Tech Tips and Reviews
got to give props to the person who made this video, and shocking the announcer for Grand Theft Auto commercials hasn’t changed.
Just remember, you aren’t requesting Grand Theft auto v to come to pc, then rockstar games doesn’t know for sure that you want grand theft auto v on pc.
So… get to making it known on their twitter, on their facebook and in the forums.
These are the parts inside of a hard drive.
If you have ever wondered what’s inside the hard drive in your computer.
That’s a 1 tb hard drive taken apart.
Though the world would like to use windows 7 and continue running their computers the way they are used to , and continue being familiar with their desktops and computing atmosphere.
Microsoft will not let that be the option. they will pay all of the cnets and zdnets and mashables and verges to do reviews that say how fantastic some stupid function is.. like siri and it’s ability to misspell on apple products (dif company same tactics) . Bad pr is still pr.
They will make you want that one stupid tiny function so bad, you will settle for the assream the rest of the o/s has.. and it will be so idiotic, like mine sweep will have purple background… or something useless.
Why does Microsoft want to go this route? Why does Microsoft want to go the “apps’ route and touch screen and big puffy buttons?
because the apple and Microsoft court case where Microsoft had to prove they were not ripping off apple, and Microsoft was just a software company.. not a computer company. so the courts forced Microsoft to agree to never make computers.
Now Microsoft is in the telephone and tablet business.
When they bought Nokia, they confirmed it.
because they aren’t computers. They can’t make computers.. but they can make tablets.
as long as they don’t call them computers.
but this is just Microsoft rolling back to the windows 3.01 look. Minus Program manager.
Want to create a custom taskbar for a windows computer?
Right click desktop, select “create new” then select “folder” name that folder anything.
Now create shortcuts to your favorite programs. drop all of those shortcuts into that folder you just made. exit out of the folder.
Grab the folder with your pointer and drag it like you are about to throw it off your desktop. as soon as your mouse hits the edge of the screen, let go.
New task bar.
To go a step further, right click that menu bar and select “always on top” (or similar).
If you want the best use of this, put the new folder you just made, inside the C: drive prior to creating the new toolbar. Or take an existing folder and make it a toolbar. for me, It’s the downloads folder.
Because they can sell Microsoft tablets and phones.
Microsoft was taken to court by Apple/Macintosh years ago for infringement. Microsoft’s saving grace was they said they are only selling software, Windows is an operating system not a computer. So, Microsoft is a software company not a computer company. Notice they didn’t say “Not a hardware company”. A tablet technically isn’t a computer.
So if Microsoft can get you to enjoy their operating system on your pc. Then they have a chance of creating their own “Computer Tablet” and calling it a windows computer.
Now if Microsoft can get rid of the typo issue of touch screen keyboards, and somehow reinventing the scroll wheel function of a mouse on a touch screen monitor, then they have a fighting chance. The main issue is the design software most power users use would be murder on a touch screen without a scroll wheel and a the third button function of a scroll wheel on a mouse.
So if it comes down to the only way to Microsoft is through a tablet, some of us would have to step down and install linux with WINE so we can still use my programs that currently only work with Windows. Autocad, Magix Music, Etc.
I have had my share of Microsoft operating systems, and I am not about to jump into a 2002 looking os like windows 8
So I am going through 5 different Operating systems on the Linux build. Downloaded them fresh today. Of course I did the Torrent download of each (if available) to prevent any issues of dropped service anywhere.
With the testing of each of these operating systems, I will be testing my every day tasks. and this will be in live boot mode if possible. If not then I will have to snap something together to test the full installation.
Part of this test will consist of me just doing every day in commands. Such as logging into facebook and reddit to comment. Taking a screenshot. Using the calculator button (a button that requests the calculator to pop up) on my keyboard. Email button on the keyboard. Web browser button and volume buttons on my keyboard. To see what is going to work the easiest.
Mint 14 64 bit
Mageia 2 64 bit
Kubuntu 12.04 64 bit
Xubuntu 12.10 64 bit
Fedora 17 64 bit
Trying Linux mint for my first time.
This is a test of Mint live
Not too bad
Mint looks a bit bland, almost Windows vista-ish. Square, no Opaque as far as I have seen yet. but start up was simi fast and drivers right out of the disk run me pretty well.
First linux cut that doesn’t make my mouse act weird (scroll wheel too fast or slow or pointer too fast too slow etc)
Images look right as if latest Nvidia drivers are in disk.
Taskbar menu has many of the usual items found in linux . The items you kind of need . VLC player, G.I.M.P., Libre Office (i guess no one uses open office anymore?)
All of my keyboard shortcut buttons worked.
Review scoring of mint
looks: 6/10
function 10/10
drivers: 10/10
speed: 9/10
Over all scoring of Mint: 8.75/10
fedora
This is a test of fedora live
again, right out of the Live dick, nice fast load. Clean load. a big odd on the mouse but nothing terrible. Images look great, no anti-aliasing issues. Task bar at top with the android looking shortcuts at the bottom of the screen, I don’t like that. Too much real estate wasted when you open a browser and see half an inch of screen not being used. again no Opaque, everything is boxy.
