By Cliff Feldwick
So what uses most of the resources of the Internet? Most people would guess web browsing, such as Google and looking at individual websites like MSN or news organizations. Nope. Although significant, at around 24%, it’s not number one, according to ZD Net, a reputable online tech news source. OK then, how about all those peer-to-peer file sharing sites that Comcast and Verizon swear are using all our bandwidth for illegal purposes (or maybe things that should be illegal, like sharing Justin Bieber songs)? No again – they’re at 13%. So what is? “Real time entertainment” – music and video streaming – at 46%. And the biggest hog of them all, at 21% of all traffic during peak times, is Netflix.
Yep, Netflix. And this is before the recent announcement by Netflix that you can get an Internet only subscription at a reduced price. Makes sense – no mailing of DVD’s, no inventory, much less hassle.
One study in
And this is before Apple TV and Google TV have really come onstream. And Hulu Plus, which offers all sorts of TV shows is available for under $5 a month. All this is going to increase streaming immensely.
What this does to the business model of FIOS and Comcast, who have been pushing packages with HBO, etc, is another question. Netflix offers all sorts of series from the premium channels, including interesting pilots from ones that didn’t make it (OK, some for obvious reasons) as well as movies. Hulu offers regular TV. Unless you watch a lot of sports, you can probably drop the expensive cable package and just get Netflix and Hulu for under $13 a month total.
Just another instance of how the Internet changes everything.
Gimmee Speed
If you are web browsing, one of the things most annoying is waiting for a page to download. So what browser is the fastest? A series of tests was conducted by Ars Technica, using four tests of download speed, Java speed (since Java is used by most websites), a Google-made test and a Finnish software company check. Browsers checked were Internet Explorer (the 800 pound gorilla), Firefox, Chrome (Google’s offering), Safari (from Apple) and Opera, a free download with a dedicated but small following.
In three of the four tests, Chrome came in first, with Opera as second. Safari was third in all tests. Firefox was quickest in the download time test, but Chrome and Safari were close behind. Internet Explorer, in case you hadn’t guessed this, came in dead last in all tests. And the 64-bit, newer version of IE was slower than the older 32-bit version.So if you’re still using the gorilla as your choice, it’s really time to take a look around at the others.
More on Windows 7
I continue to be impressed with Windows 7, something I really didn’t expect. The new thing I like is “XP Mode”, which allows you to run older programs in a XP window under Win7. It can be ordered preloaded on a lot of Dell units, or can be downloaded from Microsoft’s website as a series of three files that you install. They include a legal copy of XP and, most impressively, an update that allows you to run the XP Mode on older machines that don’t have all the hardware horsepower originally needed. So now you have the newer power of Win7 with the compatibility of XP on a single unit.
Dell black eye
The black eye comes from Dell’s policy of not acknowledging the problem at the time and recalling the units. They chose instead to do a “replace on fail” fix, and ended up repairing 22% of those models. If you didn’t know of the problem and your unit was out of warranty, you probably just bought another or paid someone to fix it. Not cool.
No “fearless
predictions” for 2011
Maybe next month. Maybe it’s because PC’s really haven’t evolved much lately, and are a lot more boring, technology wise, than phones and games.
Cliff Feldwick is president of Riverside Computer and does PC troubleshooting and network setups for small companies, when not trying to quickly download all sorts of useless information. He can be reached at 410-880-0171 or at cliff@feldwick.com.