Re: [OT] Laptop

["Rob Lamb" <rjl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks Jim - glad I asked but now even more confused as to which=20
processor to go for! P4 v Centrino?

Rob

--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, Jim Noble <yahoo-groups@b...> wrote:
> Rob Lamb wrote:
>=20
> > You're right but I thought that when WinXP 64 came out (and=20
there's
> > a beta download to try for a year) it would give a boost to what
> > would then be an older laptop?
>=20
>=20
> Possibly. It's not impossible that a 64-bit version would run=20
slower=20
> though - there's an overhead in to going to 64-bit. There are=20
cunning=20
> features of the architecture that will compensate though, but that=20
will=20
> be reliant on the developers driving the compilers correctly. I=20
doubt=20
> there will be much difference in performance though.
>=20
> Chances are that unless there's a pressing need to run 64-bit=20
native,=20
> developers will just churn out 32-bit versions for as long as they=20
can=20
> get away with it ;-) (As a hardware engineer I'm obliged to have a=20
low=20
> opinion of softies, as a species ;-)
>=20
> The big gain with 64-bit is the huuuge flat address space. Which=20
is=20
> kinda wasted when the machine only supports 2Gb of RAM ;-)
>=20
> Opteron runs 32-bit code very well though, especially games, which=20
are=20
> often maths heavy - something it does especially well. I use=20
opterons at=20
> work a lot partly for just that reason (maths! not games ;-) They=20
are=20
> blindingly quick.
>=20
> I noticed when I popped over to Costco at lunchtime that they had=20
a 3GHz=20
> P4 laptop (toshiba?) for about =A3999 ex VAT. Makes the Lidl one=20
seem more=20
> reasonable.
>=20
> If it were me buying, then (IMHO) unless it was for gaming, I'd be=20
> wondering if you could get more RAM, bigger HD, extra widgets etc=20
with a=20
> P4M based machine instead...?
>=20
> HTH,
>=20
> Jim