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This is really a $300-400 problem? You could do much better with a Foxconn barebones ($130), 4 Gig of DDR3 RAM ($25) and a $30 add-in gigabit card and a hard drive ($50) - all in for about $235.

Of course, this is an atom-based system, but you won't be paying a premium for a discrete graphics feature you won't use.

Agreed, at those prices, it's Patriot Magnum for me.

Except if you're really interested in doing the "Windows To Go" thing, that drive probably won't work. The 120MB/s write and 200MB/s read speeds are more than twice as slow as this IronKey drive, and it will likely present itself as a "removable" drive (most USB sticks do), which means Windows To Go won't even install on it.

Agreed, at those prices, it's Patriot Magnum for me.

Standard 2.5" - it'd fit most laptops and netbooks, but not ultra-slim ones like the Macbook Air. The one I had in mind specifically is the Samsung 840, which supposedly draws 0.071W when active and has read/write speeds of 540MB/s and 250MB/s, respectively (manufacturer's claims - probably does worse in real-world). I couldn't tell you how much of that 2.5" is casing / padding or whether it'd be possible to arrange the internal chips in an iPad-friendly fashion, but I suspect a strongly motivated corporation could fit something comparable into the iPad form factor for an awful lot less than $300 per device (and still make a sizeable profit).

All that said, Apple's not going to have much trouble finding buyers for this iPad, even at this price.

And the rest of my points?

You still have two separate items to carry (the Surface Pro's keyboard is also its case, and it attaches to, and becomes one with, the device, remember). You still lack a full desktop OS. You still lose functionality with an iPad that you don't have to give up with Surface Pro. Oh, and I forgot to mention, pressure-sensitive digitizer -- worth the $900 just for that, especially since I've been eyeballing this one for some time now.

Citation Provided:
 
  Geek On

E-ink is only black white or grey. So there is very little need for large sized versions. As most things that big you want color for.

a 30" eink display could be built though. make it from panels of smaller units like they do jumbo tron's.

You are completely incorrect. Prototype color eInk screens have been around for years, and they are now commercially available. Of course, they are not used in a Kindle or Nook, so perhaps you are not familar with them. Google "color e-ink" or just look at this ECTACO jetBook Color with color E Ink screen for an example.

The trick with color e-ink is that, just like black and white e-ink, the screen looks more like newsprint rather than a bright plasma or LCD. If a billboard or advertisement used color e-ink, it would require some kind of bright lighting to make the screen look vibrant. Once you add a bright LED lamp to illuminate your e-ink board, will it save much energy vs. an LCD tv?

The subsidized handset business model is popular with typical US customers because customers do not realize that they are actually paying full price for their handset through what is essentially an installment plan.

The high retail prices of cell phones are fiction. An iPhone for $999???: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16875100060 Granted, this is Apple. But there have always been shitty phones with "retail prices" of $500-$800.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833316187

Has GBIC slot for Fiber. Still need SFP GBIC and fiber ... but that is in the realm of "consumer grade" IMHO. I'd buy one if I had fiber to the house and needed it for connection.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833156017/ It's 100mbit only but gigabit and beyond are out there and not difficult to find.

Fiber is futureproof.
Cat 7 is a little better than Cat 5 for new cabling.
$20 buys 100 feet.
It will do 100 Gigabit.

There are at least 256GB ones available here. Not exactly cheap, but we only need 4x the density to hit 1TB. Might be more like 2 years.

You dropped $2200*-$4200** on CPUs, but only put 64G ($500) of RAM in the machine? Cheapskate.

Or $600 : cheapest Opteron 8 core..

Don't forget this for 300 dollars less: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834131384

CES: Can a Gyroscope Ball Really Cure Wrist Pain?

First off, let me say that I have no formal training or any sort of degree in anything even remotely related to this. I'm not medically qualified to give you professional advice on this sort of stuff. But from using using these things, I would wager that very few kinds pain will actually be cured from this. I don't know how carpal tunnel syndrome responds to this but I thought that was a condition of the nerves and I fail to see how this could help that (I'm totally sold on muscles though and, through that, maybe extremity blood flow). I would be wary of someone selling this to me heralding it as a panacea for all things past your elbow.

