the get-go, greatly enhancing system throughput as a result]. The difficult nature of bus standardization has meant that developments in this area tend to be slow and somewhat tectonic. The article reviews expectations for major changes in PC bus architecture within the next 18 months.
Itel is rolling out its PCI Express architecture, which uses a mesh/fabric concept to allow point-to-point serial connections among multiple devices. While this will push bus speeds up to a 2Gb/s bandwidth, it will be completely incompatible with the older PCI architecture, despite its name. Trusted processing is being built into the 'LaGrange' CPU to increase security, and additional security chips are being implemented to guard the periphery. The upshot of this is that trusted systems will not be completely interoperable with nontrusted systems.
As the article points out, this has major implication for PC acquisitions, especially for organizations large enough to have an acquisition cycle. When one adds the hardeware appetites of Microsoft's 'Longhorn', it appears that standing pat on technology is one option IT executives do not have. There are numerous snakes in the weeds here, not least the potential of these developments to create a two-tier computing community exacerbating divisions between haves and have-nots.
Managing a whole rack of servers is only possible with a centralized keyboard, mouse, and monitor, which implies the requirement for a Keyboard Video Mouse switch to allow this to happen. Here are three white papers addressing various aspects of this topic:
"KVM Tech Guide: Five Guidelines for Choosing the Best KVM Switching System" from http://whitepapers.comdex.com/data/detail?id=1078511691_445&type=RES&src=KA_RES_20040428
"The Definitive KVM Buyer's Guide" from http://whitepapers.comdex.com/data/detail?id=1082572029_368&type=RES&src=KA_RES_20040428
"KVM for the Enterprise" from http://whitepapers.comdex.com/data/detail?id=1082572031_187&type=RES&src=KA_RES_20040428
http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,114030,tk,dnWknd,00.asp
PCs need maintenance, and it is always useful to have a handy guide to which you can direct students, which this is.
Supporting such a maintenance guide are utilities which help keep your PC in tip-top condition, as reviewed here:
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,113743,pg,1,tk,dnWknd,00.asp
One of the first indications that your PC is suffering from some sort of ailment is a gradual slowdown of processes -- here are some tips for reversing that situation:
http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,114164,tk,dnWknd,00.asp
Here is another article on PC self-help, along with links to free and commercial sources of information, hardware, and software used in managing and maintaining PCs:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1544176,00.asp
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2001873909_btchipbackfire08.html
I have always thought that the RamBus litigation saga showed a company operating at its very worst [at least until SCO came along!], and was pleased when RamBus got whacked in court -- the good guys win one for a change, I thought! Alas, I discounted the ability of the USA legal system to fold on itself like liquid orgami, and now RamBus is out of the woods and looking for new vic--ah, targets, to sue.
This article gives a gloss on the complicated history, and also suggests that common sense may hold RamBus back from further excesses. Since a lack of this widely available commodity seems to be shared by the information technology and legal industries, I am not holding my breath here.
Some indication that this was a prudent decision on my part is suggested by the fact that RamBus has gone back to court once more:
http://eletters.wnn.ziffdavis.com/zd1/cts?d=75-200-1-1-618817-8735-1
http://www.WindowSecurity.com/pages/article.asp?id=1313
For an individual machine, a software firewall can often be sufficient [although of course it should not be regarded as a security panacea], but for a server or other high-end resource, a hardware firewall [and often more than one of them] is definitely indicated.
How to tell which one is best? This white paper, "Comparing Firewall Features", presents an evaluative structure which will let you decide.
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1540478,00.asp
Find that beige tower to really be less rather than more? This Web page will show you that you have computer case alternatives of which you never dreamed, and each case specification leads to a review of the case in question. The idea of spending several hundred dollars on a distinctive components enclosure appeals to me, if I could just figure out what to do with one of the two identical beige boxes I already possess....
http://www.cioupdate.com/trends/article.php/3320021
Given that displays are the major means whereby we interact with computers, a consideration of what is likely to happen in the future is certainly worthwhile. This short article suggests five technologies are rolling out, changing things as they do so:
1) Organic Light-Emitting Diodes [OLEDs] eliminate the need for a backlight, producing a brighter, faster flat-screen image;
2) 3D without the need for imaging glasses is now available as a desktop technology;
3) Digital Light Processing for high-quality large-screen images;
4) Bistable displays for relatively permanent information, which can continue to display the image without constant power; and
5) Field Emission Displays [FEDs] allow the creation of CRT displays which are just as compact as flat screens, with considerably better resolution abilities.
