On 4/21/2012 1:57 PM, Andre van Delft wrote:
TechCrunch has an interview with Linus Torvalds. He uses a MacBook Air (iOS,
BTW):
sure it is not OS X?...
although, it is kind of funny that he would be using a computer not
running his own OS...
[Start of Quote]
I’m have to admit being a bit baffled by how nobody else seems to have done
what Apple did with the Macbook Air – even several years after the first
release, the other notebook vendors continue to push those ugly and *clunky*
things. Yes, there are vendors that have tried to emulate it, but usually
pretty badly. I don’t think I’m unusual in preferring my laptop to be thin and
light.
Btw, even when it comes to Apple, it’s really just the Air that I think is
special. The other apple laptops may be good-looking, but they are still the
same old clunky hardware, just in a pretty dress.
I’m personally just hoping that I’m ahead of the curve in my strict requirement
for “small and silent”. It’s not just laptops, btw – Intel sometimes gives me
pre-release hardware, and the people inside Intel I work with have learnt that
being whisper-quiet is one of my primary requirements for desktops too. I am
sometimes surprised at what leaf-blowers some people seem to put up with under
their desks.
I want my office to be quiet. The loudest thing in the room – by far – should
be the occasional purring of the cat. And when I travel, I want to travel
light. A notebook that weighs more than a kilo is simply not a good thing
(yeah, I’m using the smaller 11″ macbook air, and I think weight could still be
improved on, but at least it’s very close to the magical 1kg limit).
[End of Quote]
http://techcrunch.com/2012/04/19/an-interview-with-millenium-technology-prize-finalist-linus-torvalds/
I agree with Linus, especially on the importance of silence (I don't travel
that much yet). I intent never to buy a noisy Windows PC any more. My 1 year
old 4GB iMac is pretty silent, but with every tab I open in Chrome I hear some
soft rumble that irritates me heavily. My iPad is nicely quiet when it should
be.
well, it would be an improvement...
I suspect it is possible that PC fan noise may be a source of mild
tinnitus in my case.
it is not noticeable when near a computer, but often when away from a
computer or somewhere quiet, there is a ringing noise oddly similar to
that of PC fans.
otherwise, I don't usually mind the fans it all that much (it is a
tradeoff...).
but, I once got a fan with a fairly high CFM rating (I forget now the
exact number, something like 1600 CFM or something...), but ended up not
using it as the thing as it sounded more like a vacuum cleaner than a
normal PC fan (and could also be heard from other rooms in the house).
IIRC, it was in 120mm form (and fairly thick as well), and it had
double-sided metal grates (and also metal blades IIRC). if powered, it
was also strong enough to propel itself along on a surface if kept
upright (but, sadly, not strong enough to lift its own weight, which
would have been funny...), and IIRC had thicker-than-usual wiring and a
dedicated molex connector as well (it claimed that molex connector all
to itself). it was also extra heavy as well.
so, it served more as a novelty than anything else...
funny would have been to tape it onto a CD and have it slide around like
an airboat or similar, apart from the wire-length issues with a typical PSU.
luckily, fans like this are not exactly standard components...
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