Have you used a gyroscope exercise ball?

Yes.

If so, did it help cure a wrist problem or help strengthen your hands and fingers? And which of these brands (if any) did you try?

I had no wrist problems to begin with but a roommate at the time called them "climber balls" and said climbers use them. So, being a software developer with terrible posture by trade and enjoying video games, bass guitar playing, piano playing, more programming, book writing, etc on the side, I felt it was in my interest to try as best as possible to preserve my wrists. So I asked for one for Christmas and received the orange PowerBall pictured here with digital back. I used it for a while and tried to do 10 minutes a day with it, alternating hands as the digital readout would let me see how fast I could get it (I think I got it up regularly to 9,000 RPM and 13,000 RPM once while incredibly intoxicated). Basically I'd burn up right off the bat with each arm and then try to get into a sustaining groove. Definitely more exerting than it looks. I would also alternate between grips. The two most comfortable ones seemed to be palming it from the back and wrapping my thumb and index finger around the grip while supporting with the other fingers. And I noticed a serious burn (a good, like exercise burn) at first in my hand and forearm but then only in my forearm. From my experience, I suspect that once your hand's grip hits a certain point it's good to go whereas the muscles pumping energy into the gyroscope are actually located in the wrist/forearm. So I believe it was working. I was, however, also doing exercises like wrist curls, inverse wrist curls, wrist extensions with a 45 lb. bar at the gym from time to time. And I was also doing other exercises that probably inadvertently helped strengthen these same areas.

So anyway, one day my friend stayed over and brought his dog. He slept on the couch, his dog whimpered in his kennel so he took him out and fell asleep with him. Dog got a hold of the PowerBall and that was that. Recently these NSDs went on sale for $25 for Black Friday (as shown here) and so I purchased two with the intent of having one at my desk in cubeland and one at home. While I'm happily using one, I left the other packaged and might gift it up because no matter how nice these balls are, they do make a good deal of noise (and the ones with revolution powered LEDs look dance-rave in the dark). The digital options on the NSDs aren't as nice or intuitive as the PowerBall LCD functions but I haven't given that a lot of time so that could just be RTFA ignorance on my part. I just use them as a straight up exercise device now with no intent of breaking records on youtube so I've stopped fussing with the electronics part of them. These NSDs are so far seemingly higher construction than the PowerBalls and are much easier to start but also seem more expensive. I suppose I would have to use this for a year before I start reporting on wear and tear. Watch for a sale on an NSD, when you

A closed room plus a faraday cage is not sufficient. How are you going to power the lights in the room? How about the video cameras? A well-placed bribe would allow me to use the power lines that come into the room to hard wire a network through the faraday cage and then put up a wifi access point. Or even an LED up in a corner somewhere that uses a blink code to signal the correct moves. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124448

The WRT54GL is available on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Linksys-WRT54GL-Wireless-G-Broadband-Router/dp/B000BTL0OA and on Newegg http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124190.

There was never a problem with netbooks other than that manufacturers faced very low profits after MS forced them to put Windows on them, which didn't run well on the weak hardware.

With a lean distro an Atom has sufficient power to run all your typical applications like email, browsing, word processing and spreadsheets that aren't humongous. The only problem is with video, which isn't accelerated due to the proprietary PowerVR drivers.

Those systems are still very viable - they're just called Chromebooks today and are more powerful than ever at the $200 price point. See e.g. this one with a Sandy Bridge Celeron: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834215914

This is probably the best case I've ever purchased:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129093

Too bad it's discontinued :(

I can't see the video (why slashdot has to use its own not working for me, flash player instead of youtube, who knows) and from the other posters, it sounds like its just flashy. However there is much to be said for putting down a few hundred for a good case.

About 7 years ago I purchased an thermaltake armor fulltower case ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133021 ) to replace my then aging and not enough drive bay 90s era full tower. This was probably the best decision with regards to purchasing personal equipment that I have ever made. Although the link doesnt say, I remember it costing about $180 before taxes.

This case has survived several builds. There is so much room inside I have never again had an issue with space or heat. With 13 drive bays, like 5 or 6 fan spots, a well engineered case will last you 10+ years.

