The search engine specialists have been the subject of a fair bit of attention over recent days but this story takes the cake for sure. US men's magazine 'Perfect 10' is suing Google, claiming that the company is not really performing a search service at all. Instead, they claim, Google is continually breaching their copyright by copying, displaying and distributing the magazine's copyrighted images, and earning advertising revenue from doing so.
Talk about tunnel vision!
Full report is here.
My work role has me providing assistance to the 'average person' day after day. People from the most naive of beginners to the IT prefessionals. I've never come across anyone who has concluded that Windows Update is 'Spyware'.
That's pedantic and misleading. Update services are neither 'malicious' nor intended to subvert operation for the benefit of a third party. They don't fit the definition given at all.
A good working definition would be that which comes from Wikipedia:
Spyware is a broad category of malicious software intended to intercept or take partial control of a computer's operation without the user's informed consent. While the term taken literally suggests software that surreptitiously monitors the user, it has come to refer more broadly to software that subverts the computer's operation for the benefit of a third party.
Spyware differs from viruses and worms in that it does not usually self-replicate. Like many recent viruses, spyware is designed to exploit infected computers for commercial gain. Typical tactics furthering this goal include delivery of unsolicited pop-up advertisements; theft of personal information (including financial information such as credit card numbers); monitoring of Web-browsing activity for marketing purposes; or routing of HTTP requests to advertising sites.
Clearly that definition precludes such things as spell-checkers and Update services.
Glad to hear that you're skeptical of 'survey' results. As a person trained in the creation, application and analysis of survey research I'm all to well aware that you should be. But the contention that "polls asking which browser is in use are usually responded to only by people using alternate browsers, at least those will respond in far higher numbers." is a difficult one to support. People click on those little polls simply because they are people who click on little polls.
oops! Apologies for the typos in that. Unfortunately there's no 'Edit' button for added comments :(
Oh goodness. There are some incorrect assumptions in that effort!
can't you post one thing without your Microsoft hatred showing through?
I'm a Windows user, I write about Windows systems for a living, I use mostly Microsoft products, I adviocate the use of built-in features such as the 'Camera and Scanner Wizard' and the 'CD burning Wizard' for preference over commercial software in most instances. There's no 'Microsoft hatred' involved in acknowledging that one particular piece of the software bundled is somewhat flawed.
If people don't use P2P software to download pirated music, movies, and software, and don't go around to hacker sites and such, they're unlikely to ever get spyware if they're also careful to not install every piece of crap they get sent over email or download somewhere (which a strict policy and education would help ensure).
the nastier and more extreme intruders are usually acquired in that fashion, but the vast majority of unwanted intruders are simple bandwidth leeching annoyances which get installed simply by viewing websites with systems which are not adequately secured. And the majority of systems sitting on Corporate desktops are just that - default installs, basically!
Your assumption that "every machine using IE is infested with spyware" would only hold ground if every website in existence tried to install spyware on your machine, something that's blatantly false.
Bung a default install of XP Pro on a system. Install all the 'security' updates. Then browse the web for a week, avoiding porn sites, …
err... uummm......
People, how could you NOT agree with the statistic. Basically, every system which uses Internet Explorer for web browsing has spyware on it, no matter how stringent the security protection has been. Almost every system which uses Internet Explorer for web browsing does not also have adequate spyware detection, removal, and real-time protection installed and operating.
Since about 80% of desktop systems use Internet Explorer for web browsing, the figure is a natural one to expect.
Another little 'fact and figure' bit of info to consider:
I regularly access numerous technical websites during the course of my work as an IT journalist. On most websites where ordinary PC users who are knowledgeable enough to seek assistance with correcting their own PC-related problems visit, you find poll results consistently demonstrate a better than 50% Firefox usage. On the more 'professional' help sites, where Corporate users and people from 'professions' seeks assistance, you consistently find that the level of Internet Explorer usage is higher. I'm sorry, I haven't got any 'facts and figures' published studies to back up that claim - it's been derived from my observations over time.
But Internet Explorer = Inevitable spyware infestaion.
In my opinion, Christian neglected to include the most important tip of all:
* If the PC is to be used for web browsing, install a suitable alternative web browser and set it as default. Insist on its usage for all website access other than that which …
Indexing only continues whilst the computer is idle. The indexing process is halted whilst you use the PC, and then resumes after the PC has again been idle for a period.
