The computer and electronics super geek thread

[Seto Kaiba]

Speaking of all this iPhone stuff, does anyone here have an iPad? If so what are your thoughts, especially vs an iPhone or iPod touch? My previous iOS experience is limited to a first-gen touch.

Umm... while I don't own an iPad, I did get the chance to use one for a few days while I was doing on-site work with a client. Please bear in mind, I'm not anything like an impartial critic. I do not like Apple's products, for the most part, so my impressions of the iPad are no doubt colored by my less-than-good first impressions of other Apple products. I own a Zune, so take that for what you will. Your mileage may vary.

Unfortunately, I only had the chance to use my borrowed iPad for 3 days before the company we were working with (an auto parts supplier) decided they were great but not suited for widespread adoption. I was using the standard Wi-Fi model w/o the 3G support, and found it to be (surprisingly) a reasonably capable tablet. I avoid using tablets whenever possible since they're usually not as durable as normal laptops, and my working laptop tends to get the crap beat out of it in the line of duty. My concerns about its durability seem to have been a bit excessive, since I didn't manage to kill the damn thing in three days hard work. The onscreen keyboard's kinda awkward to use for someone whose hands are as big as mine, but the keyboard dock sorted that well enough. The only significant beef I had with the thing was that there wasn't a conventional stylus, but it looks like there are aftermarket solutions for that if you feel like shelling out fifteen bucks. Didn't care for iOS, but that's really a pointless complaint considering the product.

Functionally, the iPad is a good looking, functionally adequate tablet that doesn't really excel in any meaningful way. It's a pretty package and some visually impressive twists on run-of-the-mill functionality. If you really like Apple or want to be on the bleeding edge of tablets, it's okay I guess... I'll stick with my Lenovo ThinkPad X60.

[eugimon]

I have an iPad. I'm also not an apple geek but I do think it's a very handy and capable device, for what it is. It's by no means a replacement for a real laptop but as a complimentary device it's very nice. But no matter what Jobs says, typing on it is not a "dream".

It does have some wonky limitations though. Most of it you probably already heard but for me the big thing is no cloud support except for with a few specific devices like the HP media server and even that is through an ap. So, the iPad can't/won't stream music or videos natively even though with draftN built-in it has the bandwidth to do it.

On the flip side, netflix instant watch works great, as does YouTube. Battery life is as advertised, the screen is crisp and responsive. It's just a solid machine.

[CoryHolmes]

YouTube only works well when you wi-fi through a cable modem. It reeks when you use the3G connection, though. It automatically downgrades the quality and won't change it except when on a wifi network.

Also, the typing does suck. I've touch typed for decades now and it irks me to hunt and peck

[mikeszekely]

I sold my old Core Duo MacBook (hadn't used it much in the last two years, and not at all since I got my Asus laptop), and I decided to take the plunge on the iPad.

For the record, although I don't really like Apple the company, I'm mostly neutral on their products. I've got a lust of almost any new and shiny gadget.

I'm mostly satisfied with it. It is what it is... more than an iPhone, but less than a "real" computer. It's more of an extension of a computer than a replacement for one. If I'm going to type something long, like an email or document (or this post) I want to use my desktop. I also tend to work on various projects on my desktop. But those things aside, I still used my desktop a lot for stuff like Twitter or just reading various websites. The iPad handles that really well, and in a form factor that allows me to take it to the sofa or the bed when I'm tired, or the kitchen when I when I'm cooking. Or the bathroom...

Another huge strength I'm getting from the iPad is as an e-reader. Sure, an e-ink device has some advantages (weight, battery life, easier to read outside, less eye strain), but the iPad does magazines and comic books really well. I haven't bothered to put videos or music on my iPad, but I loaded it with plenty of cbr and cbz files, a handful of magazines in PDF format, and maybe a dozen books in the epub format that I'd been meaning to read.

I'm also liking the way some apps (mostly the Apple ones) work together. Like today, my wife and I couldn't decide on where to get food. She thought it was cool enough that typing "food" into the search on the Maps app caused a number of dots to appear on the map that indicated restaurants, but I was more impressed that tapping one seamlessly brought up its website in Safari.