Probably not the operating system for me.
Might do wonders for you but fedora is not what I am looking for.
Libre office again on this one.
None of my keyboard shortcut buttons worked.
Review scoring of fedora
looks: 3/10
function 8/10
drivers: 10/10
speed: 9/10
Over all scoring of fedora: 7.5/10
Kubuntu
This is a test of Kubuntu Live
Now this feels like a complete operating system. Everything has a nice sharp look to it. Mouse movement is a bit slower. and scroll wheel is a tad more sluggish, but that’s only after using two other operating systems first. So my opinion may be swerved from the feel of the others. Menu is a bit empty Lybre is there again. yet another operating system not using open office. Why the sudden disinterest in Open Office? but the whole taskbar in it’s self is very nice. Widgets add with ease and look great.
None of my keyboard shortcut buttons worked. never found the calculator so I could tally my review score.. -1 point. So I used my phone.After a complete install of Kubuntu, it’s hard to get wifi drivers if you didn’t do the install while hard wire lan connected to the internet. If you are not connected to the internet when installing, it’s also hard to connect to the internet. Wifi set up has no useful “scan for nearest connection” option at all.
Review scoring of Kubuntu
looks: 10/10
function 8/10
drivers: 10/10
speed: 9/10
Over all scoring of Kubuntu: 9.25/10
Xubuntu
This is a test of Xubuntu live
Xubuntu has a look and feel. Much better than the first two operating systems. and some o the look and feel of Kubuntu. Menu was easy to navigate, found the calculator right away and the screenshot program right away. Browsing the web, some pages hung up for a moment. Mouse is quick, scroll wheel is quick. If I just wanted a live boot it would have to Xubuntu, the boot up was half the time of the other operating systems.
None of my keyboard shortcut buttons worked.
Which is kind of a let down for me. After a complete install of Xubuntu, it’s hard to get wifi drivers if you didn’t do the install while hard wire lan connected to the internet. If you are not connected to the internet when installing, it’s also hard to connect to the internet. Wifi set up has no useful “scan for nearest connection” option at all.
Review scoring of Xubuntu
looks: 7/10
function 8/10
drivers: 10/10
speed: 7/10
Over all scoring of Xubuntu: 8/10
Mageia
This is a test of Mageia live
Web browsing, default fonts, wow, not from the typical/traditional choice.
Never found the calculator. So I am using my phone to tally up the score this one -1 point. Libre office again.
For what it’s worth this is a decent operating system.
I mean I could let my mother use Mageia and not have to worry about showing her much, but same with the rest of the operating systems listed on this page. but it does look better than most here. Some of it is a bit bland. pages freeze up from time to time, and editing in wordpress is a nightmare. Kept placing bold font in places I didn’t even ask for bold font.
Didn’t do that with any of the other operating systems tested.
Review scoring of Mageia
looks: 9/10
function 5/10
drivers: 8/10
speed: 7/10
Over all scoring of Mageia:7.25/10
Of the five operating systems. I find it kind of a toss up between Mint and Kubuntu. Mint seems to have all that I need, but Kubuntu has the nice sharp look I want in an operating system. Let’s see what happens when I throw a hard drive in one of the spare computers laying around and I get to test out Mageia.
*update, found the live disk for Mageia*
Mageia. Seems okay, looks nice. KDE version
bit of a load issue when switching apps . some drivers not found.
Looks like Kubuntu for the win. just a bitch locating anything in the menu.
even over mint. Mint is fast and has excellent drivers, just looks somewhere pre-windwos 95 and that bugs me
So. Mageia, not there yet. but looks great. just don’t do anything or you will see the issues.
Something I do like though.
This day and age, we are seeing lots of companies talk about how everyone is moving to high end mobile devices. Devices they are talking are items like portable tablets, large screen phones and ebook readers.
We are seeing statistics saying that millions of people are now using either an ipad a nook or any of the hundreds of android tablets to do all of the common computing of today.
According to Huffington post The Top selling Tablets are as listed
Apple Inc., maker of the iPad, 17 million shipped worldwide, 69.6 percent share
Samsung Electronics Co., maker of Galaxy line, 2.3 million, 9.2 percent.
Amazon.com Inc., maker of Kindle Fire, 1 million, 4.2 percent
AsusTek Computer Inc., maker of Transformer line, 688,000, 2.8 percent
Barnes & Noble Inc., maker of Nook Tablet, 459,000, 1.9 percent
Meanwhile the top 12 mobile Devices are (according to Tech Spot)
Apple iPad
(3rd gen)
Asus Transformer Prime
Toshiba Excite 10 LE
Amazon Kindle Fire
Samsung Galaxy 10.1
Sony Tablet S
Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9
Apple iPad 2
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1
Asus Transformer
Infinity 700
Asus PadFone
This one may be more correct . I say this due to the traffic I see on my site.
