Recent Posts

10926

Living Room / Re: Please help me build my new computer, DC!

« Last post by 40hz on December 20, 2008, 01:41 PM »

Let's not focus on cutting costs quite yet.  The truth is, I can afford it no matter what.  So let's get all nice, premium parts for now, and if I feel uncomfortable with it at the end, we'll discuss cutting costs.

-superboyac (December 20, 2008, 01:28 PM)

Wow! Where where you back when I was building custom workstations and servers?

Those bang for the buck articles are good, I'm reading them right now...how much do you hate all the multi-page articles? 

I despise them. That's why I always go down to the bottom of the page and hit the little "Print" button to reformat the articles to one page. (Unfortunately, you lose the graphics and photos when you do that so it still sucks. )

10927

Living Room / Re: How will the Earth end?

« Last post by 40hz on December 20, 2008, 10:55 AM »

Koko's Dog will do it. 

http://www.youtube.c.../watch?v=pX9O4xDW0Kc

(I saw this on TV when I was a little kid. I had nightmares for about a week after that.)

10928

Living Room / Re: Please help me build my new computer, DC!

« Last post by 40hz on December 20, 2008, 10:42 AM »

What are the advantages of adding and extra graphics card if you aren't going to be pushing it?

-Carol Haynes (December 20, 2008, 04:16 AM)

I can't speak for everybody, but a lot of pro/semi-pro music apps (especially software samplers and resynthesis functions) perform more reliably when they can hog as much of the CPU as possible. Anything you can do to take some of the load off the CPU is a good strategy to follow.

----------------------
If you're looking to save some money, maybe there are components you already have from your last machine that might be pressed into service for your new build? That way you could apportion your money where it is most needed, and mark your recycled components for an upgrade down the road.

Obviously, you'll not want to recycle to the point of where you're adversely affecting performance - but you can always delay getting a new mouse, keyboard, DC/DVD-RW, etc. if you can get by with your current stuff. Put the saved money into a faster chip, more RAM, or a better graphics card.

Extremetech just did an article describing such a Franken-PC:

(BTW: it uses the Gigabyte EP45-UD3P I mentioned in an earlier post! )

http://www.extremete...TRSS02129TX1K0000532

Build a Multimedia PC From Spare Parts
December 18, 2008  -By Joel Durham Jr.

Robin's "new" computer is actually built of old parts and new. Basically, I raided my office, dismantled several testbeds and one production machine, and built up a pretty darn decent computer for my sister—Frankenstein style.

For instance, I pulled her system's CPU out of a testbed and placed it in a little antistatic box about six months ago. I unearthed it while cleaning out my shop a few weeks ago. The case and power supply were inspired by the most recent Bang for the Buck build. The storage peripherals were chillin' on a shelf.

Robin owes me big for basing the computer on the recently reviewed Gigabyte EP45-UD3P (only my second perfect score review since I began working for ExtremeTech).

10929

Living Room / Re: Recommend some music videos to me!

« Last post by 40hz on December 19, 2008, 10:32 PM »

Here is a playlist I made of Jethro Tull live concert videos that takes you from the early days to more recently:

http://www.youtube.c...t?p=0151CA5D5F56ACE5

There is well over 100 videos in the list.

-app103 (December 19, 2008, 09:28 PM)

  X 100

10930

Living Room / Re: Recommend some music videos to me!

« Last post by 40hz on December 19, 2008, 06:07 PM »

Here's Jethro Tull, a perennial favorite of mine. One of the few groups from their era that can still play and surprise us. One of the few groups I make it a point to see when they're touring.

FWIW: They're a hundred times better live - a much harder rock vibe then they get on their albums.

Rocks on the Road (1991)
http://www.youtube.c.../watch?v=Z-mf5HRL9Qc

She Said She was a Dancer (1987)
http://www.youtube.c...&feature=related

10931

General Software Discussion / Re: Is it finally time to abandon IE?

