Peace is a feminist issue

Well, as a matter of fact, Peace is feminine in French...

And English does have feminine and masculine nouns and forms, although in a rather simple form compared to some other languages as the implications of the gender are less grammatically important (in French the gender of a noun may change slightly the forms adverbs, pronouns, adjectives and verbs take, while in English it has little influence).

Anyway, those considerations never made much sense... we even have a few words which are feminine in the singular form, but become masculine in the plural form.

And that still doesn't explain why even a male pet is a she in proper English.

A puzzled French reader

Subject: Why French has gender for the nouns

Hello,

answer on your question is the following:

When Celctic England was occupied by Germans and later Germans were occupied by French there was a confusion: same nouns had different genders in different languages. As a compromise, nouns lost its gender and converted to neuter.

As you probably know, Slavic languages have three genders (masc., fem. neuter). They lost dual number, while some Amer-Indien languages still have it (dual number).

Hope it helps,
Boris Cinkler,
Montreal, Canada

Subject: Gutless PC vendors terrified by nightmare AMD Intel clash

Mike:

The ultimate problem with situations like Microsoft and Intel is that the USA is very facist. At least as far back as Eisenhower have we been warned about the the government/industrial complex or something of the sort. The way Microsoft spreads its money around to politicians was documented just last week. I don't believe for one minute that Intel is doing less, probably more, but is much more shrewd in how it goes about doling out its green influence.

For many years I have proposed that those running for office be allowed to take campaign donations only from actual people that can vote for them. So far that idea has not caught on but one of these days it will have to. Efforts like that are always countered with the typical "Free Speech" BS and that's exactly what it is. Being allowed to bribe a politician with campaign donations has in my view nothing to do with free speech.

What's the outlook on that in the UK?

Henry Keultjes
Database Scientifics Project
Microdyne
Ohio, USA

Subject: AMD anti-trust allegation against Intel, #114

Going through the AMD anti-trust complaint this paragraph stood out to me!!

"114. Indeed, Intel is attempting a repeat performance with respect to a new memory standard, this time excluding AMD by avoiding the open standard-setting committee entirely. Intel is currently coercing the major memory producers into signing NDAs and working exclusively with Intel in a "secret" committee to develop the next generation memory interface standard. Once under this agreement, the memory manufacturers are prohibited from sharing information about their own product designs implementing the memory interface standard. This had the effect of preventing AMD from completing the design of its processor memory controllers until Intel permits memory manufacturers to communicate their interface specifications to the industry."

This allegation from AMD suggests Intel is AGAIN trying a non JEDEC route in forging a new memory standard possibly with the implementation of Rambus IP in that future standard.

Is Intel really worried about AMD?

Could Intel feel threatened from STI's cell as Tukwila is due only at 07? Maybe they would like to speed Tukwila's schedule to 06? Will XDR-II with micro-threading be a match to STI's challenge? Wouldn't the CELL also utilize XDR-II with micro-threading when the time comes?

Could Intel's CEO, Otellini be more open (with the kind persuasion of his long time buddy at Rambus, Mr. Hughes) to the idea of implementing in the alleged standard at least two promising technologies from Rambus (FlexIO and micro-threading) as leaving them out of a standard and letting only parts of the industry to achieve the entailed benefits (through licensing) would cause major disarray in the DRAM industry?

Just thinking out loud and wondering if you have some information on this extremely important issue.

Regards
ari

Subject: AMD charging too much?

This is nothing against you directly, but against everyone who has said that AMD is just as bad as Intel for cause they have higher prices now that their CPU is better. I've been a fan of AMD for a long time, so maybe I have a biased opinion. Why do you and a lot of other people view AMD as a "tyrant" cause they are charging so much for their high end cpus.