These technologies will literally change the way we look at computers.
http://eletters.wnn.ziffdavis.com/zd1/cts?d=75-125-1-1-618817-5926-1
After over a year resisting the 64-bit trend pioneered by AMD, Intel has announced that it has implemented 64-bit extensions to its 32-bit processor line. This gets them into the 64-bit market on nearly the same level as AMD, namely, offering CPUs which [unlike the ITANIUM] offer backward compatibility with 32-bit operating systems.
Intel is still insisting that 64-bit systems have no place on the desktop, and is currenly limiting this extension technology to its high-end 'Xeon' server chip. The move to 64-bit computing has been discussed at length in this blog, and I still think Intel is mistaken [but I acknowledge they make more money and have more expertise than I do].
An analysis of this development, indicating that Intel is well-positioned to take advantage of the deep factors pushing for the transition to 64-bit computing [increased security is one of them] as well as the problems to come in creating 64-bit drivers, can be found here:
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,4149,1528428,00.asp
Another look at the 64-bit Xeon chips, and how they relate to the existing 64-bit Itanium can be found here:
http://www.esj.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsID=864
A page displaying a series of articles on 64-bit computing, discussing AMD, Intel, IBM, and the whole background of 64-bit computing can be found here:
http://www.eweek.com/category2/0,1738,1425416,00.asp
Rather ironically, an analyst has concluded that Intel's 64-bit processor extensions were reverse-engineered from AMD's:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1562294,00.asp
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,4149,1518479,00.asp
You can provoke vigorous arguments about the merits of various operating systems, and some people take a near-religious stance in their choice of software, but if you want to ask a question that will really start the chips flying, just ask: "Should I turn my computer off when I am not using it, or leave it on?" and stand back.
Religious fundamentalism isn't in it -- as a dedicated hard core "On-ist", I know whereof I speak, and how the other side is awash in depravity. This article introduces the consideration that you should turn off a machine with an InterNet connection to reduce vulnerability to external attack, and correctly dismisses this as a red NIC -- what you really need to do is eliminate the vulnerability, which after all still exists whenever you are actually on.
Fortunately this article agrees with my eminently sensible evaluation of the issue, while also providing some additional links to related stories.
United Business Media's CMP division has launched a set of tightly focussed searchable Web pages called 'pipelines', which index news, trends, how-to-do-its, products, white papers, webcasts, sponsored links with downloadable software, and a glossary. Those of specific interest to most applied IT teachers are:
http://www.securitypipeline.com/ covering desktop, network, and infrastructure security plus policy & privacy.
http://www.linuxpipeline.com/ covering core Lunux, applications, enterprise open source, and business.
http://www.networkingpipeline.com/ covering security, infrastructure, wireless, and voice/data integration.
http://www.serverpipeline.com/ covering entry-level, mid-range, and high-end servers, plus their supporting technlogies (including operating systems).
http://www.itutilitypipeline.com/ covering utility computing and services, grid computing, and enterprise systems.
http://www.desktoppipeline.com/ covering desktop operating systems, application software, and hardware as these relate to all current desktop OS.
Additional pipelines address small business, mobile computing, and storage issues. These look like excellent information sources to benchmark and revisit, for students and teachers alike.
http://webopedia.internet.com/quick_ref/BIOSBeepCodes.asp
When a computer most needs your help, it is close to helpless to tell you what is the matter -- if the screen will not display, there is no way you can read an error code. Like Morse Code, beep codes are not much used these days, because the boot process is so reliable, but if you ever need them, you need them bad. The above set is for an AMI BIOS; the following set is for the Phoenix BIOS: http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/BiosBeepCodes2.asp
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jan2004/tc20040121_9640_tc139.htm
While RAM has widely been perceived as a major bottleneck in current PC architecture, it has been the 'only game in town'. The fact that RAM is slow is compounded by its need to be refreshed and its volatile nature. The article suggests alternatives which are in development and which have the potential to completely change PC architectures in the next 5 - 10 years.
