Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2006 November 8

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November 8

C++, Visual C++, Borland C++

Can you please tell me what the difference is? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by JenyP (talk • contribs) .

C++ is a computer language which a compiler can turn into a computer program. Visual C++ is a type of program which helps you to write in that computer language. Borland C++ is also a type of program which helps you to write in the language C++. In an analogy to spoken language, C++ is like Spanish, while Visual C++ and Borland C++ are sets of dictionaries, grammar books, and worksheets which help you to write in Spanish. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.147.86.187 (talk • contribs) .

I would have described them as dialects, with C++ being the official. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 06:41, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Of those three, only C++ is a language (although it could really be called a family of languages, corresponding to the different iterations of standardization). The other two are (suites of) programs designed to work with the one language; it is, however, possible to talk in a semi-informal way about "Visual C++'s C++" which refers to the language corresponding to the precise implementation (including omissions, bugs, and extensions) in Visual C++. The closest language analogy is that the worksheets might use archaic words, contain typos, or use a new word that most Spanish speakers do not currently know (whether it eventually becomes widespread or not). --Tardis 16:36, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

The G++ compiler is usually considered the standard; most other compilers have serious differences. For example, Visual Studio doesn't correctly handle variable scope within loops. Also some code will only compile under borland, for various reasons. --froth^{T C} 19:57, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Adaptor

I need an adaptor for connecting a guitar cable to my desktop computer. I don't know what the price range is, but I don't need any modeling software or anything. Thanks. Someoneinmyheadbutit'snotme 03:14, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Pretty cheap, decent and easy cable or slightly more expensive, more room to grow and more functional interface.Vespine 05:45, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, much appreciated. Someoneinmyheadbutit'snotme 05:45, 12 November 2006 (UTC)

Data as Files

Why the concept of “file” is such a big success? What made UNIX based operating system to consider everything as a file?

Was/Is there any competitive entity for “file”? Do you see, any such entity will emerge?

Why can’t we store data into a relational data base table? Like,

|Filename | user | content|

|- - - - -+- - - +- - - --|

|x.y | me | nothin |

You can, but it's a relatively recent development. The file system article is pretty interesting and will probably answer any questions you have. The new Windows was going to have a DB based file system in the very early stages, but it was dropped long before it was even named Vista. Vespine 05:27, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

What 'file type' are MP3s? ANSWERED

I'm running NT4.0. If I want to search for media files - specifically MP3s - and I want to resrict the search just to that type, what do I tell the search to look for? Anchoress 05:12, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Wouldn't *.mp3 work? Pretty sure NT4 doesn't predate the * wildcard. Vespine 05:21, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Yes, that does work, but regrettably if that criteria is used in the filename field, it will return all the files with that extension. Anchoress 05:49, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

How different is NT4 search from 2K's search? In 2K there's a "More advanced options" option that lets you search for a certain registered file type. —Mitaphane _talk 06:09, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Yes, you can do that in NT4.0, that's what I'm asking about. But I need to know what file type it is. Anchoress 06:13, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Depends on what programs you have associated with MP3s on your NT system. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 06:33, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Well I play MP3s in Winamp. Anchoress 06:47, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Then you would select "Winamp media files" but that will include all filesl Winamp is set to play. I'm confused about what you're trying to do and why wildcards do not work. When you search for *.mp3, it shouldn't give files that are called, for example, mp3.txt, unless you search for *mp3* (with two wildcards). Or you can always open command promp, and do "dir /s *.mp3 > mp3s.txt" or something of that sort. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 09:05, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Oh thanks, that's exactly what I wanted to know. I thought it was pretty clear, I wanted to be able to indicate the file type I am searching for. Wildcards work perfectly, but when the file extension is included in the filename field, it will return all the files with that extension. Therefore, if I type '.exe' in the filename field, it will return all the .exe files. And actually you're wrong, using that format will find files named mp3.txt (I just tried it), but the issue is more that returning all the MP3s is bad enough. I'm trying to narrow my search, not make it broader. ;-)) Perhaps you don't understand. I'm not just trying to find all the MP3s on my computer. If I just wanted to do that, then of course 'mp3', '.mp3', or '*.mp3' would work, but that's not what I'm trying to do. I didn't bother saying that because a) it seemed obvious, and b) that piece of information shouldn't be necessary in order to answer the actual question I asked. At any rate, thank you for the answer, that's exactly what I needed. Anchoress 16:17, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Glad I can help, assuming you're talking to me =P --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 01:02, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

