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Last post Author Topic: Interesting "stuff"  (Read 1189037 times)

Stoic Joker

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Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Reply #900 on: August 17, 2015, 06:50 AM »
Laser printers have their own caveats, namely that the toner cartridges can be quite spendy, and you have to worry about the photoreceptor drum as well.


True however just because the manufacturers statistically calculated EoL date on the drum expires, doesn't mean it will actually magically drop dead at that point. You can frequently manually reset the warning (how varies by brand) and get much more life out of it. Basically if there are no print quality issues...let it be. The same holds true for the fuser/fixing unit/maintenance kit as well. Expensive consumables that aren't really dead...until they're really dead.. ;)

Another thing to consider, is HP, Lexmark, Xerox, et al build the imaging drum into the cartridge so the whole shebang gets replaced at once. I like that feature.

Arizona Hot

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Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Reply #901 on: August 17, 2015, 08:27 PM »
I would definitely recommend laser printers if you do mostly black and white printing, but do your research and choose your poison...

Unless your name is Socrates.

Arizona Hot

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Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Reply #902 on: August 17, 2015, 08:33 PM »
Android M's name is Marshmallow.jpgInteresting "stuff"

Android M's name is Marshmallow

Did they do any end run around all guesses and opinions again? Time to start guessing what Android N will be named?

Germany just made food porn illegal.jpgInteresting "stuff"

Germany just made food porn illegal


JavaJones

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Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Reply #903 on: August 17, 2015, 09:32 PM »
Macadamia never made sense anyway. It's a nut, not inherently a sweet. Marshmallow, I mean duh, why was that *not* the front runner?

- Oshyan

Arizona Hot

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Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Reply #904 on: August 18, 2015, 04:56 AM »

Arizona Hot

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Arizona Hot

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Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Reply #906 on: August 18, 2015, 07:32 PM »

Arizona Hot

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Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Reply #907 on: August 20, 2015, 11:23 PM »

Arizona Hot

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Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Reply #908 on: August 21, 2015, 02:59 AM »


tomos

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Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Reply #910 on: August 21, 2015, 04:53 AM »

Jolla now taking tablet pre-orders

5 reasons why Sailfish OS 2.0 should worry Apple, Google and Microsoft

this sounds great :Thmbsup:
now a new phone from them - or simply with that OS, would be a good option - a nice move away from all this lack of security and privacy.
Tom

Arizona Hot

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Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Reply #911 on: August 21, 2015, 12:46 PM »
now a new phone from them - or simply with that OS, would be a good option - a nice move away from all this lack of security and privacy.

Because it's open-source, malware producers don't have to empirically hack it. They can study the source code instead.

Arizona Hot

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Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Reply #912 on: August 21, 2015, 12:51 PM »
« Last Edit: August 21, 2015, 02:26 PM by Arizona Hot »

bit

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Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Reply #913 on: August 21, 2015, 03:22 PM »
Latest forecast suggests 'Godzilla El Niño' may be coming to California ...and everywhere downwind...IMHO basically the entire US.

One winter the owner of a beach front South Mission Bay house had a plus tide and storm surf sending waves into his living room through his big ocean front picture window.
Sooo, the next summer he had a nice big solid concrete block wall put up across the front yard.
The following winter, the storm waves hurled concrete blocks through his living room picture window.  ;D
'It's not nice to fool Mother Nature'.
« Last Edit: August 21, 2015, 03:36 PM by bit »

tomos

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Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Reply #914 on: August 21, 2015, 03:52 PM »
now a new phone from them - or simply with that OS, would be a good option - a nice move away from all this lack of security and privacy.

Because it's open-source, malware producers don't have to empirically hack it. They can study the source code instead.

got me looking at Android, about which I know very little.
In the middle of reading this - it's almost two years old - not sure how much things have changed since then:
Google’s iron grip on Android: Controlling open source by any means necessary (arstechnica.com)

From page 4 of above:
We previously explored Play Service's update implications, but it is a huge weapon in the fight against Android forks. Play Services is a closed source app owned by Google and licensed as part of the Google Apps package. Any feature you see move from "normal" Android to Google Play Services is also moving from open source to closed source. This app pulls off the neat trick of not only enticing users with exclusive, closed source features, but locking in third-party developers with Google's proprietary APIs as well.

