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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: HEAVEN: Ancient Geek - the computer thread
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TonyK
Host Emeritus
# 35
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by TiggyTiger:
Thanks Doc Tor. I did find an extra cable when I unpacked, but I'm not sure where to stick it - lol. I mean on the main computer thing. There's a socket for speakers on the monitor, but I had assumed that was for external ones.
Not only is it likely that the cable will have a pale green jack plug, but the corresponding socket on the back/side/front of the PC will be the same colour.
There are unlikely to be more than two 3.5mm jackplug sockets anyway. The other one is for a microphone, and it won't hurt (AFAIK - I've done it a couple of times on my PC) if the wrong socket is used briefly.
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Yours aye ... TonyK
Posts: 2717 | From: Gloucestershire | Registered: May 2001
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Lord Pontivillian
Shipmate
# 14308
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Posted
For those interested....I have updated to KDE 4 and am well pleased!
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The Church in Wales is Ancient, Catholic and Deformed - Typo found in old catechism.
Posts: 665 | From: Horsham | Registered: Nov 2008
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TiggyTiger
Shipmate
# 14819
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Posted
Cheers, the spare cable I have isn't the right one. When I moved my nephew dismantled the computer so I don't know what got packed and what didn't. It wss all a chaotic rush.
What does AFAIK mean?
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'Each and everybody is hiding, each is concealing the place where his heart beats.'
Daniel Barenboim
Posts: 347 | From: Bath | Registered: May 2009
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Mamacita
Lakefront liberal
# 3659
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by TiggyTiger:
What does AFAIK mean?
Google is your friend.
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Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.
Posts: 20761 | From: where the purple line ends | Registered: Dec 2002
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monkeylizard
Ship's scurvy
# 952
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Posted
I bought an original NES at a garage sale on Saturday....
My right thumb turned purple a few times. It was great.
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The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. ~ Herbert Spencer (1820 - 1903)
Posts: 2201 | From: Music City, USA | Registered: Jul 2001
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Amorya
Ship's tame galoot
# 2652
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Qlib:
I'm on the board of a charity which wants to produce a set of Christmas cards. We've got some original designs that we've commissioned and agreed fees etc, but we'd like at least one traditional design, so my question is this:
Are ancient artworks (medieval paintings, icons, etc) which one can find on the internet, copyright? I mean, obviously(?) the works themselves are out of copyright but does someone always own the electronic image?
Yes in England, no in America.
A situation in which this issue has arisen
Posts: 2383 | From: Coventry | Registered: Apr 2002
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Lyda*Rose
Ship's broken porthole
# 4544
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Posted
Hi, you lovely geeky people! ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
My desk pc is getting very creaky as a seven-year-old computer will. Frankly right now it's sputtered to a stop- no key board or mouse functions. It might be just old, tired peripherals, a virus (my AVG might not have loaded correctly), or the creaky computer. (I'm on the church computer.) Now I'm researching on getting a new one. There are things about these new-fangled machines that I don't totally understand.
Is there any difference in quality between an AMD Athlon 64X2 and an Intel Pentium Dualcore processor?
Does it make a big difference to have a dedicated video card if you don't do much gaming but do like to watch DVDs?
Do the television tuners offered on some models work well with digital TV service like U-verse or Fios?
I have really grown to hate the mass of cables involved with a usual desktop system. What do you think of all-in-ones? Or are there plenty of options in cordless mice, printers, keyboards? That still leaves cables for the monitor and speaker system. I've considered a lap-top but my eyes aren't getting any younger and I'd like a bigger monitor than you can get on most laptops.
Are there any brands that I should run, not walk, from, brands that have produced more than their share of lemons?
Those are my questions for now. I'll probably have follow-ups. Thanks for the help!
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"Dear God, whose name I do not know - thank you for my life. I forgot how BIG... thank you. Thank you for my life." ~from Joe Vs the Volcano
Posts: 21377 | From: CA | Registered: May 2003
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Max.
Shipmate
# 5846
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
Is there any difference in quality between an AMD Athlon 64X2 and an Intel Pentium Dualcore processor?
Athlon 64x2 is equivalent to a Intel Core 2 Duo
Intel Pentium Dual Core is a 32bit Processor whilst a Athlon 64 is a 64bit processor.
Intel Core 2 Duo is a 64bit processor and is better IMO than than the Athlon (IMO) and is much better than the Pentium Dual Core.
