| Author | Message | ||
     Stormfool |
Had the very first Trash 80 with the "bubble" keys.(Remember that flight simulator--probably a Homeland Security issue these days  ) A good friend built the very first 16 bit computer ever available the IMSAI 8080--2 8 bit processors slaved together--had to program it in assembler/his mom used it to help Carter win the primary in Illinois. Used to write interactive text FRP games in Basic/Fortran back in the day (IBM 1090's at Northwestern)--remember those 1/2" tapes? Used to take "phonebooks" of green&white printout home. Never considered myself a geek, though. I will have to add that Alienware makes some totally cool setups. Gateway sucks, I concur with Buellhusker on the Dis-Service Dept. What to get/build depends on what you will use it for. Also concur with Joey on Vid/Sound cards. My Soundblaster kicks butt! Find a geek to build your computer if you aren't up on the latest/compatibility issues. Definitely cheaper/more satisfying custom built! | ||
| Mbsween |
Philly, happy Birthday!  Don't forget that the windoze people have another choice in office software http://www.openoffice.com free and it opens the Microshaft docs, well at least till the next document format change matt | ||
| Stormfool |
Hey, if you're going "alternative" get the $275 kit from sony and turn a PS2 into a state of the art Linux! 80gig HD, Keyboard&Mouse--uses the TV as a monitor and has USB ports for the periphs. That's what I plan to do with the "Christmas Present" I bought my girlfriend | ||
| Joey |
Saro! How much would you charge me to ship that dust collector A3000? I'd swing by on my Blast! and Bungee it to the back of my seat, except that CA is a bit far from DE. I'm not desparate for an old Amiga, but I think they're pretty cool. It's not the OS, although I will say the Amiga OS is still more stable because of the preemptive multitasking that Microsoft has yet to get, as well as lots of other factors. Back on the PC front: USB seems to be taking off pretty well, but FireWire is something you should make sure they include. I don't like Dell because of the integration of their parts and the slightly proprietary architecture. | ||
| Phillyblast |
Matt, Thanks for the Bday Beer. Made sure I stayed at the bar past midnight so everyone had to buy me a round. The 5 AM wakeup was a little rough this morning. I was going to add a line about the cost of Mandrake 9.0 from cheapbytes.com - $6.99, includes openoffice - but I got distracted at work and forgot 'cause I'm hungover. I also always forget Open/StarOffice is crossplatform thanks for reminding me (and everyone else - I've used it and it's really pretty good - big improvement over StarOffice 5.2 and it's free!) I didn't build the last machine, but only because I got a screamin' deal on it - Dual P3 Xeons, Ultra 160, 2 10K drives, AGP Pro card. Disabled the onboard sound, installed a Midiman Delta 66, with Omni I/O patchbox. Way overkill for a consumer box but I use it for my mini-studio at home. Dual processors are pretty much a must for sound work. | ||
| Jim_Witt |
Aaron, I've been using a pretty cool quasi-geek (actually informative) piece of software you might be interested in. Of course you can download the shareware version (restricts some features) and give it a shot before purchasing. It's a diagnostic and system analysis tool (sort'a like crack for hardware freaks). It has 80 modules that scan, probe and report on every conceivable aspect of your system. The registered version is only about 30 bucks. Sandra Software Cheers, -JW:>  | ||
| Blake |
I disagree on the Linux. I've been running Win 2000. It has been virtually bulletproof. With Linux availability of software is limited. I get the feeling that Jerry is like me, He wants a basic off the shelf system for cheap. You can't beat Dell and/or Gateway for that type of system. They are reputable businesses. I have a 7 year old Gateway desktop that is still going strong and a 2-1/2 year old Dell notebook that is doing well too. Both suffered hard drive failure, both were replaced under warranty. I'll probably never buy another desktop system. For a little more you get a nice LCD screen with unbelievable display resolution. My laptop's screen is 15" with 1400x1050 pixels; current offerings support up to 1600x1200 for photo quality display on your screen. The quality truly is astounding. A laptop