Robert Vamosi of Webware quotes MIcrosoft’s research czar Craig Mundie as saying computers need to get smarter about what we do and use their CPU to do stuff before we sit down to work. I’m all for it, but shouldn’t we have already got here?
Mundie says current software poorly utilizes the full CPU potential of any PC; most of the time our screensaver kicks in and performs no background operations. Mundie predicts new software on the PC will utilize the full potential, being capable of anticipating tasks performed frequently (such as downloading Web mail) and perhaps executing these before we sit down to the computer in the morning
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>>I’m all for it, but shouldn’t we have already got here?
Yes we should have. Some of the foundations for this already appear in Windows Vista. Take Super Fetch (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/features/details/superfetch.mspx):
“Windows SuperFetch enables programs and files to load much faster than they would on Windows XP–based PCs.
When you’re not actively using your computer, background tasks—including automatic backup programs and antivirus scans—run when they will least disturb you. These background tasks can take up system memory space that your programs had been using. On Windows XP–based PCs, this can slow progress to a crawl when you attempt to resume work.
SuperFetch monitors which applications you use the most and preloads these into your system memory so they’ll be ready when you need them. Windows Vista also runs background programs, like disk defragmenting and Windows Defender, at low priority so that they can do their job but your work always comes first.”