" In only two days, the company has already completely reshaped the IT community’s perspective of the company. ‘Tis amazing." writes DaniWeb 'newsie' Danny. Does that mean we should flock to use the new products? Perhaps not.
I've been trialling the Version 2 (beta) of Google Desktop for a couple of days now, and I must admit I'm very impressed. The system I'm using it on is filled to the gills with documents, utility programs, and goodness knows what else. With the system now fully indexed, retrieving what I want is only a second or two away. Type the name of a program into the search box and up pops the program icon. Type in the model number of a motherboard and up pops the PDF manual if I have it. The possibilities are amazing indeed.
I just now shed a few tears, because after I'd typed the word 'camping' into the search box to test image searching, I was confronted with an unfamiliar filename, and a lovely photograph of, playing in the sand, my little grandaughter who passed away a couple of years back. The picture must have been sent to me at around that time, and since lost in a jumble of backed up and restored images, because I didn't recall even seeing it before!
But let's not get carried away with the marvelling, shall we? There is most certainly a 'downside'.
Do not install this on a multi-user system …
That's a very important point, tgreer. The Google Desktop Search sidebar isn't a side panel on the desk top, but instead a side panel of the desktop. Minimise all open applications and it's still there!
In my article Is Google the Good Guy? I've addressed such concerns. The recently released Google tools aren't really being positioned as 'Applications' but instead as fundamental facets of the way we work with our systems.
I'm not so sure that these are 'application user interface' issues which will be 'ironed out' when the products get beyond Beta.
Took a while to cataloge everything on this PC and I'm damned impressed with the functionality it adds. Don't want to wade through reams of email messages looking for the job instruction the boss sent you a month ago?
Got it in a couple of seconds!
Don't want to wade through the program menu for that system utility you installed and only use every once in a while?
Type the name in the search box and click on the program icon!
Expecting a message to come in and want to attend to it as soon as it arrives?
Flick your eye toward the 'email' section of the Sidebar and you can keep track of what's coming in as you work!
"Google is fundamentally a search and advertising company"
Let's call that 'information distribution' shall we? The internet is a medium of information delivery. There's not much doubt, unless you're the world's greatest skeptic, that Google and Microsoft are currently engaged in a pretty serious battle for 'control' of the internet.
"The search technology really freaks me out."
Yep, it's a tad scary all right, but I'm trialling it at present and I have to say I'm impressed. I've lots and lots of data stored here, which often needs to be found, referenced, consulted or whatever else, and I'd have to admit that this search tool beats hunting for it with time honoured techniques! I've never found it easier to consult data that I just KNEW I had somewhere or other!
Online, the 'First Amendment' needs to be exceeded and, if necessary, abandoned. The internet is NOT the USA!
(There ya go, benna, that was an example of capitalisation used for emphasis :))
The internet is a global medium, not a local medium. Local laws and standards do not justifiably apply in regard to what is 'decent' and 'acceptable' in internet communication. A site such as this one, for example, has a global audience. To many, many people about the globe, the '1st amendment' is not really a protection of 'freedom' but rather an excuse to justify the expression of hatreds, intolerances and self-interest. To many people around the globe, the notion of 'responsibilities' is far more important and over-riding than the notion of 'rights'.
The employee/company example mentioned above is a clear example of how rights and responsibilities have not been balanced out. The employees in question have not 'exercised free speech' - they've exceeded that and instead engaged in intentionally destructive behaviour. If local laws prohibited the Company from taking action in such circumstances then it would be a clearcut case of "the law is an ass". Freedom of Speech should not extend to the point where it allows harm to be caused without redress!
P.S. These blogs might not have the full editing control set provided, but php tags still work in them. Should someone wish to italicise for emphasis, for example, simply wrap the term in [ i ] [ /i …
“Can I have that in English, please? could well have been the reaction of those pondering a dual-core processor purchase on reading my previous article. In this follow-up we’ll explore a bit more closely the situation confronting programmers when dual or multi-core processors are introduced into desktop PCs.
My previous article, Multicore processors: Tomorrow or Today? attracted a number of bemused comments. I’ll address some of those first, before continuing on with discussion of programming for multi-core processors.
