Category Archives: Arb crap

Everyday rantings.

Are Apple computers really more expensive?

Following the launch of the iMac Pro a few weeks ago, I again read how people can “build the same machine for a third of the price”. Below is a comparison between the iMac Pro, the HP Z440 workstation and the Dell Precision 8520 XCTO Workstation.

It’s just not possible.

Edit: I did not compare the iMac to a DIY computer you can assemble yourself, with some parts which your buddy can get at wholesale price from Sahara and the other from a parallel importer based in Spartan. The aim was to compare the the iMac with a leading ‘Windows’ brand hardware manufacturer.

 

iMac Pro 27″ Desktop

HP Z440 Workstation

Dell Precision 8520 XCTO Workstation

Supplier iStore South Africa HP Shop South Africa Netsurit

Processor

Chipset Intel Xeon W Intel Xeon E5-1680v4 Intel Xeon W-214
Number of cores 8 8 8
Base frequency 3.2GHz 3.4GHz 3.7GHz
Max turbo frequency 4,2GHz 4.0GHz 4.5GHz
Cache 19MB 20MB 11MB

Memory

Total RAM 32GB 32GB 32GB
Type 2666MHz ECC DDR4-2400 Registered RAM 2666 DDR4 RDIMM ECC

Storage

Harddrive type SSD SSD SSD
Harddrive size 1TB 1TB 1TB

Graphics

Processor Vega Pro 56 Nividia Quadro P4000 Radeon Pro WX 510
Memory 8GB HBM2 8GB 8GB

Display

Model Built in None Dell Ultrashark
Screen size 27″ 5K 27″ 4K
Native resolution 5120 x 2880 3840 x 2160

Connectivity

Ethernet 1 x 10Gb Dual 10Gb Dual 10Gb
USB 3 ports 4 9 8
USB C ports 4 0 2
USB 2 ports 3

Multimedia

Webcam 1080 HD camera None None
Speakers Stereo speakers None None
Microphone 4 Line-in only Line-in only
Headphone jack 1 1 1

Wireless

Wifi 802.11ac  – – 
Bluetooth Ver 4.2  – – 

Peripherals

Mouse Space Grey Magic Mouse 2 HP USB 1000dpi laser mouse Dell USB Optical Mouse
Keyboard Space Grey Magic Keyboard HP USB Business Slim Keyboard Dell Multimedia Keyboard
Optical drive None Slim DVD writer Slimline DVD RW
Media card reader 1 x SD card reader 15-in-1 Card Reader 1 x SD card reader

Miscellaneous

Warranty  1 Year 3 Year 3 Year on site
OS OSX Windows 10 Pro 64 Windows 10 Pro 64
Price (incl VAT) R85,000 R154,498 R89,002

Sources:

  • http://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/desktop-and-all-in-one-pcs/new-precision-5820-tower/spd/precision-5820-workstation
  • https://ark.intel.com/products/92992/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E5-1680-v4-20M-Cache-3_40-GHz
  • https://www.apple.com/za/imac-pro/specs/
  • http://store.hp.com/us/en/mdp/business-solutions/z440-workstation

Gun control in the United States

There’s really only one way to stop these senseless massacres of innocent people: bring about a ban on privately owned firearms. If there are no easy access to guns, and harsh penalties for the contravention of the ban, things will start to change.

I read this morning that only a single example of an amendment to the US Constitution was repealed: the eighteenth amendment (ratified 1920) made it illegal to produce, transport or sell alcohol, which was repealed in 1933 by the twenty-first amendment, making it okay to booze it up again. If a constitutional right could be changed back in the early 20th century, surely the same mechanism could be used now?

As a society, we have to move forward, we have to make a collective stand to change things that were okay back in the day may not be okay now. Majority rules, right? Isn’t that how a democracy works? Just off the top of my head, the entire world’s collective view on slavery, Nazi symbolism, mixed race relationships, racial discrimination and segregation, homosexuality and woman rights all changed in very recent times: surely any clear-thinking person could see that if you remove all the guns (or make it REALLY, REALLY difficult to obtain firearms and ammunition) would make for pointless mass-murders to become less common than they are now.

Closer to home, a referendum on ending apartheid was held in the early 90s, where 69% of white South Africans voted in favour of political reform. I like to think that 23 years later, the people who voted ‘no’ back in 1992 have become a bit more used to the idea, and have, despite not liking the rule, accepted it and moved on. I’d like to see something similar with gun control. Let’s see *something*: even a 20 year plan to phase out guns and ammunition for private ownership is better than no plan at all.

In my mind, and with my limited understand of how US politics work, is how easy it is for big business to influence political decisions by lobbying for legislation to suit their bottom line. There’s a very thin line (if a line at all) between lobbying and bribing. The reform needs to start there.

I refuse to believe that more than 50% of the American population are in favour of pretty much unregulated access to firearms. Can they please start with a referendum, like we had in 1992, to kickstart the process of a more sane society?