A current of related evidence supports this estimate -- in the last couple of years we have moved to the 1GB level on a well-stocked desktop [and indeed, 256MB is getting close to the acceptable minimum on even low-end systems], and servers routinely press against the 4 GB limit of current 32-bit chips. Size, heat, and cost considerations all suggest that we won't simply go on adding DIMM chips to make this memory possible [though the recent announcement of 2GB modules certainly increases memory density to the point that few slots are needed to support 4GB RAM], making a new architecture more, rather than less, likely.
Add to this the overall need for system speed, particularly in graphically intense applications, and a new architeture looms ever more probable.
http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/amd_64_article.php
Here is an extensive article on the AMD Athlon-64 processors, including am explanation of their peculiar naming system. A side-by-side comparison of each chip type provides understanding of the critical differences between the processor types involved.
Additional information on Athlon-64 motherboards can be found in the following 46-page article:
http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?cid=6&id=921
http://www.itl.nist.gov/div895/carefordisc/CDandDVDCareandHandlingGuide.pdf
The whole question of reliability of optical media in the CD/DVD format has been the subject of some vigorous and alarming discussion over the past few years -- there is no doubt that these media are not as bullet-proof as sometimes claimed. The USA's National Institute of Standards and Technology has released a white paper: "Care and Handling of CDs and DVDs — A Guide for Librarians and Archivists" which can serve as a guide to the perplexed on this subject.
Very big point -- using adhesive labels on CD's is a bad idea -- something I have been rather certain about for some time. Another excellent example of Your Tax Dollars At Work.
http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/article/1672/
An extensive discussion of all the wrong ways to install hardware. Given that there is so much which can go wrong even without trying, seeing what will happen if you do devote time and resources to doing it incorrectly is a useful exercise. As well as supplying some interesting troubeshooting examples, this article can also serve as an Awful Warning.
http://entmag.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsID=6087
While Intel's Itanium was first out the 64-bit gate, AMD's Opteron and Athlon 64 chips rapidly surpassed them in sales because they had 32-bit backwards capability. The Itanium was a dud with 32-bit applications, and developers would rather resist than port. Comes Microsoft to the rescue with a posted 32-bit driver for the Itanium 2, which supposedly corrects these problems.
Anything which leads to greater competitveness in 64-bit computing for the desktop is a good thing, in my books.
Just as you never can have too much memory or too large a hard drive, so too, you never can have too fast a system. Here is a site devoted to speed, with coverage of broadband internetworking and system enhancements, including reviews, articles, fora, and additional information. Network tools, security, and TCP/IP are also covered, and easily accessed by a sidebar.
The site is well-laid-out and easily navigated.
http://news.com.com/2100-7337-5131787.html
BIOS limitations have been increasingly throttling the potential for PC-platform developments, and computers are now available based on a new standard, Extensible Firmware Interface, which represents a considerable improvement and simplification of the pre-boot process. Despite the fact that nobody is laying on their backs, sticking all their arms and legs in the air, and yelling out "I'm a dead horse!" over this, the pressure for easy adaption to new technologies makes something like this irresistable. The fact that both Microsoft and Intel are behind this initiative won't hurt either.
It may also improve the PC's hardware competitiveness with the MAC in terms of integrative simplicity. It will certainly require an update in texts and teaching approach in basic hardware classes.
While plug-n-play has taken a lot of the pain out of hardware settings, there is no sensation quite like opening an older computer box and having one or more little square black plastic bits come raining out on the worktable. And is there any documentation for this lost jumper phenomenon, which could, at its worse, result in the conversion of a PC to a passable doorstop? Silly you, that you would even think to ask such a question!
Well, here is a resource with jumper settings for over 18,000 devices, so if jumpers are piling up and threatening to submerge your ankles while you do your computer work [most disquieting phenomenon, that], hop on over and see if it does not have the documentation you need.
http://www17.tomshardware.com/mainboard/20030401/index.html
Article explaining the latest state of play in computer RAM -- a topic almost as volatile as the commodity itself. While SDRAM dominates now, in the near future, the Double Data Rate technologies will take over. Since RAM is essential to effective computer operation on all levels, it is good to have some unbiassed description of what is going on which is also up to date.
http://www.thenetworkadministrator.com/HowToBuildACheapNOC.htm
Rather brief article, with linlks, on how to build a Network Operations Center for some $2,000 [the major cost being monitors and a medium-grade workstation, plus the cost of any Windows NOS being used]. There is a lot more to doing this than meets the eye, but it is worth investigating this, because such a NOC lab could be an excellent teaching tool.
