ITT: I rant about computers

djduquet

Flaccid Member
Apr 12, 2008
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So I have this laptop of 4 years that I bought in college. It was great until the monitor died. So I bought an external. Now it barely plays WoW and is just a load of crap.

I got a new desktop. Well it was given to me. Great video card but the thing is just as old and has so many issues that after a month of screwing with it I give up.

Now I'm just pissed because I blew nearly 2.5k on the laptop 4 years ago and now I need a desktop.


Screw trying to build one. I think I'll just get this:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/Sear...line+s3500f&searchSection=All&go.x=13&go.y=10


I know no one cares but I need to vent to someone. :mad:


:(:(:(:(:(
 
I wish I had someone close to me who knew about computers so when I do build one the sodding thing doesn't go to custard if I screw up.

1.) Touch top of metal case to discharge any static electricity.
2.) Open up motherboard bag and CPU box.
3.) Lift latch on square port with a bunch of holes in it.
4.) Stick CPU in slot (if it doesn't just drop in and look level, rotate 90 degrees - or actually match up the missing pin with the missing hole)
5.) Screw motherboard into case.
6.) Connect power supply cables to motherboard (should be at least one, possibly two - they are the ones with more than 4 pins on the power supply cable and they only go one way.
7.) Turn on PC. You should hear 3 beeps. If you don't, you have 3 pieces of hardware to troubleshoot (power supply, motherboard, CPU)
8.) Turn off PC. Install memory (they only go one way) Turn on PC. You should hear one beep. If you hear three beeps, then memory is bad.
9.) Turn off PC. Install Video card. It only goes one way and only fits in one slot (nowadays). Turn on PC. Now you should see your PC POST and come up with the one beep telling you no Operating System found.
10.) Turn off PC, install hard drive and CD-Rom drive. Add 4 pin cables to each device for power. Turn on machine, stick CD in CD-Rom and tell it to boot from CD. There you can format drive and install OS. (Or you can add Sound card, and additional accessories prior to that)

You're done.

Building a machine in 10 easy steps. The blue cables connect to the blue ports, the red cables to the red ports, etc. etc. etc.
 
Personally, if I were buying an OEM computer, I'd buy a Dell (like the Optiplex or Vostro line) over any other brand. But that's just me.

Building a computer really isn't that difficult anymore. Pretty much just push part a into part b, c into b, etc etc. Most of the connectors inside computers now are keyed so they cannot be put backwards. And they are color coded.

good thing about computers now vs. 4yrs ago is the price of them has come down a lot. I would say anywhere from $500 to $800 for a decent desktop and maybe $600 and up for a laptop.
 
Not really, being replaced yes, in my experience they dont 'die' unless youre stupid. My IBM PC (8088 model) still works fine.

Except that new hardware as built in obsolescence. I have hard drives from 1994 that still work just fine after using them has hammers at one point. I can't get an IBM Deathstar to last more than 6 months at work by doing something as simple as using it.
 
Except that new hardware as built in obsolescence. I have hard drives from 1994 that still work just fine after using them has hammers at one point. I can't get an IBM Deathstar to last more than 6 months at work by doing something as simple as using it.

You do realize you're talking about a known faulty drive. In fact so faulty, they sold the entire Hard drive division to another company. (The IBM Deathstars)
 
Except that new hardware as built in obsolescence. I have hard drives from 1994 that still work just fine after using them has hammers at one point. I can't get an IBM Deathstar to last more than 6 months at work by doing something as simple as using it.

Depends on the type of obsolescence you're talking about. As Coqui pointed out IBM HDDs are faulty, not intentional, something on that scale would be criminal. Or at least enough for a suit.

Product lifetime being taken into consideration when designing components is basic economics. There's no point in using the best of the best when you know that something is going to be obsolete in x *time*. There arent -many- high wear components in a computer; PCs especially since most of their systems are incredibly modular. Biggest hardware fault points I cant think of are power supplies, displays (doesnt actually effect computer), and HDDs. Ram is debatable. Any damage to the logic parts would come from heat.

The computer I use is three years old, the monitor is 8 (I <3 CRT), it's still in perfect functioning condition even if dated. Gonna build a new one soon simply because it just cant handle new graphics well but everything else is plenty fast. Point is, computers dont "die" like most machinery where actual use will degrade the parts over time, they get obsolete to the point where it's easier to buy a new one than buy a new operating system.