Since it's obvious that you're totally innocent and have nothing to hide, I'm surprised you left out the quick release hard drives and the high powered electromagnet...
Seriously though, if the cops are looking at you for whatever reason, all sorts of high security measures that make one think of "Nuclear Secrets" and what not will just add suspicion and your computer will still end up as "evidence". I say if you have nothing to hide (except those couple of cached pages from donkeyslammers.com of course, Firefox has an option to clear private data for a reason) leave it open, unencrypted and accessible.
And then when they accuse you and can't find anything, sue the ever loving crap out of them and get it all over CNN.
So you want proprietary drivers and hardware that costs more?
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for dumping "win" anything (by which I mean software emulated hardware, I have nothing against windows, just the licensing), but Dell makes money by selling in volume at low, low prices. "Real" hardware would skew that, and people would point at Linux as the culprit of price increases (when really it's providing quality hardware), and the "community" would cry their eyes out because their precious kernel was "tainted" by code that actually made Linux usable.
I don't mean that as a flame, just years of frustration that jimjoebob's driver version 0.040 still doesn't work quite right, and the oem won't provide an updated driver because they're afraid of it being reverse-engineered.
And while I'm on the version subject, I've been wondering what a distro would look like where every package was at least 1.0 or higher... Even Ubuntu with it's limited (but great) selection, many big pieces are still pre-1.0 versions.
They get commissions? I'd have never guessed by the service I got last time.
It's tax time which means it's refund time, which means it's ridiculous electronics purchase time. My pc is as up to date as I care, the new game systems haven't impressed me yet, which meant it was time for HD. So I started looking around for lcd/plasma in the 37-42 inch range and I found one that fit my needs and got great reviews everywhere I looked. Plus, CUSA was having a screaming deal on it at the time. Or so I thought...
On the web site, the price was listed and it confirmed I could checkout and pick it up at the local store. So I head down, it's Saturday, I figure the ad ends on Sunday, the day the new ads show up in the paper. Apparently I forgot to check my regional settings...
I get to the store, make my way back to the new "Home theater" dept. (In a computer store? Hmmm...) and I spot my quarry on the shelf. One problem. The tag below it is $250 higher than the price online. I flag down the guy that looks like he works in that dept. and ask him which price is right.
"That's the right price, our ad breaks on Saturday in this state"
So after a couple minutes of:
"So I can order online for one price, and pick up here, or pay here at a higher price? Are you serious?" and "Can I use one of your PC's to get online and make the purchase?" (I was kidding, but he still said no.)
I finally ask if there is anything his manager can do. After 5 minutes of me standing there trying to wrap my brain around it, he comes back and says, "He said to just do it"
I might be able to understand goofy marketing practices, but this guy genuinely did not want to help me, no offer of "Let me see what I can do", no "Let me show you this one over here that's on sale now". Even after I got my deal, he didn't try to up sell cables or anything (It didn't help that all they had for HDMI cables were $80 and $120...) Frankly I'm surprised he wheeled it out to my car and helped me load it.
Unfortunately, CUSA is the only place around that has any selection and they are usually cheaper than BB and CC. The local shops are still trying to sell 5200's as "Gaming Video Cards". One place doesn't even have price tags, they make up a price on the spot. Luckily there are two CUSA's in the valley, so hopefully the one closer will get a stock infusion and stay open.
"The whole point of the Wii is not to deliver stunning movie-quality graphics. The point of the Wii is to change the way games are played."
Not really. Nintendo realized that a technological arms race would leave them dead last and bankrupt (they might have to steal from the "Pokemon Trust Fund" for a while).
To me, the wiimote is an interesting add on, much like the specialty controllers for say Guitar Hero and Steel Battalion, but not the "revolutionary input device" it has been billed as. It's a gimmick, plain and simple, and not a very good one at that. The only thing worse would be if one of the other main players suddenly tacked on motion sensitivity at the last minute. Hmmm...
Basically, I saw screw the Wii, the PS3 and I might buy a 360 in a year or three. Until then, there's a grillion reasons to have an original Xbox and a PS2 hooked up to one's TV.
Or use the equivalent, the built in Windows driver that works with my 6600 right out of the box (does aero and at least the 3d screensavers fine out of he box). Or you could download the drivers from here...
I mean what does this: "for false advertising by not providing stable working drivers for Vista." really mean? The drivers I downloaded are "stable" and "working". Of course I'm not one to drop ~$600 for a new piece of frivolous hardware every 6 months, and even if I were, I wouldn't expect the first coming together of new hardware, new OS and new drivers to be perfect. Be grateful there are drivers for anything but 8800's. They could have gone the Creative route and put everything under $70 on the "No development planned" list.