In a laptop, a Core 2 is going to better when it comes to battery life than the Pentium Dual Core and MUCH MUCH better than the Athlon (which will overheat and drain your battery)
Also FYI: AVG doesn't work. Uninstall it and kill it with fire. Avast is an adaquate replacement but is still not as good as NOD32 or Norton 360.
Max.
Sources: I currently sell and give advice laptops to businesses who need reliable IT solutions. I'm an Apple Specialist and an Intel Centrino certified advisor.
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For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Posts: 9716 | From: North Yorkshire | Registered: May 2004
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monkeylizard
Ship's scurvy
# 952
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Posted
Since you didn't state a particular budget, I'll stay with some generalities.
It has long been my experience that you should buy the absolute best that you can afford, at the time you buy. Maybe the $1000 processor is the best, but if you can only budget $150 for one, then get the $150 one, not the $140 one, or the $160 one. Chance are that you aren't going to be getting the very latest that came out of Intel's door, but you want to be as close to that as possible. It pays off in the long run by allowing you to keep the PC longer.
That being said, I reccomend something from the Intel i7 line of processors. The Core2Duo and Core2Quads are now a generation behind, though still very solid choices. Avoid the Intel Dual Cores if you can. Dual Core is not the same as the Core2Duo, it's older. Personally, I'd avoid AMD. Dollar for dollar, they just aren't the same as Intel anymore. That will change again someday, but Intel's on top right now.
A dedicated graphics card is not always necessary. Since DVD viewing is the most intensive thing you've described, integrated graphics are probably fine on any system that. Remember that integrated graphics cards share the memory with the rest of the computer, so load it up with plenty of memory. RAM is so dirt cheap that anything < 2GB is a waste of time and you should probably put in 4GB+. Normal Windows XP will only use up to 3GB, but Vista and the soon-to-be-released Windows7 will use about as much as you can give it.
Someone else will have to jump in on the TV tuners and the brands. Never used TV tuners, and I build my own PCs. We have Dell at work, and I'm generally happy with it. We haven't had very many "bad" ones from them.
All-in-ones look nice, but I don't like them because they're difficult to upgrade/repair. If one particular part, like the monitor goes bad, the whole thing is done for. It may also be impossible to add a TV tuner card if it doesn't come pre-installed. Of course, each model will be different in its upgrade capability.
cables
Most people's PCs look like crap because they don't do anything with the cables besides plug them in. If you layout the cables well, use zip-ties to bundle them together, and maybe even go so far as to put some wire loom* on them, they look a lot better and you don't kick them under your desk when stretching out.
*Can be found at most hardware stores, electrical supply stores, and any automotive store. Comes in a variety of colors and can be cut with scissors for length as needed.
{x-post}
[ 20. July 2009, 19:43: Message edited by: monkeylizard ]
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The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. ~ Herbert Spencer (1820 - 1903)
Posts: 2201 | From: Music City, USA | Registered: Jul 2001
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Lyda*Rose
Ship's broken porthole
# 4544
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Posted
Thank you, Max. and monkeylizard. The processor info is especially helpful. A friend who is pretty knowledgeable recommended AMD a few years ago, but it sounds like time has moved on. And I think I will take the AVG out and shoot it. I've never used Norton, but I've heard it's a real memory hog and slows everything down.
For price on the new beast I'm aiming at $700 or less for just the tower. I'll probably add a bigger monitor, too, as I can.
I think I have to agree on the all-in-ones as fun as they seem to be. There's likely more mileage in a micro-tower. But me still hates them tricksy cables! Hates them! I've worked with the ties and the cables are still always a nasty web. I'm afraid that I am not very organized. So: Do the wireless peripherals generally work well, or do they tend to hick-up?
Another aspect is that I might try to deal with a local store that has been in business in town for years. They have a good rep. My brother's family has bought from them. They make their own computers and also carry some Dells and HPs. They are well known for good, economical service. The only thing that concerns me is how dicey the economy is and that if they go under, any warranty would be bird cage liner. What does anyone think?
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"Dear God, whose name I do not know - thank you for my life. I forgot how BIG... thank you. Thank you for my life." ~from Joe Vs the Volcano
Posts: 21377 | From: CA | Registered: May 2003
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Max.
Shipmate
# 5846
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
Thank you, Max. and monkeylizard. The processor info is especially helpful. A friend who is pretty knowledgeable recommended AMD a few years ago, but it sounds like time has moved on. And I think I will take the AVG out and shoot it. I've never used Norton, but I've heard it's a real memory hog and slows everything down.
