Recent Posts

10701

Living Room / Re: new PC options:-

« Last post by tomos on August 09, 2007, 08:08 AM »

Thanks to all for all your help   

For the record here's what I finally ordered:

CPU: Intel core 2 duo e4400 tray 2048kb, lga775, 64bit 100,60 € Mobo: Msi p35 neo-f, intel p35, atx 90,75 € CPU fan: Arctic freezer 7 pro sockel 775 14,17 € Memory: 2048Mb-kit ddr2 mdt , pc6400/800, cl5 70,91 € Box: Coolermaster centurion5 schw. Cac-t05-uw no PSU 44,49 € PSU: Atx-netzteil corsair vx450w 450 watt 65,00 € Graphic card: ASUS GF-7100GS Silent, 128MB, Nvidia 7100GS, PCIe 36,50 € Harddrives: Samsung hd321kj 320gb serial ata-ii, 7200 upm, 16mb 60,40 € Samsung hd321kj 320gb serial ata-ii, 7200 upm, 16mb 60,40 € DVD burner: Samsung sh-s183l bare schwarz 35,38 € Floppy Laufwerk 1.44 Mb,3.5" Schwarz 4,99 € Sound: Terratec aureon 5.1 Pci 16,40 € Modem: Devolo microl. 56K pci (bulk) pci 11,55 € Building: Rechner - zusammenbau 9,99 € Sum: 621,53 € delivery etc (COD, "Logistikkosten") is €15.66 in total Total: €637.19

from -
hardwareversand.de (they deliver EU wide at any rate if you're interested!):
http://www1.hardware...6_NYDkO5C/1/home.jsp
again,
for the record, they got 8.2 out of 10 in 420 customer reviews at schottenland.de -
so I hope to join the satisfied customer ranks soon

EDIT: in case anyone does want to order there - just to let you know only payment options are credit-transfer in advance or COD which might not be available outside germany

10702

General Software Discussion / Re: Top 3 programs you use

« Last post by tomos on August 09, 2007, 07:36 AM »

Lately
& excluding Freehand (vector drawing app) which I use for work,

I would say:
DOpus 8
Surfulater
Evernote as well, even though as I get to use it more I'm not that crazy about it

Firefox get's left out cause it's bugging me at the mo (I'm really an opera fan but cause of Surfulater..)
I know you said only three but I cant leave out instant boss from app

10703

Living Room / Re: new PC options:-

« Last post by tomos on August 08, 2007, 05:53 AM »

Hah - the saga continues!
Tried unsuccessfully to order that PC a few times - (they were out of this or that or the site too busy to navigate properly)

Meanwhile someone recommended a much cheaper site with better system for configuring (if you choose cpu it shows you only compatible mobos, etc. etc.)

So I have a new config. I'm happy with everything - just unsure about graphic card -
I did decide to get a cheap one. (40 to 50euro)

I've heard Graphic cards can be pretty loud -
the rest of the machine is hopefully fairly quiet!
For that price I could get a passively cooled 128MB, or am I worrying unnecessarily?
Would 128MB dedicated card be as good/better than 256MB on board?
(unfortunately they dont offer passively cooled 256MB card in this price range)
Or, of course I could get a 256MB card

Here's the possible list:

Asus gf-7100gs silent, 128mb, nvidia 7100gs, pcie 36,50 €     EDIT: thats the passively cooled one Club3d x1550, 256mb, ati radeon x1550, pci-express 40,35 € Club3d 7300le nvidia 7300le, 128mb, pcie 41,68 € Xfx geforce 8400gs 256mb ddr3, pci-express 43,50 € Asus gf-7300gs td, 256mb, nvidia 7300gs, pci-express 46,60 € Gigabyte gv-nx73g128d nvidia 7300gs, 128mb, pcie 49,72 €

-
Again any recommendations/opinions much appreciated,
tom

EDITED see list

10704

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: timer that counts resting, interruptions, and work as separate entries

« Last post by tomos on August 07, 2007, 03:08 AM »

Wow, sound great App  good luck with it -

Off topic bits:
I know what you mean about the heat - a couple of summers ago it was round the 100 to 110 mark (36 to 40°) here for a long time & I was working in a room under the roof (as they say here)
Thats when you notice a CRT monitor & a computer are really heaters in disguise..

"You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat." -- Albert Einstein

-app's sig

10705

Announce Your Software/Service/Product / Re: Free computer help online (tune-ups, customization, etc)

« Last post by tomos on August 05, 2007, 07:25 PM »

I am going to (try) add the ability to restore itself from the tray when double clicked, so I can make it like it should have been in the first place.

