Yahgo
Sep 7, 10:13 AM
There has been a lot said here and elsewhere on what Apple is going to release. But let�s step back and look at the big picture for a moment and think through this process.
What we know:
1. Apple maintains the largest online movie trailer site on the internet. They have the technology to stream data in HD and they just bought a level 4 data center in March this year to storage an enormous amount of data. (I�ll get to this later)
2. HD downloads are enormous and storing them on your hard disk would fill up the disk in no time. So keeping the file for long periods of time is not an option.
3. Apple sells more laptops then desktops and laptops have a smaller hard drive with limited capacity, no one wants an external hd to carry along with their laptop, it would defeat the purpose of being portable.
4. Apple doesn�t make money on downloads, but selling the product that it runs on.
5. iPods screens are too small to watch full length movies on, and their disk space is too limited for movies (iPod nano outsells the video iPod)
6. FrontRow is made for displaying on the TV, not a computer monitor.
7. People WILL NOT PAY $9.99 or $14.99 for a download of a movie, even with a burn option. DVDs can be bought at Wal-Mart or BestBuy for the same price and you get the cover and quality you want and deserve. ( I know a few mac fans will go out and buy whatever Apple puts out, but thinking of an average person )
8. Steve Jobs said in an interview that most people only watch live action movies 1 or 2 times with the exception of animation, but music they listen to over and over again. And he hates variable pricing for content.
So what does all this mean? I think we will see on Sept 12th a streaming rental service that runs off a new media device made to hook up to your TV and runs FrontRow with Showtime as a feature on it that looks a lot like the Movie Trailer section on FrontRow today, where you see the cover designs of the movie instead of a text. (Think about when you go to Blockbuster and all you see is cover designs, and a description on the back) With this service you will be able to see the cover design, the rating, run time, the description and preview a trailer of the movie. Then if you want you can �rent� it for $2.99. After watching the movie, the content is deleted; this would work a lot like pay-per-view. For music and photos, this device will wirelessly connect to your computer to stream music from iTunes and photos from iPhoto. The device will probably sell for around $149 - $299, depending on what it can do.
But who knows� I�m probably completing wrong and Apple will release a download movie site, charge $9.99 for a movie download that around 600 MB per download and take 2 hours to download and release an airport express with video output and charge $129 for it.
What we know:
1. Apple maintains the largest online movie trailer site on the internet. They have the technology to stream data in HD and they just bought a level 4 data center in March this year to storage an enormous amount of data. (I�ll get to this later)
2. HD downloads are enormous and storing them on your hard disk would fill up the disk in no time. So keeping the file for long periods of time is not an option.
3. Apple sells more laptops then desktops and laptops have a smaller hard drive with limited capacity, no one wants an external hd to carry along with their laptop, it would defeat the purpose of being portable.
4. Apple doesn�t make money on downloads, but selling the product that it runs on.
5. iPods screens are too small to watch full length movies on, and their disk space is too limited for movies (iPod nano outsells the video iPod)
6. FrontRow is made for displaying on the TV, not a computer monitor.
7. People WILL NOT PAY $9.99 or $14.99 for a download of a movie, even with a burn option. DVDs can be bought at Wal-Mart or BestBuy for the same price and you get the cover and quality you want and deserve. ( I know a few mac fans will go out and buy whatever Apple puts out, but thinking of an average person )
8. Steve Jobs said in an interview that most people only watch live action movies 1 or 2 times with the exception of animation, but music they listen to over and over again. And he hates variable pricing for content.
So what does all this mean? I think we will see on Sept 12th a streaming rental service that runs off a new media device made to hook up to your TV and runs FrontRow with Showtime as a feature on it that looks a lot like the Movie Trailer section on FrontRow today, where you see the cover designs of the movie instead of a text. (Think about when you go to Blockbuster and all you see is cover designs, and a description on the back) With this service you will be able to see the cover design, the rating, run time, the description and preview a trailer of the movie. Then if you want you can �rent� it for $2.99. After watching the movie, the content is deleted; this would work a lot like pay-per-view. For music and photos, this device will wirelessly connect to your computer to stream music from iTunes and photos from iPhoto. The device will probably sell for around $149 - $299, depending on what it can do.
