Personal computing discussed

Search found 79 matches

by esc_in_ks
Wed Jul 20, 2011 6:34 pm
Forum: Apple Sanctuary
Topic: Upgrading to Lion?
Replies: 21
Views: 8008

Re: Upgrading to Lion?

The biggest reason my mother has for not upgrading is that Rosetta will no longer be supported on Lion. She has a significant investment in OS X PowerPC applications ($600 or so?) that she's happy with and doesn't want to pay to upgrade. She'll actively hold back getting Lion and considering a migra...
by esc_in_ks
Sat Jul 16, 2011 7:43 am
Forum: Graphics
Topic: New set of monitors?
Replies: 6
Views: 1388

Re: New set of monitors?

You wouldn't want to run 2560x1440 with tiny fonts, that's for sure. I had to bump mine up a bit from when I had a 1920x1200 monitor. The bigger issue is making sure you have enough desk room to comfortably look at an area THAT FREAKING WIDE. Mock it up with some pieces of cardboard and make sure yo...
by esc_in_ks
Fri May 20, 2011 11:01 am
Forum: Mobile Tech
Topic: Gaming laptop
Replies: 9
Views: 1535

Re: Gaming laptop

The NP5165 looks like an excellent value. It appears that Sager only sells direct, is that right? It would be nice to get a hands on feel for it prior to an order, but the last three laptops I've bought I bought them sight unseen, so I've demonstrated the ability to take a plunge.
by esc_in_ks
Fri May 20, 2011 9:03 am
Forum: Mobile Tech
Topic: Gaming laptop
Replies: 9
Views: 1535

Re: Gaming laptop

Yeah, the HP Envy machines do look nice, but at only 1366x768 and with ATI graphics, I think I should look elsewhere. (I'm willing to try ATI again if I hear some strong evidence that the current X.Org works well with it on Linux.)
by esc_in_ks
Fri May 20, 2011 7:51 am
Forum: Mobile Tech
Topic: Gaming laptop
Replies: 9
Views: 1535

Gaming laptop

I'm looking for a laptop which can do some reasonable gaming (Star Craft 2 and Civ V are what I'm currently playing). I do quite a bit of travel and find myself wishing my current thin-and-light could play something enjoyable. I love the 10 hour battery life on my thin-and-light, but it's woefully u...
by esc_in_ks
Sun May 15, 2011 10:01 pm
Forum: General Hardware
Topic: Mechanical Switch Keyboards
Replies: 203
Views: 19104

Re: Mechanical Keyboard - which one to chose?

I have the Cherry Blue (clicky) version of the Das Keyboard. I routinely take it with me on overseas business travel, packing it in my suitcase. It gets tossed around by baggage handlers on a regular basis. Never had a problem with its reliability doing so. I've typed on a Cherry Brown version of it...
by esc_in_ks
Fri Mar 25, 2011 1:39 pm
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: Monetizing my computer knowledge
Replies: 9
Views: 1013

Re: Monetizing my computer knowledge

When I hire for an entry level job like this, I look for someone who has a passion for doing the job already. Examples would be doing work on some open source projects for fun, someone who has a web page/blog and has written up something interesting (e.g., comparisons of the top five Linux distribut...
by esc_in_ks
Tue Feb 08, 2011 7:26 pm
Forum: System Builders Anonymous
Topic: Fusion OR SandyBridge for "HTPC + File/Backup Server"
Replies: 15
Views: 3272

Re: Fusion OR SandyBridge for "HTPC + File/Backup Server"

Thanks for the replies. Do you have a backup routine you could suggest to me (hopefully not involving DVD burning)? That would be great :) On my home NAS, I just run an extra 2 TB disk and rsync stuff that I really care about to it at 2am each morning with some scripts. That disk is in a hot swap S...
by esc_in_ks
Mon Feb 07, 2011 2:20 pm
Forum: System Builders Anonymous
Topic: PC MAG builds cost more than bought system
Replies: 11
Views: 1372

Re: PC MAG builds cost more than bought system

For the kinds of machines I've built (decent powered gaming machines, low power utilization routers/NAS devices), it's cheaper to build it yourself. But, I'd still be willing to pay a 10% premium to build it myself anyway. If you do built it yourself, you know that the parts you've used are quality,...
by esc_in_ks
Sun Feb 06, 2011 9:31 am
Forum: General Software
Topic: Windows 7 reinstall and license keys
Replies: 9
Views: 2181