As I have mentioned elsewhere, network management tends to lack applied focus in many educational venues. A proposal like this would go far to remedy such a lack, and would give all involved absorbing hands-on experience. This could be further extended with, for example, Cisco network management solutions, if costs could be negotiated for educational purposes.
http://news.com.com/2100-7337-5112061.html
The demise of Moore's Law is one of the favourite topics for pundits to ponder -- I must see some reference to it coming to an end every other month or so. The point, as the report referenced in this article makes clear, is that we still have a couple of decades to go before we reach those limits. Anyone hardy enough to crystal ball the situation in 20 years clangs more loudly than I.
Linke to a number of related stories are appended to this one.
The range of Ziff-Davis/EWeek topic centers is certainly comprehensive, and each features news, reviews, opinions, and analysis, in the following categories:
Database http://eletters.wnn.ziffdavis.com/zd1/cts?d=75-95-1-1-618817-3850-1
Desktop http://eletters.wnn.ziffdavis.com/zd1/cts?d=75-95-1-1-618817-3853-1
Developer & Web Services http://eletters.wnn.ziffdavis.com/zd1/cts?d=75-95-1-1-618817-3856-1
Enterprise Applications http://eletters.wnn.ziffdavis.com/zd1/cts?d=75-95-1-1-618817-3859-1
Linux and Open Source http://eletters.wnn.ziffdavis.com/zd1/cts?d=75-95-1-1-618817-3862-1
Macintosh http://eletters.wnn.ziffdavis.com/zd1/cts?d=75-95-1-1-618817-3865-1
Messaging & Collaboration http://eletters.wnn.ziffdavis.com/zd1/cts?d=75-95-1-1-618817-3868-1
Mobile Devices http://eletters.wnn.ziffdavis.com/zd1/cts?d=75-95-1-1-618817-3871-1
Networking http://eletters.wnn.ziffdavis.com/zd1/cts?d=75-95-1-1-618817-3874-1
Security http://eletters.wnn.ziffdavis.com/zd1/cts?d=75-95-1-1-618817-3877-1
Storage http://eletters.wnn.ziffdavis.com/zd1/cts?d=75-95-1-1-618817-3880-1
Windows http://eletters.wnn.ziffdavis.com/zd1/cts?d=75-95-1-1-618817-3883-1
Wireless http://eletters.wnn.ziffdavis.com/zd1/cts?d=75-95-1-1-618817-3886-1
With this cornucopia, there should be little reason for an assignment or a research paper to lack content.
http://eastbay.bizjournals.com/eastbay/stories/2003/11/24/story1.html
Article discussing the problem left-over networking cable presents for landlords and tenants alike. There are millions of miles of unused cable in buildings, a situation made worse by the fact that higher networkspeeds and new devices make recabling a necessity. Pulling cable is sufficiently difficult and expensive that it is rarely done.
This is one of those 'everyday bits' of information which are useful to raise for discussion in IT classrooms.
http://technewsworld.com/perl/story/32028.html
As a general rule, a given technology reaches perfection just as it becomes obsolete -- this article suggests that the humble computer mouse is in exactly that position. Some form of replacement looms over the 3 - 5 year horizon, whether it been improved speech recognition [think 'Scottie' picking up the mouse and saying "Computer!"] or a more versatile [and potentially hard-to-learn-to-use] physical input device that we hold or wear.
Certainly the major block to most people's ability to use computer technology is the input function, so major advances here could have major consequences.
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=15800263
Although CD-ROM media have been touted as having lifespans in decades, as someone trained in librarianship, I have been a mite skeptical. Over the past year, some rather alarming evidence of CD fragility has come to light, and this issue of the "Langa Letter" [a listserv well worth paying for in its 'Premium Edition', incidentally] discusses the problem in detail with a number of informative links.
Once conclusion which dovetails strongly with my basic take on the situation is that some CD labels are destructive, though to my surprise, permanent markers, which I have always considered a sort of CD poison, are entirely OK.