But who knows� I�m probably completing wrong and Apple will release a download movie site, charge $9.99 for a movie download that around 600 MB per download and take 2 hours to download and release an airport express with video output and charge $129 for it.
lordonuthin
Feb 19, 06:53 PM
hey, what ppd are you averaging for you mac pro and i7?
Good question, I'm not sure at this point. Lets me see; the MP was doing a bigadv unit every ~46 hrs which would yield maybe ~25k per day, the i7 isn't doing so well with 3 gpu and win 7 on it, I would guess maybe 2k/day or less. It doesn't seem to slow down the gpu's fortunately.
I wanted to ask you about oc'ing the i7, every time I tried to bump it up it started freezing or crashing, I have a water cooler on it which seems to do a really good job. I've just left it at stock but would like to try to get it higher sometime. I don't have any experience with oc'ing as I mostly stick with mac and Linux which don't have the tools/ability for oc'ing like windows does.
Good question, I'm not sure at this point. Lets me see; the MP was doing a bigadv unit every ~46 hrs which would yield maybe ~25k per day, the i7 isn't doing so well with 3 gpu and win 7 on it, I would guess maybe 2k/day or less. It doesn't seem to slow down the gpu's fortunately.
I wanted to ask you about oc'ing the i7, every time I tried to bump it up it started freezing or crashing, I have a water cooler on it which seems to do a really good job. I've just left it at stock but would like to try to get it higher sometime. I don't have any experience with oc'ing as I mostly stick with mac and Linux which don't have the tools/ability for oc'ing like windows does.
aiqw9182
Mar 25, 09:17 AM
Why doesn't the IGP have OpenCL support?
Because the Sandy Bridge IGP was not designed to do any sort of GPGPU work, point blank. We will have to wait for Ivy Bridge(next major release from Intel after Sandy Bridge) for GPGPU/OpenCL support on Intel's IGP.
Because the Sandy Bridge IGP was not designed to do any sort of GPGPU work, point blank. We will have to wait for Ivy Bridge(next major release from Intel after Sandy Bridge) for GPGPU/OpenCL support on Intel's IGP.
MCIowaRulz
Apr 12, 09:25 PM
The ancient "rendering video..." progress bar you get to watch, which locks you out of every other function.
Annoyed the crap out of me... I edited a 1hr documentary slide show and it was a 20 minutes render on my (former) Macbook Pro i7 with 8 GB RAM.
I'm waiting patently for the iMac 2011 SB and will order the day they are available
Annoyed the crap out of me... I edited a 1hr documentary slide show and it was a 20 minutes render on my (former) Macbook Pro i7 with 8 GB RAM.
I'm waiting patently for the iMac 2011 SB and will order the day they are available
lordonuthin
Mar 5, 09:02 PM
Wirelessly posted (nokia e63: Mozilla/5.0 (SymbianOS/9.2; U; Series60/3.1 NokiaE63-1/100.21.110; Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 ) AppleWebKit/413 (KHTML, like Gecko) Safari/413)
I've got it all running and installed, but it won't start computing! Really annoying Grr ill figure it out eventually.
Is there an error code or something in the log?
I've got it all running and installed, but it won't start computing! Really annoying Grr ill figure it out eventually.
Is there an error code or something in the log?
mefck
Apr 26, 02:17 PM
An FYI to the author of the article. You do not file a "counterclaim" seeking dismissal. Counterclaims are claims or causes of action against the original filer of the lawsuit. One files a motion seeking dismissal or files an answer that indicates they will eventually seek dismissal.
rovex
Apr 19, 11:31 AM
Finally! An iMac rumor!!!!
desktops are slowly but surely dying out. Notebooks are becoming more and more powerful and even moreso portable so what will an iMac offer that MacBooks won't have? Larger screen?
desktops are slowly but surely dying out. Notebooks are becoming more and more powerful and even moreso portable so what will an iMac offer that MacBooks won't have? Larger screen?
milo
Aug 30, 07:38 AM
Those prices might not be valid anymore. And could you mention any of the reasons why anyone would use Yonah instead of Merom, if the prices are identical (more or less)?