Clarifying the Queries
Thanks to forum members jwenting and benna for their interesting feedback to the earlier article. Their comments raise the following considerations:
“ It may be that GPU's are being developed faster than single core CPUs, but Moore's law continues to apply, and CPU speed continues to increase. The chip makers have no hit any brick wall, and I'm not sure where you got the idea that they did.
No, I’m sorry to say that it doesn’t. Intel ceased further development of its Pentium 4 core short of the 4GHz level for good reason.
It wasn’t achievable. Current and future developments are focused on adding ‘features’ and adding extra cores to the processor, in order that the unit can perform more work. AMD have pulled up with the AthlonFX 57 processor, for the same reason. Advances slowed to a crawl when the 3Ghz or equivalent performance level was reached, and have now stopped altogether. We may see, in the future, …
It's only intended to depict one side of the story, jwenting. The article specifically mentions and is discussing desktop PCs. That is the market toward which dual-core processors are currently being promoted. Ordinary, everyday desktop PCs.
For workstation and server applications, dual and multi-core processors are already relevent, and serve the same purpose as dual and multi processor systems have done for quite some time, as you have said.
Multi-core processors have virtually no applicability to gaming systems. They currently have only very marginal applicability to desktop PCs used for everyday applications use. There's no doubt that they have the potential to impact greatly in that area, and the concerns held are that the necessary development in programming skills is not happening quickly enough.
Since the Electronic Entertainment Expo held in May this year we’ve heard increasing levels of concern about the capabilities of multi-cored processors to be included in soon to be released game consoles. Now PC hardware developers are raising concerns about the multi-cored processors included in desktop PCs. Software developers simply do not know how to take advantage of them is the claim!
Well known games developer identities such as Gabe Newel and John Carmack have been loud in expressing their concerns about multicore processor technology and for good reason. Graphics processor technology has already outstripped central processor technology and is left waiting for the train. The PowerPC based processors in upcoming games consoles are limited in their capacity to process data such as AI and physics fast enough to supply the graphics circuitry with what it is capable of handling. The learning curve for game developers who want to extract the full potential from the processors in these systems is very steep, and the concern is that by the time the systems can be fully exploited they will already have become redundant.
On the desktop PC side of the auditorium, hardware manufacturers such as Nvidia are beginning to express similar concerns. High end display cards for PCs have already gone well beyond the point where PC processors can keep up with them. All high end modern 3D graphics cards are limited by the CPU and there’s not much light on the horizon. Single core development has …
For many people, the trend in desk décor recently has been to reclaim the desk space. Flat panel monitors and small form factor cases or the placement of the system unit down off the desk top has given us room to spread all the paper computers were intended to eliminate.
But it seems the change might have come at a cost. We seek to express our individuality, after all, and when the PC isn’t there to show off out classy taste in design there’s not much left to work with. Never fear, hardware manufacturers are intent on helping out. Recent designs in computer keyboards seem to be seeking the ‘WOW!’ factor
We’ve had all sorts of keyboards in the past, of course. We’ve seen reduced keyset models, expanded keyset models, keysets for internet use, keysets for office use and keysets for multimedia use. We’ve seen keys placed in funny positions designed to eliminate RSI and even rubberized roll-uppable keypads that we can put in our pocket and take with us!
But, as always, it seems that gamers have started the rot!
First there was Z-Board which introduced a modular keyboard with replaceable keysets designed for use with specific game titles. Doom3 anyone, or perhaps World of Warcraft?
[img] http://www.zboard.com/us/products/local_assets/wow1_board.gif[/img][img] http://www.zboard.com/us/products/local_assets/doom3_board.jpg[/img]
More recently, an outfit called Wolfclaw have released a new design in keyboards which is …
It is also pertinent to point out that, according to some reports, Firefox has recently lost ground to Internet Explorer and Opera for the first time in a long while.
In my previous article on this topic I made mention that....
Undue violence and gore in video games is of course a worthy topic of debate. But that debate MUST be conducted in a mature and considered fashion. There is no evidence whatsoever which conclusively demonstrates that video games corrupt young people and cause violent acts, much as you might hear claims to the contrary. In fact, the bulk of evidence suggests that video games do not cause violence. If it is considered that not enough parental guidance is given to kids playing video games then that is no reason to deny people across the board the video game content they want. Surely, instead, it is a reason for increased education about parental responsibility!
