Re: Camera Card Reader

David J Taylor added these comments in the current discussion du
jour ...

HEMI-Powered wrote:
[]
One doesn't even have to choose Vista when buying a new PC IF
the OEM will install XP at extra cost. You're right about
analog TV but not that many people are really affected since so
many have some sort of cable or satellite service. But, to help
the transition, our gubmint will subsidize the changeover with
coupons for two converter boxes.

Little free help here, and many more people affected (although I
don't know the percentage of non-direct TV viewers).

I am showing my ignorance of your country here, David, but why is
the percentage of people in the UK using ordinary broadcast TV with
an antenna so much higher than the US?

Usually, the only time my PCs are rebooted is when I choose to
install a security update.

XP is so stable that I rarely need to reboot, also. But, I would
say two things: 1) there ARE cases where Windows gets so tangled up
that a reboot is the only reasonable cure and 2) you don't need to
do that on a weekly or monthly basis with a car.

I wonder what the cost of a modern car's electronics actually
is, including the software development and testing costs, on a
per vehicle basis? But there have been reported problems,
particularly with the RF-driven car locks. Don't par in certain
places if you want your car to start again! But I think that
has imporoved recently.

I don't know, it is a closely guarded secret. But, I do know that
electronics in cars are first of all a necessity to provide the
features customers want AND a necessity to provide the fuel
economy, driveability, and emissions that both customers and the
government require. I also know that the people doing this sort of
thing actually view electronics not as a cost, but as a cost
SAVINGS because it is FAR cheaper to tweak a computer chip to, say,
provide emissions support for a different state or country, than it
is to completely redo the entire fuel-air system. There's lots of
other examples, but you get the idea.

As to RF problems, anything is possible, but the kinds of
catastrophic failures that occurred when electronic instrument
panels and electronic fuel injection were first tried in the early
1980s are virtually unknown today. Besides the obvious shielding,
as I described earlier, this is VERY rigorous tested for in an EMF
test chamber where ANY type of RF or other radiation in any
strength, frequency, or combination can be aimed at the entire
vehicle or just a single component such as a radio or the engine
computer. As to the remote entry key fobs, again, anything is
possible, but I'm unaware of any large scale problems with these
devices. In the case of Chrysler cars, there's also SKIM (Sentry
Key Immobilizer Module) in each key fob, which is our patented
proprietary theft protection. Of course, all the world's car makers
have similar devices. This is so heavily shielded and tested to
prevent exactly what you describe from happening that I would think
it is quite rare. If our SKIM or those of other makers could be
easily and routinely overcome by beaming EMF energy at either the
key fob itself or the engine compartment where the hidden receiver
and computer are, doncha think the car companies would find out and
fix it?

I certainly have PC here which are that old and still capable of
working - they run the original OS. Probably had to repalce a
power-supply or hard disk, though. I'm sure someone will
correct me, but I think that Microsoft support their OS for ten
years from first release.

I have one as well, still running fine on XP Pro SP1. But, my point
is that I am severely limited as to what I can hang on this older
box or what new SW I might be able to install.

Which they probably did when they paid the prices of 20-30-40
years ago. I recently bought a new TV, and I was surprised by
its low price, but as soon as I got to trying it out I could see
why it was low priced. I now need to decide whether to send it
back, and buy a better model at twice the price, or learn to
live with the could of minor defects I have found (now on our
second set of the same model, so I know they are design faults
and not a faulty TV set).

There is virtually NO part of our everyday life that isn't impacted
by computers. In fact, many of the things we take for granted even
obey Moore's Law to an extent. But, one more time, people have a
seemingly romantic notion that TVs will play, DVRs will record,
dishwashers and clothes washers will wash, cameras will take
pictures, etc. etc. etc. WITHOUT flashing the computer chips
inside. Sure, some people do upgrade their camera's firmware either
to get a fix or to run bootleg code that enables a feature they
want, but I doubt it is the norm.

Whatever, enjoy your Christmas!

--
HP, aka Jerry

"Accuracy is the degree a measurement meets a known or true value
while precision is the degree of reproducibility in the measurement
itself" - Mathematical definition


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