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Mailbag: Multi-Core, Veterans Day

Microsoft recently revealed that the next rev of Windows Server 2008 would be able to use up to 256 processors, but Seth isn't really buying the multi-core excitement:

You're missing the point with the core support: There's virtually no application software out there that will leverage the multi-core systems at the scale they exist at today, and there isn't really need to grow it in the future. The only thing that will need that many cores is a virtualization platform, and even then you're going to have RAM limitations well before you get to the processor bottleneck.

Show me an application platform that will benefit from the processor scaling and do so cost-effectively in a single chassis, and I'll get excited. Until then, it is just a marketing number that is rather irrelevant. Talking with an MS program manager a couple months back, he let on that 256 processors was probably going to happen, but also that there really is about zero demand for it in the market and that demand isn't expected to grow. It isn't that surprising really.
-Seth

Today is Veterans Day in the U.S. Readers share their thoughts on the holiday, and how they plan to pay their respects:

As a Vietnam vet, I take this holiday very seriously. Having seen war first-hand, I can appreciate the contributions of those that served before, during and after my time. God bless them all.
-George

My husband and I are both taking the day off as we are both veterans. He's a veteran of Vietnam and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and I'm a veteran of the Air Force. We both have some very dear fellow veterans to salute and remember.
-Anonymous

Having lived in the U.S. for nearly two decades, we're astonished at the ease with which many disrespect the military and deride those who chose to extinguish modern-day tyranny. It seems we in the U.S. are incapable of putting ourselves in the shoes of others who are being systematically eradicated just because they don't agree with the ruler. Imagine if the Constitution were set aside by a government with sufficient authority that wanted to silence its opponents; wouldn't 'the targets to be silenced' want someone to come in and decisively put an end to that? I would suspect that even the President-elect would welcome that.

We know several veterans of Iraq -- one, at least, multi-tour -- who have yet to reach 25 years of age, and the parents of other such sons who died in Iraq setting people free. All these are worthy of respect and honor -- doubly so, in my opinion, as multitudes of them are so young.
-Stephen

Tell us what you think! Leave a comment below or send an e-mail to [email protected].

Posted by Doug Barney on November 11, 2008


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