May consider starting with a "barebones" motherboard/cpu/case. Then add RAM, HDD, CDROM, etc. Setting up the MB and putting the MB in the case is the toughest part - saves a lot of trouble to buy barebones.
If you are in no hurry, and if you're not too fussy, you can get stuff at CompUSA for practically give away prices - after annoying rebate. Never "give away" prices on MB's or CPUs, but other stuff: HDD, CDROM, can be free or nearly free after rabate.
Local computershows often have the good prices.
Be very very careful about the MB, if it doesn't work, they may say you broke it. Another reason to go with barebones, at least you know it works.
I surprised more people don't think of this. Using older MS products allows you to use older hardware. NT 4.0 is a fairly stable platform, and runs just fine on anything from a 386 on up.
Office 97 has all the functionality most users need.
Or keep your platform and just upgrade the apps. AbiWord 1.0.1 is great. May want to try OpenOffice.
Switching to Linux may be too difficult, but there is still a lot you can do.
For sys admin work, a certification is a much better value than college.
BUT: I have seen this more times than I can remember: at your age, you probably don't really know what you want. You may think you do, but you probably don't. Now is the best time to get your college out of the way.
Maybe you should get a cert, go to college while you work in sys admin. Then you safe no matter what.
Maybe it's because I started with mainframes 23 years ago. I just don't understand why people "owww and ahhh" over cases that come in odd shapes and colors. Who cares? Is this Apple's excuse for innovation?
Just give me functional and I'll be happy. I don't get this: "Apple's OSX aqua interface is sooooo cool!" I want something that is fast, reliable, and easy to use; I'll pass on the so called "eye candy."
Frankly, I find a lot of Apple enthusiasts to be annoying. These people automatically worship anything Apple says or does. They scream with outrage at even the mildest criticisms of their beloved company. People who use Windows are generally not like that. Windows users just shrug and say: "is this the computer that runs the software I like to use? Okay."
Apple is even more proprietary than windows. There is only one hardware vendor that makes a box to run OSX. Apple made sure of that.
I could never figure out why IBM PCs didn't have OS/2 pre-installed. Instead, they had Windows pre-installed. To get OS/2 you have to pay an additonal $120.
It seems to me IBM should had OS/2 pre-installed on their PCs, and sold OS/2 for about $10 a copy until OS/2 caught on.
How many times can microsoft scam the whole world, and have the whole world fall for it? MS *always* promises that the next "upgrade" will be the greatest thing since sliced bread - and the next upgrade *always* sucks.
Just because an MS product is not profitable does not mean it will "die" as in go away.
If MS has to give away windows for free, that will just cause windows to proliferate even more. Which means that MS will have an even tighter grip on the industry.
Mr. Average User buys a new computer with Windows-XP pre-installed. Why is this guy going to delete and throw away the standard OS that is already optimized for the PC?
Just to go through the considerable trouble and expense of installing a non-standard OS? An OS that will not work with any standard applications like Quicken or MS-Office?
When I was a math major, 15 years ago, there was always a discussion about what kinds of calculators we could use for what exam - for example: for this exam you can't use a calculator with a graphing feature, for another exam you can't use a programmable calculator, and so on.
Different classes had different standards for different tests etc.
I thought: why not eliminate calculators for teaching most math classes? Or at least for testing. Just gear the test to a no calculator standard.
May sound crazy, but calculus is about 400 years old, and for 350+ of those years, calculus was learned with calculators. Other branches of math are even older.
Slashdot Mirror
I think technical books that are worth reading just for their entertainment value are rare finds.
1) Complete idiot's guide to keeping your VolksWagen alive.
2) There are no electrons.
3) Instant Physics.
I have done well with computergate.com.
May consider starting with a "barebones" motherboard/cpu/case. Then add RAM, HDD, CDROM, etc. Setting up the MB and putting the MB in the case is the toughest part - saves a lot of trouble to buy barebones.
If you are in no hurry, and if you're not too fussy, you can get stuff at CompUSA for practically give away prices - after annoying rebate. Never "give away" prices on MB's or CPUs, but other stuff: HDD, CDROM, can be free or nearly free after rabate.
Local computershows often have the good prices.
Be very very careful about the MB, if it doesn't work, they may say you broke it. Another reason to go with barebones, at least you know it works.
Forget the entire contraversy.
Most branches of math have been taught for centuries before calculators were even invented.
No math student should an advantage over another because of a better calculator, at least not on an exam.
INTC, CSCO, and other big cap computer related companies have been pulling this stunt for years.
I hope the SEC is successfull in changing reporting rules.
Please tell me what refill kits to use. The one I have sucks. I have never successfully been able to refill - I have tried three different printers.
walterbyrd@iname.com
Didn't MIT come out with "X-Windows" before the existance of MS-Windows? And isn't "Lindows" a different word than "Windows" ??
