Adam Bower wrote:
On Sun, Aug 20, 2006 at 06:28:42PM +0100, Ian bell wrote:
PC World's latest TV advert has a saleman extolling the virtues of a dual core Pentium. Dual core? asks the customer. Yes, replies salesman, Let's you do more than one thing at a time.
At the very least misleading to the average punter. I have complained to the advertising standards authority.
Why? Technically it /does/ allow you to do more than one thing at a time
Because the implication is that you were not able to do this before;, which clearly is misleading.
(taken in the right context obviously) as you can execute 2 instructions at once (one on each core al-la smp) currently multi-tasking isn't /really/ multi-tasking as you are switching between things very fast so it appears you are doing more than one thing at a time.
This is incorrect. It may 'switch between things very fast' some of the time but that is not the essence of multitasking - it is the efficient utilisation of all the computers resouces so that many tasks can be undertaken at once. This is clearly not limited to the CPU but includes resources like the hard drive, USB ports and so on.
Granted it isn't
the most technical of explanations, but then PC World customers don't tend to be the most technically minded people. I'd still guess that if you were buying a new computer you would want a dual core over everything else when you consider the price/performance.
A mott point. Depends what you want to do. For most people sual core is overkill.
IAn