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As of mid-2008, both editions continue to be sold.

Very true. This is a change from what MS were saying they would be doing. I gather this is because of the big outcry about Vista.

Still, the new Linux users are, months later, happy Linux users.

As of mid-2008, both editions continue to be sold. XP Professional contains advanced features that the average home user would not use….

Your point about DSL is well taken. It is not the technology, but the product, that is inferior. None of the DSL providers around here come even close to Road Runner’s 10Mbit/sec delivery, many delivering less than a fifth of that. As such, that is my bad for not being clear.

Bandwidth caps in and of themselves are not so much of an issue. It’s the level they are set at, and what the provider brings to the table with them. And where they intend to go with them is also important.

Comcast has said it will cap users at 250GB a month. Given that 250GB is the default configuration for HDDs found in laptops, that seems a reasonable amount.

What isn’t reasonable to me, is that Comcast doesn’t provide a bandwidth monitor or usage report to their customers. In the FAQs they have on the new cap, they suggest users download a bandwidth monitor.

Bandwidth monitors are a per computer solution, so if you have multiple computers, you have to install the monitor on all of them. And they typically don’t allow you to differentiate between connections, so if you’re a student, you have no way to differentiate between home and college.

What if I have a NetFlix Roku? Can I install a bandwidth monitor on it? What if I have Vudu? Or a SlingBox? Or a FyreTV box? AppleTV?

If you’re going to cap my usage, then you have to provide me with the tools I need to monitor my usage.

Comcast at 250GB seems reasonable, for now. But what happens as bandwidth increases? And we know it will increase. When it does (and Comcast are already announcing regional bandwidth increases), then the cap needs to increase as well.

Once a cap is set, it should never go down. But what reassurances do we have that they won’t? We have none.

And as you point out, what assurances do we have that the providers won’t differentiate between services they DO provide, and those they DO NOT. If they don’t count their services against your cap, especially when they are a part of a media conglomerate, then it is troubling indeed.

Woadan

Hongyao hasn’t been the worst for lifespan. CFLs from Lights of America have rarely lasted more than a week for me, though those that did have given me at least five years service. I bought about a dozen of them back in 2003, of which four have survived and are in regular service. The number I bought wouldn’t have been so high, except that some of them died so quickly that I ran them back to the store and exchanged them.

Unlike Hongyao, though, the Lights of America CFLs were as bright as they were supposed to be.

Commercial Electric, which later renamed to nVision, makes a very good CFL, and I have had great luck with them lasting. This is Home Depot’s store brand, which also means they are cheap (as little as $1.67 each when bought in a multi-pack). On top of that, these are frequently (depending on model) the ones that perform best for instant-on, instant-full-intensity, no-sputter, no-flicker performance. I like them a lot.

I have one made by Phillips that has lasted ten years so far. It is installed on my front porch. I also have two made by Sylvania that have lasted me 14 years — they were originally bought for my bachelor pad.

Actually, one of those two Sylvania lights goes with me whenever I speak about CFLs. I use it to demonstrate that they can last a long time.

Oddly enough, though, with the exception of Sylvania, I wouldn’t recommend name-brand CFLs. The designs don’t seem to be as good. This comes from having used Sunbeam, GE and Phillips.

Perhaps in a few more years it will be a moot point. LEDs look interesting, though they are presently way too expensive, and there are some technological issues still to be worked out. Even so, they are starting to make some serious advances into the space lighting arena, and I am greatly anticipating their ultimate replacement of CFLs.