I think that actually brings me to the iPad's biggest flaws: no tabs in Safari (opening new pages for stuff I'd tab on my desktop browser is a pain, especially when the page wants to reload when you actually get around to it) and no multitasking. I guess iOS 4 helps with that? I don't know, I don't have an iPhone.

It's fair to say that tablets, when done well (and I think the iPhone is), could be a game changer the way the original iPhone was (say what you want about it and Apple, the iPhone did mark the beginning of a smartphone boom). But I do think the iPad's asking price is too high for what it is and what it does. I wouldn't have bought it if I hadn't sold that laptop first, but having bought it I'm glad I own it, if that makes sense.

Now I'm curious to see the Android tablets that are going to be hitting the market soon. Not crap like the Gentouch that was advertised at Kmart awhile back, but stuff like Samsung's Galaxy Tablet, MSI's WindPad, or Toshiba's Smart Pad. If they're priced right, have a newer version of Android, and have access to the Android Marketplace (flaws that, combined with lousy touch screens, make some of these drugstore tablets not even worth their sub-$200 price tags), I'd consider buying one of those, too.

[Knight26]

Ok, I am really getting frustrated with Dragon Naturally. I got it in the hopes that when I dictate my stories to myself in the car using my MP3 player, which has a great mike, that I could use it to transcribe what I dictate instead of me slogging through it. So far no such luck. The blasted software has a hard enough time recognizing my voice, but it won't read any of my audio files because they are 32bit 2-channel. If I can train it to recognize my voice great, but how do I change those audio files down to 1 channel 16 bit? Any ideas guys, I have about half my rewrite on audio right now and transcribing it will take forever otherwise.

[azrael]

Concerning the iPad, I agree with mikeszekely. In my limited dealings with it at work, I found it to be a good companion system. It's not as bulky as a laptop and it's just the right size for easy reading. As an iPhone user, I find that even landscape mode isn't big enough to view some pages after a while. The iPad is good for quick e-mailing/social networking apps and web browsing when I don't want to turn on a desktop or laptop nor do I want to use something as small as a smartphone. If you want an e-reader, I'd get an e-reader because it is easier on the eyes and has much better battery life. But if you want something a bit more portable than laptop but not with something as small-screened as a netbook, I'd consider the iPad or one of those Android-based tablets (when they come out). It can't do much but what it can do, it does well.

Ok, I am really getting frustrated with Dragon Naturally. I got it in the hopes that when I dictate my stories to myself in the car using my MP3 player, which has a great mike, that I could use it to transcribe what I dictate instead of me slogging through it. So far no such luck. The blasted software has a hard enough time recognizing my voice, but it won't read any of my audio files because they are 32bit 2-channel. If I can train it to recognize my voice great, but how do I change those audio files down to 1 channel 16 bit? Any ideas guys, I have about half my rewrite on audio right now and transcribing it will take forever otherwise.

Try Audacity to down-sample your recordings? And I take it you've tried calibrating Dragon? It should have gone through a tutorial and made you read something out loud to calibrate it.

[Valkyrie addict]

Thanks again, decided to get me windows 7 premium 64bit after all

I can't seem to stop asking question

ok, I got the pc running, looks great on the tv via HDMI, runs everything at maximun smoothly except that the fan is extremely loud, I checked and found out it's the CPU heatsink

Installed SpeedFan to check fan speed and temp and the fan is constantly running between 5200-6500rpms and most temp are below 48°C except for the CPU and GPU that have gone up to 55°C while gaming or intense multitasking...

should I worry about this temps??

I know that when the system is new you must wait a while getting heat spikes while the CPU insulator to the heatsink sets, but since I didn't do it I don't know if they applied it right.

I've also searched and found that most times Athlon processors have crappy heatsink fans and are replaced by better cooling fans

I have cool n' quiet on and smartfan on at the bios setting

the processors I'm using its an Athlon Phenom II x4 965 3.4Ghz Black, should I replace it with a better fan?? or any suggestion to improve the excessive noise from the fan?

Thanks again and sorry for all this dumb questions

Edited August 25, 2010 by Valkyrie addict

[azrael]

I can't seem to stop asking question

ok, I got the pc running, looks great on the tv via HDMI, runs everything at maximun smoothly except that the fan is extremely loud, I checked and found out it's the CPU heatsink

Are you using a stock cooler or are you using a after-market cooler?

