HI Bill: The truth about MMX is much the way you put it, it is more to lock people into their technology than to improve any thing, IBM has also used this ploy over and over. Were the MMX can show some improvement it very conditionl ! requires software writen special for it to utilize it's benifits, then you are stuck with the MMX doing things that say a plug does, it can reduce up front cost by paring down on plug in boards, BUT..when new technology makes a break through it will not let you take advantage of that..I still favor the AMD chip for cost and vesitility in the wintell window..it's easy to upgrade, much cheper , is far enough behind to have the bugs out ( before it hits the markert ) It fits the standard mother boards , I also use external modem when possible, can take it from one computer to the next, and alo would rather pay a few bucks extra for a fast vidio card, ( that I can upgrade) than to get stuck with some MMX ( lock em in ) type crap that came form a co that has had many many chip failures..way back the 286 was supposed to do things ( it didn't deliver ) then the 386..came to do what the 286 was supposed to do, still it could not multitask..except if you used Qdeck 3, bill Gates has never got windows right and hopes he can get NT going before people catch on, I use win95 but belive me it's only because I have to be half way up to speed on it, as I service computers, Apple never got the jump start that the clone makers gave to intel, see the clones made the PC makers get real price wise, ( but when it comes to a GUI Apple beats this peice of junk I have to use all to peices..yet if I go that way..were do I get any work ? I'm not the only one in this boat, my mentor..who is far ahead of me..runs a clone too..and hates it. I've made up my mind I will not support the MMX as an end user service tech, like the IBM micro buss I walked away from a big contract when Miller Beer bought into that peiece of junk, I told them they did it aginst my advice, and it was not going to be compatable with half the other stuff they had, but IBM had conviced them they had to have it. So they went for it, when it went down I fixed it one time, and told them not to call me back. It was supposed to speed things up, but could only do so if the right config was used which the help did not understand..they would get that messed up and the thing would hardly run..man it was a piece of high tech expensive junk..that you had to handel with kid gloves, and why o why do I have to remember all the pains and troble that crap brougt me..as the end user when he calls you, well he expects you to flip this or that and have him going in a minute..and, crap..I even had to compile batch files into .exe make then hidden and read only system files, ,as well as the config.sys files, to keep them from changing things around, crap they would get in there and do what they did before the miro buss came along and the next thing you knew the whole network as down..then call me and imply it was my fault..and want me to drop every thing and get out there.. well they paid good so I took a lot of guff.but the problems that miro buss caused me I'l never forget..this MMX thing is going to be along the same lines..to hell with it, I'm too old to go along with it. Intel can shove it, and I've told every one I service up front, if you buy MMX..don't call me..go to the guy who ripped you off to start with. Jim |