What Computer Are You On?

[mikev]

i think desktops will be around untill laptops are more modular and easier to build on your own. it would be cool if we had the ability to build our own laptops with what you want in it and stil be able to upgrade them like desktops.

Desktops will NEVER die out. Working where i do there is a huge security issue not just with online webservices but also with the tea-leaf problem. a laptop can be carried away easily(ever see someone try and steal a desktop its very funny) big government organisations will always need to keep vital information secure and on-site. if you have everything portable then(and this actually happened) your laptop could be left on the London Underground with the nuclear launch codes for the country on them!!!! Also if you gave all your workers laptops then the majority of work would not be done at the desk but probably sitting in the staff room or on the toilet Damn wireless connections!!

 

[PuShAkOv]

I agree with Mike, I prefer desktops over laptops and I don't think they will die out for a long, long time, if at all.

 

[Steve Neu]

G4 17 inch Imac and a Ibook with wireless network cards and cable modem.

 

[MyHarley]

How about some information on this wireless network system......I don't want to ask a salesman and listen to a bunch I don't understand........question........do you have to get a new laptop or can you use an existing one.......internet service must be "who?"

 

[PuShAkOv]

You can use an existing laptop, you just neep to get a router and network card. Hook the router up to your modem and put the card into your computer, get the driver, set it up and thats about it. As far as I know the internet provider can be ayone as long as it is Cable, maybe DSL but I don't know much about that.

 

[SoonerE39]

Laptop. Dell Inspiron 1100. Wireless network, cable internet. Great combination.

I'm on a Dell Latitude, Wireless network, cable internet. The laptop is 3 years old now and I heard my company is planning on replacing it in a few months

 

[E30 Kid]

desktop.

dell 4800

 

[jrt67ss350]

I usually use my IBM Thinkpad R40 - 2.0 GHz P4M, 512 MB RAM, 40 GB HD, integrated wireless. A very nice laptop with a great keyboard. I also have a 4 year old Dell Dimension XPS desktop (550 MHz P3). Wireless network and cable modem. Pretty cool.

 

[adrean8j]

I got a DELL 4550
Intel 2.53ghz
80gig HD
ATi Radeon 9700

and a Compaq 510us
Intel 1.0ghz
20gig HD
some BS graphics card.........

 

[MrElussive]

I will never buy a pre-built computer and my computer will always be a desktop. I know that laptops are more powerful now, but nothing beats a full-size keyboard, mouse, speakers, and a full-size computer itself. No matter what the computer companies do, the smaller size requirement of a laptop will always make it inferior to a desktop (i.e. a 2GHz laptop will be slower than a 2GHz desktop).

 

[PuShAkOv]

MrE.

You sound like you never REALLY used a laptop. They are the best thing that happened to computers since Bill Gates.

 

[codex57]

Dell Inspiron 5000. 600mhz, 256RAM, 18Gig HD, 15 inch LCD. Yup, it's old, but at last it's rock solid reliable.

After law school and the bar, I'd never buy a Compaq/HP or a Sony. Their failure rates were so much more than the Dells (and the Dells had greater numbers too) that it wasn't even funny. Especially to the people who had laptops fail during teh bar (mainly Sonys for some reason).

 

[epj3]

I build my computers becuase it's easier than breathing.

 

[MrElussive]

MrE.

You sound like you never REALLY used a laptop. They are the best thing that happened to computers since Bill Gates.

Nope. I have crazy experience with laptops. The screens are small and not good for games (although they have gotten much larger and better...I believe even Sony has a 17"???), they are slow, and I like my full-size speakers, keyboard, and mouse. There is just no substitute for a full-size computer when you are using the computer all day long.

 

[xLibelle]

I asked what my brother wanted for christmas, he said he got what he wanted.

He built a Raid 5 setup with 447 Gig of space and 256 meg of ram on the Raid card

....ok, bro, whatever, lol

 

[MrElussive]

Hahaha. How does a RAID 5 setup work? My father just built a computer and he is running dual 250GB drives in RAID 0 (striped) mode. I know RAID 0 is two hard drives working together and RAID 1 is two hard drives mirroring each other, but what's RAID 5???

 

[xLibelle]

5 hdd's all working together, but if one fails, no data is lost - really great system.
i have a stripe 1 system in my comp, you can tell the speed difference.

 

[Kirby]

Hahaha. How does a RAID 5 setup work? My father just built a computer and he is running dual 250GB drives in RAID 0 (striped) mode. I know RAID 0 is two hard drives working together and RAID 1 is two hard drives mirroring each other, but what's RAID 5???

RAID = Redundant Array of Inexpensive Drives
PARITY= A mathmatical calculation that is used to encode characteristics of data, sort of like a signature.

RAID 0 - Data striped across multiple drives, but there is no "fault tolerance". That is, if ANY drive fails in a RAID 0 config, you loose all the data. So the R in RAID 0 is really not true, it's really AID 0, there is no redundancy. RAID 0 is primarily a performance booster.

RAID 1 - Disk Mirroring - 2 drives with the same data written to both. If 1 drive fails, you continue to run. This is the cheapest redundancy available, but not the fastest.

RAID 3 - Multiple drives, data striped across drives, with ONE drive dedicated to parity. This is the most reliable and fastest RAID technique, also the most expensive since you need a drive for parity.

RAID 5 - Multiple drives, data striped across all drives, with parity stored with the data. Cheaper than RAID 3, but slower since both data and parity must be written to the drives.

There are are also RAID 4 and RAID 6 configs, but are not as common. There is no RAID 2, it was replaced by RAID 3.

 

[MrElussive]

I'm impressed, Kirby. Was that all off the top of your head?

 

[sketch]

looks like there are a few of you who know quite a bit of stuff on computers. i have a quick question, i recently built my computer and theres this wierd problem where i cant turn my computer off for more then say 5 mins. to get it started, id have to manually clear the cmos by disconnecting the atx power cable and moving a jumper around. then when i restart, i have to reenter the day time etc. since then, ive been leaving my comp on standby. does anyone know whats wrong with it?