« Last post by 40hz on December 19, 2008, 05:30 PM »

The biggest issue with Java is how it's updated.

You hear about an exploitable vulnerability in Java and when a fix is issued you upgrade right away and think "OK, now I am safe."

But you are not! Sun leaves the older version on your machine, to be exploited by anyone that wishes to do so. The end result is a backdoor for malware that is as wide open as ActiveX on IE 5.5 & older.  Most people don't know they have to go and uninstall the old version after updating.

-app103 (December 19, 2008, 05:17 PM)

You might want to download a copy of JavaRa. It checks for JRE updates and removes old versions from your system.

If you need to use Java, you'll want to install JavaRa.

And it's free!

JavaRa

JavaRa is a simple tool that does a simple job: it removes old and redundant versions of the Java Runtime Environment (JRE). Simply select "Check for Updates" or "Remove Older Version" to begin. JavaRa is free under the GNU GPL version two.

Java software in general and the Java JRE in particular allow you to run applications called 'applets' that are written in the Java programming language. You probably have Java JRE installed on your computer because these applets allow you to play online games, chat with people around the world, calculate your mortgage interest, view images in 3D, as well as many others.

Java and Java Runtime Environment (JRE) are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

More Information   http://raproducts.org/javara.html

Download Windows Binary (.zip file)  http://raproducts.or...click/click.php?id=1

Download Source Code (written in C++)  http://downloads.sou....zip?use_mirror=osdn



Created by Fred de Vries and Paul McLain.

10932

Living Room / Re: Please help me build my new computer, DC!

« Last post by 40hz on December 19, 2008, 01:04 PM »

I need help choosing monitors.  I think two 24" is too much, but I'm not sure.  I don't know what brand is good.  I also don't know how much to expect to pay.  By the way, this system is turning out to be REALLY expensive.

-superboyac (December 18, 2008, 03:36 PM)

AnandTech just posted their Holiday 2008 Display Guide.

http://www.anandtech.../showdoc.aspx?i=3480

I've found this website's reviews to be reliable.

10933

Living Room / The EFF's 12 days of Christmas

« Last post by 40hz on December 19, 2008, 12:50 PM »

Cute little animation, and a reminder of some of the more serious nonsense that went on in 2008:

http://www.eff.org/12days

10934

Living Room / Re: Please help me build my new computer, DC!

« Last post by 40hz on December 18, 2008, 03:39 PM »

Why? On-board audio is decent enough for casual use these days

-f0dder (December 18, 2008, 12:13 PM)

True. But I'm not a "casual" user, so I only speak for myself on that topic.  

Not that my opinion much matters. Just about everything comes with built-in sound these days. As long as I can disable it in BIOS I won't complain. Too much...

10935

General Software Discussion / Re: Is it finally time to abandon IE?

« Last post by 40hz on December 18, 2008, 12:09 PM »

If only one could go back in the time machine at that coding moment and say to Microsoft: "You may not want to grant ActiveX controls that much control over Windows.

-zridling (December 18, 2008, 05:34 AM)

Wouldn't have made any difference. Microsoft lived in a virtual world where everybody with a brain used a network with a Windows Domain Controller. And in an isolated, secure network, ActiveX isn't a problem. In fact, it's actually pretty cool. But the world didn't go down the path Microsoft had envisioned.

There is a story (possibly apocryphal) about about a meeting at Microsoft where Bill Gates announced he wanted to acquire the Internet, and was shocked when he was told that nobody actually "owned" it.

Microsoft always had (until relatively recently) a huge amount of trouble grasping the web. Unfortunately, a lot of design decisions they made were done when they still didn't "get" what the web was all about. They were still thinking "closed subscriber networks" like Delphi or Compuserve or AppleLink. In those environments, the network itself provided the security.

Security has to be "designed in" from the ground up. It can't be effectively tacked on as an afterthought. The Internet was not designed to be a secure technology. Nor was much else that runs on it. So until we finally bite the bullet and do some serious retooling on our data infrastructures, we're stuck with the security issues we have.

