PC World dual core advert

[Robster]

I just saw a TV advert for PC World featuring Intel dual core systems and when the "cutomer" asks what dual core means the assistant tells him it lets you "do two things at once, like uploading email while you're downloading tunes!"

This is such a rediculous statement suggesting you can't multitask with single core processors.

But I guess this is what we've come to expect from PC World.

[deathtrap3000]

There just trying to make it sound really good to dumb people and make it sound like everybodys computers are crap compared to the dual core even though they work fine and can also multitask

[daz300]

Originally Posted by Robster

But I guess this is what we've come to expect from PC World.

true so true ,

[punky]

I was just telling some mates that last night.. Great minds and all that.

[dragon]

Originally Posted by Robster

I just saw a TV advert for PC World featuring Intel dual core systems and when the "cutomer" asks what dual core means the assistant tells him it lets you "do two things at once, like uploading email while you're downloading tunes!"

This is such a rediculous statement suggesting you can't multitask with single core processors.

But I guess this is what we've come to expect from PC World.

Technically thats true though, dual core does let you upload email when downloading tunes... but then so do single core processors, not exactly cpu intensive tasks (probably can't get them done for lying though )


now if they said encoding video whist surfing the web downloading music and uploading email might be a better example.

[greencreeper]

My view on PC World is that they're a utter disgrace. The BCS Code of Conduct for IT professionals states:

You shall not misrepresent or withhold information on the performance of products, systems or services, or take advantage of the lack of relevant knowledge or inexperience of others

Which is exactly what PC World does. Should be shut down by Trading Standards. And the things they do with your PC should be foolish enough to trust it to their care

[nffc]

Originally Posted by greencreeper

My view on PC World is that they're a utter disgrace. The BCS Code of Conduct for IT professionals states:

Which is exactly what PC World does. Should be shut down by Trading Standards. And the things they do with your PC should be foolish enough to trust it to their care

Caveat emptor? And the things some people do to their own PCs should you be foolish enough to sell a broadband connection with a PC to someone who knows nothing about them.

[greencreeper]

Caveat emptor to an extent, but those with knowledge/skill have a duty to those without that knowledge/skill. Least, that's what I believe

[nffc]

Originally Posted by greencreeper

Caveat emptor to an extent, but those with knowledge/skill have a duty to those without that knowledge/skill. Least, that's what I believe

Well i do too. But, on the other hand, anyone who makes a substantial investment in a product should research the market and ask suitable questions about a product before buying. You wouldn't buy a car without checking first if it suited your needs. A PC is no different and car salesmen are far far worse than PCW salesmen.

I did recently get a PC from PCW - not for me mind - and the 10% discount did help, but the sales assistant was reasonably accurate when I tried to test him with questions! Considering these people are salesmen and not technical that isn't too bad. (The technical staff work in the clinic.) They're also decent people, normally speak to a few salesmen in a normal working day which is usually a good laugh!

Nothing wrong with after-sales either - partly it's the customers (caveat emptor again) and secondly the stores raise customers' expectations either by being slightly economical with the truth or by the customers' selective hearing. I suspect the latter. And anyway... with anything as complex as a PC it must be expected to find the fault, run diags, test components - after all, the burden of proof works both ways, in the first six months the onus is on the retailer to prove and remedy the fault, afterwards it's the customer's responsibility to prove it was there at purchase (and that covers the last 6 months of the mfr's warranty and any extension to that) so that involves testing the product, running recoveries, etc... the procedures are perfectly reasonable, yet the difficult customers highlight the occasional mistakes etc etc which are rare.

In terms of the actual advert in question it's what I'd say is a half truth. Nothing inherently wrong with it like with the Centrino ones. Yes a single core CPU can multi task but the way it manages it is just a simple juggling act. The CPU basically switches between one app and another constantly as only one process can use it at a given instant. In that sense it's the software that controls it not the CPU itself. With a dual core it is essentially running as 2 CPUs, both of which can be used instantaneously so the one process limit becomes a two process limit and some of the switching is therefore transferred to the hardware. If then you are running more than one CPU-intensive app at a time... there will be an immediate performance gain. Uploading email whilst downloading tunes is a poor example of it (encoding videos whilst gaming would be more suitable) but it's illustrating a point and so it's not that misleading. In any case, it's pitched at a level to be generally understood by the laymen rather than the professionals - it's an advert! It would be an instant turn off for Joe Noobie Public to have a PCW advert, or an advert from anyone else, ranting on about what dual core actually was going into the correct technology! It's pitched at common tasks, things people will do with their PCs, just a poorly thought out example nothing more, nothing less.

To suggest that

My view on PC World is that they're a utter disgrace. The BCS Code of Conduct for IT professionals states:

Quote:
You shall not misrepresent or withhold information on the performance of products, systems or services, or take advantage of the lack of relevant knowledge or inexperience of others

Which is exactly what PC World does. Should be shut down by Trading Standards.