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We should be surprised that such a case ever got filed. But, the way things are. .
I surprised more people don't think of this. Using older MS products allows you to use older hardware. NT 4.0 is a fairly stable platform, and runs just fine on anything from a 386 on up.
Office 97 has all the functionality most users need.
Or keep your platform and just upgrade the apps. AbiWord 1.0.1 is great. May want to try OpenOffice.
Switching to Linux may be too difficult, but there is still a lot you can do.
My last position was a systems administrator.
For sys admin work, a certification is a much better value than college.
BUT: I have seen this more times than I can remember: at your age, you probably don't really know what you want. You may think you do, but you probably don't. Now is the best time to get your college out of the way.
Maybe you should get a cert, go to college while you work in sys admin. Then you safe no matter what.
I use AbiWord even though I have MS-Office 2000. Abiword is smaller and faster, and no annoying paper-clip thing.
I think the new version of AbiWord is just great. Couldn't be happier with it.
Let the sewer of unfiltered information flow, I say. I like to know what other people *really* think - instead of the make-believe world of pop-media.
As for the terrorists and child-porn people. The internet also makes a great way to track those people.
I have heard that the extra electronics needed for a real modem, as opposed to a winmodem, is just a few pennies.
The cost to manufacture each additional unit for the extra chips is almost nothing.
Anybody know?
"By cheap, I mean 1MB=$1, 4MB=$2"
FWIW: I think you are asking way too for 1MB, I see people selling the 1MB's for 0.05 each. Also, the 4MB are usually worth more per MB.
Maybe it's because I started with mainframes 23 years ago. I just don't understand why people "owww and ahhh" over cases that come in odd shapes and colors. Who cares? Is this Apple's excuse for innovation?
Just give me functional and I'll be happy. I don't get this: "Apple's OSX aqua interface is sooooo cool!" I want something that is fast, reliable, and easy to use; I'll pass on the so called "eye candy."
Frankly, I find a lot of Apple enthusiasts to be annoying. These people automatically worship anything Apple says or does. They scream with outrage at even the mildest criticisms of their beloved company. People who use Windows are generally not like that. Windows users just shrug and say: "is this the computer that runs the software I like to use? Okay."
Apple is even more proprietary than windows. There is only one hardware vendor that makes a box to run OSX. Apple made sure of that.
I could never figure out why IBM PCs didn't have OS/2 pre-installed. Instead, they had Windows pre-installed. To get OS/2 you have to pay an additonal $120.
It seems to me IBM should had OS/2 pre-installed on their PCs, and sold OS/2 for about $10 a copy until OS/2 caught on.
I could never understand the marketing.
I had the same problem. Only real problem I had with OS/2 2.1.
How many times can microsoft scam the whole world, and have the whole world fall for it? MS *always* promises that the next "upgrade" will be the greatest thing since sliced bread - and the next upgrade *always* sucks.
Just because an MS product is not profitable does not mean it will "die" as in go away.
If MS has to give away windows for free, that will just cause windows to proliferate even more. Which means that MS will have an even tighter grip on the industry.
Mr. Average User buys a new computer with Windows-XP pre-installed. Why is this guy going to delete and throw away the standard OS that is already optimized for the PC?
Just to go through the considerable trouble and expense of installing a non-standard OS? An OS that will not work with any standard applications like Quicken or MS-Office?
When I was a math major, 15 years ago, there was always a discussion about what kinds of calculators we could use for what exam - for example: for this exam you can't use a calculator with a graphing feature, for another exam you can't use a programmable calculator, and so on.
Different classes had different standards for different tests etc.
I thought: why not eliminate calculators for teaching most math classes? Or at least for testing. Just gear the test to a no calculator standard.
May sound crazy, but calculus is about 400 years old, and for 350+ of those years, calculus was learned with calculators. Other branches of math are even older.
The idea behind home broadband is to allow individual users to surf the web faster. Light use.
Heavy corporate users should pay for a T1 or whatever.
The companies that provide broadband are struggling to break even. Clearly these companies can not provide T1 for $50 a month.
This make way more sense to me. Then you don't have to worry about changing ISPs.
With an engineering degree you can get any job a BSCS (or whatever) can get.
An engineering degree is *much* more prestigous than a BSCS. Often, a BSCS doesn't count for anything - may as well just have high school.
A BSCS is just as difficult and expensive as engineering, but not nearly as valuable.
JMHO - based on 22 years experience in IT.
At the beginning of the show Lisa and Bart are watching one of those early sci-fi movies. It's a riot: "space air is leaking in! put on your googles!"
It is just getting so old. Why must so many commentators act like snot-nosed punks?
It looks pretty much like any other GUI to me. But then, I never get all excited the look of a GUI anyway.