I'm even more confused. Do you understand that mp3 IS the file type? It's the file extension that makes them mp3 files in the 1st place, just like .exe MAKES it an executable file. In your last post you say "I'm not just trying to find all the MP3s on my computer." but your original question was "If I want to search for media files - specifically MP3s", that's exactly the same question... 22:28, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

It's OK for you to be confused. In Windows search functions, you can restrict your search to a particular file type. It's a way of narrowing searches beyond just part of the filename. I do know that .mp3 is a file type, but, in NT4.0, 'MP3' is not an option in the list of registered file types available to choose from in the search feature I described. That's why I needed help figuring out how to search for the file type. And if you look at what you wrote, the two questions are not the same. I am NOT trying to find ALL the MP3s on my computer, for which (as we all agreed above) just typing '.mp3' in the filename field would suffice. As I said in my question, I wanted to know what file type corresponded to MP3s. The answer is, in my case, Winamp media files. Is there anything else you're confused about? Oh, and while we're being pedantic, it's not 'the file extension' that makes a file a certain type; rather, it's typically a file's extension that indicates the file type. If I rename an MP3 with an .exe extension, it doensn't make it an executable. Anchoress 22:38, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

Breaking that goddamn itunes lock

I've been searching all over, and i can't find a way to break the itunes drm thing so i can play music my friend gave me from her ipod. I understand it's illegal (and moralist responses are NOT appreciated; the musician in question is dead, so i don't really care about providing him money), but can anybody sign an anonymous response or something? is there some program you guys know? i've tried that hymn thing but it needs her itunes password. i want to find a solution i can use in the future without burning and re-ripping cds. i just want to be able to listen to my friend's cd. thanks ~ —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Sashafklein (talk • contribs) .

While I don't like DRM, nor iPods... Just cause the musician is dead doesn't mean (s)he doesn't have family who live off of the royalty... --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 06:36, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I hear that the new DRM has been cracked by DVD Jon but I haven't been able to get my hands on the code --froth^{T C} 07:33, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

For version 5 and below iTunes, use Hymn. For version 6 iTunes, find QTFairUse6 with Google (requires Python, I think). QTFairUse6 should also work with version 7 (though it should be called QTFairUse7 for that). When all else fails, use a sound capture program like sndrec32 or camstudio to record what's coming off your sound card (causes compression artifacts though). --Frenchman113 on wheels! 21:06, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

thanks a lot

slowing down a gif file

The packice zone fluctuating throughout the year.

I don't know if my computer is too fast or my eyes are too slow. Pictures like this always move much too fast for me. Is there any way to slow them down on my computer? (I'm using Win XP and IE 6.0) — Sebastian (talk) 06:13, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Not without being able to edit the GIF files, or changing the API responsible for rendering the animation (DirectX in this case). —Mitaphane _talk 06:26, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

You could also slow down the whole computer, but that's not a very good option. StuRat 22:18, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

The very basics of Programming.

Hello, I am a Nigerian med student very much interested in learning programming. What I really need is a tutorial that introduces the elementary aspects of Programming and works all the way through to the stony parts. Thanks to all who reply.

Avaman. Avaman 08:17, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Hi. In order to help you, you should be more specific in which programming language you would like to learn. There are a good amount of them. If you have no idea, you should at least say what you're learning it for, what languages your peers learn, your goals, or something to help us determine what might be a good starting language for you to learn. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 08:55, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Try BASIC --froth^{T C} 22:51, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I recommend Python (programming language), easy to run, easy to learn. Just goolge python tutorials and you are set. Vespine 21:55, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

I am grateful to MIT for their decision to publish the entire text of Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (also known as the Wizard Book) online. This is the course material that MIT uses for their entry-level computing subject (6.001). It's been a very influential textboot in this field, and you may read it here. dpotter 23:29, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

Playing Videos

When i tried to transfer videos i took with my phone onto my laptop real-player wouldn't play them so i had to download VLC player. Now they play but without sound, They have sound when played on the phone. they are in 3gpp format, can anyone help? 136.206.1.17 12:10, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

On a Windows system, Nokia's free Nokia Multimedia Player plays it straight as a .gp3. Miksoft's Mobile Media Converter is freeware and converts your .3gp file to something more familiar to you (e.g. avi, mpeg). Seejyb 15:20, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Windows drive letters - starting from C?

