An anonymous Microsoft developer spilled some juicy opinions about why Windows kernel performance isn’t all it could be. Although he has recanted much of what he said, some of his insights make a ton of sense.
All posts tagged life expectancy
The explanation about Windows vs. Linux kernel performance makes sense
Posted by Dave Farquhar on May 13, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/05/the-explanation-about-windows-vs-linux-kernel-performance-makes-sense/
How the previous week’s headlines flow together
Here are some headlines I read this past week: Dell is trying to take itself private. Microsoft is investing in Dell. Intel is pulling out of the motherboard market. AMD is considering ARM CPUs. And the PC is dead. It’s all related.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on January 27, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/01/how-the-previous-weeks-headlines-flow-together/
The trouble with Dell
Note: I wrote this in mid-2010 and, for whatever reason, never posted it. I found it this week. Although the information in it is no longer fresh and new, it’s still useful, so for that reason, I’m posting it now. Dell is standing on some shaky ground right now. Bill Snyder has a good summary [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on December 6, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/12/the-trouble-with-dell/
Linus Torvalds likes SSDs, too
Linus Torvalds called hard drives evil, nasty platters of spinning rust in an interview this week, while saying he likes SSDs. I didn’t say it. He said it. Though it’s no secret that I like SSDs too.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on October 18, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/10/linus-torvalds-likes-ssds-too/
Yes, ramdisks still make sense, especially with memory so cheap
A former classmate and industry colleague dropped me a line a few weeks ago. He pointed out that memory is dirt cheap, and he bought 16 GB of RAM, just because it cost him around $100 to do, and was wondering what to do with it. A ramdisk, perhaps? My search logs prove that ramdisks [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on August 22, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/08/yes-ramdisks-still-make-sense-especially-with-memory-so-cheap/
Don’t let what happened to Mat Honan happen to you
Technology journalist Mat Honan infamously had his entire digital life hacked and erased this week. Slate published some advice to keep the same from happening to you, and my former classmate and newspaper staff mate Theo Hahn asked me to comment.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on August 9, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/08/dont-let-what-happened-to-mat-honan-happen-to-you/
Dredging up some old Commodore trivia
I’ve seen a couple of Commodore-related search queries hit lately, so I’m going to take a stroll down memory lane with two questions: Can you connect two computers to one single 1541 or 1571 disk drive? And what was the fastest Commodore modem?
Posted by Dave Farquhar on May 6, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/05/dredging-up-some-old-commodore-trivia/
When to upgrade to new LED bulbs
PC Magazine asks when it’s worth upgrading to the new Philips L Prize-winning LED bulb, lamenting its high price and long payback time. I can only say what I plan to do, based on my experience with high-efficiency bulbs. I was one of those guys paying $9 for CFL bulbs nearly a decade ago.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on April 22, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/04/when-to-upgrade-to-new-led-bulbs/
Intel enters the budget Sandforce market
Intel announced a new low-end SSD today, the 330, based on a Sandforce 2281 controller. The popular 120 GB capacity will retail for $149. While not as cheap as OCZ’s entry-level SSDs, it’s within striking distance.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on April 16, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/04/intel-enters-the-budget-sandforce-market/
Review: The Lutron MS-OPS2 occupancy sensor switch
I installed a Lutron occupancy sensor switch this weekend. It detects you entering the room, turns the lights on, then turns them off five minutes after it detects nobody is in the room. The timeout period is adjustable. It comes in four models: MS-OPS2-WH (white), -AL (almond), -LA (light almond), and -IV (ivory) and retails [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on February 19, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/02/review-the-lutron-ms-ops2-occupancy-sensor-switch/