COMPUTERS AND NETWORKING
LOW-END SSD ADDED
TO LINEUP
Solid-state drives (SSDs) still can't compete with platter-based storage devices on a cost-per-byte basis, but the X25-V SSD from Intel
( www.intel.com) edges a little closer at about a
$120 street price for this 40 GB unit. The internal
SATA (1.5 or 3.0 Gb/s interface) drive is intended
to enable "value segment" notebooks, as well as
dual drive/boot drive desktops to include the
advantages of solid-state computing at an entry-level price. A cited example of how you might
make good use of the drive would be to configure it as
your boot drive and load the Office suite on it, as well.
Not only would your boot-up time be reduced, the Office
applications would run up to 43 percent faster. The
X25-V is actually “low man on the totem pole” of Intel
SSDs; you can also get one with 80 or 160 GB total
■ Intel’s X25-V SSD boosts
performance and boot-up time.
capacity for about $200 and $450, respectively. The unit
is rated for 1.2 million hours MTBF, which is probably
overkill unless you plan to use your laptop for another
137 years. It also works in temperatures up to 70°C
(158°F), so even if you live in a mud hut in Death Valley,
you're good to go. ▲
NO IE FOR XP
The news is not so bright for folks who still cling to Windows XP and want an upgraded Internet Explorer. It recently became official that IE v. 9 will not support XP. But before waxing cynical, it should be noted that there is more at
work here than just Microsoft's desire to extract money from your pocket. A spokesman explained that IE9's graphics
acceleration depends on Direct2D and Direct Write DirectX application programming interfaces, and support for them
"cannot be extended to Windows XP." This puts Microsoft in the odd position of releasing an IE version that will run on
fewer than a third of existing Windows machines. In any event, it appears that Firefox, Chrome, and even Safari will
support XP for the time being, so you can keep on clinging. ▲
HOME FOR MAC ORPHANS
When Apple ( www.apple.com) dumped its traditional operating system in 2002 and went to the UNIX-based
OS X, it showed some mercy toward Mac owners who had
tons of money invested in software that ran only on System 9.x
and earlier by packaging a "Classic" environment with it. But
Classic doesn't run on Intel-based Macs, and as of OS X v. 10. 5
(Leopard), it has been eliminated entirely. This leaves PowerPC
Macs with the choice between never upgrading the OS or
dumping all Classic software. However, there appears to be a
solution for both PowerPC and Intel machines in the form of
SheepSaver — a free download from sheepshaver.cebix.net. It
hasn't been tested here, and it appears to be somewhat less
than seamless in operation, but many positive reviews of it can
be found on the Internet. The website notes that it runs "with a
varying degree of functionality" on Unix with X11, Mac OS X,
Windows NT, and BeOS R4/R5. One small snag is that Intel
Macs can't run it without downloading an image of the Power
Mac ROM, but that doesn't appear to be difficult. The good
news is that applications run at native speed, i.e., there is no
emulation involved. So even if SheepSaver isn't perfect, if you
have been orphaned by v. 10. 5, it's probably worth a try. ▲
June 2010 11
INDUSTRY AND
THE PROFESSION
PROGRAMMER GETS
FOUR YEARS
IIn August ‘08, former Barclay's Bank programmer, Humza Zaman, was arrested for numerous
offenses including money laundering, illegal
computer access, identity theft, and wire fraud for
his part in the theft of data from TJX (parent
company of T. J. Maxx, Marshalls, et al.), BJ's
Wholesale Clubs, and other retail stores. In April of
last year, he pleaded guilty and now has been
sentenced to four years in prison and fined
$75,000. Zaman assisted ringleader Albert
Gonzales in the pilfering of more than 130 million
credit and debit card records and an estimated
$600,000 to $800,000 in cash. Gonzales is
presently awaiting sentencing but could get up to
17 years. Zaman has blamed his involvement on a
lifestyle of partying and recreational drug use that
required cash beyond his legitimate six-figure
income. Hey, times are tough. ▲
