Time Sped Up?

Here is a quick one.

I have windows7 on my computer, and while observing the clock (click on the time
and date area in the bottom right corner), I have noticed that the second hand skips
faster (with the digital second display skipping faster in tandem) for seven or eight
separate and apparently random 'second' intervals over the course of one revolution.
(Something like One-and-two-and-three-four-and-five-and etc.)

Is it me and my computer, or is there something more going on here?

Nope, it is just winblows.

The on-board clock is accurate but the display adapter(graphics card/GPU) lags a little.

You can turn off desktop effects(smooth scrolling, etc) which will speed the system up and minimize any lag.

Alternatively, you could try an OS(operating system) that uses less system resources(linux, etc) which will speed the system up considerably.

Time is relative, things wouldn't move faster from your point of view.

reply to post by OutonaLimb


Everyone's does that. I don't know exactly how MS draws the clock in Windows 7.

But speaking as someone who's written Windows programs I'll give some more details. Only one program at a time can use hardware like the video card. But Windows runs multiple programs. Windows solves this by taking control of all the hardware.

So, if you want to do something like draw to the screen, you have to ask Windows for permission first. Then you wait around for Windows to send you a repaint message letting you know when it's okay to draw. This usually happens very fast and the user never notices. But what's important is you don't get the repaint message right away. You have to wait for it.

Even though it's fast it's not predictable. Redraw messages don't come at set intervals. They just show up whenever Windows gets around to it.

So if you're trying to draw something like a clock you just have to draw it when you can draw it. But this can cause all sorts of weird illusions depending on how the programmer chooses to draw it. Like time slowing down for half a second, and then speeding back up to catch itself. Or going forward too fast and then slowing down to catch itself.

In memory the program still has the right numbers. It just doesn't always get a chance to draw them when it would like to. Like if the redraw command comes half a second late, but right on time next time. It's gonna look weird.

reply to post by OutonaLimb


Now that the answer has been given in a very well stated manner by a couple people I am left with just one question:

How bored were you to watch the clock like that?! I did see what you were talking about once I knew what to look for, but otherwise, I would not have noticed that in a million years if it hadn't been for this thread!

Originally posted by cmdrkeenkid
reply to post by OutonaLimb

 

Now that the answer has been given in a very well stated manner by a couple people I am left with just one question:

How bored were you to watch the clock like that?! I did see what you were talking about once I knew what to look for, but otherwise, I would not have noticed that in a million years if it hadn't been for this thread!

Thanks for the replies guys. Appreciated.

Cmdrkeen, i was reading this thread www.davidicke.com... when the phenomena was
mentioned by the OP, and i decided to take a look.
I also, from the back of my mind, remembered some story last year, which indicated that
some sort of time co-ordination anomalies was in store for us and our time measuring
devices this year . I can't be more specific than that, as that is all I can recall, and
cannot locate the original story.

Anyway. Break over. Back to the ClockWatching.

Thanks.

Just checked mine does not do it could it be down to the spec of the graphics card?

reply to post by dashdespatch


Could be your monitor refresh rate, graphics card, drivers, system settings. You could have Aero turned off which is another stage where graphics get delayed. Maybe you just didn't watch it enough. Cosmic rays? Could be a lot of things.

Even if your computer did do it it's nothing to worry about. It's just an illusion. It doesn't mean your computer is slow. In contrast if your computer doesn't do it, it doesn't mean your computer or graphics card is fast either.

A program can ask for far more repaint messages than once per second. Like games draw 60+ FPS. You could draw a clock at like 1,000 FPS on the crappiest computer. You can also force redraws immediately if Windows isn't sending you messages fast enough.

The clock can keep up if it wants. My computer does this even when it's idling at 1% CPU. The clock doesn't do it because the computer is out of power. I have 99% left. It just does it because it's a lazy clock.

It only has to be accurate to the second. So they draw it lazily and only ask for a timer message around every second and then a repaint message around every second. If you don't ask Windows for one it won't send you one.

But that's all you need for a clock. If your system happens to sync with it perfectly well that's kinda cool, but it doesn't really mean anything.

If MS wanted to they could make it sync perfectly for every computer and only draw ON The second instead of around the second, but 99% of people don't care. So the clock is lazy.

reply to post by OutonaLimb


I have noticed this as well and personally think it is just a software error. However, in real life, I do feel that time has indeed sped up - especially in the past two years. What is the cause I am not certain.