Sparc vs i386 architecture

[Danial Thom]

--- Ted Mittelstaedt <tedm at toybox.placo.com>
wrote:

> 
> 
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> >[mailto:owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org]On
> Behalf Of Gerard Seibert
> >Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2006 7:02 AM
> >To: freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> >Subject: Re: Sparc vs i386 architecture
> >
> >
> >Danial Thom <danial_thom at yahoo.com>
> >
> >> Frankly, people who spend $9000. worth of
> time
> >> dicking around with some old piece of junk
> to
> >> avoid buying a $400. computer crack me up.
> :)
> >
> >Yes, it is amassing. I have a friend who has
> spent thousands of dollars
> >keeping his old car running. He could have
> purchased a new one with a
> >new warranty, etc. and have saved all that
> money, but he refused. For
> >some individuals, the challenge is the real
> thrill that they crave.
> >
> 
> That is an interesting, if very inaccurate,
> analogy, and as a car guy
> that does my own wrenching, let me tell you
> why.
> 
> Computer gear every year gets cheaper and
> faster and better.  Cars
> by contrast, have not improved much over the
> last 20 years - unless you
> count larger cupholders as an improvement - and
> espically they haven't
> changed at all over the last 10.  Ever since
> EFI and airbags became
> standard on vehicles there just haven't been
> any compelling or significant
> improvements.  In fact for many models, the
> engine designs themselves
> are the same as 20 years ago.  For example the
> 2.4 Turbo used in 
> the 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser went into
> production in 1994, the 4 speed
> computer-controlled transmission used in that
> car went into production
> in 1989.  Many parts for that transmission in
> fact are the same - how
> many computers do you know that you can use a
> 17 year old part in?

you need to get out more, Ted, if you think cars
haven't improved much in 20 years. I know you
can't afford a BMW or Mercedes, but you can test
drive them for free if you put on a nice suit.
Drive a '95 BMW and a 2005 and you'll see there
are huge differences in power, handling, brakes
and a whole lot of stuff you can't see, not to
mention safety. Anti-skid brakes were a joke when
they first came out; now I can stop on a dime.
Traction control actually works now.

But computers are not comparable to cars. It
might make sense to keep an old car going as a
new car depreciates much more than your time is
worth in the first year, and they aren't cheap.

DT


		
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