-
make it restore on single click! (campaign for single clicks)

sounds like you're onto the slog part of things...

10706

Living Room / Re: new PC options:-

« Last post by tomos on August 05, 2007, 07:16 PM »

hah!
forgot ye voted against the euro

looks good - much easier to navigate as well,
but the shop here does actually have a very good selection - unfortunately they sort by brand rather than size..
and as I say, it's catering to gamers -

the OCZ gets v.good reviews too
goes from 1.9 to 2.2V
supposed to be best @ 2.0V

I think I'll go with the Kingston though 

10707

Living Room / Re: new PC options:-

« Last post by tomos on August 05, 2007, 05:45 PM »

it's true, I could cry, if it's this complicated even with everybody's help here to even figure out what to put into the machine .. all I can say (again) is I'm bleeding glad I'm not building the fecking thing.
There -
now I feel better, please excise - "excuse" I meant to type that little outburst

Actually part of my problem is I'm kinda stuck with the one supplier cause they're building the thing.
Mostly this okay cause they have quite a good selection - but on the memory front they seem to cater almost completely to gamers who like this overclocking business - so this was actually one of the cheaper memory options!

What I dont really understand is:
according to Wikipedia, 800 is better than 667 & so on down the line - but the prices (at this website anyway,) dont seem to reflect this at all

Looking at mobo specs & same for various memory types was what nearly brought me to tears - they sort of tend to hide all the important details or mobo says abc then memory says xyz

okay,
mobo website (wher I should have looked in the first place) says:

1. 4 DDR2 DIMM memory slots (supports up to 16GB memory)    2. Supports dual channel DDR2 800/667/533/400 DIMMs    3. Supports 1.8V DDR2 DIMMs

that seems fairly clear now 
so I have something to work with!
one from Crucial that says 1.8Volts, but it's only a 533 - €10 euros cheaper @ €86 
a KingstonValue Ram 667 for €94 (not that cheap!) also runs at 1.8V - that sounds like my choice unless anyone else cries NO!?

10708

Living Room / Re: new PC options:-

« Last post by tomos on August 05, 2007, 06:41 AM »

thanks Carol, Mouser
The 2GB OCZ is a "twinned stick" so should be okay.

10709

General Software Discussion / Re: Do you use any Desktop Theme Software on Windows?

« Last post by tomos on August 05, 2007, 04:37 AM »

Thanks Phil & Eóin for those links

10710

Living Room / Re: new PC options:-

« Last post by tomos on August 05, 2007, 04:33 AM »

eh, I've run into a small problem,
tried to buy that yesterday but they dont have that particular memory any more,
MDT DIMM 2 GB DDR2-800 Kit
not in 2GB Kit at any rate

heres the link for the 1GB kit:
http://www.alternate...urce2=needed#tecData
but I think thats no good cause it's prob 2x 512 (??)

Maybe I'm naive but I reckon anything with similar pricetag is going to be similar quality -
it's more I'm worried about getting something uncompatible,
of course I guess they'd let me know, but I'm not sure..

For example this one sounds very good if it's compatible:
OCZ DIMM 2 GB DDR2-800 Kit OCZ2SOE8002GK, Special Ops Edition
http://www.alternate...IBIEM5&class=ram

Specs:

Gesamtkapazität: 2048 MB

Anzahl Module: 2

Bauform: DIMM

Typ: RAM-DDR2

Standard: DDR2 - 800 (PC2 - 6400)

Timings:      
CAS Latency (CL):5
RAS-to-CAS-Delay (tRCD): 5
RAS-Precharge-Time (tRP): 5
Row-Active-Time (tRAS): 12

Anschluss: 240-pin

Spannung: 1,9 Volt

Spannungsbereich: from 1,9 Volt to 2,2 Volt

gets 4 stars from everyone..
If that one's okay I reckon I'm sorted!!

If not,
if anyone has the time and/or inclination   
maybe they could look at the list of possibilities & recommend a substitute?
http://www.alternate...source=needed#A-DATA
The first option (MDT DIMM 2 GB DDR2-800 Kit) was €96 - wouldnt want to pay a whole lot more..

10711

General Software Discussion / Re: Do you use any Desktop Theme Software on Windows?

« Last post by tomos on August 04, 2007, 07:33 PM »

... but i have patched windows to support custom themes  ...

-jgpaiva (August 04, 2007, 03:13 PM)

ehh, is that a complicated business? 

10712

Word Processor Roundup / Re: TextMaker: Additions

« Last post by tomos on August 04, 2007, 03:11 AM »

Thanks for the update, Tomos! Did you get a chance to test the ODF filter yet?

