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Bandit240 · Sep 3, 2005, 11:56 AM

I just dont get the big deal about dual processers. Ive got a dual processer G4 and yes its fast and smooth, but i still dont get it.

Also does dual processer mean its twice the speed of the processers? Like i have a dual 1ghz G4, does that mean it runs at 2ghz?

I know these questions seem kinda dumb, but the fastest computer i had before this one was a 333 iMac.

production_coordinator · Sep 3, 2005, 12:08 PM

Think of it this way... you have a set number of tasks. On a single CPU, they go one at a time. With dual processors, you can divide up the tasks between the CPUs... so in theory they run twice as fast... but it really doesn't work that way unless MANY things are in place.

The application must be well threaded, the OS must be capable of distributing the load... and the hardware must be well designed. There is also an overhead issue regarding tasks that doesn't make it a true 2X speed (in fact, it rarely is anywhere near 2X).

Think of it as placing two motors in your car... could you go 2X as fast? Not really... but it's nicer than having only one.

budster101 · Sep 3, 2005, 12:08 PM

Dual G4
http://www.computeruser.com/articles...1,0501,02.html

Report looks at dual processor benefits
By Dennis Sellers
A technology report conducted by Pfeiffer Consulting concludes that with the adoption of dual processors in all Power Mac G4 models, the hardware now ties together the multiprocessing and networking abilities of Mac OS X v10.2 and Mac OS X Server, according to a report on Apple's Creative Web page.

Pfeiffer Consulting is an independent technology research institute and consulting operation that focuses on the needs of publishing, digital content production, and new media professionals. Their report notes the following:

Processing performance in single task processing benchmarks is more than four times faster on the 1.25GHz Power Mac G4 than on the reference machine (500MHz Power Mac G4).

Multiprocessing can increase productivity significantly, especially when running several tasks in parallel.

Overall productivity in the design and publishing workflow benchmark is almost twice as fast on the new high-end model.

Gigabit Ethernet yields up to a 6x performance increase in server copy operations over 10/100Base-T networks.
On Aug. 13, Apple announced a revamped line of professional Power Mac models, all of which contain dual processors that range in speed from a dual 867MHz to a dual 1.25MHz model. The systems also feature Double Data Rate (DDR).

http://www.macworld.com/news/2002/09...port/index.php

Dual G5
http://www.apple.com/powermac/performance/

Just a quick Google away. This may help.

Bandit240 · Sep 3, 2005, 12:22 PM

Well that cleared alot of things up for me. So pretty much the dual processers isnt something i really needed. Now i just need a better monitor that this old HP one ive got. Anyone got a 15-17'' Apple StudioDisply to sell for under $200?

budster101 · Sep 3, 2005, 12:27 PM

One of these?

17" Studio Display (New)

I don't know this person, I just did a search and based on your request narrowed it down to this one. I'm not vouching for this person, because the search alone took me about 30 seconds.

The rest is up to you.

Bandit240 · Sep 3, 2005, 12:43 PM

ive got a few things against buying one from ebay. i might just get a DVI equiped TV and use that.

lilrabbit129 · Sep 3, 2005, 10:11 PM

If you don't mind getting a non-Apple LCD, then i'd highly recommend a Dell LCD. I have a 17" UltraSharp (170FPV I think) that works great with both my Powerbook, and my old PC. The picture and quality is great. Depending on the deal, you can get it for around 200.

My roommate has the 2005FPW (20" Widescreen LCD), and he loves it too.

budster101 · Sep 3, 2005, 11:15 PM

I wouldn't give DELL one cent of my money ever.

d.fine · Sep 4, 2005, 04:27 AM

I'm very pleased with my dual. Amazed at what his machine can do sometimes, and I ask a lot of it

lamewing · Sep 4, 2005, 07:31 AM

Originally Posted by budster101

I wouldn't give DELL one cent of my money ever.

The Dell monitors aren't built buy Dell. The components are shared by many, many, many other companies. So, it isn't a matter of quality when talking about the monitors,but more of whether you really want to give Dell your cash. I have seens some of the LCDs from Dell...some of them are fantastic and cheap to boot!!!

Lateralus · Sep 4, 2005, 09:12 AM

So you don't think Dell makes a profit selling them?

tooki · Sep 4, 2005, 12:14 PM

Considering what they sell them for, not a whole lot!

:waiting for the 2405FPW to go on sale for under $750 again:

tooki

budster101 · Sep 4, 2005, 07:06 PM

Then I would buy another monitor made by the same components. I will not support the company DELL.

Just my opinion.

bowwowman · Sep 4, 2005, 07:24 PM

Considering what they sell them for, not a whole lot!