Here is the way I see it. A few years ago Intel was king and charged what they wanted and made a shit load of money and they have tons of cash to do as they wish. One of which was to have a huge price war with AMD which is the reason we can THANK AMD for the low prices we have had in the recent past. AMD has been struggling to make money and now that they have a better product and can charge what they deserve to make, they have people saying shit about it. How is AMD gonna continue to compete with Intel if they can't make a little extra for being better. They can't afford to be able to advertise like Intel unless they start making more money. I mean, the way I see it, AMD has no choice. Intel has cash, AMD doesn't. Intel is gonna continue to lower prices and try to make AMD look worse and worse, they can do this cause they have CASH! Get it? This isn't directed soley at you, but I'm just pissed that people can turn this against AMD. Because of people like you and these articles, AMD will never win. Bottom line is that PRICES ARE NOW BACK TO WHERE THEY SHOULD BE.

Not rock bottom cause Intel has forced AMD to drop prices so low that they struggle when they have a better product. etc etc

Scorpio

Subject: Peace is feminine also

It's "la guerre", "la bière" and "la paix". In other words, women dominate our thoughts all day long, except when we think about "le jeu", which explains why watching football (soccer) is often source of tension in the household.

Pascal.

Subject: AMD RACKABLE CONNECTION

Mike,

I don't know much about Rackable's relationship with AMD but I do know what is public knowledge... Rackable is AMD's largest customer of Opteron Chips. So why does everyone think Rackable doesn't warrant a blip on the Radar. I have heard terrible knee-jerk talk about Rackable but when I visit their website I see inovation and IP that puts them way out front of the pack. Specifically, front / back server / air inlet... center air plenum top exhuast. This simplification of air flow allows for the exhuast air to be directly routed to an exhaust register in the celling above. Racks can be nudged closer and decreasing the space necessary for proper cooling. The old 100 Watts^sq/ft thing is no longer a gauging factor in the data center layout. The other thing they have done is gone to high efficiency Rectifiers and DC power inside the servers. This lowers the operating costs according to rackable a good 20% not including the lower costs for AC operation and AC systems.

Rackable if bought by AMD could become a real force from which Intel would have a hard time contending with. Even if AMD only purchase a percentage of the Rackable Biz... That would allow complete and total open kimono...

Now that AMD will force their will on the AMD purchasers... I think this will hurt AMD biz...

Ron

Subject: MSI shows grace, charm, reprieves user forum

Hi there.

You wrote:
"can any French reader of the INQ [That's you, Desire. Ed.] drop us a line as to why "war" and "beer" are feminine nouns, while "peace" is male? It's puzzling, because English has neither masculine nor feminine, and neuter is reserved for complex language"

A great many european languages have male/female/neuter versions of nouns and proper names; FYI in Italian "War", "Beer" and "Peace" are all feminine. As for the reason:

Beer = "(la) birrA"
War = "(la) guerrA"
Peace = "(la) pacE"

Nouns and proper names ending in A and E are *generally* female; obviously with the usual, required minimum amount of exceptions to keep you on your toes (ie. enough to confuse you to a [male] hell and back again)

N. Thomas
London

Subject: What looks STUPID is your article !!!

What a crock of shit you write! These people rushing out to buy artists albums after the concert are the same whiners who claimed CD prices were too high and they should be allowed to steal. These are the same ignorant morons who claim the music is so poor they wouldn't buy it, yet they have no problem stealing it.

Your folks in DENIAL over Piracy need to get your heads out of your azzes and take a REALITY PILL. If it isn't clear already to you morons, the Supreme Court and every other court Worldwide has confirmed that Piracy is a crime and all who Pirate will go to jail.

Stop blaming the RIAA/MPAA for your criminal activities. Get REAL and get a life!

Randy

Subject: Gee whiz

Dear Mike,

Do you think you could just let loose and lay out the Intel situation for the world to read some day? I mean...... As if it wasn't hot enough already this summer season. At least you left out the massive marketing game that has Intel holding back greatly improved products deliberately just because they can milk their room heaters (aka the P4 and Celeron) for many more months. And AMD knows exactly how to play the same game because it could have fabbed Athlon XPs for cheap in China, used well seasoned technologies to make great motherboards, and given the world a decent low cost system. Oh well. Its the name of the game.

