WPF: Who really need video on spinning cubes

Bob Powell have some really good comments on where the power of WPF really is. He needs performance for constantly redrawing the grid. Something GDI isn't that fast at, and which steals all the power from doing the real work:

In order to liberate the processor we need to stop it from drawing the graphics. We still need the graphics so this implies that they need to be managed somewhere else. By the graphics card itself possibly.

Strangely WPF is here with a system that can make even the most bogged-down two dimensional application fly. With the power of graphics processors on even simple display cards today, the rendering of a grid can become a trivial matter, even when it’s data-bound to a constantly changing stream of data.

Forget spinning cubes, forget cards that bounce and shatter in a waterfall of broken shards, forget plasma fields with smiling babies and dogs catching Frisbees. Show the managers in your company the benefits of freeing up those expensive processors for doing real ork and leave the graphics where they belong, on the video card.

Some of the first things I noticed about WPF was the drawing performance of it. As everyone else I was of course right away thinking of fancy interfaces with spinning cubes and what not, and hadn't really given it much thought abot applying it in an "ordinary" application with some "ordinary" controls. But after reading Bob's post it really makes sense!

So what does a Mac do?

Something I've noticed during my time here in the US, is the way companies pick on each other in the ads. It's like they are more busy talking about their competitors than themselves. I do find that pretty strange, and it definitely doesn't work on me. At least there are companies who have a policy of not mentioning competitors, which makes a lot more sense to me. Why would you even want to tell your customers that there are alternatives to your product? As a famous former danish tycoon once said: "Even bad publicity is good publicity"

Apple currently makes a lot of the "Hello I'm a Mac, and I'm a PC" ads which falls in this "pick on your competitor" category, and it's not the first time they are doing these kind of ads. OK, I must admit that the one about security is pretty funny, but what it is really that a Mac does? After watching several Mac commercials, I've come to the following conclusion: A Mac is an absolute waste of money, Apple suffers from a bad case of self-esteem and tries to make up for it by patronizing Microsoft. It’s a bit like the bullies back in the school yard who never got anywhere in life.

This is how I came to my conclusion (before you start yelling at me, I might be wrong but this is what sprang to my mind when I watched the ads):

  • Windows Security ad: Apparently Mac haven't implemented any security that will bug you, or prevent you from doing something stupid without thinking twice.
  • Surgery ad: So you can't change the hardware of a Mac and upgrade it to follow the newest advances in technology? Clever! I just buy a new one every year.
  • Tech support: So I have to settle with the webcam in the monitor, and buy a new monitor to upgrade the webcam to the latest and greatest? (and can I buy just a new monitor ? see above)
  • Meant for work: So I can't use it for anything fun?
  • Accident: So the powercord isn't properly connected to prevent you from accidentially disconnecting the cord?

OK I'm not really a Mac fan, and I'm probably the only one in the whole wide World who thinks that the white Mac and Ipod design is just plain ugly, and should be sent back to the 70s.