-zridling (August 03, 2007, 10:44 PM)

nope,
just got the mail yesterday -
been too busy trying to figure out configuration of new computer!

10713

Best Dialog Extender / Re: Consistent favourite folder access- wow- that was hard! Office->Directory Op

« Last post by tomos on August 03, 2007, 05:49 PM »

thanks for that preview Dalchina, looks good,
personally I'd prefer a shortcut key to a middle click but that just preferences
so I would be quite happy with that.

Okay, maybe you know all this:
There is a setting in DOpus
Settings > preferences > miscellaneous > windows integration >
which allows you to hide "Windows Items on context menu" -
if thats selected you just get Dopus approved list (which you can add to somewhere - but god knows where..)
ah, yes, under:
Settings > File Types > [choose, e.g. all files] > Edit > Context Menu Tab
but I've not used that much

10714

Word Processor Roundup / Re: TextMaker: Additions

« Last post by tomos on August 03, 2007, 04:57 PM »

more open document support (export)

There are new service packs for TextMaker 2006 and PlanMaker 2006 [Spreadsheet programme] for Windows. These service packs bring some significant improvements and bug fixes to SoftMaker Office, and we recommend that you install them. Also, the TextMaker service pack adds an OpenDocument export filter to TextMaker 2006, letting you not only read but also write documents in OpenDocument and OpenOffice.org file formats. Download: http://www.softmaker...lish/servpack_en.htm

-
also the new whatchamacallit* equivalent

---------------------------------------------------------------------- Reminder: SoftMaker Presentations beta ---------------------------------------------------------------------- If you haven't already downloaded it, we'd like to remind you that there is a fresh beta of SoftMaker Presentations 2007 for Windows available on our web site. This new beta version includes the following important bug fixes and improvements: * PDF export (this will also be available in the next major release of TextMaker and PlanMaker...) * Improved import and export of PowerPoint files * Improved management of slide masters * Many new features such as pens, text markers or fading effects have been added. * Now also available with menus and dialogs in Dutch, Italian, and Bulgarian. * Additional bug fixes and performance improvements If you are just starting now with the beta test, you need a serial number. Please visit this page: http://www.softmaker...om/english/pr_en.htm

* Powerpoint of course 

10715

Living Room / Re: new PC options:-

« Last post by tomos on August 03, 2007, 11:13 AM »

thanks everyone for the help,
this is the current incarnation with 430W PSU - I believe Seasonic have a good reputation so..

CPU Lüfter: Arctic-Cooling Alpine 64
€ 9,-*

CPU Sockel AM2: AMD Athlon64 X2 4400+
€ 89,-*

Floppy-Laufwerke: Teac Diskettenlaufwerk (with card-reader)
€ 24,-*

Netzteile: 430Watt: Seasonic S12II-430HB
€ 74,-*

Gehäuse Midi Tower: Cooler Master Elite RC-330
€ 33,-*

Modem analog: Devolo MicroLink 56K
€ 9,90*

DVD-Brenner SATA: LG GSA-H62N
€ 39,90*

Gehäuse Lüfter: Arctic-Cooling AF12025 Fan L Box
2 x
€ 3,40*
€ 6,80*

Mainboards Sockel AM2: GigaByte MA69G-S3
€ 74,-*

Festplatten 3,5 Zoll SATA: Samsung HD321KJ 320GB
2 x
€ 64,-*
€ 128,-*

Arbeitsspeicher MDT DIMM 2 GB DDR2-800 Kit
€ 96,-*

Rounded figures:
€ 585* + €60 (Cost of Building) = €645 + Versand = €655

you can get a lot of the parts cheaper here, but as I was saying to someone here,
I'm really happy I dont have to build it - it's been complicated enough to get this far!
I'ts nice/great though to get all the advice 
and to have been able to check out a lot of the parts or simply that they have been recommended

gotta check out their guarantee cover monday by phone -
those details can be challenging enough in your native language - trying to wade through them in another, well...
the only way I can be sure of them is ringing up

10716

Living Room / Re: new PC options:-

« Last post by tomos on August 03, 2007, 05:46 AM »

might go check out Phils recommended forums
Seasonics 500 is twice the 380 price ... (@120€)

If I get something reasonably good now it's well possible I'll upgrade it rather than getting new again

Saw a recommendation for a better mobo ("less problems")
Gigabyte GA-MA69G-S3H
both have onboard graphics which i happy with at the moment anyways

10717

Living Room / Re: new PC options:-

« Last post by tomos on August 03, 2007, 04:22 AM »

It was recommended at that forum - I was wondering the same -
(have queried it there but havent got reply yet)

Could go up to 430 - do you think would that be enough
if I add more HDDs (or/ graphic card - unlikely but..) would that need even higher W?