Nobody would. But the prices likely won't stay identical - as you point out, unless intel drops yonah prices, they probably won't be able to unload their remaining yonah chips. Just because a price drop hasn't been announced yet doesn't mean it's not going to happen.
Nobody would. But the prices likely won't stay identical - as you point out, unless intel drops yonah prices, they probably won't be able to unload their remaining yonah chips. Just because a price drop hasn't been announced yet doesn't mean it's not going to happen.
mac17
Dec 18, 10:45 PM
guys i think you're being too hard on zune. play with one. it's not THAT bad. it's ugly, but the interface isn't bad at all. I don't plan on buying a zune (my ipod is fine and i'm waiting on a video pod), but it's good to have it in the marketplace for competition sake. maybe apple will actually pay attention to some of the features like the built in radio tuner which is a nobrainer...
actually it is THAT bad i played with one in a local staples and i pressed the back/menu button like 3 times in a row suddenly the thing crashes on me it kept on blinking on and off 5 or 6 times me and my freind walked away laughing after catching it on video on my phone:D :D
actually it is THAT bad i played with one in a local staples and i pressed the back/menu button like 3 times in a row suddenly the thing crashes on me it kept on blinking on and off 5 or 6 times me and my freind walked away laughing after catching it on video on my phone:D :D
Bodypainter
May 3, 04:03 AM
oh guys, don't you understand what is going on here?
the iPhone and iPad is very sucessful therefore apple wants to bring all the user interface elements to the Mac too. and this actually makes sense. the only problem: we are used to the Mac os and don't want to give up our habits.
but there is no way around: it's time to melt iOS and Mac OS x. and apple is going to bring so many things to the os x that will confuse so many people. they have to solve so many problems like deletion of programs or the fullscreen dilemma.
I am very sure that they want the Mac os to behave like iOS. but iOS is based on the home screen and this terrible multitasking bar (double-click on home button) no trashcan (oho!) and no finder.
but there is also a good side to it. maybe the iOS is getting the "widget screen" too, because if apple is totally logical, the have to introduce this too (and mission control).
(written on an iPad)
the iPhone and iPad is very sucessful therefore apple wants to bring all the user interface elements to the Mac too. and this actually makes sense. the only problem: we are used to the Mac os and don't want to give up our habits.
but there is no way around: it's time to melt iOS and Mac OS x. and apple is going to bring so many things to the os x that will confuse so many people. they have to solve so many problems like deletion of programs or the fullscreen dilemma.
I am very sure that they want the Mac os to behave like iOS. but iOS is based on the home screen and this terrible multitasking bar (double-click on home button) no trashcan (oho!) and no finder.
but there is also a good side to it. maybe the iOS is getting the "widget screen" too, because if apple is totally logical, the have to introduce this too (and mission control).
(written on an iPad)
quadgirl
Sep 1, 01:19 PM
A 23" Merom iMac. Really nice! But I was hoping for Conroe to power the next iMac series. A bit underwhelming. Isn't the Conroe supposed to have a solid performance edge over the Merom? A faster FSB and higher clockspeeds?
What to think of this? Sure, in some tests Merom performs up to 40% faster than Yonah, but in others it only shows a puny advantage. The truth is bound to be somewhere in between those claims. So, Merom performs some 20% faster than Yonah. That's nice, sure, but not exactly overwhelming.
I don't like this. Don't know why exactly...
23" I do like, though. What GPU will power that display? Hopefully an X1900, although an X1800 is more likely. What will it cost. Man, too many questions right now.
What about Merom powering the 17" and 20" iMacs, and the 23" imac being powered by Conroe?
The Merom isn't showing MASSIVE speed improvements over Yonah, but it is impressive. Impressive that is for a laptop processor. But the Conroe has(being a desktop chip) a HUGE performace gain over Merom. Check the stats and you'll see that gap between laptop and desktop speeds has widened considerably.