Yes, that's no longer the case with Norton 360 which uses less than 10mb of RAM (and has done since version 2, we're now on version 3)
Unfortunately it is rather expensive (although it is a 3 user license) but worth every penny. It also still has a bad rep because negative reviewers tend to be the noisiest. It's good software though, especially if one takes security seriously.
If you are looking at replacing a desktop, for basic needs why not look at a laptop? I've often found that Laptops can be cheaper at the lower end of the market. If you can... get a Mac then you won't have to worry about the whole getting an anti-virus thing.
The majority of viruses are windows based and an occasional scan for viruses with a freeware app on a Mac is all that you need, not for your sake but the poor, poor windows users who are affected by such things.
Max.
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For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Posts: 9716 | From: North Yorkshire | Registered: May 2004
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Lyda*Rose
Ship's broken porthole
# 4544
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Posted
You could find me a Mac laptop with a 16" or 17" screen (for my old eyes) for US$700? ![[Biased]](wink.gif)
Okay, maybe a refurbished Mac laptop.
I'll take your word on Norton, though.
ETA: A laptop does sound damned attractive, especially without all those tricksy cables.
[ 20. July 2009, 21:11: Message edited by: Lyda*Rose ]
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"Dear God, whose name I do not know - thank you for my life. I forgot how BIG... thank you. Thank you for my life." ~from Joe Vs the Volcano
Posts: 21377 | From: CA | Registered: May 2003
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Max.
Shipmate
# 5846
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
You could find me a Mac laptop with a 16" or 17" screen (for my old eyes) for US$700?
Okay, maybe a refurbished Mac laptop.
I'll take your word on Norton, though.
ETA: A laptop does sound damned attractive, especially without all those tricksy cables.
No, you'd be looking at a bit more than $700 for a Macbook Pro (which is what you'd want) however, the computer would be a better investment as the componants are going to be of higher quality. The average Apple user demands more of their mac than the average PC user and therefore their machines are of higher quality. The average apple user changes their computer every 5-6 years and the average PC user changes their computer every 2-3 years and the build quality reflects this.
If you want to stick with a desktop then perhaps get yourself the MacMini which would fit your budget.
Max.
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For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Posts: 9716 | From: North Yorkshire | Registered: May 2004
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monkeylizard
Ship's scurvy
# 952
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Max.:
The average apple user changes their computer every 5-6 years and the average PC user changes their computer every 2-3 years and the build quality reflects this.
So does the price.
17" MacBook Pro starts at US$2,499.
17" Dell Inspiron starts at $499
16" Dell XPS starts at $999.
17" AlienWare (gaming grade, and probably most comparable to the MacBook Pro) starts at $1,799.
A laptop's not a bad idea, if portability isn't a main goal. I know that sounds funny, but given the $850'ish total budget (Your stated $700 plus I assume around $150 on a monitor), you're not likely to find a 16"+ model that's under 6 lbs. Still it gives you the option to disconnect and hit the road (or the couch) if needed.
Future upgrades are the only real issue with laptops, but you can plug in a larger monitor if you need it in the future, and replace the HDD if you need more space (or plug in an external USB drive)
Wireless accessories are pretty good these days. I wouldn't use a wireless keyboard or mouse for gaming where every millisecond counts, but perfectly good for non-gaming activities. Even printers are wireless now.
My personal setup is a full tower with a 22" widescreen monitor (ordering a second one soon for dual-displays) and I have a 9" netbook for travelling. It's great. Yuo can do dual displays with latops where the laptop's integrated display is on at the same time an external monitor is too. Lots of laptop users at work do that.
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The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. ~ Herbert Spencer (1820 - 1903)
Posts: 2201 | From: Music City, USA | Registered: Jul 2001
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Pigwidgeon
Ship's Owl
# 10192
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Posted
Excel and I don't see eye-to-eye on a lot of things. I'm putting together a database of addresses all over the U.S. When I'm working for a New Jersey or New England address, Excel won't let me start a Zip code* with a zero. It assumes I want a four digit number and drops the initial zero. I'm been faking it by using the letter "O" but there has to be a better way.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
(*U.s. Zip codes consist of five numerical digits. New Jersey and the New England states all begin with zero.)
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"...that is generally a matter for Pigwidgeon, several other consenting adults, a bottle of cheap Gin and the odd giraffe."
