I've often wondered why PSUs don't come with batteries built in...perhaps they do now - I've not been paying attention.

have both then :)

Oh, because someone doesn't like Apple stuff, they're a "Hateboi". It is possible for someone to genuinely not like their style, you know.

Actually, it took a while (due to GreatFirewall-itis) for the original page to come up, but I find the actual computer to be very un-Apple-like...and I actually quite like it.

The monitors, though, I still don't like.

This computer is the first Apple product I've genuinely thought was good looking since the old PowerBook Titanium...I had a twinge of 'hrm, not bad' for the iPhone4 (hated the prior ones), but that didn't take hold.

I must take a closer look at it...I somehow don't think the photos do it justice.

Of course, I don't much care for Aqua either, so I'd wipe it and put on Ubuntu...which I find an interesting proposition...

Am I really the only one who finds it embarrassing to use an Apple product? They're just so garish and flashy.

There was a time when Apple was cool, but that was several years ago. /IMO

"journal" - that's what I meant...similar to some filesystems.

OK, that's what I was trying to get at with one of my comments.

However, aren't there 'logs' or something like that, that *are* written straight to disk so as to enable a recovery should there be such a failure? ...or does that not apply. I guess the disk I/O associated with the logs (I forget the correct word) might be a bottleneck.

It's because people moved to using 64-bit instead of the old 32-bit. Right?

Perhaps he should have asked the question slightly differently...I seem to recall it being a selling point for big SGI machines that they could potentially hold the entire database in RAM. I suppose it totally depends on how big the database is...looking, it seems SGIs can have up to 64 TB of RAM (though the wording is unclear).

If the database fits into that amount of RAM, then wouldn't that mean I/O is not a limiting factor?

I have to wonder what happens when there's an unexpected failure...wouldn't the changes that are still in RAM be lost? Well, I don't know much about this, but these are obvious questions I'd be interested to know...beyond "No. Yes." anyway :)

In anticipation of someone telling me to look it up, I did and my cursory search seemed to suggest the issues are mostly about cost; so, if I can honestly say the following :

"My database can happily fit inside 64TB and I have enough money to affort to own/run/maintain an SGI UV2000."

Wouldn't that then mean I have no I/O issue? Assuming "I/O" means disk I/O, of course.

Of course, the issue more relevant is how much RAM can a GPU have direct control of? I wouldn't imagine it is anything like 64TB...a quick search suggests 12GB is quit a large number for such a product. I suppose that might cover a certain (but different) portion of the market...the same served by regular desktop PCs, for example.

Hrm.

> tiviozing

Let me correct that for you :

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?search=tiviozing&title=Special%3ASearch

"Did you mean: "Timing"?"

Now you, too, know how to read more carefully and see how someone might make that mistake.

Even google doesn't attempt to correct that typo (when I try it, anyway) and the only 'result' is a link to the above post.

How do you "butt-dial" on a capacitative touch screen? Doesn't there have to be some actual (almost) skin contact?

With physical buttons, I can see how it can happen, but with resistive touch screens it is already less likely...but with capacitative is seems extremely unlikely. Am I missing something?

>When someone is pointing a gun at you shouting "emergency call"

That's quite unlikely. "Give me all your money!" is much more likely, I think...

> could not differentiate between "nearly ran a red light" and did not run a red light

care to enlighten us?

flamebate? seriously?

I find the opposite - or I should say 'found' since I'm not longer an Apple customer.
I have had some 'hand-me-downs' from friends who seem to have come to the same conclusion (ie they're free) and so I have had cause to still attempt maintenance of same. Going to an Apple store is a chore too...*far* too long a queue, and you need to make an appointment (that bit is ok, if you can wait). That is, of course, if you have an Apple store near enough to go to.

Thanks goodness for choice :)

I actually thought the same thing - quantify it in real, solid terms, or don't bother mentioning it. Using 'fluffy' English isn't much use to anyone, imo. I haven't bothered to read if they actually do quantify things, but there you go.