Voles are geeks, Google are nerds, Edges are good

Hello in your article about the competition between Microsoft and Google you say "the nerdish Voles evenly matched against Geekish Googlers".

That's wrong and it should be "the geekish Voles evenly matched against Nerdish Googlers".

Nerds are primarily attracted to theoretical science (such as maths) while geeks prefer technology and games.

The Vole was never interested in sciences, and instead it released numerous games and focused more on the technological side of things.

Google on the other hand focuses more on theoretical science, particularly computer science, and this is shown by its name (a misspelling of a maths term) and by the fact that it hires PhD holders.

Thanks,
NSK
http://www.wikinerds.org/

The eternal Intel-AMD question

In the article you conclude that "AMD is only marginally behind Intel in processors used."

From this survey you cannot conclude that it is true for the entire population.

Statistics 101: Their method of sampling is convenience which means the results will be inaccurate as hell. Their sample population only includes those that use Steam. The sample population are gamers and may be more likely to favor the AMD processor. And since the sampling method is voluntary, people can choose not to send in the results creating a further skew.

Unless the entire population of the people who use processors play value games and decide to send in the results, you can not come to that conclusion.

Karensky90210

Bloke moaning about Windows
Josh,

I am not sure if you care but you have several errors in your article:

"While Windows 95 made the term "BSOD" commonplace, it achieved a number of milestones. It brought preemptive multitasking and protected memory to the mainstream market years before Apple, while maintaining backwards compatibility with 16-bit Windows applications, and even most DOS programs."

1. Windows 95 didn't have BSOD. There were messages in white text on a blue background but not always fatal like in NT/2000/XP. Example is a message that you need to put the CD back in drive after which you could continue your work.

2. Windows 95, 98, SE and ME didn't have preemptive but cooperative multitasking. Preemptive means that the system decides when the program has to release resources, while cooperative means that one bad program can block the whole computer because it refuses to release CPU for other tasks. First Microsoft OS that had preemptive multitasking was Windows NT.

3. Protected memory wasn't really protected because you could write into IDT (interrupt descriptor table) which allowed you to switch into ring 0 (most privileged or so called kernel mode) and gain control over whole system. Again, memory was really protected only in Windows NT.

4. Even most DOS programs? As far as I remember most of them required to clean-boot into DOS with some memory manager in order to work correctly and that is without considering DOS based games.

I understand that you may like Microsoft and/or Windows but your defence is seriously flawed:

"Correct me if I am wrong Mr. Martin, but can't the same thing be said for Apple and Linux users?"

Well it can't for several reasons:

1. Linux is free while Windows is not
2. Linux patches usually come out immediately, Windows often after the vulnerability has been exploited
3. Apple OS is innovative, has much less (and not as critical) bugs and Apple often (if not always) introduces some new features in their updates while Windows GUI and feature list hasn't changed much since Windows 95 except for some cosmetics

"I ran Windows XP on 64 MB of RAM (which happens to be the minimum supported configuration) for two years and had no problems. The performance was less than stellar, and I wouldn't recommend it in 2005, but in general, most software applications perform much better above their "minimum requirements" than at them. Why would Windows XP be any different?"

You are a masochist if you really did that. I have tried it when Windows XP first came out and it was not useable unless you're using only notepad and calculator. Even if you do some serious tweaking and disable all unneeded services and even remove Internet Explorer completely using nLite you wouldn't squeeze much out of it. Just opening 10 tabs in Firefox while browsing can eat up to 400 MB of RAM (peak usage), try using Photoshop, AutoCAD, Corel... you won't get far.

In case you don't follow, Windows would be different because their "minimum requirements" were seriously understated.

An example would be a classic TV set -- it has certain requirements for signal strength, right? It needs at least X mV to be able to tune into the channel you want to watch and if you have X mV you will have the picture. Now, if the TV manufacturer wrote that you need at least Y mV (Y being less than X) and you bought it based on that fact only to realize that you have blurry or fuzzy picture would you accept that or would you complain?

