What computer should I buy?

Wow (pardon the whoosh, i.e. repetitive factor). So this is only about HDDs, right? Am I correct in assuming you're all the better off swapping out your HDD for an SSD a.s.a.p? And what kind of black mark does this put on all of Seagate's and Samsung's other drives? (btw, should I lump the two together?) The next logical question is: after the swap, presumably you will retain your HDD for most of your storage requirements. Is this external drive as likely to crash as it would have been internally?

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Originally Posted by wjblaney

Is this external drive as likely to crash as it would have been internally?

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yes - and always remember , a backup means having 2 copies of your precious

it des not matter if it is floppy disk , spinning hard drive , solid state storage or punchcard

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Originally Posted by baldrick

yes - and always remember , a backup means having 2 copies of your precious

it des not matter if it is floppy disk , spinning hard drive , solid state storage or punchcard

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So true.

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Originally Posted by baldrick

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Originally Posted by wjblaney

Is this external drive as likely to crash as it would have been internally?

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yes - and always remember , a backup means having 2 copies of your precious

it des not matter if it is floppy disk , spinning hard drive , solid state storage or punchcard

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After losing a lifetime of photos when two seperate computers crashed I'd recomend also backing up online somewhere or a third copy on a memory stick.

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Originally Posted by Stinky

I'd recomend also backing up online somewhere

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MEGA vs Google Drive vs Dropbox vs SkyDrive vs SugarSync & More

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We increasingly store all types of important data in the cloud rather than on hard disks. Most of us now rely on fast broadband and mobile broadband, so cloud computing is getting stronger by day. This is being facilitated by price wars and continuous upgrading of various cloud storage services. Since we last updated this article, cloud storage devices have evolved and given way to new features, so it’s definitely time to revisit it now.

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Originally Posted by Stinky

After losing a lifetime of photos when two seperate computers crashed I'd recomend also backing up online somewhere or a third copy on a memory stick.

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I used to panic (I have rarely put much attention into backups but as I recently bought a new computer I did manage to back up the old before, guess what? The fookin' power input on the old broke somehow so that I cannot recharge or use the power pack. Hence, it's as good as it ever was but can't be used. And it was one of the most recent Sony Vaios--bought in 2010--which is no longer even owned by Sony. Hey, I might as well ask what to do about it, EH? No, no, no. I take that back: i know where Computer Plaza is. A pretty good shop there built---sort of---my new) when thinking about my lack of backup protection. Now it's weekly on an external HD (duh, I even have the OS image on a CD/DVD). I think I could restore everything I need on a brand new blank drive now. Now is sooner than later as I am aiming for a SSD swap. So, BD (heh, heh, maybe he won't recognize the call out) should I re-aim any details of that target b/c of these fuck-up companies?

I been getting emails from MS saying that if I signed up now (I did) I will get a free update to Windows 10 (currently using win 7) when it's available. Prolly beta, eh? Is that newsworthy? :popworm:

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Originally Posted by wjblaney

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stinky

After losing a lifetime of photos when two seperate computers crashed I'd recomend also backing up online somewhere or a third copy on a memory stick.

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I used to panic (I have rarely put much attention into backups but as I recently bought a new computer I did manage to back up the old before, guess what? The fookin' power input on the old broke somehow so that I cannot recharge or use the power pack. Hence, it's as good as it ever was but can't be used. And it was one of the most recent Sony Vaios--bought in 2010--which is no longer even owned by Sony. Hey, I might as well ask what to do about it, EH? No, no, no. I take that back: i know where Computer Plaza is. A pretty good shop there built---sort of---my new) when thinking about my lack of backup protection. Now it's weekly on an external HD (duh, I even have the OS image on a CD/DVD). I think I could restore everything I need on a brand new blank drive now. Now is sooner than later as I am aiming for a SSD swap. So, BD (heh, heh, maybe he won't recognize the call out) should I re-aim any details of that target b/c of these fuck-up companies?

I been getting emails from MS saying that if I signed up now (I did) I will get a free update to Windows 10 (currently using win 7) when it's available. Prolly beta, eh? Is that newsworthy? :popworm:

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No, it's not an upgrade to a beta but the finished item.

This is probably to lock you in for when they start charging an annual license, i.e. you get the first year free.

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Originally Posted by wjblaney

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stinky

After losing a lifetime of photos when two seperate computers crashed I'd recomend also backing up online somewhere or a third copy on a memory stick.

