NEW PC ON IT'S WAY!!! YEAAAAAAH!!!!!

All is good in the stress department! Got me a new PC!! WAAHOOOO!!! Got a kick ass deal on it too.

I just want to thank EVERYONE for their help in the last 2 topics I started here. Got some great info! It would have taken me months of web surfing with this pathetically slow paperweight I'm stuck with for the next several days to get that amount -- RIGHT HERE.... IN THE COAAAAL FORUM! ( in radio-salesman voice )

I looked at everything that was suggested, & eventually shopped at the links tboonie posted. Here she is: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4468082&csid=ITD&body=MAIN


I can't believe this thing has 400% more hard drive, 150% more memory, 3 more processors & cost $525 LESS THAN I PAID for this one I have now in 2004!! Technology is great ... until it breaks..... but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it....

Now I'm going to surf some real nasty porn to see how many viruses I can infect this junkpile with to finish it off! Maybe I'll donate it to the needy in CHINA!

Tech is great.
Every 18 months or so you can buy twice as much for the same $500.
It is a bit of a bastardization of Moore’s law but it works.
Another way to look at it is similar to the dog year conversion
But it is 1 computer year equals 21 human years...
So a 5 year old computer is like a 105 year old human!

Just like motorcycles: just when you think they can't squeeze any more power out of a particular engine, or shave another 2 lbs. off a chassis, BAM! there it is on the showroom for ' 09. I can remember when Kawasaki unleashed the ZX-11 back around 1990-1991. None of us could imagine the feeling of 120 HP at the rear wheel........ now the 600cc bikes are running not to far below those #'s!

My 1984 KZ700 had something like 64 HP @ the rear wheel & weighed about 515 lbs. dry. My 1994 CBR600F2 Weighed just over 450lbs. full of gas & dynoed @ 86 HP at the rear wheel! They;re still getting lighter & faster every year!

HA! I own a 105 yr old paperweight!

Congrats! Let us know when it's up and running. FIVE gig of RAM? Wowza!

SMITTY wrote:RIGHT HERE.... IN THE COAAAAL FORUM! ( in radio-salesman voice )

I can hear that loud and clear! lol

I can't believe this thing has 400% more hard drive, 150% more memory, 3 more processors & cost $525 LESS THAN I PAID for this one I have now in 2004!!

...and a 64bit O.S.! You can add 64GB of memory to that puppy, but don't forget your 32bit apps can still only use about 3GB.

SWEET DEAL!

Just make sure to image that drive on a regular basis along with daily data backups.
That program will lessen any viral impact.

Build an external drive with Windows formatting, a good drive imaging program
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/image-for-windows.htm
along with a data backup program.
http://www.2brightsparks.com/freeware/freeware-hub.html
CYA

Thanks Capecoaler! Great info! I'll be buying that for sure this time....

I guess I just learned the hard way the limitations of Avast's free antivirus software. If I remember correctly, I had contracted this virus before & McAfee got rid of it. Maybe their paid service is better??? Not sure if I want to use Avast again. I think the new one comes with Kapersky's.

Freddy wrote:Congrats! Let us know when it's up and running. FIVE gig of RAM? Wowza!

Yeah, it's got ALOT of RAM! From what I hear I'll be needing it for the 64-bit Vista. And everyone will know when it's up & running ........ every post will have me in it!! I'll be posting 6 at a whack!!

(just kidding!)

SMITTY wrote:Thanks Capecoaler! Great info! I'll be buying that for sure this time....

I like the looks of that software too, I think I'll be buying a copy .
Capecoaler, you use this? I'm assuming I can create multi-partitions on the 'backup' drive, and copy images of each of my C: drives to it (from multiple PCs) or do I need a license for each image?

I take Backups now with Thinkvantage Productivity Center (Lenovo PCs). but a true image would be nice.

Terabyte Unlimited creates an image no need to partition the backup drive.
License for each computer but only one external drive needed for multi computer use.
Acronis is nice too; for the Bare Metal Restore.
SyncBack is for backing up files and the ability to restore just one back to a prior date.

I use a bunch of backup and imaging programs, if one will not work in a particular case another usually does!
A veritable tool chest of software

The virus world is constantly changing Avast, AVG or NOD all good.
You need a multi layered approach to protection now.
The human must work properly too.
There is a virus from 'UPS' about a missing package
http://urbanlegends.about.com/b/2008/07/15/ups-virus-warning.htm
http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/ups.asp

As said.... be SURE to image your drive and back up with bootable drive..

I have had trouble with nVidea drivers and Microsoft...The video drivers had been "blown-out" and left me with BLUE SCREEN ERRORS...Then the Vista Backup software DOES NOT LIKE TO WORK WELL....

Could leave you out on a limb.

Otherwise looks like a super machine that should last for years...I think in six years you have to think about replacing the battery in the motherboard...

WOW...who da' thunk it I could post everything I know (?) about computers in one post...

Bob

After reading your post I searched that driver & found posts from 2007 saying it sucked!

Figures ......nothings ever perfect -- there's always 1 thing to foul up the mix of the good....... never fails. Back in '96 that 1 thing was my girlfriend.





As long as I can play an intense, insane-graphics-oriented game .......... like Pong ................ I'll be good to go!

SMITTY wrote:I guess I just learned the hard way the limitations of Avast's free antivirus software. If I remember correctly, I had contracted this virus before & McAfee got rid of it. Maybe their paid service is better??? Not sure if I want to use Avast again. I think the new one comes with Kapersky's.

{monday AM quarterback}
Or mabye McAfee didn't really remove it, and Avast didn't get it because it was already there. Installing new a/v software on an infected machine doesn't always work, sometimes need to pull the drive and clean it before installing new a/v software.
{/monday AM quarterback}

It's not paid vs free but whatever catches the threat - the electronic equivalent of "use the right tool for the right job". For the ones I'm familiar with the paid versions only get you more frequent updates, not better detection.

But I would certainly stick with the "alternative" a/v vendors over big name.

The SANS (SysAdmin, Audit, Network, Security) Institute compiles a free weekly list of the most computer vulnerabilities and distributes them by e-mail. I've subscribed for years and find it's a good way to learn of new computer security risks. A quick scan of the heading titles will tell you if it applies to your computer operating system or application software. You can then download the patch and close the vulnerability. Just about all the virus problems you get are possible because there is a defect in the installed software on your computer. Updates go a long way in keeping you virus free. This list goes beyond what "Windows update" does because in also includes software applications from all vendors not just Microsoft. Give it a try. See http://www.sans.org/newsletters/ Look for "@RISK: The Consensus Security Alert". You will need to create a free account in order to subscribe. Unless you check the no advertising boxes you will get e-mails about paid courses the SANS Institute offers.

Being "pro active" and correcting software bugs early is a far better approach than detecting a computer virus once it is on your computer.

Vista is a B****h to fix unlike XP.
Vista 'snapshots' suck.
Frequent drive images with even more frequent file backup is the only way to 'repair' Vista when it breaks.