On the subject of Graphics, maybe Apple may move to Nvidia as Ati have been bought out by AMD.
What to think of this? Sure, in some tests Merom performs up to 40% faster than Yonah, but in others it only shows a puny advantage. The truth is bound to be somewhere in between those claims. So, Merom performs some 20% faster than Yonah. That's nice, sure, but not exactly overwhelming.
I don't like this. Don't know why exactly...
23" I do like, though. What GPU will power that display? Hopefully an X1900, although an X1800 is more likely. What will it cost. Man, too many questions right now.
What about Merom powering the 17" and 20" iMacs, and the 23" imac being powered by Conroe?
The Merom isn't showing MASSIVE speed improvements over Yonah, but it is impressive. Impressive that is for a laptop processor. But the Conroe has(being a desktop chip) a HUGE performace gain over Merom. Check the stats and you'll see that gap between laptop and desktop speeds has widened considerably.
On the subject of Graphics, maybe Apple may move to Nvidia as Ati have been bought out by AMD.
Snowcat001
Jun 22, 11:56 AM
Who wants to be touching a vertically standing screen all the time, that's tiring!
Maybe this is why we didn't see OS X 10.7 info because it might include support for this...
I was actually hoping to see a completely new mac Pro with new very high res screens and wireless trackpad.
Maybe this is why we didn't see OS X 10.7 info because it might include support for this...
I was actually hoping to see a completely new mac Pro with new very high res screens and wireless trackpad.
apb3
Aug 17, 11:49 AM
I don't really see the demand behind adding wireless functionality into the iPod. I think wireless is the buzz word right now and investment managers and industry analysts don't even know what it means.
Bluetooth headphones, if they sound good, and bluetooth syncing is the only function people might use out of this. However, most people charge as they sync, so they would need to connect the iPod to the computer anyway. Bluetooth headphones would need to be charged too, and that is a nuisance.
The only thing semi-useful out of 802.11 is sending audio to airport express. But I use my laptop for that already, so does this really add any functionality? No one I know will be typing in a 256-bit WPA key into their iPod so they can play their iPod music over their friend's airport express, either. At work, I can view and sample my coworker's library on my computer - even when they leave for lunch. And if I like it, I can buy it on iTunes right there. Again, where is the usefulness of a wireless iPod?
I can see how XM radio might be useful to many, even though it doesn't appeal to me. However, I would think Apple would want an exclusive deal if they were to offer this feature.
A man (almost - I think XM blows as compared to Sirius, seriously) after my own heart.... ;)
and so much more succinct.:D
Bluetooth headphones, if they sound good, and bluetooth syncing is the only function people might use out of this. However, most people charge as they sync, so they would need to connect the iPod to the computer anyway. Bluetooth headphones would need to be charged too, and that is a nuisance.
The only thing semi-useful out of 802.11 is sending audio to airport express. But I use my laptop for that already, so does this really add any functionality? No one I know will be typing in a 256-bit WPA key into their iPod so they can play their iPod music over their friend's airport express, either. At work, I can view and sample my coworker's library on my computer - even when they leave for lunch. And if I like it, I can buy it on iTunes right there. Again, where is the usefulness of a wireless iPod?
I can see how XM radio might be useful to many, even though it doesn't appeal to me. However, I would think Apple would want an exclusive deal if they were to offer this feature.
A man (almost - I think XM blows as compared to Sirius, seriously) after my own heart.... ;)
and so much more succinct.:D
aznguyen316
Sep 14, 03:24 PM
I was thinking that blue might look feminine but it's actually pretty slick with the black ipod. thanks for those pics.
Am still pondering the “do I or don’t I” question on a screen protector. Now that it’s glass, simple logic tells me it shouldn’t be necessary unless someone wants to begin scraping diamonds down the face....right?
I am opting for a screen protector granted it's a high quality one that won't get too scratched up quickly and needs replacing every month. The reason is my GF's 2G touch which is also made of scratch resistant scren has a couple of scratch marks on it and a very small little "dig" in the screen, like something hit it and took a small chunk of the glass with it lol. Not the iPod's fault but if I can help it then I'd prefer to have one if it's not really noticeable. I would hate to have the mini scratches.
