ISP Information:
A microprocessor specifically designed for processing 3D graphics data. This term was first coined by NVIDIA to describe its GeForce 256 chip. NVIDIA justified the name by stating that its graphics chip had a similar amount of transistors as then-current CPU chips. Now GPU has become a more widely used term to describe the complex chips that power 3D graphics cards.
ISP Glossary:
GPU - I was downtown today (4th Wednesday of each month is when my SocialSecurity Disability Check arrives each month) getting some stuff atSayers (Ace Hardware) and Radio Shack, across the street, when Iran into Duane, the owner/operator/manager of our local phone companyPrairie Stream Communications. I was getting a supply of AAA batteries,Duane was getting a few small parts of some kind or another.We got to talking about the latest revolting development, that thecourts have ruled in favor of Bell and setting the price for UNI-Pguys to stay in business. Duane said "as usual, Southwestern Bell isbeing very outrageous in their demands. Sprint Local (United Tel inthe northern part of Kansas) actually had the nerve to tell us andthe government that *their* loops were going to cost $140 per month ...or about three to four times what we (or even *they*!) charge theend users. SBC heard that and said 'well that is what we will chargePrairie Stream also ...' " So I asked him does this mean PrairieStream will go out of business soon?Duane said, "first of all, none of the telcos, Bell or United, isgonna make any changes until at least after the election. I guessBush told them to lay low so people don't get even more angry withtheir telephone bills. His popularity is getting worse and worse witheach passing day, he dare not offend even more people; that's why witha wink and a nod, and most people's short memory or grasp of phone-related matters they will largely forget about how Bell does business,etc. "So we are all set until December or January? Duane replied, "Evenlonger than that ... I am building a C.O. for Prairie Stream." Whenmy eyes finished bulging out of my head, he continued, "A two thousandline switch for Independence, and the rural area. It should beinstalled before Christmas, maybe around December 1."I asked him how Bell would deal wih the co-location. Duane snorted,rolled his eyes and said, "they wanted fifteen thousand dollars merelyto do an engineering survey of their building at 6th and Maple. Thatnow mostly empty building with the switch stuff on the second floorand a empty first floor which used to be a very limited businessoffice (one rep, two cashiers, etc). Before they would even talk aboutus co-locating there, they wanted that money up front to have theirengineer come from San Antonio to decide if we could or not. But ofcourse you know they would eventually decide we could, as long as wefurther agreed to pay them a few grand each month in 'rent' for a fewsquare feet of floor space, coming and going as *they* wanted toallow us; heat and a/c as *they* thought it should be, etc."So I just decided to not touch their stuff at all anymore, and boughta building next door to them, across the alley between Maple and MainStreet. Got the whole building for only twenty thousand; a sort of oldplace we will have to do some fix up work on.My eyes bulged again, and I asked Duane, what about the local loops;the last mile of the wiring. He replied, "I told you we were not gonnatouch their stuff any more at all, and I meant just that. I was atCity Hall earlier this week, and got the necessary permit to excavatein the streets. We are gonna put fiber optic in the conduits all overtown; probably work with the same contractors who did Cable One onsome of that. The rural areas of southeast Kansas is where thingsare at for me. And a couple of the rural telephone cooperatives arethrilled to see me doing it."I think he named a couple of them, Totah? and another one willprobably work along with him on it also; guys who have hated the Bellfor years from before even I was born. He said his best estimate fora clean break from SBC was January 1, 2005, maybe by mid-month. I saidit all sounded a bit far fetched; he said so was TerraWorld back in1995 ... but I made that happen. Yes Duane, you did. Well, Icertainly wish him a lot of luck.I think Southwestern Bell is just daring him go to ahead with hisplans. He said that right after Prairie Stream first got up andrunning in 2002, "two or
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