Grid computing has made a slow, but steady, entry into the consciousness of the typical business user over the last four or five years. Often seen as a niche technology, usable in only a few very specific markets, Grid computing is now seen as another alternative to the problem of maximising computing power.
In a nutshell, grid computing distributes work over a number of machines. For the niche markets, grids are used for everything from computational grids for proteins and fluid dynamics, right up to the use by studios like Dreamworks which use grids to render the animations and special effects in many movies.
Grid computing has made a slow, but steady, entry into the consciousness of the typical business user over the last four or five years. Often seen as a niche technology, usable in only a few very specific markets, Grid computing is now seen as another alternative to the problem of maximising computing power.
In a nutshell, grid computing distributes work over a number of machines. For the niche markets, grids are used for everything from computational grids for proteins and fluid dynamics, right up to the use by studios like Dreamworks which use grids to render the animations and special effects in many movies.
The T1 CPU from Sun is a very different processor from the ones we are used to. The approach is not unusual today - multiple core chips are now common, including the Intel Core Duo that features in many new laptops and the multiple core offerings from AMD - but what is different about the T1 is the scale of the multiple core architecture.
Current T1s have eight cores, and are capable of running four threads, providing a maximum of 32 simultaneous threads off one CPU. To achieve this, the CPU is positively stacked, not only with the multiple cores, but also memory interface, cache and other components to, more or less, make a computer on a chip.
The T1 CPU from Sun is a very different processor from the ones we are used to. The approach is not unusual today - multiple core chips are now common, including the Intel Core Duo that features in many new laptops and the multiple core offerings from AMD - but what is different about the T1 is the scale of the multiple core architecture.
Current T1s have eight cores, and are capable of running four threads, providing a maximum of 32 simultaneous threads off one CPU. To achieve this, the CPU is positively stacked, not only with the multiple cores, but also memory interface, cache and other components to, more or less, make a computer on a chip.
I've just returned from a one week (and I mean 7 days, not an easier 5) development conference and, as always, I have all the issues of getting back into the groove - including over 9000 items in the RSS feeder. Luckily I was able to stay on top of the email this time, so apart from a few non-critical accounts, I am more or less up to date.
More of a problem this time, I would say, is the state of my health.
First of all I'm tired. Officially the conference was from about 9am to 5pm, but with everybody in the same hotel meetings really started at 7am with breakfast, and ended at whatever time you finished dinner. Some nights this was late as midnight or 1am.
I've just returned from a one week (and I mean 7 days, not an easier 5) development conference and, as always, I have all the issues of getting back into the groove - including over 9000 items in the RSS feeder. Luckily I was able to stay on top of the email this time, so apart from a few non-critical accounts, I am more or less up to date.
More of a problem this time, I would say, is the state of my health.
First of all I'm tired. Officially the conference was from about 9am to 5pm, but with everybody in the same hotel meetings really started at 7am with breakfast, and ended at whatever time you finished dinner. Some nights this was late as midnight or 1am.
Rod Hamilton has made a valid point here on the approach offered by Sun with the Solaris and OpenSolariis operating system and it is affecting the way in which Microsoft (and others) will do business in the operating systems space.
I have argued this point many times before here on this blog, and elsewhere. Sun have made an amazing strategy choice, and it is one that other companies are making good use of, and one that some proponents of the FOSS model applaud.
Rod Hamilton has made a valid point here on the approach offered by Sun with the Solaris and OpenSolariis operating system and it is affecting the way in which Microsoft (and others) will do business in the operating systems space.
I have argued this point many times before here on this blog, and elsewhere. Sun have made an amazing strategy choice, and it is one that other companies are making good use of, and one that some proponents of the FOSS model applaud.
I'm a big fan of Futurama, and if you are a fan too you will know that Leela (and some other non-regular customers) have a wrist-computer. It is seldom used in any plotlines, but it is not the only film or program that has the idea. Predator (although I realise the Predators interface was somewhat limiting!) or the even more extensive and futuristic
To me it makes sense - the wrist (and forearm) is a vast expanse of wasted space on your arm, why not use it?
As we tend towards a more digital lifestyle, more and more of us are carrying a PDA, a phone, an MP3 player. We hear about convergence of these items so that we only have to use one pocket, instead of three, to carry all these items.
I'm a big fan of Futurama, and if you are a fan too you will know that Leela (and some other non-regular customers) have a wrist-computer. It is seldom used in any plotlines, but it is not the only film or program that has the idea. Predator (although I realise the Predators interface was somewhat limiting!) or the even more extensive and futuristic
To me it makes sense - the wrist (and forearm) is a vast expanse of wasted space on your arm, why not use it?
As we tend towards a more digital lifestyle, more and more of us are carrying a PDA, a phone, an MP3 player. We hear about convergence of these items so that we only have to use one pocket, instead of three, to carry all these items.