Installed SpeedFan to check fan speed and temp and the fan is constantly running between 5200-6500rpms and most temp are below 48°C except for the CPU and GPU that have gone up to 55°C while gaming or intense multitasking...

should I worry about this temps??

The fan speed is a bit high for those temps, but is there any case cooling to move the air around? The temps are okay but with the CPU fan running that high might mean something. Depending on the fan/cooler and a number of other factors, at those speeds, ideally, it should be cooler.

I know that when the system is new you must wait a while getting heat spikes while the CPU insulator to the heatsink sets, but since I didn't do it I don't know if they applied it right.

I've also searched and found that most times Athlon processors have crappy heatsink fans and are replaced by better cooling fans

Did you scrap off the heat pad and apply your own thermal paste or did you just use the pre-fixed heat pad on the cooler? If you used both the heat pad and your own thermal paste, you're actually creating a thicker layer which can be problematic. How you applied the heaksink/fan might help.

I have cool n' quiet on and smartfan on at the bios setting

the processors I'm using its an Athlon Phenom II x4 965 3.4Ghz Black, should I replace it with a better fan?? or any suggestion to improve the excessive noise from the fan?

You can always replace it with a better fan or a quieter fan, but whether or not it will bring down the temps depends.

[David Hingtgen]

That's a super-high fan speed. For how fast it's going, temps should be cooler than that. Is it a really small fan? Any chance it's simply "stuck on high"? I use big, slow fans personally. (noise reasons).

[Valkyrie addict]

I'm using the stock cooler

I didn't install the CPU, the place where I bought most of the parts did, I presume they used the pre-fixed heat pad and no other thermal paste since I didn't tell them to do so, but they do seem a bit clumsy, when they were installing the system they called me to tell the vidcard was damaged and they couldn't get the image right, I couldn't believe that since it was brand new and was concerned maybe I got a bad batch, I told them to finish the system and I'll check the vidcard myself

after I got everything I installed the vidcard with no problem whatsoever, so I'm concerned they have not done something right with the CPU installment too

how can I adjust the fan if it's stuck on high?

I may just get a better fan then

[azrael]

how can I adjust the fan if it's stuck on high?

I may just get a better fan then

Is the fan connected through a Molex connector (4-pin) or is it plugged into a motherboard plug?

[shiroikaze]

Is the fan connected through a Molex connector (4-pin) or is it plugged into a motherboard plug?

I have a Phenom II X4 965 as well, the stock cooler doesn't come with a molex connector though =\.

Also from what I read around the net, the stock cooler for the Phenom does an adequate job cooling the CPU. It shouldn't ramp that high though. Maybe you need to reapply new thermal paste?

Edited August 25, 2010 by shiroikaze

[Valkyrie addict]

ok, tried several things

I open the case and left it in a more ventilated area with my room A/C at full which seemed to improved the amb temp but fan was still running around 5000RPM

Left the pc on all night to see if the stock thermal paste keep setting in, when I tried in the morning, noisy as ever

Removed heatsink, cleaned stock goo and set arctic silver 5, still noisy

Updated BIOS and cool n' quiet drivers, went to BIOS option, lower the voltage to 4.0v and finally got some improvement, the fan is more responsive and stay around 4500RPM and the GPU and Core temp remain stable

But I still feel it's high...*sigh* will wait a week of use for the arctic silver to set to see what happens

[Seto Kaiba]

Hey guys... I have a brief-ish question for anyone who's currently running a Windows 7 box.

Long story short, I'm looking into getting a replacement for my now-5 year old HP Pavilion laptop. I'm somewhat leery about the idea of them coming, by default, with the 64bit version of Windows 7. I'm probably going to get a somewhat minimalist machine, and thus won't need the 64bit version's expanded memory addressing abilities or any of the other dubious benefits the 64bit version confers. So, I what I want to know is if it's possible for me to downgrade the system (via reformat and clean install, obviously) from the 64bit OS to the 32bit version of same using the same OEM license key. I ask because the manufacturers I've talked to are mysteriously tight-lipped on that note (I actually ended up in a chicken-and-the-egg dilemma with HP's phone rep somehow), and there's no shortage of contradictory answers on the various tech forums out there. Can I get a yea or nay from someone who's actually tried this (or the reverse?).

