A laptop was an expedient solution at the time. My old machine was on its last legs and we were starting to travel some. I liked the idea of having a portable machine with my own stuff on it. But you're right, a desktop is probably the ideal unit and at some point I will get another one.
I sell PCBCAD software and you would be gobsmacked how often I get asked if it runs under Windows XP.
I have run Win10 since it came out.
SWMBO, We had a bunch of Targus USB docking stations at work that were terrible. Browsers were particularly bad. Screens would just lock up and the only way to fix it was to disconnect the docking station and reconnect it. Seemed to affect some more than others.
One of the workarounds was to disable hardware acceleration in the browsers and any other software that was having issues. Firmware updates of the docking stations helped a bit, but didn't completely fix things.
I Got a HP one that seems to work ok, I suspect that there are some issues with video over USB, that may not have been sorted with earlier hardware.
Tony.
One of the workarounds was to disable hardware acceleration in the browsers and any other software that was having issues. Firmware updates of the docking stations helped a bit, but didn't completely fix things.
I Got a HP one that seems to work ok, I suspect that there are some issues with video over USB, that may not have been sorted with earlier hardware.
Tony.
Well, in the meantime, the cause of slow performance proved to be Internet Explorer, and not the well performing pentium processor. Beautiful, and I blamed it on the hardware.
What? this is not true! You can use Linux without the need of doing anything geeky.
The geeky thing, enters the scene when a Linux user wants to customize beyond what developers advice. For instance, I do not install a bootloader the way bootloaders are intended to be used. Therefore, I override that feature by installing a very minimal version of Debian or Devuan to manage the bootloader. This tiny installation, currently less than 1 GigaByte, almost seldom is booted. It is booted when additional entries are required to be added to include more installed operating systems. I do not use the way supported by the bootloaders's developers but directly edit the bootloader's menu file. This is contrary to what GRUB's (the bootloader's name) developers insist upon. However, in my case of multiple operating systems installed on the same computer, this always worked leaving the OS selection menu intact between upgrades and installations.
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Just to establish my credentials as a Man who's been round the Computer block a few times.
Back in the day, we used to run Windows XP. Hopelessly unreliable. I prefer the lunacy of Ubuntu Linux these days.
But Linux is rubbish at gaming. Here me playing Far Cry. Amongst other activities.
Back in the day, we used to run Windows XP. Hopelessly unreliable. I prefer the lunacy of Ubuntu Linux these days.
But Linux is rubbish at gaming. Here me playing Far Cry. Amongst other activities.
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Linux is absolutely not rubbish at gaming. It is 2020. All you need to do is install Steam and enable the compatibility layer (Proton) and you can install and play the majority of games Steam library. Of course many Steam games have native Linux versons, but Proton opens up most of the ones that don't.
The performance hit is negligible, and in some cases the games perform better in Linux via Proton than they do in Windows.
For more information: Linux gaming is BETTER than windows? - YouTube
The performance hit is negligible, and in some cases the games perform better in Linux via Proton than they do in Windows.
For more information: Linux gaming is BETTER than windows? - YouTube
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I sell software and you would be shocked at how many of my customers still run XP. Even Win 8 is used a lot.
not sure if they are too tight to upgrade or it seems too difficult.
>I sell software and you would be shocked at how many of my customers still run XP. Even Win 8 is used a lot.
>not sure if they are too tight to upgrade or it seems too difficult.
PCs are difficult. My W7 desktop threw a random "I"m going to lock up at some completely arbitrary point - and then not boot again". Took me hours to straighten out, with the prospect of losing the entire system looming, but I fixed it. Had to get the W7 installer on a "UEFI" SSD, for it to see the "UEFI" HDD, as the USB stick based W7 installer wouldnt repair the HDD. Uggg.
I was using a WD "Green label" 2T HDD. After a 5 hour media scan using the WD diag off UBCD, "no error". The machine has a 128GB SSD in it now, which I managed to transfer and then "repair" off the 2T drive, using Apricorn EZ GIG. Had to reinit the UEFI BIOS a few times to get it to boot. Uggg.
And you wonder why for many "it seems too difficult"? It's because is is too difficult for many, many non-computer types. All of it - router configuration, anti-virus, networking knowledge, system management - the whole pile that goes along with getting on line.
I certainly didnt want a big do-over of everything I put on that system to, say, upgrade to W10 when the W7 died suddenly.
>not sure if they are too tight to upgrade or it seems too difficult.
PCs are difficult. My W7 desktop threw a random "I"m going to lock up at some completely arbitrary point - and then not boot again". Took me hours to straighten out, with the prospect of losing the entire system looming, but I fixed it. Had to get the W7 installer on a "UEFI" SSD, for it to see the "UEFI" HDD, as the USB stick based W7 installer wouldnt repair the HDD. Uggg.