Wikipedia's article about file systems explains how Microsoft Windows maps drive letters onto devices. This raises a question - does anyone really have drives A and B any more? I'm mostly a Linux user, but I (like every computer user in the world) have to use Windows every now and then. I encounter drives such as C, D, etc., some times even up to H, many times, but I can't remember using the drives A or B in several years. This must be a by-product of the disapperance of floppy disks. So will people start wondering why Windows drive letters start from C when it would be more logical for them to start from A? JIP | Talk 12:33, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

As default, Windows assigns C to the drive it's installed on, and I'm not even sure if it's possible to change this during setup. A and B are reserved for floppy drives, but if a floppy drive is not present they can be assigned to removable drives[1]. Presumably this means that if a floppy drive is installed, you can't change its drive letter or use the drive letter for anything else. Personally, I haven't had a floppy drive for a while now, but I still don't use A or B, though I technically could. Sum0 16:53, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I'm not sure if I'm understanding you correctly, Sum0, but Windows doesn't have to be installed on C. Anchoress 17:02, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

You are correct, Windows can be instructed to install on any partition it can see at boot time. It will naturally order the drives starting with C: at boot time as well. I would expect before people forget what floppy disks were, we will see a shift toward 'intelligent' names like 'hard drive #', 'compact flash drive #', 'dvd-rw drive #' and an abandonment of the (now) rather useless lettering scheme. At least I sure hope so ;-) --Jmeden2000 20:32, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

But then again, C:\ has been around for so long... There is no guarantee manufacturers would want to change it.  :-/ x42bn6 Talk 20:49, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

C: has been around for so long that even computer manufacturers (not software manufacturers) are using it as an industry standard. My computer, which has never even briefly brushed against a Microsoft product, talks about "C:" and "D:" drives in the BIOS configuration. JIP | Talk 21:29, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I'm using a dual boot computer right now with a floppy drive. I even use the floppy (it contains a diskette that boots under Linux, I just pop it out to boot under Windows). StuRat 22:00, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

This is a DOS legacy "issue". Not only is this built in to countless BIOS's and legacy software, but IBM-PC compatible machines and as a result DOS/Windows software that run off them have to abide by the original API, even though kernels have been rewritten. Even the disk "interrupt $13" routines remain to this very day, and similar calls are used by everything from hardware monitoring software to your windows drive list, directly or indirectly. That being said, unix does not care about drive letters but uses /dev (devices) instead. Sandman30s 14:46, 10 November 2006 (UTC)

Binary operations in c++

If I'm doing some binary operations on a couple of variables in C++, how can I print the individual bits of that variable to the screen? This would help a lot, thanks --froth

This requires some trickery, as you never actually get to the level of individual bits - the byte is the smallest addressable unit, which means it's the smallest unit you can do arithmetic on. But you can get a byte that has the same value as an individual bit in another byte. Suppose a is your byte, and b is the number of the bit you want to investigate. Then the expression (a>>b)&1 gives you either 0 or 1 depending on the bit's value. Bit numbers are assigned so that 0 is the least significant bit and 7 is the most significant bit. JIP | Talk 14:06, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

What does &n do in this case? I assume it has something to do with the nth bit from the LSB side? --froth^{T C} 21:28, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

See Operators in C and C++: the single-character operators &, |, ^, and ~ are binary (bitwise) and, or, xor, and not, respectively. It's actually the >> that's selecting the b^th bit; the & here is a somewhat idiomatic way of getting that bit's value (commonly called "testing" it). --Tardis 23:09, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

The & operator gives you a bitwise AND operation, that is, it compares all the values of the bits in the left hand number with those in the right hand, bit by bit. When one of the two numbers is a constant (i.e. 1), it is sometimes called a "mask", as by the nature of a boolean AND, only those bits that are 1 in the mask number will pass through (masking out the others). - Rainwarrior 22:58, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

So why is it necessary to & it with 1? Isn't that logically the same thing? --froth^{T C} 23:22, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

When you mask it, you're basically trying to see if a bit matches what you want. For example, if you have a sequence of 8 bits, and you want to know if the 6th bit is set (high), you "and" it with 0010 0000, which will make all the bits 0 except for the 6th bit (it stays the same), then you can compare the result to 0010 0000 to see if it's set (if it's set, the returned 8 bits from "and"ing will be 0010 0000, else it'd be 0000 0000). This is used a lot at the microprocessor level, because it shows you if a conditional flag bit is set, and a lot of other uses.

