Sunday, April 17, 2005
Leet systems
While attempting to resolve my mom's Inspiron 5100 overheat problem [more on that later, I assure you], I was browsing some Dell forums.
Now a lot of users in computer-related forums like to broadcast to the world how amazing their computers are. Why, they've got more Hertz than the car rental industry; more RAM than an Albertan farmer-with-the-borders-closed. These users are connoisseurs -- they buy only the best, and damn it, they're proud of it. They are also usually somewhat pimply, their hair has become limp under its layers of grease, and their Friday nights are spent preening their ultra-spiffy computer case, awaiting the day when a real life person might wander into their nest (lost, no doubt), the day when they can show you in person how damned COOL their computer is!
Until that day, most of these boys have to settle for putting verbose descriptions of their "rigs" in their signatures. Like the following, which is either a really wet-behind-the-ears-fanboy, or a very clever troll:
"Latitude D800, 1.4GHz Pentium M, 15.4 WXGA
NVIDIA GeForce 4 4200 Go 64MB
640 RAM
40GB Hard Drive 5400 RPM
Windows XP ProSP1
24xCDRW/DVD, NTFS file, 3 yr with complete care
Dell TrueMobile 1300
Dell TrueMobile300 Bluetooth Module, factory installed
16MB USB FLASH STORAGE DEVICE Latitude tied"
Not only does this lad treat us to his hardware specs -- he tells us what revision of Windows he has (Service Pack 1), what his level of warranty is (3 years! "Complete Care" package! -- for an example of what "Complete Care" from Dell means, visit Will Pate's blog) and just how incompetent he is with hardware (Bluetooth Module -- factory installed!)
With a user base like this, it's no wonder Dell can get away with selling shoddy products. Coming soon: Dell tech support, and why it's slightly better than being beaten to death with a rotten banana.
Now a lot of users in computer-related forums like to broadcast to the world how amazing their computers are. Why, they've got more Hertz than the car rental industry; more RAM than an Albertan farmer-with-the-borders-closed. These users are connoisseurs -- they buy only the best, and damn it, they're proud of it. They are also usually somewhat pimply, their hair has become limp under its layers of grease, and their Friday nights are spent preening their ultra-spiffy computer case, awaiting the day when a real life person might wander into their nest (lost, no doubt), the day when they can show you in person how damned COOL their computer is!
Until that day, most of these boys have to settle for putting verbose descriptions of their "rigs" in their signatures. Like the following, which is either a really wet-behind-the-ears-fanboy, or a very clever troll:
"Latitude D800, 1.4GHz Pentium M, 15.4 WXGA
NVIDIA GeForce 4 4200 Go 64MB
640 RAM
40GB Hard Drive 5400 RPM
Windows XP ProSP1
24xCDRW/DVD, NTFS file, 3 yr with complete care
Dell TrueMobile 1300
Dell TrueMobile300 Bluetooth Module, factory installed
16MB USB FLASH STORAGE DEVICE Latitude tied"
Not only does this lad treat us to his hardware specs -- he tells us what revision of Windows he has (Service Pack 1), what his level of warranty is (3 years! "Complete Care" package! -- for an example of what "Complete Care" from Dell means, visit Will Pate's blog) and just how incompetent he is with hardware (Bluetooth Module -- factory installed!)
With a user base like this, it's no wonder Dell can get away with selling shoddy products. Coming soon: Dell tech support, and why it's slightly better than being beaten to death with a rotten banana.
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Decisions, decisions
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
3,834 revolutions per minute.
Computer CPUs get really, really hot. Mine (an Athlon 1800XP) has a threshold of about 100 degrees Celsius before it will burn itself up.
Therefore, really, really big fans are needed to cool these CPUs.
Do not put your finger in the fan while it is operating. It will hurt you. And your friends will make fun of you.
Yeouch.
Therefore, really, really big fans are needed to cool these CPUs.
Do not put your finger in the fan while it is operating. It will hurt you. And your friends will make fun of you.
Yeouch.