It is unfortunate that much of the recent debate has concentrated on sexual content in games rather than the increasingly realistic violence to be found in some games which are targeted towards younger gamers. It is unfortunate that much of public opinion is influenced by the sensationalist snippets of comment to be heard in the mass media from high profile commentators. But let’s also not forget that underlying those sensationalist comments is a thread of argument which is very real and very valid. Some game developers DO make a questionable income from feeding questionable content to kids! Games most certainly do not CAUSE violent acts, but games can certainly CONTRIBUTE to them!
Gamers are complaining loudly about the infringements on their …
Great article, Danny. Well written to the point of being the best article about this item of news I've read.
Surely, mmiikkee, it was since they got him to sign an agreement stating that if he left their employment he would not work elsewhere on similar software technology for whatever period of time was stipulated.
Honouring the contracts you agree to is also part of being a 'free country', is it not? Unless it can be demonstrated that the contract itself was unlawful, I can't see why the fellow wouldn't be bound by it.
My apologies. Should've included it in the article but the temporary restraining order, apparently, is only in effect until about September.
I don't think there is any intention to try and stop the fellow from performing similar work on a permanent basis, only for a sufficient period of time to ensure that a competitor cannot benefit from the work done on behalf of Microsoft.
The battles between Microsoft and Google have been widely discussed, and recently hit the courts again when Microsoft claimed that Google had unlawfully lured Kai-Fu Lee to work for them. The defection, Microsoft claimed, was in violation of a ‘non-compete’ clause which was included in Lee’s contract with Microsoft. Superior court judge Steven Gonzalez agreed, to the extent of granting a temporary restraining order prohibiting Lee from performing similar work to that which he was formerly doing at Microsoft. No similar products, services or projects, including Internet and desktop search tools.
Microsoft now claims that it has found a document in the Recycle Bin of Lee’s computer which indicates that Google and Lee had foreseen potential litigation, and clearly understood that the contract with Microsoft was being violated.
According to news.com:
The document Microsoft said it found in Lee's recycle bin states that should the software maker prevent Lee from working at both Microsoft and Google because of a noncompete clause, Google will place him on a paid leave of absence or give him a consulting job for up to a year.
Rockstar Games has released a game patch to counter the problemattic 'Hot Coffee' mod which landed them in hot water!
The version 1.01 patch not only corrects a few game bugs, it also adds display options to suit its use on HD display devices and completely disables the 'locked' offensive content which recently led to the game being banned from sale in many places about the globe.
I don't know about you, but to me that kinda sounds like the little boy with his finger in the dyke! There were millions of copies of the game sold, and most of them in games console versions rather than the PC version to which this patch applies. I hope Rockstar Games doesn't consider that this move 'fixes' the problem.
Only a couple of weeks have passed since Microsoft announced that its 'Windows Genuine Advantage' program had been put in place and was in effect. Already, Microsoft has bowed to the pressure of 'hackers' and admitted it is shirt of adequacy.
According to a statement made to the Fairfax Corporation, it's 'back to the drawing board' for WGA!
Several 'hacks' available on the internet make bypassing the legitimacy checks a quite simple procedure, apparently!
Hardware development is starting to throw up new technologies to us as the arrival of Windows Vista draws closer. The next ‘shake-up’ is in the area of integrated graphics.
High definition media content is the spur, and current solutions simply don’t handle it. Only a small number of high end, expensive display cards claim to be capable of the technology. Nvidia has been developing an integrated chipset which has high definition clearly in its sights.
The C51PV chipset was first demonstrated earlier this year, and will provide a graphics core similar to the 6200TC display cards. The difference is that the C51PV chipset will also encode/decode high definition content using the H.264 codec. The encoding/decoding is highly demanding on computer processors, and needs hardware graphics assistance to be successfully handled on a PC. Currently no personal computer CPU handles it adequately. To successfully play full high definition media content (720p) you’d need a dual Xeon 2.8GHz or better. To play full high definition content adeauately (1080p) you need a dual 2GHz PowerMac G5 or better.
Graphics circuitry will need to take the load off the processor in future, and the quality of onboard video solutions is going to need to accommodate the technology. We can expect to see new chipsets from IBM and ATi in upcoming months, so keep an eye out for them.
Has the next major upheaval in PC hardware reared it’s head?