Is misleading, an exaggeration, because the whole thing has been taken out of context, and to suggest that PCW should be shut down because of an advert... well at that point the post loses all credibility.
As for

And the things they do with your PC should be foolish enough to trust it to their care

... well I hope DSGi's lawyers don't read this forum.

GC is quite correct.
Worst of all is the prices how much do you have to spend on a system to get a decent gfx? Its just a shame more people do not know what pcw are really like as if they did more people would have better more balanced machines than the bilge pcw sell
Over priced underspeced and mis sold

least you admit the sales people exaggerate unless your saying the customers are mis hearing the sales staff in which case I laugh very loud cuz they just wanna sell you something

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by nffc

In terms of the actual advert in question it's what I'd say is a half truth. Nothing inherently wrong with it like with the Centrino ones. Yes a single core CPU can multi task but the way it manages it is just a simple juggling act. The CPU basically switches between one app and another constantly as only one process can use it at a given instant. In that sense it's the software that controls it not the CPU itself. With a dual core it is essentially running as 2 CPUs, both of which can be used instantaneously so the one process limit becomes a two process limit and some of the switching is therefore transferred to the hardware.

The problem is that Joe soap would know (or indeed care) that the OS is juggling system resources to "simulate" multitasking. The advert seems (to me) to be implying that you need a dual core cpu to multitask efficiently. This is, frankly, a crap piece of generalisation. For a start, all modern OSes can multitask in software (and in the case of the Intel x86 processors, the hardware has been designed to help since at least the 386). Your average user can multitask quite efficiently on a single core.

It is also not true to say that the PC hardware only multitasks with a Dual core cpu. GPUs are one example (so a game can process graphics and enemy movements). A lot of cards have limited on board processing power, so the cpu can get on with other things.

If then you are running more than one CPU-intensive app at a time... there will be an immediate performance gain. Uploading email whilst downloading tunes is a poor example of it (encoding videos whilst gaming would be more suitable) but it's illustrating a point and so it's not that misleading. <snip> It's pitched at common tasks, things people will do with their PCs, just a poorly thought out example nothing more, nothing less.

Actually that is true. Running multple CPU intensive tasks will show up the difference. I personally don't think the advert is bad, but the examples they chose were terrible.

To suggest that

Is misleading, an exaggeration, because the whole thing has been taken out of context, and to suggest that PCW should be shut down because of an advert...

While I don't necessarily agree that PCW should be shut down, I have seen several examples where they misrepresent the performance of their products.

[nffc]

Originally Posted by zinglebarb

Its just a shame more people do not know what pcw are really like as if they did more people would have better more balanced machines than the bilge pcw sell

Come on then... i'm intrigued for you to elaborate especially on the "what PCW are really like" part!

[nffc]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

The problem is that Joe soap would know (or indeed care) that the OS is juggling system resources to "simulate" multitasking. The advert seems (to me) to be implying that you need a dual core cpu to multitask efficiently. This is, frankly, a crap piece of generalisation. For a start, all modern OSes can multitask in software (and in the case of the Intel x86 processors, the hardware has been designed to help since at least the 386). Your average user can multitask quite efficiently on a single core.

Isn't that pretty much what I said - on a single core CPU your multi-tasking is predominantly software-controlled but there is more hardware control on a dual core.

The multi tasking is improved with the dual core CPU which is mainly the point.

It is also not true to say that the PC hardware only multitasks with a Dual core cpu. GPUs are one example (so a game can process graphics and enemy movements). A lot of cards have limited on board processing power, so the cpu can get on with other things.

Yeah, which is the reason why I prefer separate gfx and sound cards, takes weight off the CPU which leaves it free to do other things, not technically multi tasking but shares the load, but it does help.

Actually that is true. Running multple CPU intensive tasks will show up the difference. I personally don't think the advert is bad, but the examples they chose were terrible.

Precisely, it's what I'd class as a half truth because the advert is correct, but the examples are pitched at mr noobie and so are poorly chosen to relate to things mr noobie is likely to do - and could possibly do an a 2 GHz 3 yr old PC!

I have seen several examples where they misrepresent the performance of their products.

such as?

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by nffc

such as?

Things like mislabelling products in store.

Also, they have had a few complaints upheld by the ASA.. http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/adjudicati...ns.htm?adv=DSG

Originally Posted by nffc

Come on then... i'm intrigued for you to elaborate especially on the "what PCW are really like" part!

ive said overpriced under speced and mis sold I did type that quite clearly didnt i? I know your an employee of the company and you have a lot of knowledge of the bloat thats added to the systems ie recovery etc but dont try and kid the rest of us that pcw are a respectable business cuz anyone worth there salt in IT know differently