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Date:         Mon, 15 Feb 1999 03:40:42 -0600
Reply-To:     Blue Eyes <lvlearn@MCI2000.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Blue Eyes <lvlearn@MCI2000.COM>
Organization: Vexation Computer
Subject:      Balancing Gerry's software load vs. hardware power
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Quote, "72 pin SIMM are hard to find at computer shows. So are processors slower than 300 Mhz."

No offense intended, but that's plainly irrelevant. Anyone who spends a brief time looking at Ebay Auction's listings for CPUs and memory knows they're easy to buy for cheap prices. See what they actually brought earlier today, NOT what bids are on future offerings. Look at closed Ebay auction listings and read today's actual prices.

Is there any reason for ignoring posted software corrective suggestions and offers to help that others posted? I believe Gerry's marginal performance my be usefully viewed as the result of a scale balance between software load and hardware power. If all corrective efforts focus on buying more powerful hardware, won't all current software problems persist?

Also, since 1) a low effort backup system could prevent significant data loss, and 2) List members have indicated an interest in having CD archive copies with a search engine, I suggested adding a CDR (CD Recorder) to address both goals. This suggestion has also been greeted with silence by those preferring to buy a new larger hammer. Why?

In office settings where daily payroll allocations run into the thousands, and everyone's work output depends on the same Local Area Network, dual hard drive Redundant Array systems are justified. How about applying that same analysis to the cost/benefits for the Gerry software/hardware system as compared to depending on a CDR? How many hard drive failure occurrences per year do you estimate? Or would you agree with me that it's more likely to be many years per occurrence? Read new hard drive Mean Time Between Failure ratings. I figure one year to be 365 x 24 = 8760 hours. That's many years per occurrence, unless BTBF ratings are lies or my math is bad. To me, it's obvious that contemporary hard drive failure rates are so low as to make a recent CDR backup fully adequate. Plus a CDR would make CD archive copies available.

I have no ego commitment to these ideas. You won't hurt my feelings if you show to me that I'm wrong in this analysis. Let's at least discuss it. The Gerry software/hardware system is not just the Gerry hardware system, or am I wrong about that too? John

"Select the right tool for the job before you."


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