~Tortuf
Posts: 9835 | From: Hogwarts | Registered: Aug 2005
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Joan Rasch
Shipmate
# 49
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
<snip> Excel won't let me start a Zip code* with a zero. <snip>
You need to format the column as *text* (from the format cells menu). The default 'general' format assumes that a string of numbers is a number.
cheers - Joan
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* A cyclist on the information bikepath
Posts: 509 | From: Boston, MA USA | Registered: May 2001
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BroJames
Shipmate
# 9636
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Posted
I believe you can also do it by typing a single quote mark before the number you are entering. It may also be possible to specify the number format for the Zip code cells to include a leading zero.
Posts: 3374 | From: UK | Registered: Jun 2005
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Pigwidgeon
Ship's Owl
# 10192
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Posted
Thanks, Joan Rasch and BroJames -- I'll try those when I actually wake up.
(Joan, if I format the numbers as text, will I still be able to sort them numerically?)
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"...that is generally a matter for Pigwidgeon, several other consenting adults, a bottle of cheap Gin and the odd giraffe."
~Tortuf
Posts: 9835 | From: Hogwarts | Registered: Aug 2005
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monkeylizard
Ship's scurvy
# 952
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Posted
Yes. The alphabet to Excel consists of 0 - 9, then A-Z. I think the special characters fall before the numbers too (like spaces, *, &, %, etc.). It will interpret them as part of the alphabet, not numerically, so the actual number is not considered, but rather the individual component numbers. So "56" will be after "10234" because 5 is after 1.
And the single-quote mentioned above is the quick way to make an individual cell override its formatting to be a Text cell.
[ 22. July 2009, 13:25: Message edited by: monkeylizard ]
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The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. ~ Herbert Spencer (1820 - 1903)
Posts: 2201 | From: Music City, USA | Registered: Jul 2001
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The Kat in the Hat
Shipmate
# 2557
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Posted
Excel's help file says:
How the list will sort if you treat numbers stored as text as text Numbers stored as numbers are sorted first, and then numbers stored as text. For example, after sorting in ascending order, the list would appear that you have two sets of numbers. Also numbers stored as text sort left to right, character by character. For example 11 appears before 5 because 1 is before 5 in the first character.
How the list will sort if you treat numbers stored as text as numbers
Both numbers stored as text and numbers are sorted together. For example, after sorting in ascending order the list would appear to have one set of numbers.
Hope that helps!
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Less is more ...
Posts: 485 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Pigwidgeon
Ship's Owl
# 10192
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Posted
Thanks, everyone! ![[Overused]](graemlins/notworthy.gif)
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"...that is generally a matter for Pigwidgeon, several other consenting adults, a bottle of cheap Gin and the odd giraffe."
~Tortuf
Posts: 9835 | From: Hogwarts | Registered: Aug 2005
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Foaming Draught
The Low in Low Church
# 9134
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Posted
Before I ask a question in Styx which might already have been answered, are iPhone user Shipmates happy with the regular Safari presentation of the boards on your devices, or would an optimised site be better?
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Australians all let us ring Joyce
For she is young and free
Posts: 8661 | From: Et in Australia Ego | Registered: Feb 2005
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daisymay
St Elmo's Fire
# 1480
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Posted
Two questions for advice, please.
1. Should I switch off all the electrical connections while I'm away for a week? Is that likely to stop any possibility of fire beginning in a house where not the computer's face, but the plugged in wires are still alive? Or would it make it a nightmare to get the computer alive again when I come home?
2. My iMac had problems, which were fixed, but it ended up with its OS 9 having been wiped off, and so only having OS 10 stuff. I have a genealogy tree which was only able to be done on OS9 - can I get OS 9 put back in? I've got the CD that did it years ago when I first got the iMac.
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London
Flickr fotos
Posts: 11224 | From: London - originally Dundee, Blairgowrie etc... | Registered: Oct 2001
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Alicïa
Shipmate
# 7668
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by daisymay:
Two questions for advice, please.
1. Should I switch off all the electrical connections while I'm away for a week? Is that likely to stop any possibility of fire beginning in a house where not the computer's face, but the plugged in wires are still alive? Or would it make it a nightmare to get the computer alive again when I come home?
2. My iMac had problems, which were fixed, but it ended up with its OS 9 having been wiped off, and so only having OS 10 stuff. I have a genealogy tree which was only able to be done on OS9 - can I get OS 9 put back in? I've got the CD that did it years ago when I first got the iMac.