Am still pondering the “do I or don’t I” question on a screen protector. Now that it’s glass, simple logic tells me it shouldn’t be necessary unless someone wants to begin scraping diamonds down the face....right?
I am opting for a screen protector granted it's a high quality one that won't get too scratched up quickly and needs replacing every month. The reason is my GF's 2G touch which is also made of scratch resistant scren has a couple of scratch marks on it and a very small little "dig" in the screen, like something hit it and took a small chunk of the glass with it lol. Not the iPod's fault but if I can help it then I'd prefer to have one if it's not really noticeable. I would hate to have the mini scratches.
ChazUK
Apr 26, 01:09 PM
Rovio's generic use of the word "App Store(s)" made me think about this issue when I watched the trailer with my daughter the other day.
If Apple retain the trademark, I wonder what they'll do to stop people and companies using it in this way?
If Apple retain the trademark, I wonder what they'll do to stop people and companies using it in this way?
joeboy_45101
Aug 29, 10:02 AM
Apple upgrading the Mini with Yonah processors makes the most sense. The Mini is all about being affordable; I hate it when people use the word cheap, cheap is the crap you buy at Wal-Mart the mini is not cheap. We probably won't see a Core 2 Mini until but that just fine for me because that's when the Intel GMA X3000 will be ready. Coupling a Core 2 Duo processor with a GMA X3000 will give the Mini a lot of punch.
This is how I predict the product lines will look by the end of the year:
Yonah --> Mac Mini & MacBook
Merom --> MacBook Pro
Conroe --> iMac
Xeon --> Mac Pro & Xserve
This is how I predict the product lines will look by the end of the year:
Yonah --> Mac Mini & MacBook
Merom --> MacBook Pro
Conroe --> iMac
Xeon --> Mac Pro & Xserve
Digitalclips
Mar 23, 08:40 AM
Do people seriously have that many songs?!!! seriously?!!!
220gb = 50,000 songs?!!!!! That is totally not necessary.
Apple discontinue that dinosaur! It makes you look bad to just have it on your website.
My classic is full, mix of music from my CDs (and old LPs I digitized myself) and a few audio books. I've re ripped my entire CD collection at the highest rate on my Mac but cannot re sync my iPod now as it would overflow like mad. I'd love at least 220 GB. I've wondered about trying to do it myself but decided against it as I've no idea if it would work ... I should google that! ;)
220gb = 50,000 songs?!!!!! That is totally not necessary.
Apple discontinue that dinosaur! It makes you look bad to just have it on your website.
My classic is full, mix of music from my CDs (and old LPs I digitized myself) and a few audio books. I've re ripped my entire CD collection at the highest rate on my Mac but cannot re sync my iPod now as it would overflow like mad. I'd love at least 220 GB. I've wondered about trying to do it myself but decided against it as I've no idea if it would work ... I should google that! ;)
eliamx
Sep 6, 07:35 PM
I hope hope hope that iTMovieStore becomes a super success.... and I hope that Steve will force them into a $9.99-Only model and not that stupid $14.99 hierachy..... they'll have to "submit" after it becomes super successful. haha.
now seriously, movies here in new york are a blasted $10.50-10.75!!! ridiculous. I remember like "2 weeks ago" when movies were at most 8.75, but then when Star Wars Episode 1 came out and then Episode II, AMC 25 in manhattan suddenly bumped their prices up.....each time. "Oh, cause Star Wars, we must raise prices".
And, they've kept it ever since. Movies are making huge returns, and yet we have to pay a boat-load of money.. Soon it'll be $15. And you know what, Hollywood is going to pay and so will the theater chains. I hope the online model takes over at high quality. I can see it now, I'll pay $50 for a "rental" ...i won't mind........ when i have a 54" iTunes-DRM-signed code for mass-viewing (This is the future, i think) and i'll have 10 friends over.... it'll be Theater-replacement baby!! Like boxing on PPV.... pay $50 and have 10 friends over. I'd pay.... i am talking about current releases. And, when they are 3 months old... $9.99 to buy. THank you Apple. Now, Do it!
no more distribution costs. no more manufacturing costs. lower prices. right? Not if Hollywood has their way with ridiculous $19.99 prices... HELLO!! Hello!! that's DVD prices.... for a packaged DVD......!! HELLO!!! McFly!!