I guess I can see how some might be miffed that the drivers aren't perfect, but a lawsuit? Are you serious? Were you maimed by these drivers? Are you going to need to show us on the doll where nVidia touched you?
You know they will. Well at least this guy will be, and the rest of the "niners" won't be far behind.
Re:Not this crap again
on
Who won?
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
Bush won the election because Kerry was a wishy-washy asshole. It's that simple.
No, Bush won because he wasn't as depressing. He was the fun college roomate that said "it'll work out, now watch me hit this bong." Kerry on the otherhand came in as the old stuffy college dean saying, "there is a serious problem, and we're all going to need to buckle down and work." Kerry lost because everyone was over their initial 9/11 high, and were starting to see the ugly truths in the light. No one wanted to face it so they voted for Bush again.
Personally though, leaving the mess for Bush to clean up? This guy and his administration got us into a huge mess, with no plan, no funding, nothing other than the "We're Right" mentality. And though Kerry was a Giant Douche, I still voted for him. Better than that turd sandwich in a cowboy hat...
I agree with the questions in that someone doing general support should have basic pc knowledge. But time and time again I see general techs who are hired because they know the answers to specific questions, but couldn't troubleshoot their way out of a paper bag. The best interviews I have been a part of and have seen are where very general questions are asked and interviewees are graded by their probing ability, whether they are in front of the machine or on the phone with someone who is. But they need to be tech oriented questions, the whole "I got something from the store" line just doesn't work that well (especially when hiring managers assume that no one can ever answer it right and hire anyone who doesn't burst into tears or a cursing fit during the phone call)
It's not enough to know how to repair a network connection in windows, I want someone who can tell me why they want to repair the connection.
I don't see anyone gushing about the Wii's ability to replace all your Nintendo gear (you just have to buy the games again, thats all...). Seriously, do you really need all those consoles hooked up at once? We all know you don't, but we all know it "would be cooler if you did". It does sound like you have it already planned out, I think your best bet is going to be DIY.
There are several easy ways around your problems...
CD Cases - Buy used CD's (Bonus- your money doesn't go to the RIAA)
DVD Cases - See above. (Bonus - Also see above and replace R with an M)
Clamshells - Buy a pair of scissors.
Seriously though, the only "damage" I've ever inflicted is trying to peel off price tags from blockbuster and such.
The other point about clamshells I haven't seen anyone comment on: Opening them destroys the package, and can make returns difficult at some of the shiftier stores.
Not sure I follow your logic... Right now this notebook I'm using is running Windows, was always meant to run Windows, and Dell offers no option to the contrary and will not support any other configuration. I am pretty sure this qualifies as a "Windows-based pc". Of course you are right; I could run Linux or something else with no problem. Now if I did that, I would refer to it as a "Linux based PC". Would you have preferred they use "Personal Computers based on the x86 architecture with Windows installed" instead? To me and the rest of the general public, there is no difference. To us "Windows based" == "Is running Windows".
We're still doing that whole "preorder" thing? Wasn't this proven to be a bad idea in 2000 and 2005? I say next system, no preorders and no ebay for 1 year after release.
"But won't that turn into some sort of brawl on release day?" you ask?
Yes, yes it will. And Sony will put it on pay-per-view and make enough so that the next system will only cost $99 at launch. God bless capitalism.
"Its so they can work less and concentrate on other things - and to not worry about the people who havn't bothered installing SP2 yet for some reason."
Other things like increasing MSN Broadband subscriptions so people can actually get windows updates. To put it in perspective, imagine installing Debian Woody, changing all your repos to point to Sarge, and trying to do a apt-get dist-upgrade. On Dialup.
"I'll bet you MS drops a $100 price reduction and Halo 3 on the launch as well."
Not a chance. Maybe if the ps3 were even $100 less (400-500), Microsoft might think about a $50 price drop. But at the currently stated prices, they have a $100 to $300 lead already.
At the very best I can see a $450 bundle of premium system, extra controller, and a 2-fer pack in like the one in '04 (NCAA 05 / Top Spin). And thats if we sacrifice forty two virgins to the gaming gods...
Imagine! A salesman Lying to a prospective customer! This must be standard procedure now at Comcast. If one salesbot is lying then obviously they all are, and comcast should be cast into the nether-reaches of our disdain.
