Fun fact: Apparently “ramble,” as a noun, means “a walk taken for pleasure, esp. in the countryside.” I guess I’m using it incorrectly. Moving on.
I know this is nothing new for most people, but I want to write down my thoughts, anyway. I was copying a file to my flash drive, in Vista, and I started watching the estimated time remaining number. As I see it, the number depends on both the size of the file (or bytes remaining, I suppose), and the rate at which the file transfers. This seems to be true for both PCs and Macs. I can’t speak for Linux users, but I imagine it’s the same. Where they differ is what interests me.
On a Mac, if the transfer speed changes, the time remaining jumps higher or lower to reflect the change. On a PC, the number doesn’t “jump”, but rather takes longer to count down. If a file is downloading insanely quickly (say, 1 gig a second), and the original estimation is 5 minutes, 1 second in “realtime” (as in one second on your watch) will be 60 seconds (I did no math on that, it’s a wild guess) on the countdown. However, if the transfer suddenly changes to 1 mB per second, the number will decrease to .016 seconds every realtime second.
On a Mac, it’s different. When the rate changes, the number adjusts, ala GPS “Recalculating” style. What was 4 minutes 35 seconds might change to 5, 6, 7, 8… until it reaches a closer estimation.
I believe the Mac way is more accurate. With a .016 second drop per realtime second, you’ll only see a change in the reading every 62.5 seconds on a PC. On a Mac, you will see a more timely change, even if it’s not counting DOWN. However, I feel the PC, even if it’s less efficient or accurate, has a better method. Hypothetically assuming the file will take the same amount of time on either OS, I would rather see a number count down more slowly than watch it rise. The Mac way causes me anguish, as I feel like my progress is in fact backtracking (which it isn’t, it’s just reestimating), like some of the file was un-copied. The PC way is frustrating, but much less so, as I can tell myself “It’s still going down, so I’m making progress, not losing it.” Me and my silly subconscious.
Disclaimer: The numbers are way out of proportion, have very little method of calculation (if any), and are complete exaggerations. Also, these views are mine, and not implying people who feel otherwise are wrong. Besides, I am speculating on many parts of this theory, which is based on my own experiences (meaning other people may find that without referencing a single bias or opinion, the facts they have witnessed prove me wrong).
Goodnight, folks.
PS
Did, “I’m here Wednesdays. Try the veal!” go out of style? I kind of miss that.