Every once in a long while, a new type of component arrives which dramatically changes how we consider our computers. The development of components such as video capture cards and TV tuners have added functionality, but that functionality is very much task oriented. Such add-ins don’t really change the way we work with out PCs – they simply add an extra function for those who need it.
The most recent really major change in PC hardware came with the introduction of 3D acceleration. Manufacturers of the first 3D acceleration cards had a difficult task in front of them to convince people that their product was needed, and for quite some time afterwards 3D cards were almost solely used for gaming. But over time other uses have been accepted, and nowadays for any desktop computer other than those used for the most basic of tasks it would be unthinkable not to have 3D display capability included. We are now confronting the likelihood of everyday computing where everything on the system becomes a 3D object.
Several months back now we started to hear more and more mention of the development of what just may prove to be the next ‘biggie’ in hardware development. A company called AGEIA has been readying what is the world’s first dedicated physics processing card. Very soon now, they will be available in retail.
Dedicated physics processing cards take …
Several days back I had a look at some of the forward looking aspects of the upcoming Windows Vista and made mention of Digital Rights Management. The protection of encoded media content is a consideration which will increasingly have implications for hardware as well as for software, and it seems that we will need to look beyond the components in the PC case when planning future upgrades.
Up until now, it has been common for people to retain their favoured PC monitors far longer than they do other parts of their PC systems. Purchasing a high quality monitor is an investment which can last you through several system upgrades, and this has been a path many have chosen to follow. But those wishing to take advantage of the high quality, high definition media content which will soon be available widely will need to consider replacing that much loved possession.
Microsoft have outlined Output Content Protection features of Windows Vista, and they include what is called Protected Video Path – Output Protection Management. This is a software technology which interacts with hardware to ensure that the display hardware is capable of decoding the content protection used in media distribution. It is also a software technology which demands that computer hardware falls into line with features included in consumer electronics devices such as the more recent DVD players and Television sets.
Simply put, in future if you want to use the …
“I have seen the future, and the future is………
No, not Baha’I, as famous science fiction editor John W. Campbell wrote all those years ago. In fact nothing startlingly amazing at all. I’m simply dreaming of my own next upgrade!
A few days ago I mentioned that AMD was releasing a new entry level dual core processor, and described it as a “welcome new entry to the processor battles. In the ensuing days, numerous specialist hardware sites have got their hands on the X2 3800+, and the reviews and tests emerging are interesting indeed. Let me summarise what I’ve seen for you:
• The X2 3800+ absolutely ‘spanks’ the Intel entry level Pentium D 820, which is priced considerably lower.
• The X2 3800+ outperforms the competitively priced Pentium D 830 in almost all tasks.
• The X2 3800+ provides more than adequate single-threaded performance, whilst outperforming the best and most expensive single cored processors in multi-threaded performance.
• Early days, of course, but the review samples tested suggest that the X2 3800+ could be an overclockers ‘dream’, reaching levels of performance approaching those of the X2 4800+ on stick air cooling.
Until now I’ve recommended the less expensive single cored processors for anything but heavy-duty multi-threaded computing. The entry level dual-core processors were simply too much of a trade-off, or the entry price simply too high. But it certainly looks like the climate has changed. With …
With the ‘Hot Coffeegate’ scandal video game censorship has hit front page. Diversity in video games is under threat from such ‘notables’ as Hilary Clinton and the outspoken Jack Thompson, who happily disregards the fact that most of the nonsense he spouts has been disproven by numerous studies. Whilst I’d be the last person to promote ‘open slather’ for content distribution, and am a firm believer in censorship ratings, I think the current debate is way out of hand and fast becoming a dangerous threat to a facet of computing which is of importance to all of us.
Let’s face it, love them or hate them PC games provide an impetus for hardware development that is unmatched by any other form of programming which has the home market in mind. Thanks to PC gaming we have affordable high performance 3D graphics capability in the average PC. If we are to address issues of concern about the content of video games, it is in all our interests to ensure that any debate is conducted in a sensible and informed manner, and not allowed to become a kneejerk sensationalist quest for public popularity which threatens the existence of such a productive area of activity.
‘Hot Coffeegate’ erupted when popular title “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was found to contain ‘hidden’ content with explicit sexual overtones. Perhaps intentional, perhaps inadvertent, but code was left in the released product which was easily ‘unlocked’ with a tweak or two, …
The next generation of game consoles are shaping up to become a battleground between competing technologies of high capacity high definition DVD standards.