Given the educational use of CDs for archival information, and especially the trend to move data from old [yet still working] magnetic media to CDs, this is a practical issue which needs careful examination, and the referenced URL is an excellent place to start.
http://businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2003/tc20031023_9828_tc055.htm
Amid all the hoopla about the AMD 'Athlon-64' CPU, this article makes the point that AMD has, hitherto, been spectacularly unsuccessful in its competition with Intel, and has not made a profit in nearly 3 years. Analysts question whether the 64-bit initiative can ever translate into commercial viability; AMD may leverage its expertise into the flash memory business, and get out of the CPU ratrace.
This sort of information must severely dampen the enthusiasm of those planning an Athlon-64 purchase, since this would be an expensive orphan at today's prices - I must say I am reconsidering my purchase planning right now.
http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1737
The 'classic' firewall solution is enabled in a router. This works, but there are administrative and performance costs to such a solution. This article explains how a transparent bridge can be set up to be a firewall also, and what some of the drawbacks and benefits of such an approach can be. Intelligently applied, using a transparent bridge can boost security without penalizing perfomance.
The article provides links to Linux resources for implementing bridging firewalls, although there is no particular reason why this technique should be confined to Linux.
http://www.sharpsystems.com/products/datasheets/RD3D1010-4.pdf
This sounds to me like a classic example of "put up or shut up" technology -- the .PDF gives a product description of a laptop with a 3-D screen which does not require the use of special glasses to view. The technology is based on LCD screens, and if effective, could do much to obsolete CRTs at a faster rate than previously opined.
Which is the rub -- do we really want this? I think there is a real distinction between an in-screen stereo vision [which is like looking through a window or down a tunnel] and a true holographic display which is actually 'in the round'. The latter is preferable, the former just an interesting novelty.
On the other hand, I have been wrong before....
http://www.vnunet.com/Features/1143201
Blade servers [essentially servers-on-a-card which can be racked together in a common chassis] are becoming an increasingly important feature in server rooms, and this article explains the pros and cons.
The market for blade servers is discussed here:
http://utilitycomputing.itworld.com/4600/030730blademkt/page_1.html
A short explanation of blade servers is here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/story/0,3605,950904,00.html
http://www.computerworld.com/hardwaretopics/hardware/story/0,10801,85639,00.html
It may not appear like a major high-tech issue, but the increased density of modern blade servers is actually imposing limits in terms of being able to keep them cool enough to function. It turns out that many server rooms are now temperature-limited rather than volume-limited. The main article discusses this, while providing sidebars for tips, standards, methods, and links relating to cooling.
Incidentally, as a home user, I am able to avoid having to heat my condominium for a couple of months in the year, when the amount of heat given off by machines is sufficient to keep the temperature above the thermostat's trigger point. So the cooling problem may affect home users, too.
http://www.pcworld.com/resource/printable/article/0,aid,112749,00.asp
Article which explores several important aspects of 64-bitness, including which hardware systems are ready, which operating systems are ready, the limited state of play with available applications, and what the future is likely to bring. What struck me so forceably is the reminder that it took 15 years between the introduction of the first 32-bit capable Intel processor and the rollout of a 32-bit operating system.
A number of factors suggests the delay in moving to 64-bits will be much less, and just like the 386 chips, the overall performance of the 64-bit chip even on 32-bit software may be sufficiently attractive in itself to guarantee it a market.
The other item worth remark in this article -- in a [admittedly crude] faceoff between Athlon-64s using the FX technology [the high end Athlon] and the Apple G5, the Athlon-64 boxes wielded a tin of the proverbial substance on most tests, and were 10% cheaper to boot.
http://news.com.com/2100-1006_3-5089274.html
Sun Microsystems has announced a version of their SOLARIS OS which will work with AMD's 64 OPTERON-64 so as to take advantage of the latter's 64-bitness. It joins SuSE Linux and some of the BSDs in offering such support.
Since SOLARIS increasingly looked like it was being shoved into a niche market by Linux, this is an excellent example of "winning through joining 'em", though if Sun keeps the OS price high, it may in fact fail to gain much traction in this market.
As a secure [and litigation-free] alternative to Windows which can run on desktop machinery, however, SOLARIS may look highly attractive.
http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a87343a89073442a2
Thin clients are like the movie monster which refuses to die. While I am apparently not alone in thinking them a thoroughly Bad Thing [because they are disempowering], nevertheless hope springs eternal in the thin client supporter ranks. This white paper, admittedly from an interested party: "Thin Clients: Four Facts You Can’t Afford to Ignore" makes the contrary case, and it is always good to consider the contrary case from time to time.