At the time, I was thinking, I can't believe i just payed $200 for a bit of steel and some fans. Luckily I made the right decision and I have thanked myself every single time I go to work on the machine. No more drilling and tapping holes, trying to squeeze drives in. No heat problems, as all the drives sit in their own 5 1/4 slots with large fans blowing over all of them.

A proper case is a kind of bliss everyone should know. The case can often be an overlooked part of a system build, when really it can be argued that it is the most important component in the system.

TLDR: I cant actually see this inwin case, so I cant say if the expense is justified in this particular instance, but it certainly can be.

Transparent looks cool for a couple weeks untill the fuzz starts getting in everything. Then you find out what "detailing" the inside of a computer really means. It's not long before you just want a basic nice looking case back.

Newegg has this listed.

So, yeah.

I can't find cables with the new micro-B connector on monoprice.

Since the device should come with a cable with the micro-B, you can just use an extension with the original cable.

You can also get decent prices at Newegg for full replacement cables. Remember to change the sort to "Lowest Price".

here you go a nice affordable replacement for your aging card. yeah yeah no need to thank me for the hot find. it's a real steal!

Personally I wouldn't use the one built into a laptop, they ALL suck ass when it comes to bandwidth. I use a little USB dual antenna unit for my customers, works great on desktops and laptops and gets better throughput than the frankly weak units they build into laptops. You have to remember laptops are all about cutting costs and one easy way to cut costs is to have weaker antennas and Wifi chips. Here is the unit I use and sell and I can tell you that unless an area is heavily congested i can usually get pretty close to the max their Internet can handle through one of these, and its small enough you can just slap it in a bookbag no problem.

> I'd love something the size of my Acer ZG5 that had a quad i7 and 8GB of ram

That's not a netbook, it's an ultrabook and it's expensive as hell:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834127833
Yeah, it's 11.6" and not 8.9" but seeing as it's the same weight I don't really see that as a major issue. (I, in fact, consider it a big win since I've always thought the 9" keyboards were basically unusable.)

> Underpowered Atom based machines with 2GB ram at nearly the price of a dual core equiped laptop.

That is the essence of a netbook: An ultra low end computer that ran a browser, an email client and maybe a text editor. They were supposed to be cheap, but pretty much started at $200 and rose to $300 when Windows butted in. A decent laptop would run about $400, and they never really made sense for (or were intended for) anything but a sort of secondary travel-ish computer.
(BTW, seeing as the Eee PC started with Linux and kept a Linux version through most of it's revisions, I don't really know why you say Microsoft defined the netbook design...)

> Who wants that? No one and I can't believe they could not figure that out.

Uh, yeah, they figured it out and that's why they aren't making them.

But people _did_ want them. Not because they were good, but because they were cheap and somewhat because they were small. People saw them as proper laptops that were cheaper because they were smaller and not because they were just altogether cheaper. They would buy one thinking they saved $100, only to realize that they wasted $300 because it was to slow to actually do what they wanted.

I don't believe it was intentional... I think they were introduced as trying to be the cheapest possible computer; about half the price of a normal one. Partly for travel, partly for people who didn't do much, partly for just having a computer you can use look up that actor in the TV show you're watching, and it didn't have to be your 'main computer'.

But it turned out to be a stunning bait and switch: If you put Windows on it, you could charge $300. People would buy it thinking they were getting a new laptop. Then they'd be back in the store spending $500 six months later when they found out they needed a real machine. I think that's why they really 'took off' and were pushed so hard. They were just printing money by dramatically shortening an upgrade cycle that had stalled because proper computers had become fast enough.

Actually, I think he's right on the relative pricing. A diskless Buffalo Linkstation Duo is about $130 while a diskless Synology DS-213j is about $210. However, that's comparing apples and pomegranates, as the Synology has a much better reputation and more features than the Buffalo (which has inflexible options for power management, and does not even support UPS input).

Actually, I think he's right on the relative pricing. A diskless Buffalo Linkstation Duo is about $130 while a diskless Synology DS-213j is about $210. However, that's comparing apples and pomegranates, as the Synology has a much better reputation and more features than the Buffalo (which has inflexible options for power management, and does not even support UPS input).

