Many, many times better

As many regular readers may recall, some time ago my ancient (now approaching 9 years old) computer nearly died, but was saved when I took out a broken RAM stick. Well, recently I decided it was time to purchase a new computer. So, I figure a comparison is in order:
400 MHz --> 1.86 GHz dual core (that means 2 x 1.86, bare minimum...) = 9.3 times better
512 KB L2 cache --> 2 MB L2 cache = 4 times better
192 MB of 100 MHz RAM (after upgrades and removal of bad chip) --> 2 GB of 667 MHz ECC RAM = 10.67 times better in terms of storage, over 6.67 times better in terms of speed
Pseudo-surround sound --> 7.1 Channel full surround sound = Wow times better.
While the new hard drive is smaller than my current (heavily upgraded) storage on my old computer, it is WAY faster, and 5 times larger than the original hard drive.
Oh, and the new chip is a 64 bit chip, and I'm getting a 64 bit OS. And Mathematica (ver. 5.2), one of the greatest programs ever written, supports 64 operations. And due to recent developments which I may write about another time, I get a free copy of Mathematica 5.2 from Yeshiva University.

However, the one benefit that the old computer has over the new one, is that it is chugging away happily in my apartment, while the new one is somewhere between Earth City, MO and New York City, NY.

In other, not computer-geek related news, I've decided that I'm still within the statute of limitations of our Argentina trip. So, here's an amusing picture from a park near the hotel we were staying at in Mar del Plata.