After all, it may even be right, forcing that most painful thing, a change of mind.
http://money.cnn.com/2003/09/29/technology/techinvestor/hellweg/index.htm
Article which discusses the business implications of AMD's Athlon-64 CPU, not least of which attractions is the fact that it offers consumers the opportunity to buy a system which will last a good 5 years at a minimum. In fact, this argument is so compelling that I have put off my personal plans to buy a new system, and were I a CTO or CIO facing the need for a mass desktop buy, I would also hold on to my cash for a few months longer, if at all possible.
http://www.wiebetech.com/pressreleases/BillionEqualBillion.pdf
How many bytes would a hard drive bite if a hard drive did bite bytes? The fact that manufacturers rate hard drive capacities using decimal arithmetic while many popular OS report it in binary converted to decimal [e.g. Windows] can be a source of confusion for all concerned.
This report defends the hard drive manufacturers more than I would consider reasonable. I think the size rating should be in the terms of the OS in use. But whatever side you take on this, the URL indexes a short, clear, helpful white paper: "When One Billion does not equal One Billion, or: Why your computer’s disk drive capacity doesn’t appear to match the stated capacity" on just this topic.
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,112631,00.asp
While the "Opteron" is AMD's high-end 64-bit chip, the breakthrough they are seeking is expected from their "Athlon 64", which has already been advertised and tested in the press. This article suggests that there will not be a lot of these CPUs available until 2004. On the other hand, the price differential being charged for such chips at a time when available OS cannot take full advantage of their capabilities may act as a deterrent.
The slope of the oncoming wave may be in doubt, but its absolute magnitude cannot be denied.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=1405
Finding Pin 1 when you are doing construction/repair work can be a real pin in the rear -- I wish I had a nickel for every time I was looking at a machine with my face hanging out and wondering this, because I could have retired by now. This handy guide to the pinplexed can give some rules of thumb for working this out.
http://www.nature.com/nsu/030922/030922-10.html
Article describing Philips Research's development of an electronic paper which can allow colour movies to display on a single sheet of e-paper. Marry the potential for ubiquity that this represents [can we fold it?] with the capabilities of extended access via wire, and a whole new information ecology could result.
Just by itself this is a development with major implications. Imagine, for example, downloading a book on, say, the campaign in Iraq, which would then update itself as time goes on. Similarly, any intellectual construct could be modified on the fly to take new developments into account.
Or look at it another way -- suppose I download a survey of astronomy, and then after reading it, discover that I am really interested in planetary astronomy -- I could then "expand" the section on planetary astronomy, to discover I am most interested in Mars. In any one case, I would not need or want "the whole book" -- in fact my initial download might take the form of an extended index.
Note this does not displace books -- it simply replaces them in those cases where books are not a particularly good vehicle. In those cases where material has intrinsic value, the book still reigns supreme.
http://search.ft.com/search/article.html?id=030924000814
Another look at who will buy 64-bit machines, with an angle which had not occurred to me -- some people will buy them simply because they are "hot" and "the latest thing". An ignorant market is still a market, casting doubt on Intel's claim: "Nobody needs a 64-bit desktop".
As the article indicates, there are still hurdles and obstacles to overcome here, although Apple G5 owners will not have so many [indeed, if anyone out there would like to contribute a top of the line 2-processor G5 to me, along with 23" Cinema display, for me to get some appreciation of this first hand, by all means go ahead!].
It would appear that Intel is in more of a bind here than the other CPU manufacturers -- though they have been in such binds before, and Houdinied their way out of it, so we will have to see.
http://www.technewsworld.com/perl/story/31594.html
The bottleneck inherent in the system bus has become increasingly restrictive and apparent as memory speeds and, most particularly, processor speeds, have continued to ramp up. Not long ago, a bus:processor ratio of 1:10 was not uncommon, which seems excessive [as a rule of thumb, anything worse than 1:5 represents a genuine block]. Now it is possible to buy cheap PCs where the ratio is cover 1:20.
