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Course Work Survey
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 Re: Course Work Survey
Posted by Crono on Sat May 22nd at 6:54am 2004

? quote:
ooh i see;so Pentium is a 586, i suppose; i started with a 286... that was so slow.... and i used to play "prince of persia".... good old times


...Not really. A Pentium chip is a Pentium ... the architecture that the board and chip uses is x86. 256, 386, 486, etc. were models based on 'generations' of the architecture, if I'm not mistaken.
However, I don't remember the first x86 machines name. But it was 8-bit addressable (at this point in time, the processor speed did represent the total performance speed of the computer). Then they made it 16-bit, and then in the early-mid eighties, they were able to up it to 32-bit. Now, we're going into 64. Oddly enough, 64-bit computers (for the most part) are not x86.

The AMD Athlon 64 is though (As well as the FX and FX-53).

There are a bunch of architectures, so it's best not to try to label them on your own, just look them up.

Surprisingly, someone who took that survey had an IBM360 somewhere! I wonder if he programs hardware on it ... if he does ... he must be a genius

Oh, just a little trivial 'fact'. Next to the IBM 360, the x86 architecture is the ugliest architecture to date.
It's rather inefficient, but, its only saving grace is that it's consistent.

In the 70s someone, I forget who, I want to say Borland, had a stack machine. Basically the machine ran off of a stack, only. It wasn't byte addressable. So, you had to push and pop to send and get information. It was a fairly simple machine and when programmed properly it blew away the x86 ... however, if you're familure with the stack, you'll note that it is NOT constant. So, with the machine you couldn't really rely on certain speeds. [addsig]



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 Re: Course Work Survey
Posted by mazemaster on Sat May 22nd at 7:12am 2004

The test is poorly structured and does not provide accurate information about how much someone knows about computers - the way the questions are worded imply that the answer must be in a certain form, and that form is wrong. It all depends on the context.



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 Re: Course Work Survey
Posted by $loth on Sat May 22nd at 7:20am 2004

? posted by Kain
and i used to play "prince of persia".... good old times

Hehe, i got rid of that last week, i downloaded it using winmx, it was a 4 meg download

[addsig]



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 Re: Course Work Survey
Posted by scary_jeff on Sat May 22nd at 9:11am 2004

Intel's 8086 was the first x86 processor. Its competitor was the motorola 68000, considered by many to be vastly superior. For some unknown reason, when IBM was making the first 'IBM PC', they chose the 8086 instead of the 68000, even though the 68000 was technically better, and did not cost more. This is the reason the 'ugly' x86 is dominant.

RISC isn't the answer I'm looking for, I don't think. A processor employs either RISC or CISC... Being either of these isn't a defining thing afaik. Crono?



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 Re: Course Work Survey
Posted by Kain on Sat May 22nd at 12:18pm 2004

And I thought I was a computer genius.... This is all chinese to me; I'm gonna stick to easier issues, like understanding how a pop-corn machine works.



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 Re: Course Work Survey
Posted by Crono on Sat May 22nd at 8:43pm 2004

? quote:

does not provide accurate information about how much someone knows about computers - the way the questions are worded imply that the answer must be in a certain form


They're not questions. They're statements. You mark at what level you agree or disagree. It does imply how much someone knows, since there are more correct responses then others. These statements are not really matters of opinion.

? quote:
that form is wrong.

If you don't like the survey, then don't take it. I'm not changing the damn thing.

? quote:
It all depends on the context.

You're right it does depend on context, and I purposfully made it that way, you need to actually read the statements. The 20 people I tried this on before I put it up online didn't have any of these 'problems', so I guess, deal with it

? quote:
The test is poorly structured

You're poorly constructed!

Jeff, hmmm ... oh ... Whoops, I gave you the processor type

So, the Alpha's processor is ISAs (uses RISC), I'll look up what the architecture of the computer is ... it appears to be AXP. [addsig]



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 Re: Course Work Survey
Posted by Wild Card on Sat May 22nd at 9:02pm 2004

? posted by Kain
ooh i see;so Pentium is a 586, i suppose; i started with a 286... that was so slow.... and i used to play "prince of persia".... good old times

It would make sence. Pentium... I think came after the 486 series computers.. SX and DX. And Pentium comes from Penta, meanning 5. Unno.