also saves tons of desk/office space, operates silently, has built in battery backup, so if the power flickers you have no worries, and is easily portable, not to mention the significantly reduced shipping costs. If you simply cannot stand the lack of a number keypad, get yourself a docking station. You can plug a mouse into a laptop if you dislike using a touchpad. The only advantages I personally see in a desktop or tower system are lower price, slightly faster processors, and expandability. For me, the advantages of a laptop/notebook PC far outweigh the higher price, and I have no need for additional capability. Good luck with whatever you decide. A complete desktop system for well under $1,000 is hard to pass on. | ||
| Tripp |
i bought a dell(1.5mhz pent 4 w/ upgraded video and sound for gaming)for my wife for $1100 5 months ago-so far it's a great deal, fully loaded, the reason i went with dell vs gateway was an article i read in consumer reports putting dell in first place and gateway midrange | ||
| Tripp |
for service that is | ||
| Mbsween |
Blake, I gotta believe you ride/do physics way harder than you mess with computers.... wait a minute you run this site don't you I've been running networks for a long time and in my experience windows makes an ok client but a lousy server, which was exactly yer point..... hmmm Well windoze sucks anyways! But seriously, if you're trying to tweak an OS for performance or run the box as a server, Windows is pretty lame. Especially wrt to stability and remote management (ever patch a 2000 server, better yet, backoff a hotfix that hoses the array controller driver?). now Microsoft has added Active Directory, which is the 10,000 lb version of a product thats supposed to be "lightweight". If you stay within the Microsoft window (use only microsft software) then things usually work okay, except your wallet gets thin and then there's no money for Buell upgrades! Windows also has the lovely feature of easy to install, impossible to debug/manage. Linux/Unix is directly opposite, !%^%$%^ hard to learn, easy to maintain. of course this is my opinion, your mileage may vary, semi-responsible driver on a semi-closed course, no gerbils were actually harmed in the course of this post.......... What does BadWeb run on? | ||
| Court |
>>>>What does BadWeb run on? Enthusiam, Passion and Adrenaline! . . . . . and............refried beans! | ||
| Phillyblast |
According to Netcraft: The site www.badweatherbikers.com is running Apache/1.3.23 (Unix) (Red-Hat/Linux) mod_ssl/2.8.7 OpenSSL/0.9.6b DAV/1.0.3 PHP/4.1.2 mod_perl/1.26 on Linux. | ||
| Court |
>>>>>Apache/1.3.23 (Unix) (Red-Hat/Linux) mod_ssl/2.8.7 OpenSSL/0.9.6b DAV/1.0.3 PHP/4.1.2 mod_perl/1.26 on Linux Did you just insult me?  | ||
| Blake |
MBSween, Dude, I thought we were talking about a personal computer for Jerry and his family?  I think that is pretty evident by his opening question, the title of this thread, "Dell or Gateway."  Can you imagine the average Joe at home trying to set up a Linux system and then trying to find software/peripherals to run on it? Kinda like sending a Nallin 88" kit to someone who has never turned a wrench. My Dell Inspiron running Win 2000 is virtually bulletproof. It is however not a server. | ||
| Phillyblast |
Blake, You haven't installed a GNU/Linux Distribution anytime recently, have you? Many, like Mandrake, are trivially easy to install, even if you want to repartition an existing Windows installation to dual boot. Point, Click, read the help file if you don't understand. I haven't used cfdisk in a long time. Hardware compatibility is still somewhat an issue, but my usb Logitech mouse, HP Deskjet, and MidiSport usb keyboard interface work just fine. So does firewire, and IIRC Bluetooth. Palm Pilot syncs just fine too. Certain video cards, like Nvidias, require you download the driver from the manufacturer for optimal performance in 3D (kinda like you have to for Windows, now that I think about it.) Software availability is a matter of semantics to some extent. Is Microsoft Office available? No, not native, but there's a program called WINE that runs a ton of Windows apps, including office, WMP, Quicken,etc. under an emulation layer, and, I'm told, does it pretty seamlessly. Kinda like XP runs "compatibility mode" for DOS and 95/98 apps. Pretty easy to set up, too - installs like a "winstall" app. And for