The Apple solution to this is simply to have a fast bus, but the issue is much more complicated in the PC world, as this article explains. With the development of the front-side bus, some of the difficulties involved were relieved, but now that processor speeds approach 3GHz, we once again are in danger of sinking below the 1:5 ratio limit. The fact that most manufacturers agree with the need to address this problem suggests that major breakthroughs in speed are possible, as Apple, again, has demonstrated with the G5.
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,1274197,00.asp
The significance of Intel's "LaGrange" security initiative has been remarked upon before -- here is a good detailed review of what is going on with this initiative:
• Objectives and Components
• Policy, Target Markets, and Rollout
• Trusted Platform Architecture Review
• Inside LaGrande CPU and Chipset Modifications
• Protected Environment Setup – Initial Steps
• Launching Protected Domain
• Handling Special Cases.
Once the facts are understood, we can conduct the debate relating to this technology in a more rational and perhaps constructive manner.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1276959,00.asp
Now 64-bit processing is available to us on the desktop, with three desirable [and pricy!] machines under review here, in addition to related links, including one to Apple's [not-so-pricy in comparison] G5.
But wait! There is more! Microsoft is speedily rolling out Windows versions to make use of both AMD's and Intel's 64-bit chips:
http://entmag.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsID=5966
The extreme technical viewpoint, with some beta tests and a great deal of additional technical information, can be found at:
http://eletters.wnn.ziffdavis.com/zd/cts?d=75-63-1-1-618817-2626-1
One of the major points being made here is that "who needs it?" = "Gamers!" -- but then, what gets adopted in business a short time later is all the technical development which gamers made possible in the first place. Again, the history of the 16-bit to 32-bit transition is worth reviewing for useful pointers.
http://utilitycomputing.itworld.com/4606/030916helpthemselves/index.html
If things go adrift at the most basic level on a computer, all you have left to interpret and troubleshoot are beep codes [though I have seen systems with a misplaced processor which did not even beep]. Here is a downloadable summary of the beep codes of the major PC BIOS, to help people work their way out of this particular morass.
http://news.com.com/2100-1006_3-5078125.html
AMD has announced that it plans to expand its 64-bit x86-compatible Athlon chip into destops and notepads today, while exploring an "x86 everywhere" architecture for the near future. AMD has extensive leveraged resources which allow it to contemplate this. The upshot could be surprisingly faster and more powerful dispersed devices like handhelds and embedded devices.
We may be making the world smarter and faster than we ever thought.
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,4149,1269036,00.asp
The CTO at Intel opines that desktop PCs will not need 64-bit computing for several more years. Of course the fact that AMD has a backwards-compatible 64-bit chip available and Intel does not has nothing to do with this expression of viewpoint. Nor does the existence of the Apple G5 line.
Seems to me I can remember something like this before, when the 32-bit processor was first mooted: "Who will need a GB of memory?" was the rallying cry then. There is no reason to think the future will be the same as the past, unless, of course, we have reason to think so -- and in this case, I suspect we do.
http://www.economist.com/printedition/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=2051736
Article describing efforts at the IBM Almaden Research Center to build computers using "collective intelligent bricks", currently enabled as 8" cubes with 80GB of disk data storage, a CPU, and metallic connectors which enable the bricks to be stacked together, communicating without wires at a high data rate.
The individual components of this technology may not impress, but a simple 3 x 3 x 3 array of such computer bricks could store 25TB [or one Library of Congress]. A multiple-brick system would be computing's version of The Immortal Chicken heart, although cooling problems represent a major issue to be addressed.
http://www.3dcenter.org/artikel/cinefx/index_e.php
If you want to go into extremely deep analysis of the NVidia 30 graphics card's CineFX pixel engine, here are all the technical details based on the published patent. The point to hoist inboard here is how much is going on at the chip level to produce visual displays, of which we are completely unaware on a day-to-day basis.
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=14200065
Short article on the availability of different levels of AMD's "Opteron" competitor to Intel in the 64-bit computing arena. The top-end chip in the line costs over $3K in quantity lots [which price can buy one a pretty decent 32-bit desktop system these days], but the fact that the low-end chip in the same line costs under $700 means that if one wants it badly enough, 64-bit home computing is within an individual's grasp.
http://eletters.wnn.ziffdavis.com/zd/cts?d=75-57-1-1-618817-2443-1
Topping the previous story off, the above link fetches an article showing considerable details relating to the performance results of the Opteron chip,
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,1228952,00.asp
We have come a long way from the days when a hard drive could be defined as "a balck hole into which you put your data". But disks do fail [I had an IDE drive which was no more than 5 years old fail on me earlier this year] from time to time. And knowing how to recover data in the case of such a disaster is a useful skill to teach to IT students, so here is a "Beginners Guide" to doing exactly that.