This is why I'm getting into Hollywood myself. I plan to be part of the revolution. Sure I like money just like any other schmoe. But, there is something wrong with everythign right now. Especially since all movies are crap these days.... formulaic and tired. And they want to keep raising the prices!
Rant over:confused:
now seriously, movies here in new york are a blasted $10.50-10.75!!! ridiculous. I remember like "2 weeks ago" when movies were at most 8.75, but then when Star Wars Episode 1 came out and then Episode II, AMC 25 in manhattan suddenly bumped their prices up.....each time. "Oh, cause Star Wars, we must raise prices".
And, they've kept it ever since. Movies are making huge returns, and yet we have to pay a boat-load of money.. Soon it'll be $15. And you know what, Hollywood is going to pay and so will the theater chains. I hope the online model takes over at high quality. I can see it now, I'll pay $50 for a "rental" ...i won't mind........ when i have a 54" iTunes-DRM-signed code for mass-viewing (This is the future, i think) and i'll have 10 friends over.... it'll be Theater-replacement baby!! Like boxing on PPV.... pay $50 and have 10 friends over. I'd pay.... i am talking about current releases. And, when they are 3 months old... $9.99 to buy. THank you Apple. Now, Do it!
no more distribution costs. no more manufacturing costs. lower prices. right? Not if Hollywood has their way with ridiculous $19.99 prices... HELLO!! Hello!! that's DVD prices.... for a packaged DVD......!! HELLO!!! McFly!!
This is why I'm getting into Hollywood myself. I plan to be part of the revolution. Sure I like money just like any other schmoe. But, there is something wrong with everythign right now. Especially since all movies are crap these days.... formulaic and tired. And they want to keep raising the prices!
Rant over:confused:
Bodhi395
Jun 22, 12:47 PM
I don't see this happening in the next year or two, and certainly not in the next 60 days.
I agree with some others that the implementation of a dual operating system would be clunky and I can't imagine Apple making such a mash up. Apple is all about simplicity, and I don't see this happening until they can make a simple user interface.
I also think the current design of the iMac would be horrible for a touch interface since its vertical, and a touch interface iMac would need to be flat or slightly slanted.
I agree with some others that the implementation of a dual operating system would be clunky and I can't imagine Apple making such a mash up. Apple is all about simplicity, and I don't see this happening until they can make a simple user interface.
I also think the current design of the iMac would be horrible for a touch interface since its vertical, and a touch interface iMac would need to be flat or slightly slanted.
dashiel
Nov 28, 12:52 PM
microsoft loses money on pretty much every product segment they have except office and windows. though xbox does look like it will be profitable soon enough.
GregA
Aug 24, 09:09 PM
I guess we're diverging from the actual rumour - new Mac Mini real soon.
It'd be cool to see some kinda of upgraded/dedicated graphics, a bigger 7200rpm HD, and 2 firewire ports. Maybe some built in or adapter based outputs for dual dvi? Alot depends on the ammount of vram it will have.I look at the existing Mac Mini, and your wish, and see too many $ signs!.
Perhaps our wishes require a range of options. Mac Media HD vs Mac Media. ;-)
It'd be cool to see some kinda of upgraded/dedicated graphics, a bigger 7200rpm HD, and 2 firewire ports. Maybe some built in or adapter based outputs for dual dvi? Alot depends on the ammount of vram it will have.I look at the existing Mac Mini, and your wish, and see too many $ signs!.
Perhaps our wishes require a range of options. Mac Media HD vs Mac Media. ;-)
EagerDragon
Nov 16, 12:53 PM
Previous question: How hard could it be to take advangate of the multi-cores.