Much as Microsoft can annoy me, I can't really hold them completely responsible. That would be like blaming a robbery victim for not being more careful about where he walked at night.

10936

Living Room / Re: Gizmo's Tech Support Alert Newsletter Merges with Windows Secrets

« Last post by 40hz on December 18, 2008, 11:12 AM »

Thanks Curt. I wonder if anybody will send me an invite? I also wonder if I'll respond should I get one.

Observation:

Why does Windows Secrets have to make getting something for free such a project? Step 1, step 2, step 3...so much for instant gratification.

Why not just do up a special issue or two, and provide a link to them on their website?

Things like this keep hammering home to me just how different Windows Secrets' mindset is from the old TSA.

10937

Living Room / Re: Please help me build my new computer, DC!

« Last post by 40hz on December 18, 2008, 10:35 AM »

Hey 40hz!  Where'd you get that drawing from?!  That's really cool!

-superboyac (December 18, 2008, 12:16 AM)

Glad you liked it. If I had more time I would have done it up as an animated GIF.

The dirigible was adapted from a piece of clipart I had in my library.

(As you might have noticed from some of my other posts, I'm a big fan of Jules Verne and Steampunk. )

The tower PC was drawn and "antiqued" by me in Paint.NET along with the attaching diagonal cables to the dirigible.

The "Superboyac Aero" logo was also done in PaintNET. The typeface is called Magneto, and is available from The Font Bureau, Inc.

Total time was about 10 minutes - 5 to locate the clipart, and another 5 to do the rest. Which was just enough time for BSD to finish installing on my test machine!

-----------------------------

Re:Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P

Yeah, it packs a lot of punch for the money. I'm as much impressed by what it doesn't include as I am by what it does. I'd actually have liked it even more if they didn't include the audio components.

Looks like they hit the sweet spot with this board. It's definitely on my shopping list for my next build.

10938

Living Room / Re: A rant on religiousness about OSes

« Last post by 40hz on December 17, 2008, 11:29 PM »

Although Solaris is awfully sexy, I have been playing with it and that file system... that file system...

-iphigenie (December 09, 2008, 07:47 AM)

OK, I'll bite.
At least 3 times in this thread you've fawned over the file system, and that makes me quite curious...

Are you talking about zfs?
Hoo boy, it sure looks promising

-Edvard (December 17, 2008, 07:33 PM)

I wouldn't call that "fawning." Possibly an over-the-shoulder smile or two - but definitely not fawning.

If it is ZFS, there's a nice presentation on it here:

http://www.youtube.com/bsdconferences

This discusses the BSD port of ZFS, but I'd suspect it works the much the same as the Solaris implementation.

Looks like the benefits outweigh the detriments, so just out of curiosity I downloaded the OpenSolaris 2008.11 and am going to give it a fly-by and see if it ends up on a spare disk to play with.

-Edvard (December 17, 2008, 07:33 PM)

Edvard: Dude!

When you're done playing with it, start a thread on the topic and share your impressions?

---------------

iphigenie: if he does, please be sure to chime in?


I keep hearing all this great stuff about Solaris. I have very little experience with it, but it didn't seem to be so exceptional as to be obvious to a very interested albeit casual observer like myself. I'd welcome any input.

(I'd be tempted to try it myself, but I'm up to my ears in W2k8 Server and FreeBSD 7.1 RC1 right now, so I doubt I'll get a chance to look at Solaris before year's end.)

10939

Living Room / Re: Please help me build my new computer, DC!

« Last post by 40hz on December 17, 2008, 10:41 PM »

On a more serious note, Extremetech just did a review of the Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P mobo.

It costs $150, and it offers exceptional value. (Newegg has it for $137. Check out the 170 reviews posted  too!)

http://www.extremete...,2845,2335930,00.asp

For a $150 motherboard, the Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P packs a lot of value. With one of the most comprehensive rear-panel I/O risers available, incredibly inclusive overclocking controls, and the new Ultra Durable 3 system for added piece of mind, it's quite a bit of mobo for the money.

