The AnandTech Podcast: Episode 10

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• Visual - Thursday, November 22, 2012 - link

  Now, I can not talk with certainty about this "cCleaner" in particular before I explore it a bit more (and I don't think I want to bother), but I've always regarded the class of programs of system or registry cleaners, optimizers and fixers as absolutely idiotic and pointless.
  
  At best, they have a couple good tweaks, but I'd still prefer to apply those explicitly and after being well informed about how and why they work instead of just using a blackbox magical tool that does them in bulk for me.
  More likely than not they also have a good number of "tweaks" that are somewhat contextual and probably not a universally good thing that everyone should apply without consideration of the specific of the system, its usage and such.
  Then you also have a heap of similar programs that are a complete no-op, just counting on getting sales through scare tactics and user ignorance.
  And finally there even are malicious programs that are advertised in the same category as this.
  
  No way anyone with a clue about computers should ever need to install this crap. Much like we did ok for years without an antivirus program (though today's free options make that no longer a reasonable choice).

• Visual - Thursday, November 22, 2012 - link

  OMG, I just had a read of its "features" page, and it is full of so much fail that it makes my head hurt. I retract my "can not talk with certainty" statement.

• Boogaloo - Thursday, November 22, 2012 - link

  >using a blackbox magical tool
  >programs that are a complete no-op
  >full of so much fail
  
  Just stop posting.

• IanCutress - Friday, November 23, 2012 - link

  Normally you are right, these 'registry cleaners' are often nothing but a steaming pile of garbage. But CCleaner is the diamond in the rough, period. It's free, and there's no bugging to buy a paid version.

• Peanutsrevenge - Wednesday, November 21, 2012 - link

  I recommend the above as well when looking at freeing space, great windows application for seeing what's taking up your space, a GUI version of linux's du.

• sideshow23bob - Wednesday, November 21, 2012 - link

  Looking forward to listening to this after work. Quickly becoming my favorite podcast. Thanks for recording in between the busyness that October's pre Xmas product release was.

• SpitUK - Wednesday, November 21, 2012 - link

  Great as always guys :)

• vkn - Wednesday, November 21, 2012 - link

  Thanks a lot for these podcasts. Very informative.
  Also hoping you guys have some time to discuss the transceiver stuff which you have been hinting for some time next

• crypticsaga - Wednesday, November 21, 2012 - link

  This is definitely my all time favorite podcast. Between the astute insights and the hilarious soapbox dialogue I always find myself anxiously awaiting the next episode.
  
  Brian, for what its worth the attention to detail that you and the other editors demonstrate in your product reviews has made Anandtech my de facto tech news and review site. These days I find that I don't even bother with the reviews from other publications who seem to all echo the same bandwagon impressions. Even if you regularly have to be the one that makes the unpopular observation, some us truly appreciate the extra effort.
  

• Kevin G - Wednesday, November 21, 2012 - link

  When was this recorded? Nothing about taking a razor to the Wii U's CPU? I have a feeling that this was recorded after that little 'incident'.
  
  Two recent tidbits of news that were missing from this week's podcast. The first is that MIPS has been bought out. Really surprised that this didn't come up in the discussion of the TI OMAP. The other bit would have been the launch of the Itanium 9500. Outlook for this architecture is arguably darker than what is surrounding AMD at this point. Itanium's death won't have that great of an impact to Intel as a whole. These two items probably had time to sneak into this pod cast.
  
  AMD's situation is as dire as you've indicated. It really boils down to how much their expense are in comparison to their revenue. Good to hear some discussion along the lines of 'if you were in charge of AMD, what would you do?' in the podcast. This type of analysis is what I've found lacking in previous episodes but glad to hear it, even if it was about doom and gloom.
  
  Love the bit at the end with BRIAN SMASH. Will need video of him throwing a phone against a wall.