10718

Living Room / Re: new PC options:-

« Last post by tomos on August 03, 2007, 03:59 AM »

BIG change of plans

Accidentally found a german forum aimed at people building their own
they recommended a better site for built PCs (alternate.de)

where I came out with this:

CPU Lüfter: Arctic-Cooling Alpine 64 CPU: Sockel AM2 AMD Athlon64 X2 4400+ Floppy-Laufwerke: Teac Diskettenlaufwerk (with card-reader) Netzteile: Seasonic S12II-380HB (380W) Gehäuse Midi Tower: Cooler Master Elite RC-330 Modem analog: Devolo MicroLink 56K DVD-Brenner: SATA Samsung SH-S203B Gehäuse Lüfter: Arctic-Cooling AF12025 Fan L Box Mainboards: Sockel AM2 Asus M2A-VM/HDMI Festplatten: 2 x 3,5 Zoll SATA Samsung HD321KJ (320GB) Arbeitsspeicher: MDT DIMM 2 GB DDR2-800 Kit

for €635
more expensive but sounds better I think!?

10719

Living Room / Re: new PC options:-

« Last post by tomos on August 02, 2007, 07:14 PM »

also say weaknesses are:
- schwach an +5V und +12V = weak with ... 
- no U/Min Monitor

10720

Living Room / Re: new PC options:-

« Last post by tomos on August 02, 2007, 07:10 PM »

dunno does this speak to you 

10721

Living Room / Re: new PC options:-

« Last post by tomos on August 02, 2007, 12:47 PM »

Just a quick comment, make sure the PSU power rating is AMD approved, is suitable for the mobo type and fit the case. I can't read German so maybe it's all in the link you've provided.

-PhilB66 (August 02, 2007, 06:02 AM)

I'll check that out Phil

10722

Best Dialog Extender / Re: Consistent favourite folder access- wow- that was hard! Office->Directory Opus

« Last post by tomos on August 02, 2007, 07:08 AM »

Dalchina; have you seen Flash Folder
here
https://www.donation...26.msg70304#msg70304
& here
http://zett42.de/flashfolder/?page_id=3

how does it (Chameleon) integrate with DOpus?
Is it that you call it up with a hotkey & then selected folder opens in opus?

10723

Living Room / Re: new PC options:-

« Last post by tomos on August 02, 2007, 05:38 AM »

just having a quick look -
the LC-Power 550W gets a very good review here (in german though)
says very stable, very quiet, doesnt talk about power consumption though (not in a language [computer/german?] that I understand at any rate)
Seems like maybe the better choice - if the other ones are listed as no-name they're hardly likely to be as good

10724

Living Room / Re: new PC options:-

« Last post by tomos on August 02, 2007, 05:20 AM »

I wouldn't be very comfortable about a shop that doesn't mention which brand the powersupply is, though. It might be 500W or 550W, but if it can't deliver stable voltages when under load, you're going to have an unstable system. Also, if it's not energy efficient, you risk getting a higher power bill if you have the system on a lot.

Does the shop offer some picture of the casing? Especially inside pictures. It's important that the PSU isn't going to be located right above the motherboard, as with some smaller cases.

-f0dder (August 02, 2007, 04:44 AM)

I'll contact them about - they give loads of details for some things but not that
No internal pics but it is a "midi-tower" case so I would hope they dont cramp it too much

Hmm, if Maxtor are that hot maybe I'll just go ahead & get the drives myself, least I'll know what I'm getting then - Samsung are supposed to run reasonable cool.

10725

Living Room / Re: new PC options:-

« Last post by tomos on August 02, 2007, 04:56 AM »

What's that burner you have in the budget? And one final thing: if your HDD is a Seagate, be sure to remove a little jumper that comes in the far right side, to avoid limiting the bandwidth available for the hard drive to 150 MB/s (not that you're going to fill all that...). The little one is a bitch, so don't give up easily. I think that's all...

-Lashiec (August 01, 2007, 07:15 PM)

forgot these:
burner is LG, dont know model, they're only charging €20 less if you dont get it - so it cant be that great, but I have a Plextor 716A which I'll probably add to machine so I might even just get a basic DVD drive.
Drives are Samsung or Maxtor so no worries there again 
I've heard/read Samsung good & quiet which why I was thinking buying drives & adding them myself. Also was thinking of 2 x 320GB (and maybe even add another later) & they dont offer that option (they do offer 2 x 250 but not for good value)