many "isn't available for Linux" applications out there there's an equivalent application - Windows Media Player isn't, but MPlayer is. Amd all of these apps are typically packaged on the installation CDs (Mandrake Power Pack is 7 CDs - that's a ton of software) so you don't have to go out and find them. Games are another story. But that's why I bought a PS2 anyway There are "specialty" apps out there that won't run - I'm guessing Aaron's dyno software, fer instance. If that's the case, then heck run Windows. I may love my sledgehammer to death, but if I'm hanging pictures I'm not gonna use it. I've got something I need to accomplish, so I'm using the best tool. Of course, this topic has diverged from Dell or Gateway, it's kinda like if he had asked "Honda or Yamaha" and we told him to buy a kit bike, and build it himself, because it's better. Topics tend to do that. so my .02 - if the choice is Dell or Gateway, I lean toward Dell. But there are other options to consider, including local resellers and having a geek friend "volunteer" - try bribing with Skittles and Mountain Dew - build you a system. If they're a "GNU Guru" maybe they'll even set it up to dual boot for you, so you can continue to use Windows and boot into GNU/Linux when you want to play/learn. >>Kinda like sending a Nallin 88" kit to someone who has never turned a wrench. great analogy, btw, Blake. Now, if you had a friend that was a good wrench willing to help out, would you want to learn how to Nallinize your bike? btw Dell, HP, and many others, sell workstations pre-installed with GNU/Linux, kinda like taking your bike to Nallin Bros. and having the work done for you, or just buying the High Country Buell XB Court, no insult - I just left out the part about mod_refried_beans and mod_elves | ||
| Sputnik |
You have probably got enough info by now, but here is my 2 cents worth. The products of all big name supplies will give you good performance, if you are happy with the support received from your current manufacturer, then its worth sticking with them. More important is what is inside your box. At it stands at present the choice for bang for your buck performance is an AMD Athlon XP processor with a minimum of 256MB of DDR ram and Windows XP. ATI graphics cards, Radeon series, while giving less performance that their Nvidia counterparts, are almost as good and generally much cheaper. At present the bottleneck of system performance is the hard drive, until the serial ATA drives, (with appropriate motherboard support), arrive later this year, the alternative is RAID 0, this involves the use of 2 hard drives in parallel, but costs more, (2 x 40GB HDD’s cost substantially more than 1 x 80GB drive), and is a bit more vulnerable as the failure of any single drive as this will cause the loss of all data held on the array. On the subject of motherboards, look for a VIA KT266A chipset, there are KT333A chipsets on the market but until AMD ramps up their front side bus speed to 333, there is/will be little performance to be gained for the extra cost of the board and the DDR2700 ram required. | ||
| Pilk |
ANYTHING but a Dell. Due wholly to thier part in refusing to sell a computer to a gunsmith named Jack Weigand. Dell said something to the effect that they believed Mr. Weigand had to be a terrorist because he builds custom pistols. Then when the horrid PR they were receiving started to pile up they offered him a computer for free. I refuse to patronize that type of company. Pilk ps Mr. Weigand politely refused thier generous offer and purchased from somewhere else. | ||
| Blake |
Philly, Dude, you are passionate about computers, I can see that. I want to power mine up, use it, and never have to think about it. I think that is what Jerry wants. My passion for my bike is a bit less limiting. ![:]](http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/clipart/proud.gif) | ||
| Phillyblast |
