[Fists] Cray

[Tim O'Conner]

Hi Ron

I didn't see that but yes, it must be a joke, if only because the Cray
is not as super by comparison as it used to be. Maybe there is a new
version but my vague memory (I'm sure one of our computer experts can
correct or clarify as needed) is that the Cray was the size of a
living room set, used lots of electricity and turned maybe half a
Gigaflop. A wonderful contraption in its day but now a complicated
high maintenance appliance one would only use to heat the house in a
Michigan U P winter. The laptop I'm typing this on has much more of
every imaginable computing specification and well, it's a laptop too.

Also, I doubt CW types would gravitate to a contest on the web as we
tend to like radio. Unfortunately, there is a trend (mostly among the
new folks who are no-codes) to think that an echolink contact is a DX
Ham Radio contact if it comes from a DX entity. It's Ham radio as far
as the two handy talkies on either end are concerned but ummm, sorry
folks, it's a phone call. It's an entertaining phone call but it is
still just sort of an autopatched/voip phone call. I'm not saying it
isn't useful or that I have not enjoyed the few I've been on the
receiving end of but it really is mostly just a phone call.

So, anybody got the story on the Cray?

Tim, AC5SH

PS
Yes.... I am rather inept with computers, hope all can ignore that :)


On Sat, Apr 5, 2008 at 9:43 AM, K3PID ron k3pid wrote

 Did anyone else read with mixed emotions turning to utter disbelief
the article in the April CQ Mag. about running CW DX contest on the
web using a Cray super computer??? Has to be an April fools
joke...doesn't it?

 Ron H