Windows 7 reinstall and license keys

I'm getting a new laptop for the wife, not sure what yet, but I know I'm going to want to immediately just reinstall Windows 7 on it to remove all of the extra crapware that will most certainly come preinstalled and then selectively installing necessary extra drivers from the manufacturer's website ...
by esc_in_ks
Wed Jan 26, 2011 1:11 am
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: Enter our MSI GeForce GTX 560 Ti giveaway here
Replies: 1004
Views: 70849

Re: Enter our MSI GeForce GTX 560 Ti giveaway here

This would replace my aging GTX 265! :)
by esc_in_ks
Sat Jan 01, 2011 1:33 pm
Forum: General Hardware
Topic: Razer Blackwidow
Replies: 32
Views: 5343

Re: Razer Blackwidow

I've had a Razer Diamondback mouse for about five years (?) or so with the Razer exactMat. Never a problem. Absolutely love this mouse and pad. I've never had any problems with Razer quality, but that's all of their stuff I own (but I have been considering the Blackwidow Ultimate as a new keyboard f...
by esc_in_ks
Tue Dec 14, 2010 3:13 pm
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: Your FIRST Graphics Card Thread
Replies: 142
Views: 14599

Re: Your FIRST Graphics Card Thread

I know my first PC graphics card was a Trident on an old 386. I *think* it was a Trident 8900 with either 512K or possibly 1M of memory. Did some nice 640x480 on that one, and even 800x600 when I got a nicer monitor. Played whatever was available on the local BBS'es over 2400 baud, like Commander Ke...
by esc_in_ks
Sat Oct 09, 2010 7:41 pm
Forum: Motherboards, Chipsets, & RAM
Topic: Core i7 860 w GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3 - Which ram?
Replies: 5
Views: 1747

Re: Core i7 860 w GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3 - Which ram?

I have the same setup and I use Corsair CMX4GX3M2A1600C9 which is similar to your second link

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 3M2A1600C9

It's been a perfect setup with no issues.
by esc_in_ks
Wed Sep 22, 2010 7:54 am
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: Sam's club?
Replies: 15
Views: 1719

Re: Sam's club?

We have memberships to both Costco and Sam's. Generally, the lines at Costco are just ridiculous (in all three places I've lived, east coast, west coast, and the midwest). When I lived in Seattle, going to a Costco anywhere on a Saturday was just asking for pain. It literally would take 20-30 minute...
by esc_in_ks
Tue Sep 21, 2010 9:34 pm
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: Buying air tools for cars
Replies: 24
Views: 7192

Re: Buying air tools for cars

Realistically, it sounds like a 20-30 gal compressor is what you're looking for. At 90 psi, you'll be able to run an impact wrench or ratchet for a good amount of time without the compressor kicking in. For the tools you mentioned, you'll be fine with any output (most 20-30 gal compressors are rated...
by esc_in_ks
Wed Sep 08, 2010 4:18 pm
Forum: Networking
Topic: Building a File Server
Replies: 76
Views: 9840

Re: Building a File Server

esc_in_ks, do you remember how much power your ReadyNAS pulled (idle/standby and spinning)? How many bays did yours have? $200 for that bunde is nice; those empty two bay ReadyNAS models cost that much. It's roughly the same power draw, the ReadyNAS (NV+, 4 bay model) is perhaps a little higher. Wi...
by esc_in_ks
Wed Sep 08, 2010 2:47 pm
Forum: Networking
Topic: Building a File Server
Replies: 76
Views: 9840

Re: Building a File Server

It's always fun to see how many approaches there are to stuff like this. I just built a new file server this week to replace my aging ReadyNAS. I ended up getting a Newegg bundle which included a SuperMicro Atom-based board and a SuperMicro mid-tower (with 80+ 300W power supply): http://www.newegg.c...
by esc_in_ks
Sun Aug 29, 2010 2:19 pm
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: Riding a bicycle again
Replies: 79
Views: 8590

Re: Riding a bicycle again

Bicycling doesn't have to be expensive. The sweet spot, I think, for bicycle prices is in the $500 to maybe $700 range. That's where you're going to get the most bang for the buck. My attitude has always been "get out and ride, who cares about the bike". I got my first "good" bik...
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