But to answer your question, no, it's not the same to "and" it with one. You're thinking in the sense of "and"ing bits, such as with logic gates. With bitwise AND, "and"ing it with one will give you the least significant bit. For example, 1111 & 0001 (15 "and"ed with 1) will give you 0001. 1001 & 0001 will also give you 0001. 1110 & 0001 will give you 0000. You "and" each bit, so the first bit of the first number is "and"ed with the first bit of the second number, the second bit of the first number is "and"ed with the second bit of the second number, etc. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 00:59, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

Yeah I know what bitwise operations are o_O What I was asking is why you would & anything with 1. But you're not anding with 11111111111111111111111111111111 you're anding with 00000000000000000000000000000001, which makes more sense as a mask. Thanks for the help :) --froth^{T C} 02:18, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

comp wannabe

hey am a wannabe com expert.am still a rookie and i needed some tips on
1.how can i create n send someone a virus.head knowledge only.i only have the net to my disposal
2.am doing user support.course does anyone know if the exams r tough n what do they entail.i have done hardwre n we r now doin software.
3.how can i send around 40 emails to one person using different email accounts which i already have without doin it one by one,as i open n close the email address.

Step One for getting people on the Internet to help you: Write clearly and in proper English. Knowing Wiki markup helps as well. Please try again once you understand this. --Jmeden2000 15:58, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Step two: Realize that you asking how to be a hacker and spammer, not a computer expert. Anyone who offers "help" is most likely just playing games with you because the real computers experts don't like people like you and the other hackers/spammers don't want competition. --Kainaw ^(talk) 16:05, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

For number 1, writing viruses is a complex problem (though it's becoming easier with the advent of polymorphism). Suffice it say that if you can't write computer programs, you can't write viruses (since that's what they are). To send a virus is a lot easier, when you get an extremely suspicious attachment just forward it. Of course you don't have any idea what it does...
For number 2, the difficulty of your exam would depend on the course of course. How would we know? For number 3, install an SMTP server (I think one comes with IIS if you're working on Windows) and send them from there. Though they would almost certainly be blocked and services might be terminated by your ISP. Not a good thing if it's the only broadband ISP in the area, as is usually the case. If you want to send them from email addresses that you've registered on some email provider, you can't do it.
In case it's not clear, this is obviously 1) Not the place for you to ask, and 2) Far above you. If you're in a course that covers software for the first half and hardware for the second half that's not a good sign of you being in a position to be writing viruses.. anyway I would encourage you to stop pursuing this unless you want to get into the field of computer security (ie not just to annoy your friends) --froth^{T C} 22:48, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Laptop advise

My parents said i could get a laptop for x-mas, only it has to be below US:$1,500. i was wondering what i should look for in the area of graphics, and procssecing. oh, its supposed to be a media style laptop. (i was looking for a mac, but no, to exspensive.)Xiaden 16:04, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Firstly, tell us what kind of dollars. 87% of Americans don't have a passport, and from my experience, expect everyone else to assume everything is American. Is it USD?--martianlostinspace 18:02, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Well, if you can assume i'm american, then you can assume its american money. but yhea, it is.Xiaden 18:10, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

If you've got that much, you should be able to get something with a real video card (NOT integrated!) and a good amount of RAM. I'm thinking something at least 2.6ghz (maybe even over 3.0!) and with at least a gig of ram, with a decent video card. --Wooty  Woot? | contribs 20:01, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I don't think the video card is that important, but the other specs should be what Wooty said. Prefer at least 2.6 GHz of processor speed, at least 1 GB of memory, and at least 120 GB of hard disk space. A DVD drive should go without saying, and if it's a recording drive, so much the better. JIP | Talk 20:25, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

