Why can't my new Dell compile Flash CS4 files faster?

All the serious geeks at Adobe must use Macs.

I have a new Dell Studio XPS 1645 with 8GB of RAM, an i7 Q820 processor @ 1.73GHz, and Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit OS (giving it a 5.9 Windows Experience score). It takes 39 seconds for this beast to compile one of our CLIPS activities. My confreres running Macs get it done in about 15 seconds. Today, I tried compiling the same .fla on a 4.5 year old MacBook (not a Pro) and it took 18 seconds. Then I tried my 3.5 year old Dell running Windows XP and it took 28 seconds.

Why doesn't an upgrade feel like one?

I have looked around the web for ideas about how to get Flash to compile an .fla faster but haven't found anything helpful. Maybe I should use the XP virtualization that came with the Windows 7 machine or use DropBox to distribute my computing power.

Does anyone have any similar experiences and especially any that will speed up the process?

Sluggish and Lonely in PC land,

Mathfester

Should have stuck with talking about goalies!

I remember a Euclid Problem that was referred to as "that old chestnut - the goalie problem". This teacher should have stuck to talking about goalies...

Literacy, Student Engagement, Images and TED

Jesse Brown, host of TVO's Search Engine podcast, spoke at the recent TEDxOntarioEd event in London. It is kind of ironic that I listened to this talk on Rodd Lucier's Clever iPod app, given its heavy reliance on visuals. I did this on the same day that I received word that one of our innovative teachers, Lynda Marshall was awarded a Literacy prize from Nipissing University, in part for her work with graphic novels.

One of my former students, David Kennedy, has been working on Bitstrips as well. Bitstrips for Schools is licensed by the Ministry of Education for Ontario's publicly-funded schools.

Enjoy!

Computation is destined to be the Defining Idea of Our Future

Is Stephen Wolfram a Clive Cussler-esque egomaniac or a visionary? When do we tell students about this - or are we too busy hoping they don't find out that Wolfram Alpha factors trinomials?

TLDR

Will Richardson mentions this recently.

I have been thinking a lot about how learning objects like CLIPS can be precise and concise at the same time.

Did you get through all that?

We need more patient problem solvers

Dan Meyer says a mouth-full!



Need more? Spend time in his "What can you with this?" series.

It is not everyday that I re-post something I find at the Kitchen Table Math blog which they recommend!

NFB Performance Rights

I just received this message from the Near North's Educational Technology Coordinator, Jane Henderson:

I received an update from the Ontario Educational Software people (OESS) and as of April 1st, the Ontario Government has paid for performance rights – classrooms, libraries, etc.. Please go to www.nfb.ca (The National Film Board). There are no passwords – all we need to do is go to the website and enjoy. This is a great educational site, so please make sure you forward this message to the staff at your school.

So, I don't need a lot of encouragement to pursue a diversion! And I have been looking for a film that I remember with fondness from my school days, The Rise and Fall of the Great Lakes by Bill Mason. Not only did I find it, but I can embed it here. Besides its interesting geological information, it reminds us of the significant damage that is being done to the Great Lakes by human activity.



See my earlier post about another movie I remember with fondness, the Log Driver's Waltz.