It might lack some of the bells and whistles that those $400 and $500 boards offer, such as three X16 slots and audio hardware, but this LGA775 based beast is nonetheless a killer board for a midlevel or even an enthusiast computer system.

Most interesting is the conclusion. Extremetech never gives anything a perfect score. They did this board.

Best Board in Years

We rarely give perfect scores. A product has to blow our socks off to get a perfect score.

The EP45-UD3P is simply a stunning, solid board full of features that comes at a fantastic price. It's a motherboard to seriously consider if you can't quite afford an X58-based board and a Core i7 CPU.

In fact, it might even be safe to say it's the only board to consider. We know what's going into our next build.

Product:    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P Motherboard
Company:    Gigabyte

Price:    $150 street (Check prices)

Pros:    Near-perfection in hitting the sweet spot between price and performance;    lots of features for the price; incredibly reliable stability; tons of external I/O connectors; and lots more stuff to brag about.

Cons:    What cons?

Summary:    If you're not quite ready for DDR3 or Core i7, this is the motherboard. Simply amazing in every way.

I downloaded the U.S. manual, and now I'm even more impressed :

http://america.giga-...l_ga-ep45-ud3p_e.pdf

10940

Living Room / Re: Please help me build my new computer, DC!

« Last post by 40hz on December 17, 2008, 07:27 PM »

The case supports up to 7 120mm fans.

-superboyac (December 17, 2008, 12:24 PM)

My goodness!  You'll have to tether it to the desktop or it'll be hovering at the ceiling 

-cranioscopical (December 17, 2008, 01:56 PM)

Maybe you could hitch up a few helium balloons to it and pilot it around the room with the fans via remote? Talk about the ultimate in zero-footprint design!



Just be sure you enter it into one of those ultimate mod contests. You just might win back your investment!

 

10941

General Software Discussion / Re: Outlook & 2GB PST limit

« Last post by 40hz on December 17, 2008, 06:40 PM »

With an Exchange Server and IMAP, the whole PST filesize limit becomes moot.

-40hz (December 11, 2008, 03:55 PM)

Not Exactly... With Outlook's cached mode default (handy for laptops etc.) you're only going from .pst to .ost which can also go poof for misc. reasons. I've seen them in the 3-4GB range many times.

-Stoic Joker (December 17, 2008, 03:11 PM)

Good catch! 

I completely forgot about .ost files.

(Or maybe I was trying to forget them...)

Never underestimate the ability of an end-user to innocently hose their system by taking advantage of a "productivity feature."

Maybe I should have said : "should be moot if allowed to be" ?

10942

Living Room / Re: Please read "my" prospectus

« Last post by 40hz on December 17, 2008, 06:21 PM »

Surely you jest, Josh!

10943

Living Room / Re: Please help me build my new computer, DC!

« Last post by 40hz on December 17, 2008, 02:12 PM »

I just bought this case from Newegg.

CoolerMaster CM 690

-Cloq (December 16, 2008, 06:01 PM)

That looks like an awesome case.  I'm going to go with it unless I come across something better.  Thanks!

-superboyac (December 16, 2008, 07:09 PM)

One minor consideration:

If you're going to go with removable drive trays (like I always do); and you're getting a case that has a shield/door over the external drive bays - then be sure to to get drive trays that won't interfere with it. Look for basic trays with handles that fold flush.

Some of the fancier drive trays project out a bit and can block the doors on some cases.

Of course, why bother with a tricked-out drive tray (with all those blingy readouts and lights) if you're just going to cover it up, right?

Cases: I have liked every Cooler Master product I have ever purchased. Their cases are excellent.

For quiet, I like the Antec Sonata series. They have some annoyances, but nothing I would consider showstopping. The biggest problem is the price. Maybe it's because they're marketed more towards media center builders than the tech crowd. Still, I haven't found anything that comes quieter straight out of the box. Just my

10944

General Software Discussion / Re: Is it finally time to abandon IE?