I've got a couple of PCs with the Asus P8Z68-V LX running 64-bit CentOS 6.3 and/or Ubuntu 12.04 without any issues at all. Newegg has them for $80 and they support 32GB RAM, SATA 3, USB 3 and have decent onboard graphics (with plenty of slots for beefier cards). I don't see anything in this price range that a) works 100% with Linux and b) has good specs like this MB.

One nice thing - the BIOS is dead easy to upgrade - none of this Windows-only (or DOS-on-a-floppy!) rubbish: there's a built in filestore navigator in the BIOS and it picks up a .ROM file off a USB stick without any problems. And, yes, Asus do BIOS updates even for MBs like these which aren't that new or anywhere near the top of their range.

It should be noted that it's an LGA 1155/Z68 MB, which may or may not work with Ivy Bridge CPUs (I used a "lowly" i7 2600 Sandy Bridge in mine). I'm sure there must be an Asus equivalent to this MB that does.

I've got like 20 Asus cheapo pcs sitting here all running linux. Just go into the BIOS and set the boot device to the first drive instead of uefi or whatever the fuck it defaults to. Seriously bro, the on board nic works fine...here is the model.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883220219

Fuck man...just get away from the keyboard...MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007627+50001157&QksAutoSuggestion=&ShowDeactivatedMark=False&Configurator=&IsNodeId=1&Subcategory=280&description=&hisInDesc=&Ntk=&CFG=&SpeTabStoreType=&AdvancedSearch=1&srchInDesc=

Quite relevant post for me, as I just had a Seagate 1.5T drive (which they sneakily had branded as Samsung) go bad after just 3000 hours - I purchased the drive in May and there are plenty of upset reviewers there complaining about Seagate trashing Samsung's name. I heard clicking, but interestingly SMART returned no errors. Luckily Seagate's SeaTools software detected the error:

Model: ST2000DL004 HD204UI
Firmware Revision: 1AQ10001
SMART - Pass 12/18/2012 10:45:55 AM
Short DST - Started 12/18/2012 10:46:11 AM
Short DST - FAIL 12/18/2012 10:48:14 AM
SeaTools Test Code: 6C9AC2A4

So, I set up the RMA. I think I'll go with a WD as a real replacement - they still have drives with 5 year warranties. Even there, though, on the newegg board are allegations they're either experiencing significant delays in getting a replacement, or the replacements are also bad.

But my real reason for posting was wondering about the integrity of a replacement drive? If I'm getting a "refurbished" drive, can I be guaranteed there's no virus/worm residing on the MBR? Is there a way to completely purge the drive that would clear any virus/worms?

I wiped my drive using HDDErase which worked without a hitch. I believe that would fix any infections, so maybe I'll start doing that before installing replacement drives. Thoughts?

Parent only underpins what I wanted to say: How sad is it that a model sold before the 2003 Cisco buyout is still the go-to model for reliability? Anyone arguing that it isn't, need only look at the top-rated model on newegg. I'm sure it's undergone minor revision changes since then, But I bet the bulk of the hardware and software remains unchanged since 2003.

How does OCZ stack up as far as component quality? This one is about 20% cheaper than SeaSonic.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/OCZ-ZX-Series-850-W-Power-Supply-Review/1204/10

Sounds like it would be fine as long as you don't overload it.

And maybe you can get the Sparkle SCC for even less if they ever release a 1250W version,

How does OCZ stack up as far as component quality? This one is about 20% cheaper than SeaSonic.

How about reliability? I require a PSU that I know is going to

(1.) Not die within a year of running at 50-75% load
(2.) Not take any other components of my computer with it.

Power supply problems are the most annoying to diagnose, because the symptoms usually show up in other components (like apparent RAM corruption, HDD stuttering, etc). I would pay $50 extra for a power supply that is *not* 80-plus if it has stellar reliability, because it means I only have to build my computer exactly once. On that note, the Corsair HX series power supplies have not only stellar reliability, but also pretty much silent. I refuse to buy anything else, and you can usually them 20% off if you watch slickdeals.

Efficiency saves you money, while reliability saves you time *and* money. And time is a limited resource for some of us...

Noise is also a factor. High-efficiency supplies have fans that run more slowly under load, or not at all. If you're building a quiet system, this is a big deal.

