How to get a Computer
Deal
The future of the desktop is here! The first PCs
featuring dual-core processors from Intel have
arrived, presenting the first overclockable chips from
Intel since 1998 and offering true multithreaded
performance. Just a day after Intel announced its
dual-core processors, Nvidia unveiled its Nforce4 SLI
Intel Edition chipset, which lets you run Intel's
dual-core Pentium Extreme Edition 840 processor and
two Nvidia SLI graphics cards. AMD's dual-core chips
are probably coming soon, 64-bit versions of Windows
are just around the corner, and to deal with all this
horsepower, PC cooling systems are bound to get
increasingly outlandish--water's just the beginning.
But the real question to ask here is: is this a good
computer deal?
Seriously, what are these PCs for? Certainly not the
office. As far back as 1999, Larry Ellison was
championing a second version of his thin-client
network computer, calling the desktop PC a
"ridiculous device" and arguing that a
complete PC was a complete waste on the desktops of
most employees. Many analysts and journalists are
advocating the death of the corporate PC, and it's
increasingly obvious to all that most of the
horsepower of a desktop PC is wasted on employees who
primarily use spreadsheets, word processors, custom
applications, and e-mail. Dual-core, SLI, water-cooled
PCs in cubicles? Er, no.
Moreover, although gaming is a $7.3 billion industry
in the United States, it would seem that consoles rack
up much bigger sales numbers: 160.7 million units sold
in 2004, vs. 45 million computer games, according to
the Entertainment Software Association. So, who's
really going to buy these PCs in the future?
So, on to the next presumed audience: the digitally
savvy home user, who's processing gigabyte after
gigabyte of video, audio, and digital photos. Right,
sure, we need 4GHz. There's no way the 2.8GHz Dell box
I just bought, when properly outfitted with nearly a
gig of RAM and strapped to a 160GB external FireWire
drive, could possibly be up to the task. I'm not
saying people won't buy these PCs, I'm only saying
that at least half the people who do don't need them.
They'll end up like the human brain--only a fraction
of their potential power getting used. Is that a good
computer deal?
So, I guess what I'm saying here is that my computer's
fast enough. But since I don't want to discourage
innovation, maybe we can take a look at why my other
devices are so slow. Why does it take my TiVo a full
five seconds to load up its menu after I press the
TiVo button, and more precious seconds to scroll
through the guide? Why isn't my Treo outfitted with a
water-cooled, 1GHz processor? Heck, if I want a fast
gaming PC, I'll take a little dual-core, SLI action in
my Xbox. I don't think we should stop making faster
and more-powerful PCs (heck, I'm sure the government
has a use for them, if nothing else). I'm just not
buying the argument that we actually need them to
start showing up in Best Buy.
Click
here now for your $3,000
Computer Credit Line
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