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I used to panic (I have rarely put much attention into backups but as I recently bought a new computer I did manage to back up the old before, guess what? The fookin' power input on the old broke somehow so that I cannot recharge or use the power pack. Hence, it's as good as it ever was but can't be used. And it was one of the most recent Sony Vaios--bought in 2010--which is no longer even owned by Sony. Hey, I might as well ask what to do about it, EH? No, no, no. I take that back: i know where Computer Plaza is. A pretty good shop there built---sort of---my new) when thinking about my lack of backup protection. Now it's weekly on an external HD (duh, I even have the OS image on a CD/DVD). I think I could restore everything I need on a brand new blank drive now. Now is sooner than later as I am aiming for a SSD swap. So, BD (heh, heh, maybe he won't recognize the call out) should I re-aim any details of that target b/c of these fuck-up companies?

I been getting emails from MS saying that if I signed up now (I did) I will get a free update to Windows 10 (currently using win 7) when it's available. Prolly beta, eh? Is that newsworthy? :popworm:

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What I've started doing is is playing one cloud off of another, at the moment I'm backing up to Mega, if they want to charge me at the end of the year I'll switch to another cloud, I reckon here's enough of them springing up that I'll never have to pay. Yes I really am that tight lol.

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

No, it's not an upgrade to a beta but the finished item.

This is probably to lock you in for when they start charging an annual license, i.e. you get the first year free.

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Who's going to do the beta test? Don't they always let customers go out on the limb before they go live?

^ read the win10 thread in the computer subforum

https://teakdoor.com/computer-news/15...d-offered.html

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Originally Posted by wjblaney

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

No, it's not an upgrade to a beta but the finished item.

This is probably to lock you in for when they start charging an annual license, i.e. you get the first year free.

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Who's going to do the beta test? Don't they always let customers go out on the limb before they go live?

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Download Windows 10 Insider Preview ISO - Microsoft Windows

^ no, thanks. Nobody's taking my media center away.

^ VLC?

https://www.videolan.org/vlc/downloa...ows.en_GB.html

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Originally Posted by wjblaney

^ no, thanks. Nobody's taking my media center away.

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How quaint.

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

How quaint.

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Ha, ha, Harry. Just what's that supposed to mean?

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Originally Posted by wjblaney

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

How quaint.

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Ha, ha, Harry. Just what's that supposed to mean?

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quaint
kwānt
adjective
attractively unusual or old-fashioned.

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

quaint
kwānt
adjective
attractively unusual or old-fashioned.

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Right. Not the definition of 'quaint' but why you used that word in reference to my preference.

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Originally Posted by wjblaney

but why you used that word in reference to my preference

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

old-fashioned.

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Originally Posted by wjblaney

media center

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apart from it being an old edition of an operating system , just why anyone used it is bewildering

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the "Media Center" edition (designed for home theater PCs, with an emphasis on support for DVD playback, TV tuner cards, DVR functionality, and remote controls),

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whatever the fcuk that marketing speak means

upgrade to windows 7 at least

Try Plex

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Try Plex

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Thx for the link but it's been my experience that MS will trump any competition, e.g., Realplayer, Phillips songbird, whether or not the competition is truly better, with the possible exception of browsers. So the ideal solution would be to download a freeware OS first, which I'm just too lazy to bother wit. So why should I expect anything different with a download of Plex? Thus, it'll just be more clutter and as someone on this forum once said: "If it ain't broke, why fix it?".

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Originally Posted by wjblaney

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Try Plex

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Thx for the link but it's been my experience that MS will trump any competition, e.g., Realplayer, Phillips songbird, whether or not the competition is truly better, with the possible exception of browsers. So the ideal solution would be to download a freeware OS first, which I'm just too lazy to bother wit. So why should I expect anything different with a download of Plex? Thus, it'll just be more clutter and as someone on this forum once said: "If it ain't broke, why fix it?".

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If you're comparing Plex with Realplayer, you really don't know what you are talking about.

Carry on wjblaneyosaurus

(Or install it, try it out, and if you don't like it uninstall it).

:)

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

If you're comparing Plex with Realplayer, you really don't know what you are talking about.

Carry on wjblaneyosaurus

(Or install it, try it out, and if you don't like it uninstall it).

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Really? Always willing to admit when I'm wrong. I'll give it a shot.

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Try Plex

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or KODI

Plex vs Kodi - The Ultimate Comparison Guide for Beginners

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Originally Posted by Perota

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Try Plex

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or KODI

Plex vs Kodi - The Ultimate Comparison Guide for Beginners

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Thank you.

With Kodi you have the added advantage of an abundance of free tv and movies.