Also, further to my earlier problem... it's a confirmed Firefox issue, not a Norton issue. Yay resolution, probably caused by the plugin container, given that manually disabling the plugin container sorts the problem right out. ^^

Edited August 29, 2010 by Seto Kaiba

[mikeszekely]

Hey guys... I have a brief-ish question for anyone who's currently running a Windows 7 box.

Long story short, I'm looking into getting a replacement for my now-5 year old HP Pavilion laptop. I'm somewhat leery about the idea of them coming, by default, with the 64bit version of Windows 7. I'm probably going to get a somewhat minimalist machine, and thus won't need the 64bit version's expanded memory addressing abilities or any of the other dubious benefits the 64bit version confers. So, I what I want to know is if it's possible for me to downgrade the system (via reformat and clean install, obviously) from the 64bit OS to the 32bit version of same using the same OEM license key. I ask because the manufacturers I've talked to are mysteriously tight-lipped on that note (I actually ended up in a chicken-and-the-egg dilemma with HP's phone rep somehow), and there's no shortage of contradictory answers on the various tech forums out there. Can I get a yea or nay from someone who's actually tried this (or the reverse?).

Also, further to my earlier problem... it's a confirmed Firefox issue, not a Norton issue. Yay resolution, probably caused by the plugin container, given that manually disabling the plugin container sorts the problem right out. ^^

I've got 32-bit on my desktop and 64-bit on my laptop. Both have Core 2 Duo processors and both have Nvidia graphics. Can't say I've noticed much of a difference between them. I play media files and games, plus browse the net and edit documents on both. The only compatibility issue I've had so far is that KOTOR 2 won't run... on either computer. Apparently it's a Windows 7/Vista thing rather than a 32-bit/64-bit thing.

Long story short, I wouldn't fret too much about having 64-bit. I don't know if you'll be able to dowgrade or not.

[Seto Kaiba]

Long story short, I wouldn't fret too much about having 64-bit. I don't know if you'll be able to dowgrade or not.

Eh... there's an ulterior motive in the downgrade. Specifically, that I want to rid the machine of all the trialware, bloatware, etc. that the manufacturers inevitably load new systems down with and start from a clean install of Windows. As it transpires, while I have several dual 32/64bit anytime upgrade DVDs for Vista that I've used for that purpose in the past... the one I have for Windows 7 is 32bit only.

*shrug* I guess the worst case scenario is that I pony up a C-note for a fresh OEM copy of Windows 7 32bit and use it to replace the existing 64bit version that comes with the machine.

Edited August 29, 2010 by Seto Kaiba

[mikeszekely]

Eh... there's an ulterior motive in the downgrade. Specifically, that I want to rid the machine of all the trialware, bloatware, etc. that the manufacturers inevitably load new systems down with and start from a clean install of Windows. As it transpires, while I have several dual 32/64bit anytime upgrade DVDs for Vista that I've used for that purpose in the past... the one I have for Windows 7 is 32bit only.

*shrug* I guess the worst case scenario is that I pony up a C-note for a fresh OEM copy of Windows 7 32bit and use it to replace the existing 64bit version that comes with the machine.

That's a good ulterior motive, and the primary reason I build my own computers most of the time (easier to just buy a laptop, and I wanted a laptop for gaming on vacation).

[azrael]

So, I what I want to know is if it's possible for me to downgrade the system (via reformat and clean install, obviously) from the 64bit OS to the 32bit version of same using the same OEM license key. I ask because the manufacturers I've talked to are mysteriously tight-lipped on that note (I actually ended up in a chicken-and-the-egg dilemma with HP's phone rep somehow), and there's no shortage of contradictory answers on the various tech forums out there. Can I get a yea or nay from someone who's actually tried this (or the reverse?).

If I understand it correctly, the same key will work regardless of 32 or 64-bit versions for like editions, but it has to be for the same computer. So, for example, a key for 32-bit Home Premium will work for the 64-bit Home Premium on the same computer, but it won't work for either 32 or 64-bit Ultimate editions nor on a different computer. Or a 32-bit Professional serial will work for a 64-bit Professional, but it won't work for either a 32/64-bit Home Premium nor on a different computer.