I find it sad that the blackberry Playbook didn’t do so well. It’s a beautifully designed tablet. From plastic outerware, to inner hardware to operating system. The playbook had high potential. but of course Blackberry being the strong hold of quality may have held too high of a price while there are so many other options of Tablets and Hybrid Laptops.
I myself will aim for budget, then aim for processing power. Then design. In that exact order. I can’t see myself shopping for high price and assuming that means the electronic equipment will meet my needs.
Good luck in shopping.
Considering taking some of the custom cases I have made over the past few months up to the local auto body shop and getting them powder coated and getting some bedliner sprayed inside to deaden the fan noises.
then running around the state locating the best deals on good computer parts and building up 5 gaming computers and selling them off to the public.
[poll id=”27″]
I would most likely do side by side comparison computers . AMD processor with Crossfire ATI video cards vs Intel with Nvidia SLI Video cards of equal quality and clocks.
Then of course the mishmash of AMD processor and Nvidia Video card vs Intel with ATI video card.
and maybe one SLI/Crosfire of which ever is the fastest with which ever processor AMD or intel. Nothing under six cores.
Also have a benchmark below each computer and show the process of how I bench-marked them and screen shots and a handful of pictures
The idea would be to build the ULTIMATE GAMING BUDGET COMPUTER, get the best I can get for low price and make the computers look unique and have excellent ventilation with as many additional features as possible and maintain a budget.
Of course their will be assembly fees and shipping fees. possibly a couple competitions to win one of the computers (the ultimate of the ultimates). take the money gained and make one more computer but call it “the budget beast” and see how well it takes off.
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Nerdism induced Consumerism.Consumerism induced Nerdism ?
Yet another reason why I am leaving the tech world. What I call “Nerdism Induced Consumerism”.
Why do we try and be more geeky or if anything show that we can appear geeky and that we can afford the latest trends.
Nerdy Trends? Why is geeky a trend? The more geeky people try and project themselves as, the more expensive the junk gets and well, less geeky. I want my operating system so complicated, you freaks can’t use it. I want my tech so techy, I am constantly learning more. Not complacent with bubbly puffy buttons that do everything, until the next puffier fluffy buttons version gets sold to me. Yet they still have not created a remote control locator that is built into the tv.. but sure enough they give you so few buttons on the tv, you have to have a remote.
Look how technical your tv has become. Most tvs these days run on Linux.. Is that not geeky? Question here is why in the heck is it so dang expensive now ? because it’s hot. Even though a tv these days does not seem half as durable as an old CRT. The image looks a ton better. But not that dang much.
To have a decent tv, you have to have a ton of gadgets. Blue-ray player , satellite or direct tv or cable that is broadcasting in High def. Roku box, Google Tv, Apple Tv. Along with your 27 inch wide screen monitor on your computer, Subscribed to netflix, hulu, and YouTube movies (isn’t that Google TV ????? WTF). Laptop that has a 17 inch monitor but thin as a blade with HD capability, along with your what ever PAD, and cell phone with a 5 inch or greater screen that plays in the latest highest resolution, of course subscribed to all of the same stuff your other gadgets are, and yes some subscriptions make you pay a little more for each device added. Then comes the XM and Hybrid Digital radio with mp3 player and mass storage device in your car, along with on star and GPS that you are subscribed to.
What does it all cost? and why do we pay for it? When did geeky become cool?
All of that stuff, all of the geeky stuff you are buying, the real geeks were building that for themselves. KnoppMyth boxes (DVR), cheap Mp3 players with 2 gig capacities connected to our car stereos by way of multi-disk player input connections. The fun was building that and making it work. Not just driving somewhere to have someone install it for you and then telling your friends that you are on top of tech. That’s not tech. That’s douchebagetry mixed with consumerism. It’s fine if you like things and want things, but to feed you guys, the industries are stealing our works, and making everything simple for the simple minded. Forcing us to become stale (bby way of not having anymore challenges). They are not evolving and trying to do the next major step to motivate more original thought. They are making fluffy buttons for the morons who have no sense of creativity and no understanding of anything great than push a button and say “look what I built”.. Example…. Look at Apple. Now look at the owner of Apple products. Now look back at Apple, Now look at the customers..Do you see it? Pastel 80’s Polo shirt, with white shorts and white tennis shoes, hair spray and a scarf.
I’m done with all of that.
Give me a 70’s muscle car. Take my computer, take my phone, take my tv. I am done. It’s time to sit back and save money and not care who has what and how cool it is that they can draw this in Photoshop, or if they have a mac or windows machine, because I just don’t care. I never really did. I always wanted to do things as cheap as possible and show it’s as good as the most expensive. Took more skill and know how. but now one cares about skill. They just care how much you spent, and well, That’s pointless and not for me. This is a game I can’t play.
Maybe I will make Bonsai Trees or something.