I have seen many people commenting the article in Arstechnica forums following your (flawed) line of thoughts. There is really no need to encourage new supporters for Microsoft and their products by writing such poorly thought out articles as you just did.

Regards,
Igor Levicki

Digital speed cameras could be illegal

"The use of digital speed cameras might become a thing of the past as legal experts argue that it is too easy to tamper with the evidence".

And the implications for digital voting would be...?

If a technology is not safe enough to hang a single speeding conviction on, is it safe enough to be entrusted with the future of the nation?

And if a police officer can be motivated to tamper with digital evidence merely in order to get a conviction against an innocent motorist, how motivated will someone be by the prospect of holding supreme power for the next seven years?

Tom W

Windows validation

I'm in Brazil (on business) and using my laptop (owned by my company) which was purchased with a preload of XP (OEM, from the volish ones), and I decided to update it because of the Swiss cheese security and the fact that I don't want any worms, viruses, bacteria, or moulds to infect it -- God forbid I load a JPEG in Internet Explore (note I'm running Firefox). Well, Windows Update gives me:

"Genuine Windows Validation To get updates, you must first validate your Windows software. Validation assures that you are using an authentic and fully licensed copy of Windows. Continue"

I then Continue and get:

"Validating Your Computer In order to validate your copy of Windows, additional system information is being collected from your computer. Note: This process does not collect information that can be used to identify or contact you. Continue"

I continue again now I'm told that the server is down and to try back later. Brilliant. I guess when I get on my safe network back in the states I'll update. Of course, then I won't be on a random hotel internet connection anymore...

HP confirms cuts but says INQUIRER is rumor sheet

Oh, Eva...that is such an insult. Had it come from a real technology inventor company (like DEC, IBM) and not a technology reseller company (like WalMart, HP, etc) this insult may have hurt.

Funny...the rumors passed (along with other things the organism can't use) through the gut of the Inq seem to come true more often than most of the spin cycles I read from the inventive companies.

please don't publish my name or email..

keep up the good work! I read the Inq daily

It because of the fearless reporting that makes me stop at you your site every day for the last many years. At least you're not a industry slut like Cnet is. They may claim they are not but they sure as hell are. I do have one suggestion. You often quote prices and sometimes do not mention what they would be in US dollars. Since i am american i would love it if you could include in your thought process. Thanks mate. KMB

Mike

I know you don't worry. Those edges are nice and sharp. Those individuals and companies are dull.

I read here because of the edges. I remember the good old days when magazines wrote good technical articles (Byte for one) and now we see magazines written just to sell more product.

We need those edges to keep us sharp.

Jim Blaich
Shelton, WA

My Powerchute won't open... aargh

Hi Mike,

Silly folk like me who run APC Powerchute 6 are likely to find a nasty problem when rebooting after applying MS's Windows August Critical Updates. The computer gets as far as “Applying Computer Settings…” and sits there for any time from 45 minutes to infinity.

The problem is Java time bomb related and is talked of here.

The solution is to boot in Safe Mode, Run SERVICES.MSC, Disable APC PBE Agent and APC PBE Server.

My man at MS UK tells me Powerchute 6 was installed by default on a lot of Dell boxes and MS US support people were able to point him to the solution by email within about 15 minutes.

Best Regards,
Dave

Speed Cameras again

I wonder how long it will take before these will be defeated with a strategically-placed lump hammer and/or piece of tin foil?

One wouldn't expect us to believe that this is just to combat counterfeiting, though. It would not take too much of a stretch of the imagination to see readers placed at every 100 metres on the motorways, major and minor roads, so your speed and location can be monitored at all times.

All at a cost to the taxpayer, of course. What they tried to achieve with satellite equipment, they can achieve with this - and it would be a simple matter to legislate that everyone has to pony up and change their numberplates to these new, Big Brother-friendly ones - or fail their next MoT test.

Anonymous

Mike,

If you and your assorted "unindicted co-conspiritors" didn't have those "edges" I doubt if many of us, (myself included) would give your publication another mouse click.

The spinsters are just whining because your hacks use them as teething biscuits for cub reporters.

Charles Greene