Taking the Android app ecosystem from Google seems easy: just get your own app store up and running, convince developers to upload their apps to it, and you're on your way. But the Google APIs that ship with Play Services are out to stop this by convincing developers to weave dependence on Google into their apps. Google's strategy with Google Play Services is to turn the "Android App Ecosystem" into the "Google Play Ecosystem" by making a developer's life as easy as possible on a Google-approved device—and as difficult as possible on a non-Google-approved device.

If you use any Google APIs and try to run your app on a Kindle, or any other non-Google version of AOSP: surprise! Your app is broken. Google's Android is a very high percentage of the Android market, and developers only really care about making their app easily, making it work well, and reaching a wide audience. Google APIs accomplish all that, with the side effect that your app is now dependent on the device having a Google Apps license.
Tom

Arizona Hot

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Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Reply #915 on: August 22, 2015, 07:43 PM »
« Last Edit: August 22, 2015, 07:49 PM by Arizona Hot »

Arizona Hot

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Stoic Joker

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Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Reply #917 on: August 25, 2015, 02:43 PM »

Arizona Hot

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Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Reply #918 on: August 26, 2015, 07:43 PM »
   

Harry Potter - Ron's Vagina.jpgInteresting "stuff"    Harry Potter:  Ron's Vagina

Inspired by the artist's sister.
« Last Edit: August 26, 2015, 07:49 PM by Arizona Hot »

bit

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Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Reply #919 on: August 26, 2015, 10:33 PM »
(see attachment in previous post)    (see attachment in previous post)    (see attachment in previous post)
Amazon.com  Good Quality Windows 7 Ultimate Operating System Desktop Computer with 4g Ram, 128g Ssd Support Linux Mini Computer Dual Display Office Computer
 (see attachment in previous post)
Anyone here interested in a mini-PC?
Just what I daydream about sometimes, a compact all-in-one affordable mini-pc.  :-*
But I have no way to compare what I'm looking at.
Amazon price tag = $221 USD (w/4GB ram; upgradable to 8GB)
I see it's a Celeron quad-core (quote: Intel Celeron Processor J1900(Quad-Core 2M Cache,2 GHz, up to 2.41 GHz)), instead of a Pentium (i.e. I've always heard Pentium-based CPUs were supposed to be better).

Two questions:
1) Could I do better with a tower for the same price?
2) How does this compare to my present machine?
My specs: mid-tower, ASUS A8N-SLI Premium mobo, AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4400+, 4.0GB ram (3 usable w/Win7 Pro 32bit), NVidia GeForce GTS 450.

I am totally not sure if I could plug my WD (Western Digital) platter-type SATA HD into the mini-pc either as primary or secondary HD.
If one were to graph this product as a general class (i.e. a 'palmtop' [as opposed to a 'laptop']), one would presume a steady rise in performance & capacity of newer or competing models over time, with a gradual broadening of price range vs. ever hotter specs.
Already I can see that its 7 watts power consumption would represent a considerable energy savings over my mid-tower's 600 watt PSU.

edit: Amazon product page quote - "128g Ssd Support"
Does that mean it does or does not have onboard HD?
Does it mean it is limited to no more than 128GB external add-on HD capacity?
Does it mean it only accepts SSD HDs and not EIDE or SATA external add-on HDs?

also quote - "4G RAM,128G SSD.mall Computer"
What is a 'SSD.mall'?

Found more models here.
« Last Edit: August 27, 2015, 05:39 PM by bit »

bit

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Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Reply #920 on: August 26, 2015, 11:25 PM »
Fanless Mini PC HTPC Intel Pentium J2850 Quad Core 2.41GHz Micro PC Barebone - ebay $150 USD w/$50 s&h
My comment: It's a Pentium, quad-core, 2.41GHz.
One (empty) ram slot (probably doubles the total cost including a separately purchased 4GB ram stick).
Spec sheet beneath picture gives more details:
-supports Win 7 & 8, up to 256GB SSD HD, & etc.
I wonder if this means it will not accept my external 200GB EIDE HD, or 500GB & 750GB SATA HDs?