Fault for the criminal act rests solely on the person who committed it. Now, several different things contributed to the childs decision. This includes GTA, which is not for kids, not even a little bit. But since the general public still has the "games are for kids" mindset, they blame Rockstar as Satan's minions. But if GTA isn't for kids, even has a warning on the cover basically saying "NOT FOR KIDS", and has the name of a particular crime as it's title, what fit parent woyuld say "sure Jimmy, I'll buy you that and let you play it nonstop"?
My point really is that I blame the person who pulled the trigger. Blaming anyone or anything else is wrong. Looking to how the finger got in front of the trigger though, we can see so many other factors, and maybe learn.
Or we can just sue whoever has the most money. God bless America.
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Seriously though, if the cops are looking at you for whatever reason, all sorts of high security measures that make one think of "Nuclear Secrets" and what not will just add suspicion and your computer will still end up as "evidence". I say if you have nothing to hide (except those couple of cached pages from donkeyslammers.com of course, Firefox has an option to clear private data for a reason) leave it open, unencrypted and accessible.
And then when they accuse you and can't find anything, sue the ever loving crap out of them and get it all over CNN.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for dumping "win" anything (by which I mean software emulated hardware, I have nothing against windows, just the licensing), but Dell makes money by selling in volume at low, low prices. "Real" hardware would skew that, and people would point at Linux as the culprit of price increases (when really it's providing quality hardware), and the "community" would cry their eyes out because their precious kernel was "tainted" by code that actually made Linux usable.
I don't mean that as a flame, just years of frustration that jimjoebob's driver version 0.040 still doesn't work quite right, and the oem won't provide an updated driver because they're afraid of it being reverse-engineered.
And while I'm on the version subject, I've been wondering what a distro would look like where every package was at least 1.0 or higher... Even Ubuntu with it's limited (but great) selection, many big pieces are still pre-1.0 versions.
That would explain why every time I open up my 10yr old cas-edge I hear the Star Trek battle theme...
I tend to do it on purpose and then tell people it fell down the stairs...
If you worked in my company's IT dept. you might not say that...
It's tax time which means it's refund time, which means it's ridiculous electronics purchase time. My pc is as up to date as I care, the new game systems haven't impressed me yet, which meant it was time for HD. So I started looking around for lcd/plasma in the 37-42 inch range and I found one that fit my needs and got great reviews everywhere I looked. Plus, CUSA was having a screaming deal on it at the time. Or so I thought...
On the web site, the price was listed and it confirmed I could checkout and pick it up at the local store. So I head down, it's Saturday, I figure the ad ends on Sunday, the day the new ads show up in the paper. Apparently I forgot to check my regional settings...
I get to the store, make my way back to the new "Home theater" dept. (In a computer store? Hmmm...) and I spot my quarry on the shelf. One problem. The tag below it is $250 higher than the price online. I flag down the guy that looks like he works in that dept. and ask him which price is right.
"That's the right price, our ad breaks on Saturday in this state"
So after a couple minutes of:
"So I can order online for one price, and pick up here, or pay here at a higher price? Are you serious?" and "Can I use one of your PC's to get online and make the purchase?" (I was kidding, but he still said no.)
I finally ask if there is anything his manager can do. After 5 minutes of me standing there trying to wrap my brain around it, he comes back and says, "He said to just do it"
I might be able to understand goofy marketing practices, but this guy genuinely did not want to help me, no offer of "Let me see what I can do", no "Let me show you this one over here that's on sale now". Even after I got my deal, he didn't try to up sell cables or anything (It didn't help that all they had for HDMI cables were $80 and $120...) Frankly I'm surprised he wheeled it out to my car and helped me load it.
Unfortunately, CUSA is the only place around that has any selection and they are usually cheaper than BB and CC. The local shops are still trying to sell 5200's as "Gaming Video Cards". One place doesn't even have price tags, they make up a price on the spot. Luckily there are two CUSA's in the valley, so hopefully the one closer will get a stock infusion and stay open.
Everybody knows you get your news and industry analysis on the Lycos message boards, Duh!
How the hell did you get your hands on the season four script!?!
Not really. Nintendo realized that a technological arms race would leave them dead last and bankrupt (they might have to steal from the "Pokemon Trust Fund" for a while).
To me, the wiimote is an interesting add on, much like the specialty controllers for say Guitar Hero and Steel Battalion, but not the "revolutionary input device" it has been billed as. It's a gimmick, plain and simple, and not a very good one at that. The only thing worse would be if one of the other main players suddenly tacked on motion sensitivity at the last minute. Hmmm...