Note that the peak efficiency is usually at ~50% load, so be sure to size your power supply appropriately for best results. Newegg has a calculator to help with this.

Yeah, I second that specific option (ASUS PA248Q - unfortunately out of stock). It's also an IPS display and has an adjustable stand that doesn't suck (90-degree rotation and height). On the negative, it's a bit more expensive than similar-sized monitors. But you get what you pay for.

There's also a 20-inch model (ASUS PA246Q) that is 1920x1200.

Man, you are clutching at straws,

How so?

The title itself says that this chip is targeted towards high density servers and you compare this to AMD's desktop CPUs?

You do realise that nested replies are replied to parent posts, not the original story, right?

I claim that Intel do charge a hefty premium for ECC, which is why the comment is relevent. AMD do not as can be witnessed by cheap midrange desktop CPUs supporting ECC. In other words, you can use cheap AMD CPUs for server grade tasks. Because AMD don't charge a premium for ECC and Intel do. Because for Intel, you need to fork out for a low performing Xeon which will be more expensive than an equivalent AMD desktop processor by a long way. And you can use the AMD desktop processors for servers. Because they support ECC, cheaply, unlike Intel ones, which don't. Got it yet?

Even if you put aside the fact that this is supposed to be server RAM, an extra 12 bucks sounds a "hefty premium" to you?

I don't believe you. Why don't you paste a link. Oh look, now you've pasted it go back and read it really carefully. Go on, read it again. But carefully this time. You will see that, surprise, it is NOT intel who you're buying the RAM from, in fact, Intel don't even sell RAM.

You at least expect a certain standard when it comes to snarkiness

As requested, I've upped the level of snarkiness.

I can't make head or tail of what you are trying to say.

For the record, I'm not trying to be snarky *at* you or asking you to be - my comment was about the OP's comment being lame - which it was.

Yes, I agree with what you are saying about AMD, and definitely, AMD offers and has always offered better value for money than Intel. That is indeed their USP and how they compete. And it is a good thing for average customers like you and me.

My point was that this is a dedicated server CPU so ECC is to be expected. In fact, a snarky comment would have been appropriate if Intel had *not* supported ECC.

As far as the price goes, I simply searched Google for 8GB ECC RAM and 8GB RAM, and verified that Newegg price which was the first search result.
If you really don't want to believe, here are the links:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820139262
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231297

And yes, I know Intel doesn't make RAM, and neither did I claim that they did. So your comment above is quite puzzling and I don't understand what I need to re-read *carefully*. It was in response to your previous comment, "It is quite significant that the Atom CPUs support ECC memory, and Intel do make you pay for a lot for it."

I was trying to say that paying an extra 12 bucks for ECC RAM isn't much, so what's your point?

Man, you are clutching at straws,

How so?

The title itself says that this chip is targeted towards high density servers and you compare this to AMD's desktop CPUs?

You do realise that nested replies are replied to parent posts, not the original story, right?

I claim that Intel do charge a hefty premium for ECC, which is why the comment is relevent. AMD do not as can be witnessed by cheap midrange desktop CPUs supporting ECC. In other words, you can use cheap AMD CPUs for server grade tasks. Because AMD don't charge a premium for ECC and Intel do. Because for Intel, you need to fork out for a low performing Xeon which will be more expensive than an equivalent AMD desktop processor by a long way. And you can use the AMD desktop processors for servers. Because they support ECC, cheaply, unlike Intel ones, which don't. Got it yet?

Even if you put aside the fact that this is supposed to be server RAM, an extra 12 bucks sounds a "hefty premium" to you?

I don't believe you. Why don't you paste a link. Oh look, now you've pasted it go back and read it really carefully. Go on, read it again. But carefully this time. You will see that, surprise, it is NOT intel who you're buying the RAM from, in fact, Intel don't even sell RAM.

You at least expect a certain standard when it comes to snarkiness

As requested, I've upped the level of snarkiness.

I can't make head or tail of what you are trying to say.

For the record, I'm not trying to be snarky *at* you or asking you to be - my comment was about the OP's comment being lame - which it was.

