# Digital Billboard Crash



## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

Saw this last night at a very busy interstate conjunction and just had to pull over and grab some pics...  (about 15~20 other people had the same idea)

I happened to have my dSLR with me so I was able to grab a couple decent ones... That's much harder to photograph than you would think...

[Insert witty Mac comment here :grin:]


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## Grentz (Jan 10, 2007)

Funny, you do see those blue screens every now and then on media machines.

I dont know why, but they seem very susceptible to it. Looks like this one is having some hardware issues.


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## vankai (Jan 22, 2007)

Hmmm, maybe this is an Apple ad ?!? maybe with a follow-up ad about BSOD.


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

vankai said:


> Hmmm, maybe this is an Apple ad ?!? maybe with a follow-up ad about BSOD.


That would be clever.


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

The idiots are using Windows XP, they deserve what they get.

Larry


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

I'm running XP -- no probs.


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

Nick said:


> I'm running XP -- no probs.


Probably not the best idea to run a billboard with it though...


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

Realistically, it's likely a hardware failure, which would have been an issue regardless of the OS.


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

_The idiots are using Windows, they deserve what they get._

There. Fixed now. :lol:


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## Grentz (Jan 10, 2007)

Greg Alsobrook said:


> Probably not the best idea to run a billboard with it though...


Embedded versions of XP, which most billboards and signage use, are actually very stable and very good options. They also are cheaper to implement and easy to add more features/bolt ons to.



BattleZone said:


> Realistically, it's likely a hardware failure, which would have been an issue regardless of the OS.


Exactly.


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

BattleZone said:


> Realistically, it's likely a hardware failure, which would have been an issue regardless of the OS.


Very true...


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## jsmuga (Jan 3, 2008)

Marlin Guy said:


> _The idiots are using Windows, they deserve what they get._
> 
> There. Fixed now. :lol:


+1


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

BattleZone said:


> Realistically, it's likely a hardware failure, which would have been an issue regardless of the OS.


That's not completely true, unless you're excluding Apple as an OS.

The MS/PC platform invites trouble by allowing sub-par hardware to be introduced and marketed for use in these systems. Windows and Linux hardware can run the gamut from absolute crap to some very well-built and carefully conceived systems that are nearly bullet-proof.

Unlike x86, Apple has always done an admirable job of maintaining a higher level of quality by more strictly overseeing what can and cannot be used in their systems, and by building their own hardware to run their OS.


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## Grentz (Jan 10, 2007)

Marlin Guy said:


> That's not completely true, unless you're excluding Apple as an OS.
> 
> The MS/PC platform invites trouble by allowing sub-par hardware to be introduced and marketed for use in these systems. Windows and Linux hardware can run the gamut from absolute crap to some very well-built and carefully conceived systems that are nearly bullet-proof.
> 
> Unlike x86, Apple has always done an admirable job of maintaining a higher level of quality by more strictly overseeing what can and cannot be used in their systems, and by building their own hardware to run their OS.


Yes, very true. But even the hardware in Apple's machines can fail and run into issues....

This is simply the case of something in the machine failing (RAM, addon card, mainboard?...something) keeping the machine from working. It can happen with any OS.

I have seen OSX do some funky crazy things when something fails in the machine.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

Back in the days of the Amiga as a top-end video machine it was kind of common to see Guru Meditation messages on some cable channels...the best of all was a whole floor of a Vegas casino with them on all their monitors.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

Marlin Guy said:


> That's not completely true, unless you're excluding Apple as an OS.
> 
> The MS/PC platform invites trouble by allowing sub-par hardware to be introduced and marketed for use in these systems. Windows and Linux hardware can run the gamut from absolute crap to some very well-built and carefully conceived systems that are nearly bullet-proof.
> 
> Unlike x86, Apple has always done an admirable job of maintaining a higher level of quality by more strictly overseeing what can and cannot be used in their systems, and by building their own hardware to run their OS.


With all that Apple has still managed to put out quite a few clunkers on their own. Harddrives that you needed to smack to get started, melting batteries, undersized power supplies, bad modems, bad floppy drives, etc. I've seen more than my share of sad faced Macs. BTW, the only internal components Apple ever really built was the motherboard, most of the other stuff was and is made by other companies....fair amount of their software came from third parties as well.

Basically, Apple does the same thing as just about every laptop maker out there.

Software crashes and hardware breaks. Doesn't matter what the label is or how much you pay for it.


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## Grentz (Jan 10, 2007)

and if I wanted unbelievable reliability, I would go enterprise server grade before Apple (though Apple sells some server grade stuff). But it is extremely pricey most of the time, especially for what you get.


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