Anyways, Crono, your survey, is, completed. That dust question really got me, whats your take on that one?

[addsig]



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 Re: Course Work Survey
Posted by Forceflow on Sat May 22nd at 10:07pm 2004

I think it does affect performance, but it depends on the quantity of dust.



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 Re: Course Work Survey
Posted by scary_jeff on Sat May 22nd at 10:45pm 2004

Dust covered components can't dissipate heat so easily, so they run hotter. This could cause instability or shortened component lifespan.

AXP? Never heard of it Oh well.



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 Re: Course Work Survey
Posted by fishy on Sat May 22nd at 11:03pm 2004

i lost a cpu once, when a layer of dust like a small carpet tile built up in the heatsink. i check/clean it regularly now.





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 Re: Course Work Survey
Posted by Crono on Sat May 22nd at 11:29pm 2004

Yes, it can. Does it always, no.
Jeff's response is the reason why.
? quote:

Dust covered components can't dissipate heat so easily, so they run hotter. This could cause instability or shortened component lifespan.


Jeff, yeah, neither had I.
I'm not familure with the Alpha computer though, so.

Man, I hope it's keyboard isn't all screwy like the SPARC's. I laughed so hard when I saw it had an 'any' key [addsig]



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 Re: Course Work Survey
Posted by Wild Card on Sun May 23rd at 1:10am 2004

? posted by Crono
Jeff, yeah, neither had I.
I'm not framilure with the Alpha computer though, so.

I think you've been watching one too many FRAM oil filter commercials

[addsig]



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 Re: Course Work Survey
Posted by Crono on Sun May 23rd at 4:43am 2004

Your fingers have never hit an extra key next to one of the keys you've pressed, thread spammer? [addsig]



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 Re: Course Work Survey
Posted by Wild Card on Sun May 23rd at 4:45am 2004

? posted by Crono
Your fingers have never hit an extra key next to one of the keys you've pressed, thread spammer?

Nope, not that I know of lol.

[addsig]



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 Re: Course Work Survey
Posted by Leperous on Sun May 23rd at 10:09am 2004

framilure, familiar... Do you use a dialing wand to type or something?



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 Re: Course Work Survey
Posted by Orpheus on Sun May 23rd at 11:55am 2004

? posted by Crono
Your fingers have never hit an extra key next to one of the keys you've pressed, thread spammer?

first off, WC's post was funny as royal hell it wasn't spam.. secondly, even without the extra letters, it looks spelled funny

crono, you excel at pointing out our trivial errors.. take a few punches you justly deserve as well.

no one will fault you for having them, but eventually they will tire of you denying you do it..

[addsig]



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 Re: Course Work Survey
Posted by Gwil on Sun May 23rd at 2:21pm 2004

On the subject of dust, most good electrical shops and certain component suppliers will probably sell cans of compressed air (about ?2/?3/$5, something like that).

They are perfect for keeping on top of your dust problems inside the case, I heartily recommend you all buy a can and go spray liberally round your PC innards! Also, old, cheap paintbrushes are good for the job as well - as long as theyre fairly soft

[addsig]



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 Re: Course Work Survey
Posted by scary_jeff on Sun May 23rd at 3:55pm 2004

That post comes under spam for me. I mean honestly, laughing at the fact somebody made a typo?



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 Re: Course Work Survey
Posted by ReNo on Sun May 23rd at 3:58pm 2004

At least he made a joke about it...even if I don't really get it (as in I've never heard of FRAM oil filters, so its not really funny for me). [addsig]



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 Re: Course Work Survey
Posted by Orpheus on Sun May 23rd at 7:07pm 2004

? posted by ReNo
At least he made a joke about it...even if I don't really get it (as in I've never heard of FRAM oil filters, so its not really funny for me).

it truly was funny, but must be colloquial

this particular filter, is the exact model i use in my ford tempo its a PH8A..

anywho's.. i laughed myself silly.. guess you have to be there sorta

[addsig]




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