I don't know if there are enough Kodi users here to justify a dedicated thread but anyway for people interested here is a beginner guide :


http://kodi.wiki/view/Quick_start_guide

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Originally Posted by Perota

I don't know if there are enough Kodi users here to justify a dedicated thread but anyway for people interested here is a beginner guide :


Quick start guide - Kodi

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Or just use TVMC which will build you a reasonable install to play with out of the box.

TVMC for Windows

I really hate to admit I'm wrong.

Samsung Releases 2 TB Models For 850 Pro and 850 EVO

800 USD for a 2TB Sumsung EVO 850 - that is nearly palatable

wonder if that price will drop again after november

Samsung 2TB 850 EVO and EVO PRO SSDs release date arrives

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2015/07/767.jpg
2TB 850 EVO and EVO PRO SSDs (Samsung)

Samsung’s smartphone sales may not be living up to expectations these days, but the company is still a powerhouse for cutting-edge technology. If you want further proof of this, consider that Samsung this week became the first company in the world to offer consumer solid-state drives that come with a whopping 2TB of storage.

Samsung on Monday took the wraps off new 2TB versions of its 850 PRO and 850 EVO SSDs that double the maximum amount of storage available on earlier versions of those products. Even though the new SSDs offer twice the storage of the 1TB models, they have the same physical dimensions and come in a case that’s just 2.5 millimeters thin.

The 850 PRO has 550MBps / 520MBps sequential read/write rates, along with up to 100,000 random I/Os per second (IOPS). The 850 EVO is slightly less powerful, with 540MBps / 520MBps sequential read/write rates and up to 90,000 random IOPS.

As you’d expect with such high-end tech, these SSDs are expensive: The 2TB PRO model will cost $999.99 while the 2TB EVO will cost $799.99. We expect that prices for 2TB SSDs will go down once more competitors enter the market, however. Both SSDs are available right now in 50 different countries.

Just to confuse you even more....

Thinking of adding an SSD for SUPREME speed? Read this ? The Register

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Originally Posted by wjblaney

I really hate to admit I'm wrong.

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I am never wrong so I have no need to admit anything :)

nice lenovo for anyone in the market for a portable laptop - but I am still very happy with my ux303ln asus with the 1080 IPS matt screen

it sounds like the TN panel lets this machine down a little

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The U41-70 makes an impression of a powerful, overall balanced laptop void of bells and whistles. The up-to-date CPU-GPU combination in the spec sheet already points to that. If it were not for some minor drawbacks that will have to be accepted: The screen is at most mediocre in terms of brightness and reproduction quality. Also, the ultrabook's battery life is slightly disappointing. Thus, the user should always check if it is not possible to dim the screen or disable Wi-Fi when on the move.

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Lenovo U41-70 Notebook Review - NotebookCheck.net Reviews

YET ANOTHER REASON NEVER TO BUY A LENOVO COMPUTER:

“The company abused the Windows installer’s anti-theft mechanism, which reads the firmware for executables at install-time, embedding a ton of crappy, insecure shovelware that would be added to your computer every time you reinstalled the OS.”

Lenovo preloaded laptops with reformat-resistant perpetual crapware - Boing Boing

Never heard many good things about Lenovos...

a better link

http://arstechnica.com/information-t...tent-crapware/



and yes lenovo has produced a second fail - not to be trusted again - added to acer and sony

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Originally Posted by baldrick

for $200 USD get yourself a samsung evo 850 and an external 2.5inch USB 3 case

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Still of this opinion?

Buy Samsung 250GB 2.5" SSD 850 Evo Series (MZ-75E250B) - invadeit.co.th

invadeIT - external 2 5inch usb 3 case

Total price for the two is now about $175.

if you can afford it - you will have a faster computer

also before you do any swap you need to look to see if you have your windows key on a sticker or you will have to use a utility to retrieve it from the BIOS

I checked and have the sticker. But it's impossible to tell the Bs from the 8s. I'll have to get a magnifying glass. I take it the key is necessary when reinstalling the OS from the DVD?

Will it really justify the cost if your PC starts up 10 or 20 seconds quicker aNd processes a webpage a second quicker WJ.?

I used to work with a load of people like you. When the bell went and work finished,
they'd all be sprinting like lunatics to get to their cars.

Ask any of them what they're doing when they get home.... "Erm I dunno"

If your brain worked like a super computer, like mine WJ:) then I'd say do it ,get that extra speed.

To be brutally honest WJ, after glossing over your latest input "how to make a thread title Bold";
your grey matter seems more like what they used in a Vic 20. :)

If I were you I'd be asking for advice on how to get the machine you currently have to "whoa the fuck up"