edit: 'Compatible with Win 7 & 8' implies 'incompatible w/Win 10 & etc'.
« Last Edit: August 27, 2015, 01:10 AM by bit »

Arizona Hot

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Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Reply #921 on: August 27, 2015, 08:50 PM »

Arizona Hot

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Shades

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Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Reply #923 on: August 28, 2015, 08:59 AM »
Fanless Mini PC HTPC Intel Pentium J2850 Quad Core 2.41GHz Micro PC Barebone - ebay $150 USD w/$50 s&h
My comment: It's a Pentium, quad-core, 2.41GHz.
One (empty) ram slot (probably doubles the total cost including a separately purchased 4GB ram stick).
Spec sheet beneath picture gives more details:
-supports Win 7 & 8, up to 256GB SSD HD, & etc.
I wonder if this means it will not accept my external 200GB EIDE HD, or 500GB & 750GB SATA HDs?

edit: 'Compatible with Win 7 & 8' implies 'incompatible w/Win 10 & etc'.

Even though it is a "small" PC, put in as much RAM as you can afford (8GByte or 16GByte) as that will extend its useful product life significantly. The problem is that your EIDE hard disk cannot be connected to this main board at all. Actually, EIDE isn't supported on any new mother boards for several years now.

Your SATA hard disks could be connected and would work if these didn't have too much storage capacity for the onboard SATA controller. Also, it is highly likely your SATA hard disks are 3,5" models. This model requires a lot more power to operate than the 2.5" model. In other words, your hard disks are too big in size (both physically and in capacity) and too power consuming. The power supply that comes with this device isn't able to cope with those power requirements.

Low power devices always sacrifice (a lot of) capability to get those low power numbers.

You should buy the biggest SSD hard disk this board supports, again to extend the product's life.

If you do all of this, you will be very pleasantly surprised about this device for a long time to come. However, it won't be cheap to buy. It will be quite cheap to run.

Or buy a cheap PC case with power supply, transfer your old main board into this case, including your EIDE hard disk. Sell it / donate it / use it as a NAS server (you should get decent power supply if you do this).

Add new main board with new processor and DDR3/DDR4 RAM to your old PC case. A decent Asus main board with decent Intel i5 processor and 8GByte of DDR3 RAM will set you back around 300 USD here in Paraguay. And in the U.S. hardware is cheaper anyway. You can still use your SATA hard disks on this new main board, the onboard SATA controller can slow down to SATA 1 speeds if your SATA hard disks are SATA 1 models (which is very likely in an old PC as yours is).
 
If you can do the labor and hunting for deals on computer parts yourself, building is usually the cheapest option to buy, but not necessarily cheapest to run. And if not, you'll pay for the labor someone else did in getting parts and assembling them for you.

While I do understand why someone buys an off-the-shelf PC for home use, you won't see me do that. I (still) like to build my own machines from scratch. Mainly because I don't want to be stuck with a sub-par PC that someone else deemed good enough. And that is even more true for laptops, if you talk about sub-par computing (but that is a rant for another day).


bit

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Re: Interesting "stuff"
« Reply #924 on: August 28, 2015, 04:27 PM »
^Shades, tnx 1000x.  :Thmbsup:
Altho I don't have the money to do it now, I could not pass up the opportunity to do a little data gathering for future reference.
Specs say 8GB ram max; Win 7 & 8.1 (it does not actually say Win 10).
It looks like it is so simple & unified that there is very little that could ever go wrong.
Or if it ever went DOA, it is like a cheap modular replaceable unit, just buy another.
Overall cost would include price of 256GB SSD, 8 or 16 GB ram stick, a separate SSD HD cloning device, and so on.

I would hope to see the price on this model go down with demand for newer Win 10 compatible models.
Then again, a pricier newer model may in time come out with 6-core or 8-core CPU.
Also, I need a minimum of 200GB HD, plus a duplicate HD for backups (preferably 2 or 3 backup HDs).
A 'mini-pc' has the advantage that you get to use your own monitor & keyboard, unlike a laptop.
I understand better now why it cannot support a bigger or older HD & other details. Tnx again.  :up:
« Last Edit: September 01, 2015, 03:48 AM by bit »