« Last post by 40hz on December 17, 2008, 12:25 PM »

Corrective patch is now available from Microsoft 17-Dec-2008 via Windows Update or direct download.

10945

General Software Discussion / Re: Is it finally time to abandon IE?

« Last post by 40hz on December 17, 2008, 10:23 AM »

Josh, I don't want to be an idiot. So what can I do when IE apparently is not secure?

-housetier (December 17, 2008, 08:25 AM)

Extremetech put up a few quick&dirty articles on workarounds to the problem. Worth a read since there's a lot of hysteria and bad information floating around the web about the problem.

Beware: All IE Versions Vulnerable To Attack
http://www.extremete...,2845,2336805,00.asp

How to Safeguard Against New IE Vulnerability
http://www.extremete...TRSS02129TX1K0000532

10946

General Software Discussion / Re: Another 'Lifetime' license bites the dust

« Last post by 40hz on December 16, 2008, 09:45 PM »

It promised only minor updates (until the next major version bump), but in fact has never charged me anything for major updates (from v5.x to now v8.01).

my mother has been trying to drill this idea into me for years -- it's amazing how good a piece of advice it is, but how hard it is to follow sometimes:

"under-promise, over-deliver"

-mouser (December 12, 2008, 07:29 PM)

Your Mom is a very wise woman.

But I'd be happy with just "Deliver." I've stopped listening to promises. They get me angry.

My father used to say: "There are a thousand and one reasons why something doesn't get done. And about half of those reasons are probably good ones. But in the end, the only thing that really matters is whether or not that 'something' got done."

He probably would have gotten along very well with your Mom.

10947

Living Room / Re: Recommend some music videos to me!

« Last post by 40hz on December 16, 2008, 09:29 PM »

@40Hz:
That number from Soundgarden is the worst of the bunch on that particular album. The other songs are (imho) way better. Actually that is my perfect example of an "all killer, no filler" album 

-Shades (December 16, 2008, 07:32 PM)

Really? Wow...I had absolutely no idea it was that bad.

10948

Living Room / Re: Recommend some music videos to me!

« Last post by 40hz on December 16, 2008, 07:26 PM »

This is one of the nastiest uses of morphing I've ever seen. Disturbing imagery for a disturbing song.

Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun
http://www.youtube.c.../watch?v=qiSkyEyBczU

10949

Living Room / Re: Please help me build my new computer, DC!

« Last post by 40hz on December 16, 2008, 02:12 PM »

I like those Granite Digital enclosures, very nice.  One question, those removable trays:  do you have to screw the hard drives in the tray, or do you just simply place it in?

-superboyac (December 16, 2008, 01:28 PM)

The ones I have use 4 screws to mount the drives to the trays.

BTW: You can download full user manuals for many of their products.

http://www.granitedi...nloadliterature.aspx

10950

Living Room / Re: Please help me build my new computer, DC!

« Last post by 40hz on December 15, 2008, 11:58 PM »

My tuppence:

MOBO -  I've had the best luck with Intel and Gigabyte boards. MSI has been mixed luck.

RAM - I completely agree with Carol. Go Corsair and be done with it. If too $$ Crucial brand is also a good choice.

DRIVES - Maxtor/Seagate drives have been reliable.

CPU - if you're going with Intel, smart builders always do a quick spreadsheet and compare current price to speed. About three steps down from the top chip you'll usually find the "sweet-spot" CPU that offers the most bang for the money. But why am I saying this? You already do that.

EXTERNAL ENCLOSURE - IMHO the absolute best are made by Granite Digital. Moderately pricey, but very well made. http://www.granitedigital.com/

Startech also does some nice externals - including basic dual drive and RAID setups. Prices are reasonable. I haven't bought very many of their products so far (2 this year), but I've heard very good things about this company. Stuff looks good - and Egghead caries their products at discount.

http://www.startech....iple-drive/list.aspx

http://www.newegg.co...62&name=STARTECH