Then you are either:
A) Confused and highly dillusional, OR
B) Living under a VERY big rock, OR
C) puffin/snuffin some really good doggyfood.....

or some combination of the 3

ANYONE who believes that consumer product companies don't make ALOT of profit will fall into 1 or more of the above categories.....

And, NO, I'm not referring to publicly available numbers, either

osxisfun · Sep 4, 2005, 07:31 PM

Originally Posted by tooki

Considering what they sell them for, not a whole lot!

:waiting for the 2405FPW to go on sale for under $750 again:

tooki

me too. but i noticed that 3rd parties upped the price by 20 bucks this weekend.

i have decided that since I have to pay sales tax to dell i would only save money if dell sells them for $850 or less.

I may pull the trigger a little higher as I've got new work to do and I would love to start a new project with 2 big 24" LCDs.,...

tooki · Sep 4, 2005, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by bowwowman

Then you are either:
A) Confused and highly dillusional, OR
B) Living under a VERY big rock, OR
C) puffin/snuffin some really good doggyfood.....

or some combination of the 3

ANYONE who believes that consumer product companies don't make ALOT of profit will fall into 1 or more of the above categories.....

Dell isn't a consumer electronics company; it is a mass-market computer company, and runs on slim profit margins, offset by huge volume.

Do your research before you bash others.

tooki

tooki · Sep 4, 2005, 07:41 PM

Originally Posted by budster101

Then I would buy another monitor made by the same components. I will not support the company DELL.

Just my opinion.

Show me another company selling a comparable display for that price.

tooki

osxisfun · Sep 4, 2005, 07:42 PM

Unpossible.

budster101 · Sep 4, 2005, 08:17 PM

I don't care what they sell their DELL labeled monitor for. I won't support that company. Do you shop at Wal-mart? or Target? Great. I do as well, but some would say some nasty things about Wal-mart and why I shop there. That's just my opinion, if it is ok with you. I can't stand Best Buy and tell everyone I know and meet they don't support their customers.

DELL doesn't support either... so buy your cheap monitor and enjoy it. I won't.

http://www.bizrate.com/buy/browse__cat_id--416.html

Just a quick Google. I'm sure I could find one if in the market for a comparable price to the almighty DELL...

Kerrigan · Sep 4, 2005, 08:29 PM

Do we need to rehash the old "Apple sells the EXACT SAME screens as Dell for twice as much" story?

budster101 · Sep 4, 2005, 08:53 PM

Interesting Read. I still won't support DELL with my dollars. They sell crap to the lowest common denominator of computing, and it makes me sick. They can discount their monitors and take a loss for all I care because they sell a ton of gumball machine computers that break in 6 months, unless you buy their 'top-o-the-line' which breaks in 1 year and a day...

When it breaks, where you going to go?

jasonsRX7 · Sep 4, 2005, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by budster101

[...]they sell a ton of gumball machine computers that break in 6 months, unless you buy their 'top-o-the-line' which breaks in 1 year and a day...

Their computers 'break' because of the OS that's loaded on them becoming so infected with spyware that they're unusable after a few months. Do you really think their hardware is that much different than any other PC manufacturer? Their laptops are very flimsy, but that's a result of poor construction, not poor internal components. Dell's desktops are fine however, and certainly no worse than any comparable Compaq or IBM.

A friend of mine watched for some good rebates and coupons to be offered and picked up a 20" Dell widescreen for $345 delivered. If I was monitor shopping on a budget, I wouldn't let a little Apple zealotry get in my way.

budster101 · Sep 4, 2005, 09:32 PM

Yeah. I've worked on DELLS, and the plastic they use alone is low grade ABS plastic. A pismo, or wallstreet is better than a new DELL today. Have you used the things? They buy the cheapest crap and put it inside.

I'm not being an APPLE zealot. I just can't stand DELL. Sorry you disagree. Did I say, "I'd take the Apple Display over a DELL any day?" Nope. I'd go to another brand.

What is so hard to understand. Don't you people read and comprehend?

jasonsRX7 · Sep 4, 2005, 09:47 PM

Originally Posted by budster101

Have you used the things?

I've bought about 50 Optiplexes in the past couple months, so yes, I've used them. Their plastic is kind of flimsy, but on a desktop, so what? It just sits there, so as long as it can endure its own weight plus about a dozen Post-Its, it'll be fine.

Originally Posted by budster101

What is so hard to understand. Don't you people read and comprehend?

Calm down, really. Most people here acknowledge your
superior reading and comprehension skills.

budster101 · Sep 4, 2005, 09:56 PM

Glad you like them. You are entitled to your opinion. So am I.
Glad you also enjoyed the egg on my face. I cut and pasted that from another forum from someone who usually doesn't joke about and make mistakes. My error, which I did own up to.