However, a site licensed copy of a 32/64-bit Professional serial will work for an Enterprise edition. But only a site licensed version.

[Seto Kaiba]

If I understand it correctly, the same key will work regardless of 32 or 64-bit versions for like editions, but it has to be for the same computer. So, for example, a key for 32-bit Home Premium will work for the 64-bit Home Premium on the same computer, but it won't work for either 32 or 64-bit Ultimate editions nor on a different computer. Or a 32-bit Professional serial will work for a 64-bit Professional, but it won't work for either a 32/64-bit Home Premium nor on a different computer.

Yeah... it looks like some very badly titled FAQs on Microsoft's Windows 7 website are hinting that as well... that so long as you have valid install media and a license key for that version of Windows (Home/Pro/Ultimate) you're allowed to go back and forth between 32bit and 64bit installations as you see fit... and the upgrade utility even includes tools to go from 32bit to 64bit as a no-activation upgrade instead of a clean install. Not a bad idea, but I'm not liking the upgrade process from Vista to 7... that could definitely have been designed better. Still, I'll ask the manufacturer if they sell their systems with a dual 32/64bit anytime upgrade DVD, since that'll sort any other issues I might have with the process. 7's a slick OS... shame about the install process tho.

[Uxi]

Upgrade is generally a bad idea anyway. Pull off your data and do a clean install.

[Seto Kaiba]

Incidentally, on a lark I downloaded and installed Mozilla Firefox 4.0 beta 5.

The installation process went smoothly enough, and it was kind enough to leave my previous install of Firefox 3.6.9 in place, and even absorb some of the compatible add-ons like AdBlock Plus and Norton IPS. All in all, it's definitely a step backwards, IMO. True, the new user interface looks pretty... in fact, it looks startlingly like Google Chrome. Not that I consider that a bad thing, but it doesn't seem to work very well for the Opera-style top-left all-in-one menu system. The menus are, at present, rather sparse and poorly laid out. Everything is crammed haphazardly into a half-dozen or so folders under the main menu, which makes it feel a bit scattered and disorganized. The only real issues I could find with it in terms of actual function were that it bricks when you try to open a secure connection to Firefox's add-ons update section, and it won't properly render context menus that extend beyond the boundaries of the window itself... displaying the text but not the background.

All in all... it's nice looking, but thus far I don't see it as a significant or necessary improvement on Firefox 3.x.

[azrael]

Incidentally, on a lark I downloaded and installed Mozilla Firefox 4.0 beta 5.

The installation process went smoothly enough, and it was kind enough to leave my previous install of Firefox 3.6.9 in place, and even absorb some of the compatible add-ons like AdBlock Plus and Norton IPS. All in all, it's definitely a step backwards, IMO. True, the new user interface looks pretty... in fact, it looks startlingly like Google Chrome. Not that I consider that a bad thing, but it doesn't seem to work very well for the Opera-style top-left all-in-one menu system. The menus are, at present, rather sparse and poorly laid out. Everything is crammed haphazardly into a half-dozen or so folders under the main menu, which makes it feel a bit scattered and disorganized. The only real issues I could find with it in terms of actual function were that it bricks when you try to open a secure connection to Firefox's add-ons update section, and it won't properly render context menus that extend beyond the boundaries of the window itself... displaying the text but not the background.

All in all... it's nice looking, but thus far I don't see it as a significant or necessary improvement on Firefox 3.x.

Blame the new look on Chrome, Windows 7 Aero desktop and every other modern browser. Everyone is getting rid of the menu bar and making access to browser configuration as sparse as possible. It wasn't hard to show the good olde menu bar though.

It's a beta so I expect that there's some debug code in there and still many bugs. I tried Beta 4 but sensed the beta-ness of the release and got rid of it. Consider reporting the secure connection to the addons to Mozilla. You may get a response.

[Seto Kaiba]

Blame the new look on Chrome, Windows 7 Aero desktop and every other modern browser. Everyone is getting rid of the menu bar and making access to browser configuration as sparse as possible. It wasn't hard to show the good olde menu bar though.

