So hub and I were drinking coffee and eating donuts left over from Dolly Belle’s sleepover and this commercial came on:
Am I the only igno in the world who has never heard of a “petaflop?” Are my hub and I the only ones who because of our unfamiliarity with this word, heard something completely different? Our minds aren’t even dirty this early on a Sunday morning, but “petaflop” isn’t that far in a game of Scrabble from “pedophile.”
After reading this, I’m still not clear on what a “petaflop” is. It is something quite good, fast and desirable according to IBM. It will make the world work better by doing everything from curing disease and getting rid of global warming. Perhaps petaflops will also be able to eradicate pedophiles. Bottom line: It’s trillions of times better than a calculator. Perhaps HAL, from 2001: A Space Odyssey has arrived.
I would have suggested that IBM rename the “petaflop.” Fact that “petaflop” is almost a homophone for something so unsavory would be reason enough. That the second half of the word is “flop” doesn’t seem wise to me either. Come to think of it, “homophone” sounds bad.
But what do I know? We wouldn’t have even looked up from our donuts this morning, if it was just another IBM commercial with serious computer geeks and business men. My questions now are: where do I get a petaflop, how much are they, and why again do I want one?
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{ 19 comments }
There’s a website you can go to and find out all the petaflops who live in your neighborhood.
I’ve searched all over and can’t find a dang petaflop. I have a few extra bucks this week and beings that it is new and exciting, I figure I might need it.
This is the strangest post! I’ve never heard of this. I’m totally confused!
I have no clue regarding the Petaflop however did you think just maybe they want to keep it that way.
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Shawn, thanks for the information. I’m so naive!I had no idea I even had to worry about petaflops in the neighborhood.
mannequin, Me too! Circuit City closed last week and I was kind of hoping the short supply was just around here. We’ll just have to somehow make it until I can get up my nerve and try Walmart.
Sheri, I think I may have dreamt the whole thing. But there is that pesky youtube video.
Dorothy, I think you must be right. The petaflop marketing team seems pretty successful in that we’re talking about it. Thanks! You too!
I don’t think I really like the name petaflop either!
Propaganda! Mind Control! And it’s working – I have to go find out what the heck this is!
Hahaha- I saw this commercial today too and decided that IBM was puling my leg! I fell for the San Giorgio commercial when they said it was pasta harvesting time and then showed all the people picking the pasta off of their trees, and I vowed Never Again!
blueviolet, Maybe the word will just go away now. Or it will turn out to be a joke.
Girl next door, I’m concerned that the petaflop IS mind control.
clickmom, Now that’s a development we could all be thrilled about… pasta as agricultural product. Are you sure it’s not for real?
I’m with you. . . “Petaflop”. . .what the heck?? LOL It does sound important and helpful, but, pleeeaassseee. . . this is the only name you guys could come up with?? Hmm. . . maybe that’s WHY they chose that name. . .people would remember it and be talking about it . . just like we all are??!!! Have a beautiful week!
I’m with you. . . “Petaflop”. . .what the heck?? LOL It does sound important and helpful, but, pleeeaassseee. . . this is the only name you guys could come up with?? Hmm. . . maybe that’s WHY they chose that name. . .people would remember it and be talking about it . . just like we all are??!!! Have a beautiful week!
Petaflop doesn’t sound like something I’d want to own or be around. What a word!!!
petaflop…never heard of those types. but i’m hoping they stay away from my children. i think.
LOL! I have NEVER heard of a petaflop! How bizarre! That is officially the worst name ever:) Great post!
OllieMcKay, You’re right… that’s the only thing that makes sense. Maybe they are the geniuses!
Sherry, Doesn’t sound like, but maybe it is?
melissa, maybe we need to come up with the APF – the anti-petaflop
Marie, Be sure to let me know if you spot them in France. We’ll keep each other posted.
Hope this helps.. Here is what little I know from computer stuff I have learned over the years..
FL.O.P.S is an acronym meaning FLoating Point Operations Per Second. I guess it should really be FPOPS but Flops prob tested better in focus groups and the like..
The flops are like akin to horsepower or RPM in as it is a performance gauge for a computer processor. In your measure of a PC and a Calculator a calc is prob a few flops (1 or 2) while current machines like my present linux desktop is in the Mid 30’s giga-flops range with a quad core intel chip and lastly the SETI Computer Network in Berkeley, CA is almost 650 Tera Flops.
Heck if you are a PC Gamer and hav a good graphics card your card alone can break 2.0 – 2.5 Tflops.
Borrowed from the Wikipedia on Petaflop: On May 25, 2008, an American military supercomputer built by IBM, named ‘Roadrunner’, reached the computing milestone of one petaflop by processing more than 1.026 quadrillion calculations per second. It headed the June, 2008[4] and November, 2008[5] TOP500 list of the most powerful supercomputers (excluding grid computers). The computer’s name, Roadrunner, refers to the state bird of New Mexico.[6]
cobaltqube, thank you so much for providing the real, scientific definition. I’m still scratching my head and going, “huh?” – but that is a pretty common thing for me! thanks again!
Oops. Sorry. I thought you were talking about pet-flaps (you know, those holes in the door that let the cat come in whenever he wants).
Bettyl, Now that’s a business IBM should be investing in.
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