My take on Apple hate

I read this morning that the pricing for the new Macbooks were announced. While I don’t see the price as necessarily expensive, it remains a lot of money at R19k for the entry level model.

As is the tradition on the internet, there’s a huge amount of unnecessary Apple hate. One comment in particular stood out:

For that money I can build a PC that is much, MUCH more powerful than any MAC.

While he had a valid argument, let me put this out there: Continue reading

Irini Agathagelou gets knocked down in rugby brawl

Irini Agathagelou said on Facebook that she was a victim of woman abuse, claiming she was beaten by Kyle Kriel on the evening that Ikeys won the Varsity Cup.

The video clearly shows a rugby-player type knocking her flat on her ass after she hit him around 16 times with what looks like a shoe.

You cannot see what started the fight, but it is reported that the row had begun when another woman verbally abused a PUK wing. This started a full-on brawl that went into a restaurant, and all hell broke lose. The kind of fight that James Dalton started back in the day.

Since the early 1900s, woman across the world has been demanding equal contract, marriage, parenting, and property rights. In fact, they wanted to be able to do anything a man could or wanted to. It’s almost laughable to think that in recent history woman weren’t allowed to vote or drive cars: who are we to deny them the opportunity to participate in bar brawls?

What bothers me here is the lack of equality. Like the race card, some woman call bullshit when things don’t turn out the way they expected, by playing the “woman abuse” card. While I don’t condone any form of abuse, this wasn’t anything close to any accepted definition of the word. When woman was given the vote, they got identical ballot papers to the men. Ditto for cars and jobs. Why then, is it expected that men should treat woman any differently when they engage in this historic men-only pastime?

Equality is about giving everyone an equal chance, not an equal result.

Continue reading

Cyclists from Muhammadeyah Cycling Club attack man in parked car in Beach Road, Cape Town

Just getting back to those cyclists who attacked Ibrahim Waggie in the parked van in Cape Town a few days ago: this shows the mentality of cyclists. With apologies to my really good friends who cycle, cyclists behaving like this is absolutely the norm and not the exception. If you cycle, you may recall telling me something like “it’s not all of us” or “these incidents are isolated incidents”. Bullshit.

Cyclists really believe the world owes them something. Despite not paying for a licence disc, they still feel that they have equal rights on the road. They do not stop at traffic lights, ride a dozen abreast, fly into a violent rage when you hoot at them and gang up on you like the wolves they are, not to mention that on Sunday mornings their support vehicles will piss along at 25km/h on suburban roads. Continue reading

Eden

I was emailed a conversation between Jay Eden (he is part of the South African boy-band Eden) and Verster du Plessis, a fan, earlier this week. Thought I’d share what they said. I’ve made formatting changes only to ease readability.

Jay Eden said:
Visited the site…guess what I found? Someone that does’nt like us or our music and is actually judgemental even though you probably haven’t heard a single song…what a relief, I thought there were just no more idiots anymore. WOW. Continue reading

Surviving

My very good friend MS wrote this as the first couple of pages in his book “Surviving”. I do not take any credit for the content, and as such, cannot take any flack for it either.

SURVIVING: Your essential guide to navigating life’s trickier experiences

Each day we are faced with situations that beg of us superhuman levels of restraint.

SURVIVING offers you tips on getting through it all. You’ll swoon at the genius of these ideas. You’ll thrill as situations you always thought were impossible suddenly become manageable. You’ll retch as you realize how easy it all is.

SURVIVING is a non-denominational, high-profit organization that subscribes to a magpie philosophy: we take a touch of Zen Buddhism, a smidgeon of Hebrew Kabbalah, and mix it with a steaming pile of horseshit to create an unrivalled modern-life philosophy. Forget therapy, forget personal training, forget Atkins: this guide will improve your life! Continue reading

Transgender Personal Drama Counselor

Dear Transgender Personal Drama Counselor,

It has recently come to my attention that people in my neighbourhood are illegally dumping garden refuse on my front pavement lawn. Now I consider myself liberal; hell, I even subscribe to Unibrow Sluts Monthly. But this shit is just not on. My set of steel duiker (named Rusty, Musty, Dusty and Nkosizana, btw), which I purchased from a man in bright tracksuit pants on William Nicol Drive, have not been visible for two months. I’ve approached my local councilor, who told me in no uncertain terms that he couldn’t deal with my issue, that he was 64 and three quarters and thus months away from a gold watch and lifetime travel vouchers, that I could fuck all the way off, and was I a racist? What should I do?

Concerned, Randburg.

Dear Concerned,

Have you considered the possibility that the problem is with you, and that your wife and her Chihuahua have little or no interest in playing nude bridge? It seems you are putting your needs ahead of those of your lady and her pooch. Anyway, there is little evidence to suggest that domestic animals (or even their cousins in the wild) are at all stimulated by displays of human copulation, no matter how theatrical. You may want to take your wife for a full physical examination after the events you’ve described, and possibly investigate some more traditional methods of arousal. Please don’t write again. Continue reading