Well just on the way out the door at work when I saw this, I'll try and be brief....
<font color=blue>You keep things nicely balanced around here Ape. You've
gotten (seemingly) less biased over time. </font color=blue>
I try to keep it balanced at all times, but some things tick me off enough to make me more vocal about the drawbacks. This summer was a perfect example. Some of the early Spec vs Spec comparisons bothered me in the same way that the 256mb vs 128 mb does. And while I still say there's a hole in the nV way of doing things on the hardware side of things, their software guys are sure doing a much better job now (fire some cheaters?
) at making up for that shortcoming. The FX5600U still SUX imo, but ht eFX5700U is doing much better. I try and stick to the verifiable facts. The FX5900SE/XT IS a great deal at the same price and anyone who can't see that is blind. The main thing is to push hard when people F'up, and hopefully they will change their ways. I'm convinced that that is what happened with the FX5700U series. And hey, now we have XGI/Volari to pick on.
I still hold a slight grudge for some of the summer stuff (because who knows it could come back with the next line; but then again it might be that ATI does that next tme around, either way it would really tick me off), but heck it didn't screw me, it just made it harder to show why there might be potential problems because of all the benchmark foolery. If you are trying to be objective about things, not having the tools to clearly point to, seee, this is why... just gets annoying, and causes people to give out what I would think would be bad advice (once again like recommending someone get an R9800SE [128 bit Wusy, calm down!] because it's obviously better than an R9600XT because the numbers are higher, if we took away the benchmarks how would you explain the difference convincingly to someone who doesn't understand VPU architecture?) that really bothered me because it made it harder to show what we were talking about, you see there's this issue.... and then someone would say, HAH look at these benchies, and then you had to go through all the 'floptimization' debate which usually went nowhere fast. Now the debate of R9600P versus FX5600U is a moot point, it's done, but back then it was harder to convince people without having some 'concrete' benchmark or IQ comparisons, despite what we all 'knew' to be the case.
I will be careful next round because of THAT past. The main thing is to stay current, things change quickly. I will cut ATI <i>SOME</i> slack, but let's be real, it's my money and I'm not waisting it, or else I'd have a Parhelia (I'm SERIOUS!, I was VERY TEMPTED!). Speaking of which...
<font color=blue>Just a question, do you lean towards Canadian GPU makers? I noticed you like BOTH Matrox then ATI.
Nothing wrong with that at all, I'm a patriot personally. I drive General Motors cars (mine was actually put together in a Canadian plant), though it plays a role, nation of origin plays a role (albeit small) for me.</font color=blue>
No not really, it's NICe, sure, just like it's nice that anything is made by the home crowd. But I've worked with MAtrox before, LOVED them, I used to work in TV while in University in Montreal, and I used them there too. Once you get hooked by the small things of 2D you notice it. I have always been an adiouphile and 'visualphile' if there is an equivalent. That's my love for MAtrox, pure sheer quality. ATI well it's nice that they're Canadian, but really they are just the ones I currently ownand have had great experience with. But if that were to change, I'm not about to screw myself for only patriotic reasons. Consider it about 5-10% of the equation, like if two equivalent products were $90 CDN for the non-local, and $100 for the local, ok, but only for similar performance. And by the same token a 5-10% difference in gaming might make my choice local, but my recommendations to others would be for the better performer for the dollar, which is the way I look at it. If the tables were turned now, and the locations were different, being Canadian wouldn't improve nV's image in my mind, to me it would have been something not to mention or draw attention to. That ATI is doing well is a reason I do draw attention to it, because most people thing we are Innu from coast to coast, hence my Occupation info in my profile here.
I do tend to support local, but my recommendations don't get involved in that because your integrity and respectability are compromised and soon worth nil, and then who cares what the CANboi thinks?
I prefer people to make their own minds up. I will provide info, and try to point out why I feel the way I do about a product, but in the end, I expect people to take it at face value.
As for jokes, they never bother me. Heck if you got the chance to wacth CBC on monday nights you would understand that Canadians themselves LOVE to make fun of our own countrymen and even ourselves. But we also love making fun of Americans, and others too. The funny thing is I find Americans find it harder to make fun of themselves and their leaders. I think the two party system makes it a question of us versus them, which translates into many other aspects of American debate/views/policy/interaction. Canadians laugh at their own leaders, but when people joke about Bush or Clinton, it seems that anyone who is a memeber of that party feels obliged to provide a comeback, instead of laughing with the rest of us. I never did get that.
Humour's never a problem it is what sometimes passes for patriotism at the expense of others that can be annoying. In the end when people cross that line it doesn't bother me because then I don't respect them, and who cares what they think?
Personally I love my country, like many people do, and of course I'll smack some sense into people that attack it, just like anyone would, but in the end nationalism can be very risky/dangerous when it turns in jingoism.
Enjoy CS, I have no problem with the game, to me like I said, I just would prefer that the companies spend their time making COD work, not an older game. But we've been there done that. I'm sure I'll be bitching about Morrowind in a year or two when people say, YOU still play THAT! But in reality, I think I will simply accept the fact tha it won't run well on future hardware and if I love it enough, then build a rig specifically for it. Either that or like I tell people "return your stuff and buy the gear that does work, regardless of who it's with, just all the while being aware that other stuff may be compromised". IT's just a pet peeve. PErsonally I'd rather ATI add surround gaming than make any older games work, or spend time fixing Rage chipset problems or even R7XXX/8500 problems (sorry Phial and others but that's my feeling sbaout it). I like new features and perhaps once I have a truely worthy card I'll settle into that, 'MMMmmm this is just right' phase and want my then setup to always be supported. It's like the Trackball and Trackpoint, I love them, but I see that they are minor markets. But my dollars will go in that direction regardless of better mice, faster solutions, etc., because I try to meet my needs, even if it goes against the grain.
Oie, I wanted to be out of her 15 mins ago. Oh well. Outtie!
- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp <i>(or internet account)</i> ! - <font color=green>RED </font color=green> <font color=red> GREEN</font color=red> GA to SK
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