What kind of computer would be a nightmare just because you had unplugged it for a week?
I turn all the plugs off every night and there are no problems.
Then again I am not sure what you mean about plugged in wires and computer's face?
If I go on holiday I turn off everything except the alarm. Yes it does prevent most possibilities of electrical fire AFAIK.
Sorry I can't help with #2 No idea about iMacs. I am sure someone else will know.
[ 23. July 2009, 14:08: Message edited by: Lady Alicia of Scouseland ]
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"The tendency to turn human judgments into divine commands makes religion one of the most dangerous forces in the world." Georgia Elma Harkness
Posts: 884 | From: Where the Art is. | Registered: Jun 2004
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daisymay
St Elmo's Fire
# 1480
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Posted
Lady Alicia of Scouseland
I mean that the computer's "face" is switched off when just the computer is switched off - no light, no pictures, no desktop bits etc.
And "plugged in wires" are the ones plugged in to the wall, (the electricity), the same places we plug in light's wire etc.
So it is sensible and useful to switch it all off and then switch on again when I come home.
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London
Flickr fotos
Posts: 11224 | From: London - originally Dundee, Blairgowrie etc... | Registered: Oct 2001
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Alicïa
Shipmate
# 7668
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Posted
A Netbook with Linux, or a Netbook with XP. That is the question.
I am leaning towards XP simply because my experience with Linux on an old computer was simply nightmarish. Installing new software is horrendously complex. Can anyone convince me otherwise?
I don't really expect that to happen, but I would like more details on how linux is being used on netbooks and whether much has changed in the last couple of years since I last played around with a linux computer.
[ 23. July 2009, 14:20: Message edited by: Lady Alicia of Scouseland ]
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"The tendency to turn human judgments into divine commands makes religion one of the most dangerous forces in the world." Georgia Elma Harkness
Posts: 884 | From: Where the Art is. | Registered: Jun 2004
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Alicïa
Shipmate
# 7668
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by daisymay:
Lady Alicia of Scouseland
I mean that the computer's "face" is switched off when just the computer is switched off - no light, no pictures, no desktop bits etc.
And "plugged in wires" are the ones plugged in to the wall, (the electricity), the same places we plug in light's wire etc.
So it is sensible and useful to switch it all off and then switch on again when I come home.
Ok, then the answer is yes. I think that it is sensible. I do that every night when I go to bed and there are no problems with starting up the computer again.
When going on holiday, I would actually trip all the switches at the mains except the one for the alarm, or if I want to leave the freezer on. (rare because I usually run it down to defrost)
Everything works fine when I get back including the computer, so yes I would say it was safe and sensible.
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"The tendency to turn human judgments into divine commands makes religion one of the most dangerous forces in the world." Georgia Elma Harkness
Posts: 884 | From: Where the Art is. | Registered: Jun 2004
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Mamacita
Lakefront liberal
# 3659
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by daisymay:
Lady Alicia of Scouseland
I mean that the computer's "face" is switched off when just the computer is switched off - no light, no pictures, no desktop bits etc.
And "plugged in wires" are the ones plugged in to the wall, (the electricity), the same places we plug in light's wire etc.
So it is sensible and useful to switch it all off and then switch on again when I come home.
It would be better to unplug it from the wall outlet. If I understand it correctly (and that's a big "if"), the equipment continues to draw power as long as it's plugged in. By unplugging it, you would save on electricity and also eliminate the risk of fire if lightning struck the house (and then zapped your equipment through the electrical system -- happened to a friend of mine whose TV exploded in a thunderstorm).
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Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.
Posts: 20761 | From: where the purple line ends | Registered: Dec 2002
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Otter
Shipmate
# 12020
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Lady Alicia of Scouseland:
A Netbook with Linux, or a Netbook with XP. That is the question.
I am leaning towards XP simply because my experience with Linux on an old computer was simply nightmarish. Installing new software is horrendously complex. Can anyone convince me otherwise?
It's probably going to depend on which distribution of Linux is on the netbook - some of the developers have figured out that not everybody is a geek that thinks all that mucking about with the guts of the OS is fun, and have tried to streamline installs, etc.
You also want to look at what you want to do with the netbook, and is the software to do it available for that Linux distribution - basic stuff like web browsing, IM, a little word processing, etc. should be no problem. If you want to also be able to run specific XYZ apps or input/output specific file formats on the netbook, do your homework. It may be quite possible, but you want to know before you plunk down the cash.
