Editing 619: Supported Features

{{comic
| number    = 619
| date      = August 5, 2009
| title     = Supported Features
| image     = supported_features.png
| titletext = I hear many of you finally have smooth Flash support, but me and my Intel card are still waiting on a kernel patch somewhere in the pipeline before we can watch Jon Stewart smoothly.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic references how {{w|Linux kernel|Linux}} builds overly focus on adding support and features that will not appeal to the majority of desktop computer and Linux users, and the general dismissive attitude of those who point this out. One Cueball has created a patch that allows support for processors with 4,096 cores, even though most computers have only 8 cores or fewer. He considers this to be more worthwhile an endeavor than full-featured {{w|Adobe Flash|Flash}} support that the other Cueball is concerned about. The former attempts to claim that coding for the latter is unnecessary, even though Flash was the most common way to present videos or animations on websites at the time when this comic was published.

Ironically though, in the years since, there exist computer systems that have well over 4,096 cores, while Flash usage has dwindled to practically zero with even the company dropping official support by 2020, having been superseded by {{w|HTML5}}. Many of the world's datacenters, particularly supercomputers, run Linux. These developments took roughly a decade, but it nonetheless means our initial Cueball is the more prescient party in this arrangement with a very future-proofed machine.

The title text mentions the "American political satirist, writer, director, television host, actor, media critic, and stand-up comedian" {{w|Jon Stewart}} which further refers to his famous American late night satirical television program ''{{w|The Daily Show}}''. The show is also available on the internet ([http://www.thedailyshow.com/ www.thedailyshow.com]), presented (at least at that time) in Flash video.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and a friend holding a laptop standing together.]
:Cueball: It took a lot of work, but this latest linux patch enables support for machines with 4,096 CPUs, up from the old limit of 1,024.
:Friend: Do you have support for smooth full-screen Flash video yet?
:Cueball: No, but who uses ''that?''

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Linux]]