Indeed, I do... mind you, I actually like the visual aesthetic of Google Chome. I just disagree with this philosophy that you need to hide anything that might actually affect the way the browser functions as though the end users were a pack of ten-thumbed imbeciles. That, and the lack of an ad blocker that actually works, is why I can never manage to use Google Chrome for more than a few days at a go before getting fed up with it. The familiar option menu is still there, it's just that the menu bar has been compacted into that gaudy orange thing, making the lone menu feel a lot more cluttered and disorganized. At the very least, I hope they won't try to dumb down the user accessible options menu to Google Chrome's level.

Really, I suppose my objections to it are those of a power user. I would probably be intensely grateful for them having made it harder to screw up the browser's configuration if I were planning to deploy it only on my familiy's computers (you know how it is). *sigh* Maybe it's time to haul my elitist power user ass over to Opera and give it another try.

It's a beta so I expect that there's some debug code in there and still many bugs. I tried Beta 4 but sensed the beta-ness of the release and got rid of it. Consider reporting the secure connection to the addons to Mozilla. You may get a response.

Oh, yeah... first thing I did on encountering the error was send Mozilla a bug report detailing the problem. That's the whole point of beta testing. When I tried it, I found Firefox 4 Beta 5 to be a slick looking and decently stable browser. It's just that there's still some broken (perhaps by design) functionality and the user interface's menus feel a bit cluttered and disorganized. Not an overtly bad browser by any means... but definitely not ready for the big 4.0 release.

[David Hingtgen]

I've got a weird issue--it used to be just at one forum, but now it seems more common by the day:

If a pic or even "long line of unbroken text" is wider than the screen----there's no scrolling over to the side. It just gets chopped off. Switching to Firefox doesn't help, same issue. I'm wondering if it's just a forum software quirk with the latest revision (I haven't checked which versions are being used etc) or is there some deep setting within Windows that somehow got screwed up that disables horizontal scrolling for large pics etc.

[azrael]

Indeed, I do... mind you, I actually like the visual aesthetic of Google Chome. I just disagree with this philosophy that you need to hide anything that might actually affect the way the browser functions as though the end users were a pack of ten-thumbed imbeciles. That, and the lack of an ad blocker that actually works, is why I can never manage to use Google Chrome for more than a few days at a go before getting fed up with it.

AdBlock for Chrome does work. It may load a few ads before removing them, but it does work. Granted it produces that partial speed bump due to the design of Chrome's rendering engine, Webkit, but it does work. It's those other times I rely on having my host file to never even let it contact the outside world.

The familiar option menu is still there, it's just that the menu bar has been compacted into that gaudy orange thing, making the lone menu feel a lot more cluttered and disorganized.

I found it easily by right-clicking on the URL bar and checking off "Menu bar" and "Bookmarks" as soon as I started the Beta.

At the very least, I hope they won't try to dumb down the user accessible options menu to Google Chrome's level.

Expect it. Frankly, I just don't understand why there is this need to get rid of the menu bar in programs. I blame Microsoft for that. Ever since IE 7, Vista, and Office 2007 there's been some marketing war against having the menu bar. Which is why I'm glad it's still there in Mac OS.

Really, I suppose my objections to it are those of a power user. I would probably be intensely grateful for them having made it harder to screw up the browser's configuration if I were planning to deploy it only on my familiy's computers (you know how it is). *sigh* Maybe it's time to haul my elitist power user ass over to Opera and give it another try.

I gave up on Opera. Managing the "Blocked Content" became a chore after a while. I spent more time blocking things then I did actual browsing.

I've got a weird issue--it used to be just at one forum, but now it seems more common by the day:

....

It's probably the forum software. I've experienced it in a few spots with vBulletin boards and IPBs. Especially with pictures.

[David Hingtgen]

Ok, then I'll just have to live with it until enough people complain that the software's fixed.

Have an ad/hosts question: a couple weeks ago, I added the MVPS listing to my hosts file, to block out ads etc. Well, frankly, theirs is TOO comprehensive. It's disabling a lot of videos and active content etc, in that "they won't play until the ad has played", and my hosts file has blocked EVERY ad from EVERYBODY now. (it also messes with the "back" button--both firefox and MSIE seem to try to 're-load ads' that were never there, and it won't actually navigate back until the 2nd or 3rd click) I've stripped out a lot, but it's still quite a nuisance.