I was using a WD "Green label" 2T HDD. After a 5 hour media scan using the WD diag off UBCD, "no error". The machine has a 128GB SSD in it now, which I managed to transfer and then "repair" off the 2T drive, using Apricorn EZ GIG. Had to reinit the UEFI BIOS a few times to get it to boot. Uggg.
And you wonder why for many "it seems too difficult"? It's because is is too difficult for many, many non-computer types. All of it - router configuration, anti-virus, networking knowledge, system management - the whole pile that goes along with getting on line.
I certainly didnt want a big do-over of everything I put on that system to, say, upgrade to W10 when the W7 died suddenly.
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i got caught out in 2006.
i have 2 hard drives for safety.
i decided to upgrade to next version of windows.
no problem went easy.
i was then horrified to find windows had formatted both drives.
i managed to dig out some backup cdroms but i lost a lot of work for good.
since then i unplug 2nd drive if reinstalling windows and keep cdroms and flash drives with data.
even keep one flash drive in the car in case of house fire.
i have 2 hard drives for safety.
i decided to upgrade to next version of windows.
no problem went easy.
i was then horrified to find windows had formatted both drives.
i managed to dig out some backup cdroms but i lost a lot of work for good.
since then i unplug 2nd drive if reinstalling windows and keep cdroms and flash drives with data.
even keep one flash drive in the car in case of house fire.
I used to think that being quite the hardware expert on Computers was worth something. 
Turned out it was worth Zilch. Nada. Sweet FA.
We used to advise people to buy a reliable Power Supply. Here a hopelessly over-engineered Corsair 650W. Intel and NVidia as it goes.
This baby could survive huge Electrical storms causing a 1s blackout on the mans.
But really it's all down to the software. I don't dislike Microsoft. But the Banks trust Unix more.
Turned out it was worth Zilch. Nada. Sweet FA.
We used to advise people to buy a reliable Power Supply. Here a hopelessly over-engineered Corsair 650W. Intel and NVidia as it goes.
This baby could survive huge Electrical storms causing a 1s blackout on the mans.
But really it's all down to the software. I don't dislike Microsoft. But the Banks trust Unix more.
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my last pc rebuild was a coffeelake based system.
have always rebuilt my own pc's so expected it to be easy.
for some reason the vendor sent a huge cooler.
fine, but it had about 30 bits too it.
i couldnt work out how it went together then suddenly realised it was a dual cooler amd and intel. so sorted two piles of bits and managed to build it.
i have always wanted a faster pc but this time the coffeelake pc is perfectly good enough for anything i do.
have always rebuilt my own pc's so expected it to be easy.
for some reason the vendor sent a huge cooler.
fine, but it had about 30 bits too it.
i couldnt work out how it went together then suddenly realised it was a dual cooler amd and intel. so sorted two piles of bits and managed to build it.
i have always wanted a faster pc but this time the coffeelake pc is perfectly good enough for anything i do.
I put together a new pc this year....
Long story short, seems like it's started sprouting rainbows.
The watercooler transition between colours with cpu temperature, 20c green, 40c yellow and 60c red.
Added a picture of the psu...
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Hands down fastest computer I've ever experienced in person. Mainly because I'm using both m.2 slots and not sata, fastest one for OS and the slightly slower one for programs.
32GB ram helps, c16 at 3600mhz, not the best stuff out there, looking at value for money and got some discount.
Long story short, seems like it's started sprouting rainbows.
The watercooler transition between colours with cpu temperature, 20c green, 40c yellow and 60c red.
Added a picture of the psu...
Edit2:
Hands down fastest computer I've ever experienced in person. Mainly because I'm using both m.2 slots and not sata, fastest one for OS and the slightly slower one for programs.
32GB ram helps, c16 at 3600mhz, not the best stuff out there, looking at value for money and got some discount.
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Intel was the cpu in my computers for the last 10-12 years. I decided to give Amd a chance , so this is my last sytem:
Asus motherboard
Amd Ryzen 3700x
32gb ram 3600 c16
Nvidia 2060 super
Seasonic 750W gold psu
HP EX950 1tb ssd
ASUS VG279Q 27" Full HD 1080p IPS 144Hz 1ms
Super Gaming computer for 1920 × 1080
Asus motherboard
Amd Ryzen 3700x
32gb ram 3600 c16
Nvidia 2060 super
Seasonic 750W gold psu
HP EX950 1tb ssd
ASUS VG279Q 27" Full HD 1080p IPS 144Hz 1ms
Super Gaming computer for 1920 × 1080
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I built a machine with a samsung evo 970 M2 drive last year. Holy crap is that drive fast!!
Tony.
Yeah. Biggest improvement since wheybaq.
You keep surprising.
My previous Intel CPU was a Pentium 75, have not bought a single Intel cpu since the 90's.