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The plural of "anecdote" is not "data", YMMV, limited-time offer, IANAL, no purchase required, and the state of CA has found this substance to cause cancer in laboratory aminals
Posts: 1429 | From: Chicago, IL 'burbs | Registered: Nov 2006
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monkeylizard
Ship's scurvy
# 952
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Posted
And don't forget that you can always change an XP netbook over to Linux by downloading a Linux distro to a USB thumb drive. Then you can go back to XP (with an external CD drive)if you aren't happy with Linux. some netbooks come with the XP install in a partition on the harddrive, so you don't even need the CD drive to reinstall it.
If you start with Linux, there's no (legal) way to go to XP unless you buy a retail copy, or have an extra one sitting around.
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The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. ~ Herbert Spencer (1820 - 1903)
Posts: 2201 | From: Music City, USA | Registered: Jul 2001
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Lyda*Rose
Ship's broken porthole
# 4544
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Posted
Hi, all.
Here I am on my new HP Pavillion. I got a good deal (if the stars have aligned aright and this thing stays healthy) on a back-to-school pc with masses of memory and a so-so Pentel processor and a big, ol' monitor. The only trouble so far is no sound. ![[Frown]](frown.gif) The monitor has speakers so since the monitor is working, it's receiving power. The speaker cable is hooked up between the monitor and the tower. The various volume settings seem correct. I dunno. ![[Confused]](confused.gif)
Well, I'll continue to play with it.
Thanks for all the info and advise. And Max., I went ahead and installed Norton 360.
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"Dear God, whose name I do not know - thank you for my life. I forgot how BIG... thank you. Thank you for my life." ~from Joe Vs the Volcano
Posts: 21377 | From: CA | Registered: May 2003
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blackbeard
Ship's Pirate
# 10848
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Posted
I have an ancient (2003) Dell computer (Pentium 4) running Windows XP. Uses AOL broadband (2 M nominally but it's on the end of a long piece of wire) and McAfee.
a. This seems to have got slower recently. Is this to be expected given the age of the computer and the ever more complex Windows upgrades or is there someone else to blame? (Saturday nights are bad which I assume is a traffic jam in AOL.)
b. (For UK users). Virgin has a fibre optic cable running past my house and wants me to connect to it. Is this, from a computer point of view, a good idea? is their broadband as marvellous as claimed? what's their support like? any satisfied users / horror stories?
c. Would it be worth upgrading to a better computer? it would probably come with Windows Vista, which by reports I've heard is horrid, is it really that bad and if so, what are the recommended alternatives?
That's enough for now. Blackbeard understands ships and cannon but these newfangled computers are too modern for him.
Posts: 823 | From: Hampshire, UK | Registered: Dec 2005
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Amanda B. Reckondwythe
Dressed for Church
# 5521
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Posted
I can't speak to b. but so far as a. is concerned you might want to do a disk defrag. Also, be sure your McAfee is up-to-date. I've seen McAfee let some viruses and trojans past that other antivirus apps catch. (You might want to try AVG, which is free for single use.)
As for c., I have resisted Vista too but it's inevitable that we'll have to go with it sooner or later. It's not all that bad if you put it in classic mode (classic start menu and folder views).
If you're sure you can locate the proper XP drivers for all the hardware in your new PC, you can reformat it with XP. Don't try it, though, unless you're sure you have all the drivers on hand.
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"I take prayer too seriously to use it as an excuse for avoiding work and responsibility." -- The Revd Martin Luther King Jr.
Posts: 10542 | From: The Great Southwest | Registered: Feb 2004
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monkeylizard
Ship's scurvy
# 952
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Posted
Skip Vista. Windows 7 will be out October 22. All reports so far indicate it will be a winner.
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The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. ~ Herbert Spencer (1820 - 1903)
Posts: 2201 | From: Music City, USA | Registered: Jul 2001
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Doc Tor
Deepest Red
# 9748
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Posted
I'm on Virgin. On the rare occasions the service is down, it's normally up again reasonably promptly. I'm not really worried about speed, as I don't download massive files or play games across the network, but iPlayer works more than well enough.
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Forward the New Republic
Posts: 9131 | From: Ultima Thule | Registered: Jul 2005
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Max.
Shipmate
# 5846
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
And Max., I went ahead and installed Norton 360.
Good!
