The Difference in Processor Speeds; Audio and Video Chat, and Firefox
There's no other major item most of us own that is as confusing, unpredictable and unreliable as our personal computers. Everybody has questions about them, and we aim to help.
Here are a few questions about computers I've received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about difference in processor speeds, audio and video chat sessions, and alternatives to Internet Explorer.
If you have a question, send it to me at
mossberg@wsj.com, and I may select it to be answered here in Mossberg's Mailbox.
Because of the volume of e-mail I receive, I can't routinely answer individual questions by e-mail, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.
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Q: The three processors we see advertised for Windows PCs are the Intel Pentium 4, the Intel Celeron, and the AMD Athlon 64. Is there a measurable difference in the processing speed of these three?
A: Yes, and no. Tests used in labs can measure a speed difference. Different tests, on different models of these processors, with different computer configurations, can yield varying results. In general, however, the Celeron tests the slowest, with the Pentium 4 and Athlon 64 broadly comparable, although the Athlon can theoretically outperform the Pentium if and when more powerful "64-bit" operating systems hit the mass market.
However, these speed differences often can't be discerned in real-life daily use. They can matter if you are a heavy game player, or you do professional-grade video production. But, you won't likely notice them when doing the kinds of tasks most average users commonly perform on their computers. Other factors, especially the amount of memory in your PC, can have a more noticeable impact on performance than the processor.
In general, I advise against paying more for a faster processor, and devoting the savings to adding more memory to your PC, or buying a better video card.
Q: I am looking for the best way to run audio/video chat sessions on my Windows XP computer, with friends who use both Windows and Apple's iChat AV. Which instant-messaging program should I use?
A: You can hold audio/video chats with friends who use Windows via a variety of instant-messaging and other software. But if you want to do audio/video instant messaging with Apple users, you will need to use America Online's instant-messaging system, via the free AOL Instant Messenger software. Since AIM also works with Windows users, it's the best choice for your situation.
Q: I have switched to the Firefox Web browser from Internet Explorer. Should I now uninstall Internet Explorer, so they won't conflict?
A: Because it is embedded deep in the bowels of Windows, you can't entirely remove Internet Explorer, anyway. And you don't have to. Keeping Internet Explorer around won't interfere with Firefox. Plus, as I noted last week, some Web sites are so closely tailored to nonstandard features of Internet Explorer that in order to use them, you may need to run Internet Explorer occasionally.
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Because of the volume of e-mail I receive, I can't routinely answer individual questions by e-mail, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.
不同处理器的速度差异
在我们大多数人拥有的大件电器中，再没有什么比个人电脑更令人费解、更变幻莫测的了。每个人或许都有些关于电脑的问题，而《莫博士信箱》将为您提供帮助。
本期问题包括各种处理器在处理速度上的差异、选择视频和音频聊天软件，以及有关用Firefox取代Internet Explorer的问题等。
问：我们在广告中能看到Windows个人电脑有三种处理器：英特尔奔腾4处理器(Intel Pentium 4)；英特尔赛扬处理器(Intel Celeron)和高级微设备的速龙64处理器(AMD Athlon 64)，这三种处理器在处理速度上有明显差别吗？
答：有，也没有。在试验室中能测出它们之间的速度差别，对同种处理器不同型号、在不同配置电脑上进行的测试会得出不同的结果。不过，一般而言，赛扬的测试速度是其中最慢的，奔腾4和速龙64的速度相差无几，如果64位操作系统能得到广泛应用，从理论上讲，速龙64的速度会比奔腾快一些。
不过，在日常使用过程中，这些速度差别常常可以忽略不计。如果你经常玩电脑游戏，或者你要制作专业级别的视频产品，它们的速度差异才会显现出来，但在进行一般的电脑操作时，你可能感觉不到它们的速度差别。而其他因素、特别是电脑的内存大小对电脑速度的影响比处理器更大。
我通常都建议大家与其把钱花在购买速度稍快的处理器上，不如用来扩展电脑的内存或是买一个好一些的显卡。
问：我正在寻找一种让我既能和使用Windows电脑的朋友、也能和使用苹果iChat AV软件的朋友进行音频/视频聊天的最佳方式，我应该使用哪种网络寻呼(instant-messaging)软件呢？
答：对于你那些使用Windows电脑的朋友，你可以使用各种网络寻呼和其他软件与他们进行音频/视频聊天。不过，如果你又想和苹果电脑用户进行音频/视频聊天，你需要使用美国在线(America Online)的网络寻呼系统，通过免费的AOL Instant Messenger(AIM)软件进行。由于AIM也适用于Windows用户，因此这种软件最能符合你的要求。
问：我将网络浏览器从Internet Explorer换成了Firefox，我是否应该将Internet Explorer卸载、以免它们之间发生冲突呢？
答：由于Internet Explorer被嵌入到了Windows操作系统里，因此你无法完全将它删除，不过你也大可不必这样做。Internet Explorer并不会与Firefox发生冲突。另外，我上周也曾提到，部分网站是根据Internet Explorer的一些非标准功能设计的，因此你有时可能必须使用Internet Explorer来浏览这些网站。