The support of Sony for Blu-Ray technology in its upcoming Playstation 3 has been widely discussed. Bill Gates has now officially announced that the soon to be available Xbox360 will use the competing HD-DVD format, although the initial batches of the console sold at launch will contain standard DVD-ROM drives. Xbox360 is due for release this Christmas, and with the Playstation 3 due some time during 2006 Microsoft and Sony have indeed engaged in battle to determine the next standard in optical storage. With a storage capacity of 15Gb per layer, HD-DVD has been endorsed by the DVD Forum as the upcoming standard. Although a member of the forum, Sony has never submitted its Blu-Ray standard for consideration. Blu-Ray has a storage capacity of 25Gb per layer, and both technologies include multi-layer capability.
Sony has the immense Playstation user base behind it, but Microsoft is positioning its new console as a multi-purpose home entertainment device to an extent not previously seen. The battle is shaping up to be a quite entertaining one indeed.
On the games front, at the Xbox summit held in Japan a large number of game titles from most of the major Japanese developers and publishers were unveiled. There will no doubt be a much broader range of titles made available for this version of …
Interesting comments, jwenting, but I must reflect that I'm not actually claiming that "major change to the user interface would be unacceptable from a usability point of view."
I'd envisage the move to a 3D desktop to be a very beneficial thing which should lead to a new way of conceptualising the work we perform on PCs which is far more akin to what we do in the physical world. Files etc can be 'stacks' of objects, and program windows we are working on can be 'tucked away' out of the road for a time while we're working on something else. There are all sorts of possibilities which a 3D interface introduces to us, and which can make working on a PC much more intutive.
John C. Dvorak has a vision and I suspect it may be myopic. Over at Ziff-Davis’s PCMag, the renowned John C. Dvorak has witnessed Windows Vista’s arrival as an almighty dull thud, and sees recent events as a potential portent of the demise of the mighty Microsoft.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1840480,00.asp
Windows Vista is a hollow shell of what it should have been he considers, and the omission of the previously discussed Windows File system the empty space in that shell. With Apple’s move to the x86 platform future versions of its OS may reign supreme, according to John’s prediction, and become dominant on desktops. In the server world, John suggests, the freeware LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, Perl) will become dominant and relegate Windows Server OS, ASP, IIS and .NET to the role of ‘bit players’. Google will become the dominant force of the Internet, and the provider of online applications for us to use. Microsoft, he suggests, is destined to retreat to being merely the provider of Office applications software and a gaming console.
What are we to think of such predictions?
This writer for one is unconvinced. Whilst I wouldn’t suggest that every facet of what John has predicted is a nonsensical fantasy, I’d consider that the scenario he envisages is quite some way off, in a future where standalone PCs have been replaced by terminals in the home and office, and where improved communication systems enable us to have our computing needs served …
Microsoft's much talked about Windows Genuine Advantage scheme is now in place and active. Windows users who download updates from Microsoft now need to undergo verification checks in order to get the downloads. The only exception are Windows security updates, which will still be distributed regardless.
The verification checks will effect downloads from Windows Update, Microsoft Update and Microsoft Downloads sites, and as well as Windows itself will impact on updates to such software as Windows Media Player, DirectX and the new Microsoft Anti-Spyware program.
Those people who have inadvertantly purchased a copy of Windows which is not legitimate will be able to obtain a legitimate copy free of charge by providing proof of purchase and the counterfeit CD to Microsoft, and also submitting a piracy report. Those people unable to provide proof of purchase may purchase a valid license key for their copy of Windows at a heavily discounted price by submitting a piracy report.
Microsoft has led the way by clearly stating that its operating systems will definitely be licensed on a 'per processor' basis rather than on a 'per core' basis. It is going to be up to software vendors to follow that lead. I'd rather suspect that software developers who do not not make their programs reflect the changing state of the PC hardware world will fall by the wayside in the face of pressure from their customers.
The appearance, in some online store catalogues, of the dual-core Athlon X2 3800+ processor marks a welcome new entry to the processor battles. Although not yet officially announced, the X2 3800+ is expected to have a clockspeed of 2.0Ghz and to have 2x512Kb level 2 cache. Expect it to retail for around $US350, which is about 60% of the cost of the previous low end Athlon64 X2.