And you should get a DVD-ROM as well as a DVD-RW if you can as DVD-ROMs lack riplock (makes DVD-ROM booktype discs really slow).--Frenchman113 on wheels! 21:09, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I dunno, if I was going to use the system for any sort of gaming or video editing/watching, I'd definitely get a video card. Especially if I had that amount of money. --Wooty  Woot? | contribs 21:45, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Intel's new Meroms use less power and are quite inexpensive for the lower-end models. Get that. --froth^{T C} 22:16, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I second the Core 2s (Merom) as well. I believe there are low end Core 2s with 1-2 gigs of ram, 120 gig hdds, etc, for about $1200, which would easily fit your budget. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 00:53, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

wow, i'm kinda lost in all this... but i get what i should be looking for:2.6 GHz of processor speed, at least 1 GB of memory, Most probbally a Memron(is this graphics card or a proccessor?) and dvd-rom read/write drive(16X?)... oh, i'm using the computer most definitly for games(halo2 fer computer is coming out!!!!) and secondarilly for movies/ homework(i-net?) so what sould i get for i-net connection?Xiaden, 15:03, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

Actually, you don't really need to go as high as 2.6 GHz if you're getting a Meron. The Meron is a new line of processors, which will be replacing the Pentium line. Intel Core 2 is the wikipedia article on it, and it gives information such as benchmark results and pricing. You might want to have a look there. However, since your main goal is probably to play Halo 2, you need to make sure what you get is compatible. The article does say it's for Windows Vista only, for example, but new x86 CPUs should all support it. At least a gig of memory (RAM) is pretty good, and RAM isn't too expensive nowadays, even for laptops. I would say DVD-RW drives should be optional, depending on how much you plan on burning DVDs. They generally require more power so burning a DVD while using only the battery will use up a significant amount of power on the battery. Laptops usually use wireless network cards, in order for the laptop to be more portable even when connected to the internet. Lastly, I personally wouldn't get a laptop if the primary function is for gaming, but that's just personal preference. Hope this helped a bit more. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 18:34, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

Vista will most certainly be built for i386 (and x64, I think the core 2 duo has a 64 bit architecture). Also it's Merom not meron, an it's not a line of processors it was the code name for the core 2 duo mobile version. I agree that the clock speed is basically irrelevant for a chip as good as the core 2, but anything over 2ghz is very good. Finally, yes gaming laptops are quite a bit more expensive than gaming desktops (and you won't be able to play any good looking game on the max settings if you want any kind of portability at all to your system) but it can work. I have a core duo 2.16ghz and a mobility radeon x1400 and I anticipate being able to play halo 2 with no problem at all. Basically if you get a remotely modern cpu and a real graphics card (not integrated) and more than 512mb of memory than your system will be able to play halo 2, though you won't be able to run the new vista graphical theme. Also the next generation of graphics cards (DX10) is in the process of coming out right now, so this isn't exactly a great time to buy a graphics card if you're trying to build a good gaming desktop (you probably won't see a DX10 card for the laptop ff for awhile). Crysis is going to be great :) --froth^{T C} 18:44, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for teh help, i get it now =P
Is it Steak?(Xiaden's Homepage) 19:35, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

Windows XP SP 2 problem

I have a problem with my computer which is I cannot install Windows XP SP 2 on my computer. The install goes very well until the appearance of the black screen which has the Windows logo then it freezes. These are the specifications of my computer:

1. Intel Pentium 4 2425 MHz
2. 256 RAM
3. 64 MB vedio memory

When I bought my computer, I installed Windows XP without Service Pack 2. It worked and is working very good. What is the solution to this problem? Is the cause that my BIOS needs updating?

• My Windows copy is OK and legal. I tried to install SUSE Linux and it worked good.

--196.218.105.70 17:20, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Interesting. Your computer is fine (not much RAM, but that's OK). My advice is simply not to install it. I've had SP2 sitting on my hard drive for quite a while but never installed it - there are some application conflicts with it, and the only real advantage I hear is having a built-in firewall. I'd download something like ZoneAlarm and forget SP2. --Wooty  Woot? | contribs 19:58, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

SP2 is primarily a behind-the-scenes update, improving performance on libraries and things --froth^{T C} 22:19, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I suspect that you have a bad copy. Try to get a clean copy of SP2 and try the install again. StuRat 21:51, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Outlook's too slow

Every time I open Outlook, it takes ages to load, I think because it loads about 1k messages. How do I get it to only show the last few, thereby being quicker, without deleting the remainder from my account?martianlostinspace 18:00, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

You could create archive folders and store them in there and not your inbox, if that's what you're doing. —Mitaphane _talk 20:52, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

