[geeks] Re: [rescue] those who should be shot

[Kurt Huhn]

> Oh, awful. That esprit, depending on which generation, put 240 HP out
> of those 4 cylinders. No, I think you've got the analogy
> reversed. PC's are like 60's muscle cars... god awful fast, no
> elegance to the engineering, and hard as hell to control in the
> corners.
>

How much torque did it have?  Nowhere near that, I'll bet.  My truck puts
out over 240HP, all under 5000rpm.  However the true measure of power is
that is has 320lb-ft of torque at 3200rpm - in stock form with plenty of
room for improvement.  The Lotus engine probably didn't have much room for
improvement without extensive (and expensive) modifications and getting
dangerously close to detonation.

Horsepower is really a misnomer - as it doesn't measure "power" at all.
Torque, being the measurment of rotational force, is a true measure of
"power".  Horsepower is simply a measure of how efficient that power is when
approching or exceeding 5250rpm - it can also serve as a guage of how "flat"
the torque curve is.

Oh crap.....way off topic again.  Hold on, shifting to geeks at ...

I think the analogy was correct.  A high torque engine can perform work
*way* more efficiently and with less stress on components than a
high-revving 4-banger.  Think of it this way - an x86 PC operating at 2.1Ghz
can roughly equate to a 2 liter 4-banger that can rev to 9000rpm - making
all it's horsepower above 6000 rpm.  However, your average MIPS can be
compared to a 426ci Hemi - quick revving, never going about 6000 rpm and
making METRIC ASSLOADS of useable torque (power) without excess heat or
stress on the components.

In that light - I think the analogy is correct.  Now, if you mean to take a
Hemi and put it in something the size of...say...a PT Cruiser (see
http://www.hemicruiser.com) you might be getting close.  Unfortunately,
running Windows XP on an x86 seems very much (to me, my opinion) like
plopping a 9000rpm honda engine in a Chevy BelAir - it just doesn't have the
power (torque) to move it at an acceptable pace.

Kurt