The first thing is that it depends on what you are starting with. If you have zero code out there, you can come up with a nice design for your program that takes advantage of as many cores as you throw at it. If on the other hand you have large chunks of legacy code that was written in the time of single cores, it may be close to a re-write to fully take advantage of the hardware. In some cases it will be easier in some cases to throw the old code away.
But some of it is imagination, if you can look at a problem and the solution you orginaly came up with, and using your imagination look at the problem at hand in inovative ways, parts of the programs could be re-written to take advantage of the hardware and other parts can be left alone (for the short term). This is an incremental step, you gain X% in one area and little to nothing in another area. The key is to determine what your program spends most of it time doing and re-write/re-design that section of the code for the biggest short-term gains.
I remeber working in assembler and selecting the correct combination of instructions based on their function and the number of CPU cycles it took to execute each instruction. Sometimes a set of 12 instructions was faster than a different set of 8 instructions in accomplishing the same result. Use your imagination and look at the problem from a different angle. If your brain only sees a number of serialized steps, you won't be able to come up with anything that takes advange of the hardware.
What you start with (old code) and your imagination can get you there quicker or slower.
Short answer: It depends.
The first thing is that it depends on what you are starting with. If you have zero code out there, you can come up with a nice design for your program that takes advantage of as many cores as you throw at it. If on the other hand you have large chunks of legacy code that was written in the time of single cores, it may be close to a re-write to fully take advantage of the hardware. In some cases it will be easier in some cases to throw the old code away.
But some of it is imagination, if you can look at a problem and the solution you orginaly came up with, and using your imagination look at the problem at hand in inovative ways, parts of the programs could be re-written to take advantage of the hardware and other parts can be left alone (for the short term). This is an incremental step, you gain X% in one area and little to nothing in another area. The key is to determine what your program spends most of it time doing and re-write/re-design that section of the code for the biggest short-term gains.
I remeber working in assembler and selecting the correct combination of instructions based on their function and the number of CPU cycles it took to execute each instruction. Sometimes a set of 12 instructions was faster than a different set of 8 instructions in accomplishing the same result. Use your imagination and look at the problem from a different angle. If your brain only sees a number of serialized steps, you won't be able to come up with anything that takes advange of the hardware.
What you start with (old code) and your imagination can get you there quicker or slower.
Short answer: It depends.
xterm
Jul 14, 09:21 AM
As purely a data storage format, obviously Blu-ray has the potential to store more data than HD DVD.
However, as someone who has been following the whole BD vs. HD DVD consumer video format war, and as someone who has bought an HD DVD player (and, until recently, had a BD video player on order), at this (albeit early) stage of the game, HD DVD is the superior video format.
HD DVD has 30gb dual layer discs available (almost all the latest video releases on HD DVD are 30gb dual layer.) There are many more titles available for HD DVD right now (probably because it's been out longer and the discs themselves are easier to manufacture.) HD DVD uses a more efficient codec (Microsoft's VC-1, which is akin to H.264, in that it's much much more efficient than MPEG-2.) HD DVD titles have either Dolby Digital Plus (a higher bit-rate multichannel audio codec) and Dolby TruHD (a lossless multichannel audio codec).
BD only has 25gb single layer discs available now. Apparently the 50gb dual layer discs are hard to manufacture and the yields are not ready for prime time. No BD retail video discs are above 25gb single layer. No timetable for 50gb discs has been announced. The video is MPEG-2, meaning it takes up more space on the disc. And, the most recent BD releases all suffer from more MPEG artifacts than any HD DVD releases. BD audio is either standard Dolby Digital or space consuming uncompressed PCM audio (which sucks up even more disc space, leaving even less for video.)
The current Samsung BD player actually has the same (Broadcom) chip that the current Toshiba HD DVD player has in terms of outputing video... and it only outputs 1080i. The Samsung player tacks on another (Faroudja) chip to deinterlace it, so it outputs 1080p (so BD can say "we output 1080p!"), except, that chip apparently stinks and makes the picture somewhat soft. In reality, any HDTV worth its salt can easily deinterlace 1080i signals, so the whole "we output 1080p" is a false advantage anyway. Both BD and HD DVD discs store the video as 1080p, by the way.