This is the first Inquirer article to get put into my archive of otherwise strange stuff - like political correctness and multi-cultural phenomenae and manifestations. Hey, this is the guy who predicted AMD's winning the supercomputer market a year before AMD released the Opteron. And still the dolts argued with me. But I am used to it. As Oscar Wilde said so well in The Importance Of Being Ernest, it is good that the masses never really learn things (Terry Pratchett uses the same idea often in his Discworld stories).

So I'll give you the latest concept. Public schools are daytime prisons. The inmates are forced to sit in desks that don't fit anyone, stare straight ahead at the boss - teacher, and remain silent until called upon. Its pre-work regimentation lessons that are guaranteed to take away all incentive to learn in those too weak to comprehend the importance of learning things and to build a mass of average consumer minds. Thank you many times over. I finally have a superb example of true journalism that spells out the conceptual situation in the marketplace.

Did I ever mention that US car dealers are required to only stock car maker parts in their parts rooms? Oh, well that IS the case everywhere. You have to go to an independent parts store to get anything except grossly overpriced junk 'official' parts. In fact, in our car history, only once did a major retail chain manage to do right by the car owner. It was the era of the VW Beetle and Sears used to have vastly superior replacement parts made for them - like lifetime stainless steel mufflers and exhaust pipes. VW ended that by patenting all of its parts and literally destroying the entire spare parts market for their cars. VW doesn't sell much volume here any more.

Hot, humid, thunderstorms coming. So how come the cool air comes from Canada when there is so much hot air there too?

most loyal Inquirer reader in the world - 4 visits per day

Subject: AMD Lawsuit and Processor Pricing

Hi Mike,

This letter is intended for those who complain about the prices AMD is charging for its high end processors.

STOP!!!

Do these people do any research before they spout off??? Yes AMD is charging quite a bit of money for its high end CPU's. And Yes, it appears as though AMD has a technological edge. BUT, the only reason that AMD charges these prices is summed up in one word---INTEL! AMD must spread the entire cost of its R&D as well as any capital expenses over 17% of the CPU market. If Intel were not a "monopoly", AMD would be able to spread these costs out over, oh, let's be reasonable, 40% of the market.

This reduces AMD's cost per processor allowing them to make some money. I challenge anyone who complains about the AMD's CPU prices to show me the hordes of money that AMD has been stockpiling!!! AMD has made about $100Million over the last 12 months. This compares to Intel's ~$8Billion... I compare AMD to swimmer whose head is being held under water. When he finally is allowed to take a breath, bystanders complain because he gasps for air. In a market where Intel sets the volume and pricing to OEM's and Distributors, of course AMD is going to price relative to Intel. In a market that is open to competition, AMD will price according to its market share desires and manufacturing capacity! People who want to see lower prices need to encourage AMD to increase supply which, in turn, will precipitate a healthy level of competition!

scott

Subject: That Dell printer review

Hi,

In regards to the Dell printer review recently posted to your site, http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=24395

I'm not sure why they are so pleased with it.

You can buy a Samsung ML-1740 Laser Printer, for $70 (including shipping) after a $60 Samsung 'mail in rebate' from Newegg.com right now. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16828112022

This model dose have Linux drivers, PPC drivers, and a parallel port. It is faster, holds more paper (250 sheets instead of 150) http://product.samsung.com/cgi-bin/nabc/product/b2c_product_detail.jsp?eUser =&prod_id=ML-1740%2fXAA&selTab=Specifications

Dell also charges an additional $29 for a 1 year warranty, which is standard on the printer from Samsung.

Essentially the Dell p1100 costs as much as the Samsung ml-1740, yet Samsung eventually gives you $60 back, which you can use to buy their $65 ink refill someday...

In light of all this, just how is this product supposed to be a "fantastic value" ??? Did Dell pay those guys at BIOS magazine for this 'review'?

Just wondering....

I love your site, thanks for all the news :)

Robert

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