With performance which exceeeds that of comparable Pentium dual-core processors, the Athlon64 X2 series has also been priced more highly. Expect to see some serious competition ahead for the entry level Pentium D 820 and 830 processors.
Dual-core processors, of course, are not the best option for all purposes. Those people who run single threaded applications such as 3D games will get no benefit, as dual-core processors generally offer lower performance in single core applications. Top of the range X2 4800+ for example only matches the single thread performance of the Athlon64 4000+. Those people running applications programs which can take advantage of multithreading, however, have much to smile about.
Edit:
AMD has now confirmed the availability of this entry level dual-core processor
I suspect the default user name and password will be ADMIN
It should be mentioned in the user manual, which can be downloaded from the manufacturer website if you don't have it. I don't use Netgear equipment myself, and never saved a copy of the manual when I downloaded it to provide the information above, unfortunately.
Any blog whatsoever can be featured as news. That happens for individual blog entries, not for the entire blog as an automatic process. I (and others) read all blog entries posted, and constantly live in hope that articles appear for which we can click on the 'Edit' button and change the 'Feature as news?' control to 'Yes'.
We're looking for well written articles which are focussed on IT/Technology news and developments, and when they appear they most certainly will be featured on front page. We're not looking for brief entries of only a few lines, or for lengthy pieces which have been copy/pasted from elsewhere. Original articles which have inspired original pieces here should be duly linked and credited, of course, but we're looking for people to write up their own explanations and interpretations of the subject matter.
Great news! Congratulations on the success. It's a situation that a lot of other people haven't been fortunate enough to recover from!
If that old hard drive has Windows XP on it your problem will be because Windows XP does not allow you to 'move' a working installation from one system to another in this way. There is no 'official' procedure by which you can successfully migrate a working XP installation from one machine to another, and the various 'unofficial' guides to doing the job are only sometimes successful.
The correct procedures when changing to a new system (an upgrade of the motherboard is the same thing as a new system) is to format the hard drive and install Windows XP fresh and clean again.
....i connected everything ....
That's probably part of the problem right there.
Please follow the instructions in this topic, and then report back to let us know if it works in 'barebones' configuration or indeed if you've been able to isolate the source of the problem:
Not necessarily correct that a mobile chip will be recognised by the system BIOS on your motherboard. It may have similar architecture but it has different ID, and it'd be 'pot luck' if your board recognised it or not.
Work through the 'Read this first' sticky in this topic, however. Until you try it as a 'barebones' system you really can't be sure if it's the processor or something else causing the boot failure.
Whilst I'd agree that this doesn't sound too promising, I wouldn't go 'trashing' a laptop without first ensuring that it was, indeed, 'dead' and not simply experiencing some small problem.
I'm afraid that you haven't provided enough clarity of detail about the make and model of your laptop for anyone here to adequately provide detailed instructions. "Shopping network" doesn't tell me much, and whilst Google tells me that "Northgate laptop" seems to be a long persevering brand in the US at least, it's not one I've ever come across elsewhere, nor can I seem to locate a manufacturer website. Perhaps it's a 'rebadged' line which is actually another manufacturers product?
Anyways, it'd be best to pay a service fee for a local PC store technician to have a look at it for you and advise you what may or may not be wrong with it.
Should you be able to give clearer identification about the make and model of your laptop, then more detailed assistance may be possible from here.
And yet another person adds the same information that's already been mentioned several times, right after I've just asked for that not to happen!
Thread closed!
If anyone has any new and relevent comment to add, please PM me and I'll consider reopening the thread for them.
Dani's Beautiful?
Moving this to the 'Browsers' section so that it can receive assistance.
It's an ID code for the disc used to install Windows on the machine. It's not the "CD key" which you have to enter during the installation, but it IS a unique ID 'name' for the specific install disc that you have.
In other words, it's a publically viewable unique ID for your Windows installation.
Agreed. The absolute WORST place to get hardware device drivers is from Microsoft. If the 'newest drivers' have been sourced from Microsoft rather than from the hardware manufacturer, then that could well explain the problem.
If securing your PC while you're away from it is the goal, then you're approaching the problem from the wrong direction.
In display properties - screensaver you can set a password so that the PC can't be used by anyone else but the person who knows the password once the screensaver has kcked in ;)