BUT--I don't want to delete my hosts file entirely, as many hundreds/thousands of sites are pure virus/porn/spam. Does anyone have a hosts file that is just "truly bad" sites to block? I'd use my old one, but the site I got it from is gone. All I keep finding are more "we block everything" lists.

[azrael]

Ok, then I'll just have to live with it until enough people complain that the software's fixed.

Have an ad/hosts question: a couple weeks ago, I added the MVPS listing to my hosts file, to block out ads etc. Well, frankly, theirs is TOO comprehensive. It's disabling a lot of videos and active content etc, in that "they won't play until the ad has played", and my hosts file has blocked EVERY ad from EVERYBODY now. (it also messes with the "back" button--both firefox and MSIE seem to try to 're-load ads' that were never there, and it won't actually navigate back until the 2nd or 3rd click) I've stripped out a lot, but it's still quite a nuisance.

BUT--I don't want to delete my hosts file entirely, as many hundreds/thousands of sites are pure virus/porn/spam. Does anyone have a hosts file that is just "truly bad" sites to block? I'd use my old one, but the site I got it from is gone. All I keep finding are more "we block everything" lists.

I use this one. It's good enough but it's not as over-anal as MVPS. The rest of the time I depend AdBlock and NoScript to handle the rest.

[grss1982]

snip.....

So, I what I want to know is if it's possible for me to downgrade the system (via reformat and clean install, obviously) from the 64bit OS to the 32bit version of same using the same OEM license key.

snip.....

If I recall correctly, it does not really matter if you have a 32-bit or a 64-bit Windows 7 installed. As long as the product key is for that SKU (i.e. Professional, Home Premium, Ultimate) it should work. Well that's how it goes for retail and upgrade versions of W7. NO idea though about OEM ones.

Edited September 11, 2010 by grss1982

[Seto Kaiba]

If I recall correctly, it does not really matter if you have a 32-bit or a 64-bit Windows 7 installed. As long as the product key is for that SKU (i.e. Professional, Home Premium, Ultimate) it should work. Well that's how it goes for retail and upgrade versions of W7.

Better late than never... thanks for the confirmation on that.

I hadn't gotten around to installing Windows 7 on my desktop yet since it's having motherboard issues and the manufacturer wants it to go back to get fixed.

Edited September 11, 2010 by Seto Kaiba

[David Hingtgen]

Ok, now I *really* think my monitor's dying. Any new monitors show up in the last month or so I should be aware of, or something amazing coming next month that I should wait for?

[Vince]

Ok, now I *really* think my monitor's dying. Any new monitors show up in the last month or so I should be aware of, or something amazing coming next month that I should wait for?

don't buy LG. check newegg...

[eugimon]

zumocast for ipad/iphone/itouch,i* lets you stream music and video files to your device. it works and it's free.

[mikeszekely]

zumocast for ipad/iphone/itouch,i* lets you stream music and video files to your device. it works and it's free.

Eh. I downloaded it, and then it wanted me to sign in. Didn't feel like making some kind of special account. I've already enabled sharing on my music and video libraries on my PC; isn't there some kind of app that can pick up on that without me having to sign in to some service?

[eugimon]

Eh. I downloaded it, and then it wanted me to sign in. Didn't feel like making some kind of special account. I've already enabled sharing on my music and video libraries on my PC; isn't there some kind of app that can pick up on that without me having to sign in to some service?

it's not a service. Since the apple won't let the ipad stream off a cloud on it's zumo installs a client on your PC/MAC and the account you make links the two together over the net.

[shiroikaze]

Ok, now I *really* think my monitor's dying. Any new monitors show up in the last month or so I should be aware of, or something amazing coming next month that I should wait for?

Well, there's this 23.6" Asus monitor for $145 after rebate at Newegg. The stand may put you off though, since it can only go so far...

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2244243

and,

Dell Ultrasharp 22-23" IPS monitors for $209.25 and $239.25 respectively:

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2236715

Other than those, there's nothing new and exciting now and upcoming I believe...

Edited September 18, 2010 by shiroikaze