So, what you have, on the video front, BD has a smaller capacity disk with less efficient video and audio codecs (that look and sound worse). And it is TWICE the price ($500 vs. $1000). And has less titles. And is late.
If you read any reports on BD video quality vs. HD DVD video quality on boards like AVSforum.com, HD DVD beats BD hands down.
Who knows how this video format war will shake out, but Blu-ray is way behind right now.
-Terry
Good post, sums up the current situation very nicely.
Given that dual layer 50GB blu-ray discs cant even be produced yet, i think the 200GB claim is complete vaporware.
I hope HD-DVD wins this war soon, as it is out of the gates first, and thus far a far superior format. If Blu-Ray were to give up now, i dont think many people would be sad. One format is better for everyone.
However, as someone who has been following the whole BD vs. HD DVD consumer video format war, and as someone who has bought an HD DVD player (and, until recently, had a BD video player on order), at this (albeit early) stage of the game, HD DVD is the superior video format.
HD DVD has 30gb dual layer discs available (almost all the latest video releases on HD DVD are 30gb dual layer.) There are many more titles available for HD DVD right now (probably because it's been out longer and the discs themselves are easier to manufacture.) HD DVD uses a more efficient codec (Microsoft's VC-1, which is akin to H.264, in that it's much much more efficient than MPEG-2.) HD DVD titles have either Dolby Digital Plus (a higher bit-rate multichannel audio codec) and Dolby TruHD (a lossless multichannel audio codec).
BD only has 25gb single layer discs available now. Apparently the 50gb dual layer discs are hard to manufacture and the yields are not ready for prime time. No BD retail video discs are above 25gb single layer. No timetable for 50gb discs has been announced. The video is MPEG-2, meaning it takes up more space on the disc. And, the most recent BD releases all suffer from more MPEG artifacts than any HD DVD releases. BD audio is either standard Dolby Digital or space consuming uncompressed PCM audio (which sucks up even more disc space, leaving even less for video.)
The current Samsung BD player actually has the same (Broadcom) chip that the current Toshiba HD DVD player has in terms of outputing video... and it only outputs 1080i. The Samsung player tacks on another (Faroudja) chip to deinterlace it, so it outputs 1080p (so BD can say "we output 1080p!"), except, that chip apparently stinks and makes the picture somewhat soft. In reality, any HDTV worth its salt can easily deinterlace 1080i signals, so the whole "we output 1080p" is a false advantage anyway. Both BD and HD DVD discs store the video as 1080p, by the way.
So, what you have, on the video front, BD has a smaller capacity disk with less efficient video and audio codecs (that look and sound worse). And it is TWICE the price ($500 vs. $1000). And has less titles. And is late.
If you read any reports on BD video quality vs. HD DVD video quality on boards like AVSforum.com, HD DVD beats BD hands down.
Who knows how this video format war will shake out, but Blu-ray is way behind right now.
-Terry
Good post, sums up the current situation very nicely.
Given that dual layer 50GB blu-ray discs cant even be produced yet, i think the 200GB claim is complete vaporware.
I hope HD-DVD wins this war soon, as it is out of the gates first, and thus far a far superior format. If Blu-Ray were to give up now, i dont think many people would be sad. One format is better for everyone.
Ping Guo
Apr 21, 11:45 AM
If this were Google or M$ you apologists would be foaming at the mouth. Nice fallacious argument - just because we can be tracked in our cars with traffic cams, or GPS devices, etc, doesn't mean this, or those instances are legal.
This is clearly in violation of EU law, for those of you who are interested:
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/information_society/l14012_en.htm
We should at least be given the choice to opt-out, and the purposes and disclosure policies should be clearly stated, not buried in a 30-page ToS.
This is clearly in violation of EU law, for those of you who are interested:
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/information_society/l14012_en.htm
We should at least be given the choice to opt-out, and the purposes and disclosure policies should be clearly stated, not buried in a 30-page ToS.