>>Dude, you are passionate about computers hehe it was kind of a rant, wasn't it? I'm one of those lucky people that gets to do his hobby for pay. Wasn't taking a swipe at you, btw - just felt the need to restate/correct what are IMHO a couple of widely held mis-perceptions on the current state of Linux usability. >>I want to power mine up, use it, and never have to think about it. Most people do - that's why there are companies like Dell, Gateway, etc. Imagine getting a box of parts, a couple of fold-out pages of instructions, and some CDs in the mail - most of us would end up looking like a hapless sitcom dad on Xmas Eve putting together junior's new bicycle Remember the California Buell "kit bikes"? What if the dealer didn't install the motor as part of the purchase price? So somewhere buried in my long-ass rant was advice to Jerry to check out a local reseller or find a geek friend to do all that for him (I'm rescinding the Dell recommendation since Pilk reminded me about the incident after 9/11/01). I'd recommend a Mac (ducking and running)if not for the price range Jerry quoted - they tend to be more expensive for a given configuration than an Intel/x86 machine. But you get all the power of a Unix box combined with incredible ease of use and get to say OhYesSex when people ask about the Operating System Man I'm gonna get heat for the Mac comment | ||
| Blastin |
Blake pretty much has me pegged. I usually try to buy the biggest, baddest technology for the money I'm willing to spend at that time. Then I will use it till it is time to get updated. I'll keep it functioning along the way, adding things as I want, but when it's time, it's time. I think I may have solved some issues. We went out to a Dinner Theatre with some friends the other night and started talking. I should be able to get just about what I want for the projected $1,000-1,400. I will probably go through Dell for the system, unless after I talk to Bill's(Nevco) conection next week and something looks enticing. I will let everbody know how things shake out, and what we end up with in the end. The old computer will go into my basement for use as a DVD player and a CD player. We've decided to turn the bar in the basement into a Mexican Cantina, so it should still get some good use. I may even play around with a Linux system on the old system. There is a guy at work that is totally into Linux who is willing to help me out. It never hurts to try and learn something new, right. I also wanted to say thanks to everyone for putting in their .02. All together it really adds up and helps me(and others) to make a better informed decision. THANKS. This goes to show how valuable BadWeb really is. Thanks, Jerry | ||
| Phillyblast |
this oughta be cool for the bar - maybe get your Linux Junkie buddy to build it, offer him all the free drinks he wants when it's finished | ||
| Blastin |
I gotta get one of those!!! I just have to add an automated ice crusher for the Margaritta's and Pina Colada'a. | ||
| Blake |
Philly, "I'd recommend a Mac (ducking and running)if not for the price range Jerry quoted - they tend to be more expensive for a given configuration than an Intel/x86 machine. But you get all the power of a Unix box combined with incredible ease of use and get to say OhYesSex when people ask about the Operating System" I know there are plenty of happy Mac users out there, but my wife uses a Mac to run ArchiCad at work and tells me it crashes on average once per day. My mother has a G3 that has been nothing but trouble. I don't think I'll ever, ever, ever puchase a Mac. Windows has leap frogged Mac, at least from where I sit. And what really frid my mind is that mom bought the top of the line G3 system with 21" screen and all, but all it came with was a stinkin tiny little keyboard, a riggin' crappy little round mouse (try to maintain the orientation of a round mouse, what a pain!), and a tiny little terrible sounding poor quality built in speaker. Neither did it come with a diskette drive. Unbelievable. | ||
| Phillyblast |
Blake, The OS for the Mac prior to OSX is pretty antiquated - has it's roots waaay back in 1984 or so and it didn't age well. OSX is based on BSD Unix/NextStep, and in my experience is quite stable. The experiences your wife and Mom have are unfortunately fairly typical of the ones I've heard from users of older Macs. It's a shame it took them so long to put out a "modern" OS. they lost a lot of traction in the marketplace and Windows - XP especially with the McDonalds-kiosk-looking interface - has improved to a point that it's tough to justify the extra money for a Mac even with a cool new OS. And I know what you mean about the mouse - every time I use my parents iMac I freak out - where are the stinkin' buttons? How do I right click?!? And don't even get me started on the "hockey puck" mouse for the G3s. The only thing worse would have been a *wireless* round mouse. Air Hockey anyone? | ||
