I've made a recent habit of calling Google evil. Groups.Google is evil. Books.Google is evil. Google is the next Microsoft, etc etc.

Well, I recently dropped my iBook G4 off of a table, and now it too is evil, but only because it won't boot. Due to some short-circuit in my head, I figured I'd wait until Apple's Time Machine comes out in Leopard before I got serious about backups. Now I don't have much of anything I'd created the iBook from before 11/26. Niiice.

Let's say I had some really important information compiled into a spreadsheet that, say, I really really need now. Let's say that the uncompiled information can be found in 30 or so emails I can't get to anymore on my iBook. Let's say that luckily Gmail still has copies of those emails. Let's say Gmail may be evil, but today, I'm still buying. I recently upgraded my Google Desktop install on my Windows tower, and they really are doing everything in and around the browser Microsoft made darn sure Sun couldn't do. Where's M$ now?


In other news, let me put an end to the belief that integrated video equals "vampire video:

The Intel 810i chipset was designed for cheap PCs. Really cheap PCs. Low End PC enthusiasts will encounter these more and more as computers built around the chipset enter the used market. It uses the RAM on the motherboard not only in its usual way, but as video RAM for the built-in video subsystem. Chad coined a great term for it: Vampire Video. Vampire Video not only sucks up RAM you could use elsewhere, but it also yields video performance that, frankly, sucks. Or bites, if that's what you prefer. (emph mine)

I've never heard particularly good things about Intel integrated video beyond its being especially cheap, but this 2001 moniker for machines that borrow RAM to do video on the cheap isn't quite fair.

My ATI Radeon X200 chipset mobo is doing great with its dual-channel RAM setup. Video cards for gaming are expensive, and the longer you can wait before purchasing, the much mo' better. And if you're not gaming or writing games (maybe doing 3D GIS?), why does the integrated video bother you?

In any event, this "vampire video" I've got does a good job with World of Warcraft and even lets me play Doom 3, making my $150, whenever I do plunk down that dough for a "discrete" card, go quite a bit farther. Vampire indeed. I'd consider going much too far with the metaphor and say that my undead box threatens to live forever, but that would, naturally, go much too far.