Vista released…and ATI release driver with OpenGL support
ATI released their “production” Vista driver on January 29th. And it apparently has native OpenGL support, at least according to this extract from the release notes:
Black holes, LHC, Star Wars, quantum uncertainty… if it is of general geek interest, but doesn’t fit into one of the other categories, it lands here.
Niagra Falls…
What a strange place for a business convention. Niagra Falls isn’t really “home” for anyone- none of our offices are here, so everyone has to drive at least an hour or so to get here. It was particularly odd driving past the wax museum or whatever it was that had speakers blaring spooooky sound effects on my way to the hotel. But I’ve made it safe and sound to the other side of the country, and that’s what counts.
Work travel…
I have to do a bit of travel soon for work, and I’m not looking forward to it.
It’s not that I haven’t been through the routine before: in fact, for a few years I was away from home for work probably three or four months out of the year. It got so that the check in counter attendants at some airports recognized me as I walked up, and “bumped” me into first class…that was nice, if uncommon. I’m not complaining about the travel, at least not really: some people face daily travel as part of their work routine, and I’m very fortunate that I’ve been able to make career choices that have reduced this to the bare minimum for myself.
Technical difficulties
I run my main computer slightly on the edge. I don’t overclock it, but I do have some of the latest hardware inside, and the latest drivers. I build (assemble the bits, install and configure the OS) it myself not because I consider myself particularly brilliant, but because it sort of makes me feel good.
I am pretty technically proficient. However, I build one (1) completely unique computer per year more or less: you don’t learn all the ins and outs of a build when you only create one of them. And as a result of the “one of a kind” nature of my configuration, I am periodically caught by a problem. That’s what this post is about.
Vista cometh…but no ATI OpenGL yet??!!
I’m not exactly known for my patience. You could probably find my picture next to the Wikipedia entry for “instant gratification”. If I decide I want a gadget, I’ll usually mull it over for some months, but when I make the final decision…there is no hesitation. Don’t stand in my way in Best Buy…several Sales Associates have tried that, and they are still recovering.
Performance of my new computer…
As mentioned in my previous post, I’ve built a new machine. And I’ve completed my first performance test on it, before any optimizations and with an out of date video driver. Here is what I got running 3D Mark 2006: (more…)
Computer upgrade 2006: the Coles Notes
I built my “new” computer over the weekend. This is sort of a tradition- every two years or so, I feel the need to refresh my technology from the ground up. Every other year I perform an “intermediate” upgrade- RAM, video, disk. The distinction between these two types of upgrade is somewhat vague, but I pretend they are different.
The last “full system” upgrade was back in 2004. I moved from Intel to AMD, NVidia to ATI, IDE to SATA, and life was good. This time around the changes are a bit more subtle…basically, sticking with AMD, ATI, and SATA, but bigger, faster, and better. Since I like living on the bleeding edge, I also decided to try Vista RC2…that turned out to be unworkable, but then it *is* a beta release.
Click below to read more
Comatose man wakes up after 19 years…brain “rewires” itself
I was reading an article today about a man who was in a coma, in what they call a persistent vegetative state, for 19 years who “woke up “in 2003. Terry Wallis, the coma victim, had regained his power of speech and his mobility, and had clear memories of his life before the coma. Terry has awakened to a world where his one year old son is now 20, and Ronald Regan hasn’t been president in decades.
Computers are stupid…
My Mom is a pretty smart lady. She grew up during the great depression, served overseas in the Second World War rising to the rank of Sergeant Major. She raised six kids, several of us largely as a single mom on a small salary. Thanks to her, we all turned out pretty well.
Psychological Neoteny- I’m getting older, not more mature…
I read an article today about a study showing that people today are tending to retain a state of immaturity far into adulthood. Basically, instead of becoming fixed in their ways, focused on stability and safety, more and more people are continuing to retain a child-like interest in new and different things, in change, and in learning new things.