Yes, I agree with what you are saying about AMD, and definitely, AMD offers and has always offered better value for money than Intel. That is indeed their USP and how they compete. And it is a good thing for average customers like you and me.

My point was that this is a dedicated server CPU so ECC is to be expected. In fact, a snarky comment would have been appropriate if Intel had *not* supported ECC.

As far as the price goes, I simply searched Google for 8GB ECC RAM and 8GB RAM, and verified that Newegg price which was the first search result.
If you really don't want to believe, here are the links:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820139262
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231297

And yes, I know Intel doesn't make RAM, and neither did I claim that they did. So your comment above is quite puzzling and I don't understand what I need to re-read *carefully*. It was in response to your previous comment, "It is quite significant that the Atom CPUs support ECC memory, and Intel do make you pay for a lot for it."

I was trying to say that paying an extra 12 bucks for ECC RAM isn't much, so what's your point?

Original poster: "Amazing that it supports ECC since Intel seems committed to making you pay through the nose for stuff like that."

This article gives some insight into why Intel is doing this. Basically, ARM has been making noises for some time about getting into the server market. Intel is very concerned about this, because ARM is used to lower margins and willing to license their designs widely, and could easily undercut Intel on price. They see the writing on the wall. Sure, they would like to keep ECC and other server-type goodies as premium features, but that's no longer a realistic option. Either they have to offer something cheaper, or customers who want low-cost, high-reliability server hardware will jump ship as soon as they can. This is the market niche the Atom S1200 is designed to fill. Intel gets to tout its advantage of backwards compatibility while being able to dramatically undercut other server-grade hardware on price. With this, ARM is going to have a much harder time convincing data centers to switch.

By the way, if all you care about is ECC, you don't have to buy an expensive CPU from Intel to get that (though you do need a C-series chipset rather than the consumer-grade stuff). Many of Intel's Ivy Bridge Pentium and Core i3 processors now support ECC, though this has not been widely publicized. For example, this i3-3220 is only $119.99 at Newegg and according to Intel's official site it supports ECC.

That's is just it it isn't trivial to setup. for most it costs tens of thousands of dollars.

Perhaps if you buy from Apple. Let's use a popular site like Newegg (I'm not affiliated, just providing a familiar link) and browse to the NAS section. There are many listings under $1000. Just how much data are you backing up? For large volumes you may want to consider tape.

Take drop box. Show me two apps one server and one client that uses the same client app across multiple platforms that allows for easy, secure syncing to not just one server, but any server I choose?

The functionality found in Rsync will handle this task across multiple platforms. Yes, there are GUIs written for it as well.

Show me an FTP client that works as seemlessly, or as securely as drop box.

Since you're comparing apples to oranges (FTP to Dropbox) look at WinSCP. Connection requirements, your credentials. Do your transactions over SSH instead of involving yet another 3rd party which can be subpoenaed.

The problem is techies don't want to, and can't think of how to make their software easy and safe for non techies to use

Secure systems by their vary nature are not convenient. As far as your claim about techies not wanting to, and can't think of how to make their software easy and safe, who do you think does that exactly? Management? Marketing? Do you consider the engineers who created Dropbox as non techies? If you want secure software, you need to pay for it. To many people "good enough" is sufficient, look at the popularity of the 'made in China' brand of goods as an analog.

Because I run a multi OS house there isn't a decent NAS for me. One that makes things like backup seemless.

You must be referring to client side software, client side software and NAS are two different things. Network Attached Storage by its very nature should be platform agnostic, as its providing access to a file system. There are a number of different solutions, perhaps you've heard of Samba?

I hate to support apple but Time Machine is how backups should have been done 20 years ago. Why wasn't it? why all the hassle?

HD docks exist and external storage has existed for quite some time, and are cheaper than ever. Backups aren't exactly a hassle, they're arguably time consuming. Remote storage has always been expensive, and remains so. If you're that concerned about sensitive information why not make backups locally and then store them at your safe deposit box? Some of the most precious things people lose in house fires aren't files off of their computers, but items like family pictures.

That's is just it it isn't trivial to setup. for most it costs tens of thousands of dollars.

Perhaps if you buy from Apple. Let's use a popular site like Newegg (I'm not affiliated, just providing a familiar link) and browse to the NAS section. There are many listings under $1000. Just how much data are you backing up? For large volumes you may want to consider tape.