An HCL for Linux site, broken out by device type. When a specific product is selected, buying information and review links are supplied, as well as links to Linux-friendly PC purchase. This can save a lot of heartache for the do-it-yourselfer.
If I had just had this before buying that 32 MB PCI grapics card...
http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1841
Power supplies labour away unseen and nearly unheard, yet their proper operation is of major significance for a smoothly-running computer system. Here is a detailed article with comments, reviewing more than a baker's dozen of high-wattage power supplies.
http://aumha.org/win4/a/parts.htm
Questions of when, why, and how to partition a hard disk can generate lots more heat than light. Here is an article which discusses many aspects of partitioning in a clear and effective manner.
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,1196651,00.asp
A clearly written (though obviously not without source bias) account of AMD's OPTERON and its advantages, with a more general discussion of why 64-bit personal computing is an idea which time has come. Commentary and additional links to other OPTERON stories add to this discussion.
http://www.acmqueue.org/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=46
An article, " You Don't Know Jack about Disks", which provides a quick explanation of how hard drives work, together with the past, present, and future of disks. One thing is sure -- capacities will keep getting bigger.
http://cl.com.com/Click?q=2a-CNeWIrIpIgSGgf3AiLQP8WnjjdRR
The persistent mismatch between bus and CPU speeds [which has become about twice as severe as it was some half-decade ago] has been addressed, to some degree, by Intel's latest "Canterwood" chipset. The article reviews two systems based on the chipset, and shows what works and what does not.
http://www.cpu.lu/~gkes/pcrepair/
I know that the phenomenon of computer enthusiasts spending insane amounts of cash and time to create visually appealing (or appalling) system cases and peripherals is indicative of something, but I'm hanged if I can figure out what. At any rate, here is a site with a wealth of ideas of what to do (or not!).
What makes me wonder is this: with operating computers on their hands, and so much to see and do on the Web, let alone the fun you can have loading programs and devastating operating systems, where do these people find the time to even think about doing this, much less actually doing it?
http://www.arstechnica.com/guide/building/bios/bios-1.html
Most computers today come with just an explanation of where the off-on switch is, a guide to the switch positions ["Off" if you do not want to use the computer for anything other than an ornament; "On" if you really want to mess things up!] plus a picture showing how it all gets put together. Ah for the days of the little IBM ring-binders full of documentation, most of which made no sense to anyone except the author, his mother, and the occasional goat.
Still, there are lots of settings and issues relating to the BIOS, and for many computer users, this is a forbidding and mysterious territory. But you do not need to abandon all hope, if you are armed with the trusty guide to which the above link leads you.
http://www.techwarelabs.com/reviews/memory/memory_timings/
http://www.dewassoc.com/performance/memory/memory_speeds.htm
http://www.rojakpot.com/showBOG.aspx?bogno=116
Three articles of great interest to those concerned with PC memory speeds, the elements of which are often more obscure than would appear at first blush.
The first link leads to an article on memory timings analysis as these are affected by BIOS settings [I suspect at least one computer fan not too far away from this keyboard is operating one or more machines with incorrect BIOS settings].
The second link provides an explanation of how some memory speeds are determined.
The third link points to an article on SDRAM bank interleave, and what settings make the most sense.
http://www.devx.com/Intel/Article/16246?trk=DXRSS_LATEST
For anyone still wondering "Why Itanium?", this article presents the highlights of the technical argument for 64-bit processors. Given that backwards compatibility issues have hampered the Itanium in contrast to AMD's 64-bit offering, the indications of speed [superior to equivalent RISC chips] noted here may help the Itanium make inroads in the server market. But the desktop will just have to wait another few years....
With a title like ModemHelp.net, you might expect this to be a resource about modems, and you would be quite right. It is both tabbed and searchable, so you can dig out the information in a variety of ways. Modems may be "yesterday's tealeaves" for many fortunate enough to have faster Net access, but plenty of people still depend on them.