New tests have revealed that Windows XP, running the beta Service Pack 3, is twice as fast as the new Vista operating system, running Service Pack 1 beta. In other words, the tweaked Vista is more than twice as slow as the operating system (OS) its going to replace. Hell, even without the service pack its still more than twice as slow.
Devil Mountain Software ran typical Officebench tests on both operating systems running on identical systems, namely Dell XPS M1710 test bed with 2GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, 1GB of RAM and discrete nVidia GeForce Go 7900GS video. By the way, the lower the seconds on the chart above, the faster it is.
This is just another in a long line of set-backs to Vista, Microsoft’s bloated successor to XP which many users don’t want but are being forced to use. Back in September, customer revolts forced Microsoft to hold off axing XP sales at the end of January 2008, until June.
The testers had this to say about Vista’s new patch:
“With the initial performance characteristics of Windows Vista leaving much to be desired, many IT organisations have put off deploying the new OS until the first service pack (SP1) is released by Microsoft early next year. The thinking goes that SP1 will address all of these early performance issues and somehow bring Windows Vista on par with - or at least closer to - Windows XP in terms of runtime performance.
Unfortunately, this is simply not the case. Extensive testing by the exo.performance.network (www.xpnet.com) research staff shows that SP1 provides no measurable relief to users saddled with sub-par performance under Vista."
So, how’s your Vista running?-Martin Lynch
software technology Microsoft Windows
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I’ve never heard of Venturer but shopping channel QVC swears by them so that means they must be OK then. Right?
Anyway, the company is already selling its SHD7001 standalone HD-DVD player in the US for around $100 and next month it will go on sale over here for a so far ‘undisclosed’ but, apparently ‘amazing’ price. Think £150-£200 then.
It’s a 720p/1080i-capable machine with HDMI that will also upscale your existing DVDs to a higher resolution. It boasts support for a range of surround sound formats including Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS HD and Dolby TrueHD. There’s also an Ethernet port for hooking up to the Internet to access Web-related content that appears as Extras on some HD DVD movies. It will also be supplied with a “fantastic add on package worth around £50.00” of a HDMI cable [which should be bundled free] and two HD DVD movies, the suck-tastic Troy and Hulk.
Personally, I’d fork out £200 for a Toshiba HD-EP30 player here, which comes with 7 free HD DVD movies, including 300 and The Bourne Supremacy.-Martin Lynch
HD DVD blu-ray movies
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There might be console shortages looming for Christmas but seemingly not at Carphone Warehouse, which has just been onto Gizmodo to point out that it has plenty of Wiis and PS3s.
The retailer is giving away free Wiis and PS3s with certain new phone and broadband contracts. Anyone looking for a new phone and a console could kill two Christmas presents with a single flick of your plastic friend on this one. That said, nothing is truly 'free'.
The phone and Blackberry contracts are 18 months with Orange and O2, respectively. They start at £35 per month for 500mins of calls per month and free texts. All of the handsets in question are free. The Wii offer applies to the Nokia 6300, 6300 White and 7373 as well as the Blackberry Pearl in silver and black.
The PS3s – the inferior 40GB versions though – are being dangled free with AOL Wireless Broadband Plus contracts – around £20 per month - but for a minimum of 24 months.
Go here for the Wii offer and here for the PS3 offer.-Martin Lynch
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You can leave your 'sexy nurse' preconceptions at the door right now because this robotic nurse has been designed with work, not play, in mind.
Named Twendy-One the Japanese robot nurse stands 1.5m tall, weighs in at a portly 111Kg and cost millions of pounds over the last seven years to develop. That said, its first public trial yesterday was a success according to Reuters, with Twendy-One showing off its unique ‘soft hands’ – thanks to 241 sensors - with fingers that grip gently enough not to crush a loaf of bread.
Twendy-One is also capable of getting things from a fridge, delivering a plate of toast and boasting enough hydraulic muscle to help patients sit upright, lift them out of bed or support them while walking.
That’s all great, but where do we put the stockings and suspenders?-Martin Lynch
robot robots technology
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Editor and Contributor | Martin Lynch
Contributor | Tamlin Magee