Take drop box. Show me two apps one server and one client that uses the same client app across multiple platforms that allows for easy, secure syncing to not just one server, but any server I choose?

The functionality found in Rsync will handle this task across multiple platforms. Yes, there are GUIs written for it as well.

Show me an FTP client that works as seemlessly, or as securely as drop box.

Since you're comparing apples to oranges (FTP to Dropbox) look at WinSCP. Connection requirements, your credentials. Do your transactions over SSH instead of involving yet another 3rd party which can be subpoenaed.

The problem is techies don't want to, and can't think of how to make their software easy and safe for non techies to use

Secure systems by their vary nature are not convenient. As far as your claim about techies not wanting to, and can't think of how to make their software easy and safe, who do you think does that exactly? Management? Marketing? Do you consider the engineers who created Dropbox as non techies? If you want secure software, you need to pay for it. To many people "good enough" is sufficient, look at the popularity of the 'made in China' brand of goods as an analog.

Because I run a multi OS house there isn't a decent NAS for me. One that makes things like backup seemless.

You must be referring to client side software, client side software and NAS are two different things. Network Attached Storage by its very nature should be platform agnostic, as its providing access to a file system. There are a number of different solutions, perhaps you've heard of Samba?

I hate to support apple but Time Machine is how backups should have been done 20 years ago. Why wasn't it? why all the hassle?

HD docks exist and external storage has existed for quite some time, and are cheaper than ever. Backups aren't exactly a hassle, they're arguably time consuming. Remote storage has always been expensive, and remains so. If you're that concerned about sensitive information why not make backups locally and then store them at your safe deposit box? Some of the most precious things people lose in house fires aren't files off of their computers, but items like family pictures.

That's is just it it isn't trivial to setup. for most it costs tens of thousands of dollars.

Perhaps if you buy from Apple. Let's use a popular site like Newegg (I'm not affiliated, just providing a familiar link) and browse to the NAS section. There are many listings under $1000. Just how much data are you backing up? For large volumes you may want to consider tape.

Take drop box. Show me two apps one server and one client that uses the same client app across multiple platforms that allows for easy, secure syncing to not just one server, but any server I choose?

The functionality found in Rsync will handle this task across multiple platforms. Yes, there are GUIs written for it as well.

Show me an FTP client that works as seemlessly, or as securely as drop box.

Since you're comparing apples to oranges (FTP to Dropbox) look at WinSCP. Connection requirements, your credentials. Do your transactions over SSH instead of involving yet another 3rd party which can be subpoenaed.

The problem is techies don't want to, and can't think of how to make their software easy and safe for non techies to use

Secure systems by their vary nature are not convenient. As far as your claim about techies not wanting to, and can't think of how to make their software easy and safe, who do you think does that exactly? Management? Marketing? Do you consider the engineers who created Dropbox as non techies? If you want secure software, you need to pay for it. To many people "good enough" is sufficient, look at the popularity of the 'made in China' brand of goods as an analog.

Because I run a multi OS house there isn't a decent NAS for me. One that makes things like backup seemless.

You must be referring to client side software, client side software and NAS are two different things. Network Attached Storage by its very nature should be platform agnostic, as its providing access to a file system. There are a number of different solutions, perhaps you've heard of Samba?

I hate to support apple but Time Machine is how backups should have been done 20 years ago. Why wasn't it? why all the hassle?

HD docks exist and external storage has existed for quite some time, and are cheaper than ever. Backups aren't exactly a hassle, they're arguably time consuming. Remote storage has always been expensive, and remains so. If you're that concerned about sensitive information why not make backups locally and then store them at your safe deposit box? Some of the most precious things people lose in house fires aren't files off of their computers, but items like family pictures.

