Shameless Words from Shameless Geeks

The site has been on a dedicated server for over two years now. Lately, a few script kiddies have taken advantage of the aging OS and hacked in. After a conversation with my ISP, I decided that it was much easier and cheaper to move to a new server with an OS that is new enough to have all of those vulnerabilities covered. Over the next few days, there may be a few burps in access to the server while files are copied and DNS zones are set up.

I could never figure out the way hackers think. The only thing I can do is pity them. It must be terrible to live life as a group of permanently immature kids with tiny winkies.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. One of the things that I am most thankful for is those of you who take the time to read my blog. Both of you.

I don’t usually do this, but here is a plug for an old friend who is starting an online store:

If you are looking for some really geeky merchandise, check out Geek-Man’s website. Geek Man is a straight shooter, and probably the only guy in the world who is geekier than yours truly. You’re sure to find the perfect Christmas gift for that special geek in your life at www.geek-man.com

Intel announced the first quad-core processor today. The race to 4 cores is a big win for Intel’s engineering department, but it’s probably only big news to the server market. Still… it shows that chipzilla is back with an vengeance.

Intel won this battle by using the same trick they used on their first dual-core entry. Essentially, the quad is made of 2 dual-core chips stitched together. AMD is promising a fully redesigned quad sometime in 2007. AMD’s approach certainly appears to be better engineering, but only time will tell who is right. Till then, the only thing we know is who was first.

While 4 cores will help to beef up large multi-user systems and busy network servers, they really won’t help the average user for a few years to come. That’s because most of us use applications that don’t take much advantage of the extra CPU’s. Until programmers get used to the idea of parallelism and multi-threading, singles and duals will be a better bet for the home user. In the case of gamers, a dual can help a little bit, but games tend to run fastest on the highest-speed single available. Quad cores are just a waste of money and power for now.

Sony reports that the PS3 is currently incompatible with 200+ PS2 games. The announcement, of course, came after store shelves were emptied by the Japan launch of the system. Yet another product launched before it was ready? You be the judge.

Microsoft announced today that they have completed Office 2007 and that it will be available on November 30th to business customers. That’s funny… I’m still waiting for them to complete Office ‘97

Microsoft Office has become the software package that people love to hate. It has gotten so big and clumsy over the years, that it is one of the best sources of humor in the software industry. It has become synonymous with bloated, buggy code. Only time will tell if Office 2007 can live up to this legacy.