Basically, I saw screw the Wii, the PS3 and I might buy a 360 in a year or three. Until then, there's a grillion reasons to have an original Xbox and a PS2 hooked up to one's TV.
I mean what does this: "for false advertising by not providing stable working drivers for Vista." really mean? The drivers I downloaded are "stable" and "working". Of course I'm not one to drop ~$600 for a new piece of frivolous hardware every 6 months, and even if I were, I wouldn't expect the first coming together of new hardware, new OS and new drivers to be perfect. Be grateful there are drivers for anything but 8800's. They could have gone the Creative route and put everything under $70 on the "No development planned" list.
I guess I can see how some might be miffed that the drivers aren't perfect, but a lawsuit? Are you serious? Were you maimed by these drivers? Are you going to need to show us on the doll where nVidia touched you?
You know they will. Well at least this guy will be, and the rest of the "niners" won't be far behind.
No, Bush won because he wasn't as depressing. He was the fun college roomate that said "it'll work out, now watch me hit this bong." Kerry on the otherhand came in as the old stuffy college dean saying, "there is a serious problem, and we're all going to need to buckle down and work." Kerry lost because everyone was over their initial 9/11 high, and were starting to see the ugly truths in the light. No one wanted to face it so they voted for Bush again.
Personally though, leaving the mess for Bush to clean up? This guy and his administration got us into a huge mess, with no plan, no funding, nothing other than the "We're Right" mentality. And though Kerry was a Giant Douche, I still voted for him. Better than that turd sandwich in a cowboy hat...
It's not enough to know how to repair a network connection in windows, I want someone who can tell me why they want to repair the connection.
To be fair, most of the callers you got couldn't tell their MSN Companion from an item you would find in a grocery store...
Well that solves the NASA funding quandry... Just get the big SUV makers to sponser it, and we can all pile into the first space-hummer off this rock.
I don't see anyone gushing about the Wii's ability to replace all your Nintendo gear (you just have to buy the games again, thats all...). Seriously, do you really need all those consoles hooked up at once? We all know you don't, but we all know it "would be cooler if you did". It does sound like you have it already planned out, I think your best bet is going to be DIY.
CD Cases - Buy used CD's (Bonus- your money doesn't go to the RIAA)
DVD Cases - See above. (Bonus - Also see above and replace R with an M)
Clamshells - Buy a pair of scissors.
Seriously though, the only "damage" I've ever inflicted is trying to peel off price tags from blockbuster and such.
The other point about clamshells I haven't seen anyone comment on: Opening them destroys the package, and can make returns difficult at some of the shiftier stores.
Not sure I follow your logic... Right now this notebook I'm using is running Windows, was always meant to run Windows, and Dell offers no option to the contrary and will not support any other configuration. I am pretty sure this qualifies as a "Windows-based pc". Of course you are right; I could run Linux or something else with no problem. Now if I did that, I would refer to it as a "Linux based PC". Would you have preferred they use "Personal Computers based on the x86 architecture with Windows installed" instead? To me and the rest of the general public, there is no difference. To us "Windows based" == "Is running Windows".
Unfortunately there is no credit score high enough to qualify for that kind of purchase.
"But won't that turn into some sort of brawl on release day?" you ask?
Yes, yes it will. And Sony will put it on pay-per-view and make enough so that the next system will only cost $99 at launch. God bless capitalism.
Other things like increasing MSN Broadband subscriptions so people can actually get windows updates. To put it in perspective, imagine installing Debian Woody, changing all your repos to point to Sarge, and trying to do a apt-get dist-upgrade. On Dialup.
Not a chance. Maybe if the ps3 were even $100 less (400-500), Microsoft might think about a $50 price drop. But at the currently stated prices, they have a $100 to $300 lead already.
At the very best I can see a $450 bundle of premium system, extra controller, and a 2-fer pack in like the one in '04 (NCAA 05 / Top Spin). And thats if we sacrifice forty two virgins to the gaming gods...
Imagine! A salesman Lying to a prospective customer! This must be standard procedure now at Comcast. If one salesbot is lying then obviously they all are, and comcast should be cast into the nether-reaches of our disdain.
My point really is that I blame the person who pulled the trigger. Blaming anyone or anything else is wrong. Looking to how the finger got in front of the trigger though, we can see so many other factors, and maybe learn.
Or we can just sue whoever has the most money. God bless America.
Still at the urinal I believe...