The problem is that when you open Outlook, you're opening one big file called a .pst file, which contains all your emails, all the attachments to your emails, and all your customisation (rules, etc). So the only way to get Outlook to load faster by showing fewer emails is thru Mitaphane's suggestion, archiving. Otherwise, they're still in the .pst file, just out of sight. My suggestions are: a) archive. b) clear out your deleted items and sent items folders. c) delete attachments from emails you feel you must keep. d) delete duplicates. e) get a faster computer or more memory. Anchoress 03:16, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

a problem for me too

I don't use Outlook (Express) and have no emails or anything, but the program takes 20+ seconds to load. --WikiSlasher 12:03, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

i think it depends on your servers speed as well. try from a different location. it loads fine for meIs it Steak?<Xiaden's Homepage> 19:09, 16 November 2006 (UTC)

extending a wireless network

i have 2 wrt54g model linksys routers. i've talked to linksys on the phone, and they said this isn't possible, but it seems to me much more likely that they simply don't support this feature. is it possible to extend a wireless network using 2 wireless routers? for example, have one router (connected to dsl modem) in one location, and a cat5 cable running from a port on this router to the internet port on the other router, thus having 2 wireless networks?

will these networks encounter ip conflicts? should the dhcp server be disabled on the second auxiliary router?

thanks in advance for your help. i'm useless when it comes to networking. 130.207.180.59 18:57, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

That's pretty funny, that they tell you it's not possible. Here's the link to their own technical support page explaining exactly how to do it. ;-) [2]

I've done it myself and it works just fine, as long as the secondary router is setup as they explain there, you can run the two routers together without any conflicts. --Maelwys 19:40, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Make sure you set them both to the same SSID --froth^{T C} 22:20, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

If you want to connect to them the same way. If not, there are advantages to having two seperate networks. For example, I have an unsecured network that friends can use when they are over and I use peer-to-peer software on, and an additional wireless with a firewall and WEP key etc that I keep computers with private data on. In either case, this is more than possible. Let us know if you have any difficulties setting it up. 48v 03:15, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

Hardwired

I once read about a computer designed to solve one problem only, instead of a general computing system that runs software. The computer was used to simulate solar systems (celestial mechanics) and the input was the start parameters of the systems and the output was the positions and speed of all the objects and after a certain time interval. I remember the article stating that this specially designed computer was performing much better than faster computer solving the problem with software.

I am interested in any information about this system, at least the name so I can search more effectively for it. --DelftUser 20:18, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I don't know about that particular system, but devices frequently have electronics designed for one purpose only, and they indeed perform better and cost less than a general purpose computer. An example might be the computer used to control fuel injectors in a car. StuRat 21:49, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Embedded systems can be thousands of times faster than hundreds of times more expensive hardware in a general PC. Consider the differences just between CPUs- Intel has historically been better for servers (especially game servers) while AMD has historically been better for gaming or rendering. The difference is because the chip architecture is better suited for handing different types of operations (specific reasons are extremely technical so I'll spare you). Now imagine instead of running operations through a array of NAND gates to end up with the logic you want, and managing the overhead of tending to all the various subsystems (and God help you if you have other processes running at the time), not to mention the overhead that's inevitable with any compiled programming language (for example the call stack and activation record that's hard coded into any program compiled from C++). Compare that with an embedded system that has had its entire "program" codified into incredibly fast logic (a few nanoseconds per operation!) that's made specifically for that implementation, so no loading code from memory or device drivers or any of that. Your clock lines don't have to weave through unneeded components. All of your memory is local, and depending on your problem you might not even need the slowdown of a cache. See Embedded system --froth^{T C} 22:31, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for all the answers. --DelftUser 09:51, 13 November 2006 (UTC)

MP4 -> DVD freeware/trial with no watermark or limit

Hi,

I just downloaded Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe for my dad to burn to DVD for him. However, I have no video burning software (I uninstalled it a while ago!). Does anyone here know of a program I could use to burn these file formats so they will work on a standard DVD player? --Wooty  Woot? | contribs 21:42, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Nero can do this. Chances are you got some kind of DVD video burning software with your drive --froth^{T C} 22:34, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

[3] has a list of encoders. Authoring tools can also be found on that site, and around the interweb (ie. [4]). -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 22:42, 8 November 2006 (UTC)