| Hans |
A gremlin haunted my computer during last half year. Tests and probes and diagnostics nor cleaning up programs did change anything. Virus exorcists did nothing. An “hang up” happened even once during the primary boot sequence. Did even a serious research on all kinds of Linux to get eventually rid of it. All contacts had been cleaned and all fans did their job well. Reinstalling windows and all programs and updates did seem to help but not for long. The power unit got toasted. With the replacement a second hard disk was bought to duplicate the first one to have immediately access to Internet if I would have messed up the software again. Then this threat started me to think. A food chain had a tempting unbeatable offer for a very sophisticated computer which I almost accepted: The big bundle of software would have robbed me from my piracy status: Nah, you have to be though sometimes.:-) The money was already scraped from bank accounts till my son emailed Wednesday that he had done a thorough research and that I still could better stick a computer together with parts I recognised very well: It happened to be exactly the same motherboard and CPU combination as Aaron but with a Radeon 9500 videocard. That was a pointer in the right direction Updating my good old box would be a pretty solution while I could not even give away a nearly good computer with a build in gremlin. But it would be throwing new parts in, what I don`t like at all. However, I bought an optical mouse to start with, as the old one was a remainder of the Logitech wireless keyboard/mouse system after coffee spill. A nice cheap mouse with an nice red belly and a long tail. And what??? It seems to have caught my gremlin. How many programs and windows are open, how fast I scroll: Rock stable again. Long live mouses with a tails. Hans | ||
| Hans |
Follow up after last message: The gremlin survived. Its hiding place had to be destructed and replaced by a new Fujitsu-Siemens computer. The mouse is kept alive. Hans. | ||
| Joey |
Of mice and gremlins: I had a situation with my computer a while back. At some point, I could not get the printer to work about half the time. It eventually quit completely. Then, I would get the occasional memory error. Things just got worse. One day, I could not get past the memory test, so I pulled the whole computer apart, and found mouse turds and pee on my SoundBlaster Live card. I pulled the whole thing apart and cleaned every part. I even washed the sound card in soap and water. After I was sure it was dry, I tried using it again, but still got memory errors. So, now it is part of someone's collection of computer cards he has attached to his wall... | ||
| Budo |
Much to my surprise I bought a pc from Walmart of all places. It is a HP, P4 at 2.4g, 512mg of ram, DVD, CD burner, 80gig hard drive, comes loaded with Windows XP. Cost was $998. | ||
| Jim_Witt |
Hi Steve, I would appreciate it if you'd take about 10 minutes of your time and read all this article in its' entirety. Just an informative article that most should be aware of if you really care about America (my opinion of course). I'm not belittling you whatsoever, simply trying to enlighten you. Cheers, -JW:> | ||
| 99buellx1 |
Just a word of warning to people thinking about (or that have) purchased a computer from Wall-Mart. Most (and I say to check into this) electronics sold through Wall-y-World do NOT come with any factory warranty. And believe me, I seriously doubt that any of the brilliant people at Wall-Mart would be able to offer any tech support. Just beware, that is how they are able to get the prices cheap (that and cheap components) by getting the product from the factory without the factory having to back up their product. I have known people to get something from there and then have a problem and go to them to get help and they tell them to contact the manufacturer for help and then when the manufacturer asks for you're S/N number they see that it came from a cut rate store they pleasently tell you that "products from Wall-Mart do not have any warranty, contact them to see if its covered within their return pollicy". Which the answer is usually no unless the product is basically right out of the box. I'm not saying every product is that way, but I do know that some are! Craig HD/BCC |
