Re: Observation about group

[wbdesnoy@acs5.acs.ucalgary.ca (Byron Desnoyers Winmill)]

jalapeno (jalapeno1@mac.com) wrote:
: But at 2.5MHz it is unbearable. A 2GHz GS/OS GUI would be quite
: usable, however. ;o)

I think the point was that intelligently designed hardware and software
can go a great deal further than people think.  Such machines are most
appropriate for complex numerical simulations, and are overkill as personal
computers.

: > Give me an Apple II and a 300 bps modem, and I will take over the
: > world. 

: Sure you could, if you can guarantee yourself that the world hasn't
: changed before your first upload completes ;o)

True enough.  I just made an infinite loop program, and the compiled binary
was over 4700 bytes.  I would hate to see how large a mildly useful program
would be.

: > Give me the latest G4, and I will waste time choosing fonts for a
: > webpage.

: This sounds like a personal problem ;o)

As you suggested with video: it is a quality issue.  If there is a perceived
gain in quality, many people (myself included) will try to improve it.  Of
course, that improvement is often meaningless.  Such is the case with fonts
where people often try to improve the appearance, rather than legibility (or
even the quality of the writing).

Besides the problem with this 2 GHz era is that it is an expectation.  If
somebody such as myself is comfortable with an older machine, it should remain
an option.  Instead we see sites banning users who do not hava JavaScript
enabled, placing textual data into images (great for the blind, lynx users, 
and people with limited bandwidth), sites which are illegible on old browsers
(of course the latest browsers require recent machines), and so on.  In such
a world you are left with two options: go with it, or be cut off.

While you can get away with much slower machines for these things, a 10 year
old computer is inadequate and a 20 year old computer is even less so.  This is
pathetic when I simply want to check the latest postal rates, or the bus
schedule, or catchup on the latest (textual) news.  I was recently told to
purchase a "high speed" connection simply because I dared to suggest that
unannounced 1.5 MB emails were not appropriate.  High speed access to read
email.  You have got to be kidding.  Fortunately the vase majority are not so
inconsiderate.

Byron.