Windowzzzzzzz....

[rizzix]

couple of things to get clear here..

#1) the os it self does not get the apps to magically support multiple processors.. that's not what i meant... usually u need to re-compile ur app on with the new os to take advantage of the optimizations.. and some of those include advance multi-processor, multi-threaded optimizations. Apple tends to include these optimizations automatically in ur code if u compile using their libraries. For example the altivec floating point optimizations (although altivec is for vector operations)

#2) adding 2 processors does not increase speed. i've never said that. But it does improve performance, for obvious reasons u already know: the os it self is a collection of daemons, these daemons run in the background continuously, some of them simultaneously some only when triggered to do so. Thus since the os is compiled for multiple processors.. it distributes these daemons on to different processors thus load-balancing it. This termendously improves performance as compared to having ur os running everything on one processor.

And of course as u said the os will distribute multiple apps on different processors.

Another way the macs improve performance is by sending all graphics processing routines directly to the GPU (graphics processing unit). There is very little CPU intervention.

[Tony]

LovelyCrap wrote:

What type of applications do you intend on using?

heh, well programming naturally, but that doesn't have that much of a requirement. In case you don't already know it - I'm interested quite a bit in graphics (Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop and 3DSMAX). I've got Xbox for games 8). Though right now I'm really having my doubts.

Would a laptop be a neccesity for CS major? Can I just build myself a kickass desktop instead?

[LovelyCrap]

rizzix wrote:

#1) the os it self does not get the apps to magically support multiple processors.. that's not what i meant... usually u need to re-compile ur app on with the new os to take advantage of the optimizations.. and some of those include advance multi-processor, multi-threaded optimizations. Apple tends to include these optimizations automatically in ur code if u compile using their libraries. For example the altivec floating point optimizations (although altivec is for vector operations)

True. However, there doesn't seem to be a large amount of software developers who are going to release updates for their software anytime soon. Also, a lot of multimedia software (non-content creation) for the Mac are ports from the PC and support is pretty much non-existent so you won't see any optimizations anytime soon.

rizzix wrote:

Another way the macs improve performance is by sending all graphics processing routines directly to the GPU (graphics processing unit). There is very little CPU intervention.

Unfortunately this is somewhat irrelevant since when it comes to 3D rendering and gaming, the macs get smoked. I have yet to see a single 3D related benchmark showing the G5 on top.

[LovelyCrap]

tony wrote:

LovelyCrap wrote:

What type of applications do you intend on using?

heh, well programming naturally, but that doesn't have that much of a requirement. In case you don't already know it - I'm interested quite a bit in graphics (Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop and 3DSMAX). I've got Xbox for games 8). Though right now I'm really having my doubts.

Would a laptop be a neccesity for CS major? Can I just build myself a kickass desktop instead?

I donno about CS but you definitely don't need a laptop for a CE major. Personally I'd go with a desktop. I was never a big fan of laptops.

Besides, what would you do with your new found mobility anyway? Take your laptop to all your lectures? Is that necessary? or even favorable?


Xbox... bah! You haven't gamed until you've sat down in front of a decked out desktop and played your favorite game in a online 64+ player match, complete with surround sound. 8) The closest you can get to that on the console is SOCOM, and that game is still quite limited compared to PC games of the same genre.