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For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Posts: 9716 | From: North Yorkshire | Registered: May 2004
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Josephine
Orthodox Belle
# 3899
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Posted
Middle Son's laptop has been rebooting itself randomly every two or three days. When it reboots itself, it goes to the screen where you have the option of booting in safe mode or from the last good configuration, and you have to go through that screen repeatedly before it boots properly. Then it works fine for a few days, and does it again.
We took it to the computer repair folks. They couldn't make it happen. So we went and picked up the computer today. When we got home, it happened. Of course. So back to the computer shop, where it booted normally. Of course. So we leave the shop, get in the car, and son says, "Wait." He restarts it, and it goes to the safe mode screen. We run back into the store, they see the screen, say, Good job, now maybe we can figure out what the problem is.
And when they restart the laptop, it's fine.
Ideas?
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I've written a book! Catherine's Pascha: A celebration of Easter in the Orthodox Church. It's a lovely book for children. Take a look!
Posts: 10273 | From: Pacific Northwest, USA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Lyda*Rose
Ship's broken porthole
# 4544
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Posted
I never realized the American car industry made laptops. ![[Paranoid]](graemlins/paranoid.gif)
Good luck, Josephine. ![[Votive]](graemlins/votive.gif)
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"Dear God, whose name I do not know - thank you for my life. I forgot how BIG... thank you. Thank you for my life." ~from Joe Vs the Volcano
Posts: 21377 | From: CA | Registered: May 2003
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monkeylizard
Ship's scurvy
# 952
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Josephine:
Middle Son's laptop has been rebooting itself randomly every two or three days. When it reboots itself, it goes to the screen where you have the option of booting in safe mode or from the last good configuration, and you have to go through that screen repeatedly before it boots properly. Then it works fine for a few days, and does it again.
We took it to the computer repair folks. They couldn't make it happen. So we went and picked up the computer today. When we got home, it happened. Of course. So back to the computer shop, where it booted normally. Of course. So we leave the shop, get in the car, and son says, "Wait." He restarts it, and it goes to the safe mode screen. We run back into the store, they see the screen, say, Good job, now maybe we can figure out what the problem is.
And when they restart the laptop, it's fine.
Ideas?
I had this happen on a bad piece of RAM. If the laptop has two SODIMMs (the short memory sticks used for laptops), remove one of them. Be sure the remaining one is in the one it should be in for single-stick setup. The owner's manual should tell you which one. Find it on-line if you've already pitched it.
Use the laptop for a while, then swicth the RAM around and see if the problem exists on one or the other, but not on both. If so, you've found your bad piece of RAM. Replace it, or live without it. If the problem happens no matter which one is in there by itself, then it's something else.
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The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. ~ Herbert Spencer (1820 - 1903)
Posts: 2201 | From: Music City, USA | Registered: Jul 2001
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Wet Kipper
Circus Runaway
# 1654
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Posted
how do I stop Skype from turning all the phone numbers on webistes into "click here to call with Skype" pictures, which seem to cut off the last 3 digits, preventing me from seeing what the actual number is ?
(am on Firefox 3.0.12, Vista)
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- insert randomly chosen, potentially Deep and Meaningful™ song lyrics here -
Posts: 9841 | From: further up the Hill | Registered: Nov 2001
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lily pad
Shipmate
# 11456
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Posted
Thanks for bringing this up. I have had the same problem and thought I just had to deal with it. I just Googled the question and made the change in two seconds. Just go to Tools and Add-ons and then disable the Skype one and restart Firefox. Such a relief!
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Sloppiness is not caring. Fussiness is caring about the wrong things. With thanks to Adeodatus!
Posts: 2468 | From: Truly Canadian | Registered: May 2006
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Curiosity killed ...
Ship's Mug
# 11770
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Posted
Has anyone come used any good shared online diary applications? It's for a team of churches, trying to tie together a number of different diaries held in different places and different formats. Some of those involved will need to be able to update, others just to read only. Not everyone is on the same network, although some have e-mail accounts on the church domain. It's for internal use, not public consumption, but it needs to be accessible by quite a few people from different sites and computer systems.
The intention is to provide, for example, a way of telling those people who arrange things not to book the boiler man to come in when there's a funeral already planned at one of the churches involved.
We do have a website, but it doesn't look as if we have the option to set up a subsite* within the website that would be password accessible, which is one possible solution.
* It doesn't look as if we have Sharepoint services from Microsoft that would enable this.