Thanks for adding some more egg. WTF does that have to do with this thread?

traktimino · Sep 4, 2005, 10:26 PM

boy is this thread off topic...

back to dual processors, they're not for everyone but they're excellent to have if you work in the creative sector. They speed up photoshop quite a lot. Frankly I would never buy single CPU machine again

lamewing · Sep 5, 2005, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by budster101

Interesting Read. I still won't support DELL with my dollars. They sell crap to the lowest common denominator of computing, and it makes me sick. They can discount their monitors and take a loss for all I care because they sell a ton of gumball machine computers that break in 6 months, unless you buy their 'top-o-the-line' which breaks in 1 year and a day...

When it breaks, where you going to go?

Hmm, my wife's Inspiron 4100, which work gave her, has lasted over 3 years without a single problem. Ugly....yes. Heavy...yes. Gumball quality...BS. Sounds like a rather elitest additude you have there.

budster101 · Sep 5, 2005, 01:43 PM

I can't help but notice the low post count on the contrarian view to mine...

Glad you like your 'inspiron' which is considered the top of the line SMELL. Enjoy the OS. Your experience is rare for their customers.

svtcontour · Sep 5, 2005, 02:40 PM

Nothing wrong with Dell computers. At my last job we had at least 40 Dell dimension PC's that ranged from PIII 450 to PIII 1Ghz similar to these:
http://pc-portatil.com/images/dell_dimension_xps.jpg

We also had about 5 of these little ones http://media.scout.com/Media/Other/1...hatserver2.JPG

I worked there for 2 years and the machines were also 1-2 years old already so that made them about 3-4 years old when I left the company. Not ONE machine lost a mainboard, power supply or anything like that. Maybe a couple HD failiures and one video card lost due to a fan thats stopped spinning but the hard drives are manufactured by IBM or WD or what ever so they have no control of that and the video card is just an Nvidia Geforce which they dont make or control either.

At my current job we have about 10 dell optiplex P4 machines and none of them have had any failiures of any kind either. They are P4 2.0Ghz so they might be a couple years old I guess.

Now please stop your useless whining about how bad they are and how you're supporting them because it seems maybe the problem is you.

PS. I personally would rather build my own machines instead of buying brand names but I think dell is fine as a PC manufacturer. We also us HP EVO machines in the office and they seem fairly reliable too.

budster101 · Sep 5, 2005, 02:42 PM

Another stellar post count contrarian... where do you guys come from? Under rocks?

tooki · Sep 5, 2005, 02:48 PM

Budster, calm the heck down. Clearly most of us don't share your anti-Dell bias; we feel confident enough to pick and choose items from whatever vendors we like.

And I did follow the bizrate link you sent, and then chose only displays with the same resolution (23/24" models). No competing model comes even close to Dell's sale prices. (The Dell 24" is sometimes well under $800; HP's 23" is the next cheapest, for $1000.)

tooki

Bandit240 · Sep 5, 2005, 03:38 PM

I thought this was a thread about dual processers. Not a bitch about dell thread. Maybe a mod should delete all the post that contain dell in them?

lamewing · 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by budster101

I can't help but notice the low post count on the contrarian view to mine...

Glad you like your 'inspiron' which is considered the top of the line SMELL. Enjoy the OS. Your experience is rare for their customers.

Glad you like your 'inspiron' which is considered the top of the line SMELL. Enjoy the OS. Your experience is rare for their customers.[/QUOTE]

"Budster", my low post count is due to the fact that I never much posted here, mainly did it at Macaddict...where I have been posting for five years, so back off.

Also, drop the additude. First off, the Inspiron was not mine (how about reading the posts will ya), but given to my wife by Texas Tech. All I said was that it NEVER had a problem in over 3 years. I also stated that it WAS ugly and WAS heavy. The same situation goes with her work peers. None (of 8 folks) have had harware issues (minus operator headspace). The actualy electronics are quite solid. The outside is pretty ugly, but hey that is life. Sure some of them have had software problems...all relating to WinXP, but it was never stated that XP was tops.

I never stated that XP on the machine was the best choice (nor I truly care) In fact we use both OSX and WinXP Prof. in our home.

So, once again, drop the sarcastic, elitest B.S.

lamewing · Sep 5, 2005, 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by Bandit240

I thought this was a thread about dual processers. Not a bitch about dell thread. Maybe a mod should delete all the post that contain dell in them?

Or we could just let it run its course and get back on track naturally.

For what it is worth, I tried a DP 1.8 for a while and was impressed with how it could handle many cpu intensive apps at one time. I tried that with my single proc PC and didn't do as well. As long as the OS is DP aware and the software is written to take advantage of it, the DP should always show some advantage.