1) Buy this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822168002
2) Get a Laptop that has A TPM. Preferably a Panasonic Toughbook or Dell Latitude. Put Drive from #1 in it. (or better yet. Buy the system with a Encrypting hard drive built in.)
3) Encrypt the hard drive. I don't care how, either with bitlocker or Truecrypt.
4) Set your laptop to boot from ONLY the Hard drive in the BIOS
5) Password protect the hard drive at the BIOS level. also password the bios.
6) Backup your system (Preferably, Using A Drive form #1). put backup in a safe deposit box. set a Password on that drive or backup file if you can. Do this monthly like clockwork or a hard drive crash will screw you.
7) If uber paranoid, look into a BIOS Level remote protection system such as computrace or Lojack to remote wipe the PC, but considering who you're dealing with, most likely it will never see the internet again, but its good to thwart casual theves.

are people going to spend close to $1000 upgrading their computers just to be wowed by some extra graphical detail? My two year old machine is still better than the higher recommended specs. I just bought a $600 system for my kids that has better specs than the recommended specs. If I can get a whole system for $600, than it shouldn't cost that much. Let's check Newegg: Intel Core i5-750 - apparently there is no such thing, but the most expensive I5 is $250. or AMD Phenom II X4 805 - apparently there is no such thing, but the most expensive AMD Phenom II X4 is $85. NVIDIA GTX 560 - The most expensive of these is about $250, but they can be had for less than $200. AMD Radeon HD5870 - No longer available, but faster cards are available for less than $100. 4GB Memory? $50, assuming your computer doesn't already have that much RAM. It is not easy to find a computer these days with less than 4 GB.

Acutally 4GB should run you less than $20. http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007611%20600006050%20600006066&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&Order=PRICE&PageSize=20
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007611%20600006050%20600006067&IsNodeId=1&name=4GB

Also, the gt500 series nvidia cards are deprecated, too. The 600's are current generation.

If the i5-750 doesn't exist, you had better notify Intel pronto: http://ark.intel.com/products/42915/Intel-Core-i5-750-Processor-8M-Cache-2_66-GHz

are people going to spend close to $1000 upgrading their computers just to be wowed by some extra graphical detail? My two year old machine is still better than the higher recommended specs. I just bought a $600 system for my kids that has better specs than the recommended specs. If I can get a whole system for $600, than it shouldn't cost that much. Let's check Newegg: Intel Core i5-750 - apparently there is no such thing, but the most expensive I5 is $250. or AMD Phenom II X4 805 - apparently there is no such thing, but the most expensive AMD Phenom II X4 is $85. NVIDIA GTX 560 - The most expensive of these is about $250, but they can be had for less than $200. AMD Radeon HD5870 - No longer available, but faster cards are available for less than $100. 4GB Memory? $50, assuming your computer doesn't already have that much RAM. It is not easy to find a computer these days with less than 4 GB.

Acutally 4GB should run you less than $20. http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007611%20600006050%20600006066&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&Order=PRICE&PageSize=20
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007611%20600006050%20600006067&IsNodeId=1&name=4GB

Also, the gt500 series nvidia cards are deprecated, too. The 600's are current generation.

If the i5-750 doesn't exist, you had better notify Intel pronto: http://ark.intel.com/products/42915/Intel-Core-i5-750-Processor-8M-Cache-2_66-GHz

You must have gotten a GeForce 690.

Plextors are generally regarded as the fastest/most accurate although they really don't make them anymore (they do but they are just rebranded Lite-Ons).

I've had good luck with both Lite-On and LG optical disk writers (there's no savings in getting just a reader, and the writers are generally more forgiving).

I just tested, and my Lite-On Blu-Ray writer took 2:10 to rip a 66 minute CD to WAV, while the LG DVD writer took 2:33 for the same disc. I had to do a re-rip of my 500 disc collection a while back, and these times agree with my memory that by using both drives, I didn't really have time to get up to do anything...I just sat there feeding discs to alternating drives.

Plextors are generally regarded as the fastest/most accurate although they really don't make them anymore (they do but they are just rebranded Lite-Ons).

I've had good luck with both Lite-On and LG optical disk writers (there's no savings in getting just a reader, and the writers are generally more forgiving).

I just tested, and my Lite-On Blu-Ray writer took 2:10 to rip a 66 minute CD to WAV, while the LG DVD writer took 2:33 for the same disc. I had to do a re-rip of my 500 disc collection a while back, and these times agree with my memory that by using both drives, I didn't really have time to get up to do anything...I just sat there feeding discs to alternating drives.