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Mugs - Keep the Ship afloat
Posts: 13794 | From: outiside the outer ring road | Registered: Aug 2006
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Qoheleth.
Semi-Sagacious One
# 9265
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Posted
Dear Doctor,
Following an inadvertent power outage, my desktop system will no longer boot. The first attempt reported a BIOS checksum error and asked me to boot from A:
Now it won't even get to the POST. ![[Waterworks]](graemlins/bawling.gif)
The system is around 6 yrsold. Is it worth suspecting the motherboard battery? If so, is there only one type of replacement to source? Maplin?
Is it likely to be terminal, Doctor?
Thanks,
Q.
posting from my tiny eeePC
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The Benedictine Community at Alton Abbey offers a friendly, personal service for the exclusive supply of Rosa Mystica incense.
Posts: 2532 | From: the radiator of life | Registered: Apr 2005
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Wet Kipper
Circus Runaway
# 1654
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Posted
Thanks, lilypad - I was hunting around Skype for a box to untick or similar, didn't twig it would be Firefox thing.
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- insert randomly chosen, potentially Deep and Meaningful™ song lyrics here -
Posts: 9841 | From: further up the Hill | Registered: Nov 2001
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Qoheleth.
Semi-Sagacious One
# 9265
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Qoheleth.:
Is it worth suspecting the motherboard battery?
It was !!
![[Yipee]](graemlins/spin.gif)
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The Benedictine Community at Alton Abbey offers a friendly, personal service for the exclusive supply of Rosa Mystica incense.
Posts: 2532 | From: the radiator of life | Registered: Apr 2005
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monkeylizard
Ship's scurvy
# 952
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Posted
Congrats on the cheap & easy fix. I was fearing for the worst for you...
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The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. ~ Herbert Spencer (1820 - 1903)
Posts: 2201 | From: Music City, USA | Registered: Jul 2001
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LutheranChik
Shipmate
# 9826
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Posted
I'm working on an assignment for my distance-learning HTML class -- it's creating various linkages between pages of a fictitional website. So far I've done links between pages, links from one page to a particular id within another page, and links from the bottom of the page back to the top of the same page. So far so good. Now we're on a glossary page featuring all 26 letters of the alphabet at the top of the page, and h2-level alphabet headings within the glossary. I've tried to create internal linkages between these letters with the <a href="#id>content</a> coding, but nothing happens when I call it up on my browser and click on the letters at the top of the page. I have studied the other, successful internal link between the top of the page and the "Return to Top" links throughout the body of the page and cannot see any difference between what I did there and what I'm trying to do here. Can someone explain this to me like I'm five years old? I'm ready to become a Luddite.
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Simul iustus et peccator
http://www.lutheranchiklworddiary.blogspot.com
Posts: 6462 | From: rural Michigan, USA | Registered: Jul 2005
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mousethief
Ship's Thieving Rodent
# 953
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Posted
Whilst interwebnet surfing last night, an odd thing happened. The scroll wheel on my mouse got changed into a webpage history scroll wheel -- when I scrolled one click up, it went to the previous page I had been at, one click down to the next one, and so forth. This is with Firefox. What did I press? What can I press to get back to normal if it happens again?
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This is the last sig I'll ever write for you...
Posts: 63536 | From: Washington | Registered: Jul 2001
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Curiosity killed ...
Ship's Mug
# 11770
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Posted
Lutheran Chick, how have you got your letters formatted? the ones you're trying to link into?
I've had problems linking into different sections on a page when they've been part of the same table. If I want to link to a different section, I have to make sure it's a different table. If it's within a table it doesn't always work. It's not the hotlinks that are the issue, it's the bookmarks where they link to.
(hmmph - helps if I remember how to code BB code)
[ 04. August 2009, 08:09: Message edited by: Curiosity killed ... ]
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Mugs - Keep the Ship afloat
Posts: 13794 | From: outiside the outer ring road | Registered: Aug 2006
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Foaming Draught
The Low in Low Church
# 9134
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
Has anyone come used any good shared online diary applications?
I use Google Calendar together with Sunbird. Sunbird is the local client, useable offline.
But for the sort of problem which you're trying to solve, teams in different places knowing what's booked and what's happening, why not just use Twitter, create a team, everyone "follow" it on their mobiles/PCs, and use the @ facility to tweet to a specific person?
FD
Posts: 8661 | From: Et in Australia Ego | Registered: Feb 2005
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