It appears the Pentium family is going to go 64. Interesting, I mean 64 has worked well for Apple and AMD, poorly for Nintendo and has had mixed results for Intel thus far. The Xeon processors have been fairly well received but the 64-bit Itanium processor has been received like tight fitting underwear made from burlap at a herpes convention. The real question is: Will anyone care?
Well it will seem like everyone cares. You’ll stumble over benchmarks with every click and breathless raves about the amount of memory the chip can address. After a time you’ll start to see pieces written up about how the chip isn’t really any faster for most tasks followed by opinions that the 64 bit monster is just not really worth the extra expense. When your reading these pieces keep one thing in mind: These things are written by and generally aimed at the very computer literate among us. Sure 64 bitness means something to folks who (honestly) spend way too much time in front of a computer but to the average Joe 64 bits means nothing.
When I say 64 bits means nothing I mean it in two ways. Way the one: 64 bit means a more powerful computer to computer users who know their stuff. To the average computer user 64 bit means it is twice as much as 32 bit. They don’t understand the 4GB ceiling of 32 bit computers but they do understand that 64>32. And that is it. Way the two: 64 bit really means nothing to most folks if you look at they way they use a computer. Most people type e-mails, surf the web and disinfect their hard drive (It’s true, most folks don’t use a Mac). And that is about it. They may occasionally fire up the old spreadsheet and try to balance the checkbook or muck about in an image-editing program but most users really don’t tax the processor to any real extent.
Of course actually meaning nothing and having folks realize it means nothing are two entirely separate things. Again we have two reasons for this: First everyone, FREAKING EVERYONE, thinks they need to buy the fastest computer possible. It is easy to see yourself as a power user even if you’re not and easy to want the most computer you can afford even if it is more than you need. The logic is simple, buying the most computer you can afford means your investment lasts longer and everyone thinks they are a cut above the masses. The first notion may have some merit but the second thought is entirely specious.
Personal finances and narcissism aside the average guy will still be drooling for 64 bit Pentium. Why? It’s in the marketing. For years people have been told time and time again that bigger is necessarily better. And no matter how you look at it 64 is twice as big as 32. It won’t dawn on most folks that bigger isn’t always better. You can argue with them up and down and tell them they don’t need 64 bit processing, that it is cost prohibitive to slap 8 GB in a computer etc but they won’t buy it for a second. No they’ll want the 64 bit Pentium fun for no other reason than the “What if” factor. What if the price on memory plummets? What if they suddenly need to do 3D modeling? They’ll think of a million reasons. Sure it’s a ridiculous argument but it is effective marketing. What percentage of Hummers shiny and pure do you see rolling around? Was your answer 100%? That’s odd, I mean those things are off road vehicles right? They should be scratched and dented when used as intended but bigger is better and all. In short most people will be as well served by sticking with the current P4 (and G4).
Well I guess that is a bit too much opining and not enough linking. Cause linking is good, writing off the top of my head is bad.
gardentricks
Funny and short video. It features a nice use of sound effects and bad use of audio recording. A mistake you could avoid by purchasing: iMovie on the Cheap. A well written book worth every penny.
Game of the moment:
The Set daily Puzzle
Beth finds all the good games. Beth rocks.
Excellent movie trailer:
Peasant’s Quest: The Movie
Hey, it has Trogdor!
Hello Kitty message of the day:
Hello Kitty Says Me Jealous of Seibold In Pretty Dress
I won’t lie to you, I’ve got no idea idea what that means. Pretty dress? It makes no sense at all. Generally I dress for comfort, not for fashion. Though I do like to feel pretty every so often. Perhaps it was that sea foam ensemble I wore a few weeks back…
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