From b.j.smith at ieee.org Sun Oct 1 12:50:19 2006 From: b.j.smith at ieee.org (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Re: Recommendations for low-end b&w laser printer? -- $150 HP LaserJet 3050 "all-in-one" In-Reply-To: <75BF7B22-6707-4046-B82A-6D3044F68E2E@thelimucompany.com> References: <4519FEF3.5060700@mc-kenna.com> <451AD020.5060900@cfl.rr.com> <13933C73-1EA4-4799-BFD4-68515EED4B91@thelimucompany.com> <451B3A77.6030605@cfl.rr.com> <451BAF78.8000700@mc-kenna.com> <451BC778.1040009@cfl.rr.com> <75BF7B22-6707-4046-B82A-6D3044F68E2E@thelimucompany.com> Message-ID: <1033491300.2996.56.camel@bert64.oviedo.smithconcepts.com> On Thu, 2006-09-28 at 10:50 -0400, Damien McKenna wrote: > Hrm... more reasonable. Looking at the printer it seems to be a > parallel printer, right? My mac only has USB. If you don't mind rebates, HP is running a 50% rebate on its $299 LaserJet 3050 model: http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/product_detail.do?product_code=Q6504A%23ABA You can buy it on-line, or local stores like OfficeDepot have it for $299 with the 50% rebate as well. It's a _true_ Postscript (level 3?), ColdFire-based engine on-board with 64MB on-board, included MacOS drivers, and works with Linux out-of-the-box (just add the included PPD for more functions in CUPS). It's all-in-one functionality for copy, fax and scanning not only works for MacOS X and Windows, but Linux as well: http://hplip.sourceforge.net/supported_devices/mono_laser_mfp.html Uses the 2,000 page 12A black toner cartridges, which aren't the greatest price per page, but not too bad either. Certainly a lot cheaper than the black ink jet cartridges though. ;-> -- Bryan J. Smith Professional, technical annoyance mailto:b.j.smith@ieee.org http://thebs413.blogspot.com --------------------------------------------------------- The world is in need of solutions. Unfortunately, people seem to be more interested in blindly aligning themselves with one of only two viewponts -- an "us v. them" debate that has nothing to do with finding an actual solution. From thebs413 at gmail.com Sun Oct 1 19:30:27 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] HP dv9000z series, looks like Broadcom WLAN all-the-way ... Message-ID: In doing a bit of research, it looks like the HP dv9000z now uses Broadcom for all WLAN options: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?lc=en&cc=us&os=228&dest_page=product&dlc=en&product=3224049&softwareitem=ob-41607-1 I guess I was still thinking of Dell when it came to using an Intel MAC for 802.11a/b/g. Oh well, it seems the bcm34xx driver is in the stock 2.6.17 kernel, and works well for most people -- including WPA support. That might actually end up being better than the Intel anyway. -- Bryan P.S. I just realized I might have been stupid for going for the entry Turion x2 TL-50 (dual-1.6G/256K) instead of the TL-52 (dual-1.6G/512K) with double the L2 cache. It's only $25 more on-line, although it might have been $50 more at OfficeDepot.COM. Oh well, it probably doesn't make that much of a difference in the Turion (unlike Core). From thebs413 at gmail.com Sun Oct 1 19:48:39 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Leadtek WinFast GeForce 7600GS/GT *AGP* options ... Message-ID: If you're still stuck on AGP, a few vendors are still listening. You're not going to get a good deal, and with the premium typically being $50+ (or more) for AGP cards over PCIe, you can often get a newer PCIe mainboard for the difference. But if you're still stuck, Leadtek now offers both the GeForce 7600GS and 7600GT in AGP flavors: http://www.leadtek.com/3d_graphic/winfast_a7600_gttdh_1.html http://www.leadtek.com/3d_graphic/winfast_a7600_gstdh_1.html The 7600GT (note the *T*) version, with its 560MHz/1.4GHz core/GDDR3 speeds tend to best the older NV40 GeForce 6800GT models, as noted in this HardwareZone review: http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?cid=3&id=2031 Unfortunately, I can't seem to find them anywhere. The cheaper and much slower 7600GS (note the *S*) version, with its paltry 400MHz/800MHz core/DDR2 speeds doesn't score anywhere near the GT -- assume it is, at most, only 60-70% the performance. But at least it can be found for $125: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814122011 Again, the PCIe versions of each are typically $50 cheaper, and are a consideration. But if you have an older, expensive AGP mainboard (maybe a dual-socket), then it's an option. But for desktops, I really recommend a move to a PCIe mainboard that takes your existing DDR and Socket-939 CPU for $50 or less. From thebs413 at gmail.com Sun Oct 1 20:35:48 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Fedora Core 6 on HP dv9000z ... coming to a BS notebook near you ... Message-ID: Fedora Core 5.92 (6 Test 3) just hit mid-last month and tomorrow is the official package freeze, with official release slated for Wed, 2006Oct11: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Core/Schedule I just orded a new HP dv9000z with the Turion x2 and added the GeForce Go 7600 (256MB dedicated VRAM) for under $800 after rebate. It should arrive next week (perfect timing for FC6's planned release date of the 11th): http://lists.leap-cf.org/pipermail/pc_support/2006-September/002602.html Fedora Core 6 is GCC 4.1 (with GCC 2.96, 3.2 and 3.4 compat-libs), GLibC 2.5 (2.4.90beta) and kernel 2.6.17. Kernel 2.6.17 (I'll have to check the exact Red Hat revision/patches) should have the latest Broadcom 43xx drivers for the WLAN and work out-of-the-box (I was originally incorrect to assume the WLAN 802.11a/b/g were Intel chipsets, I was thinking Dell) -- although many people report it's patched into FC5's 2.6.16 kernel update: http://lists.leap-cf.org/pipermail/pc_support/2006-October/002606.html http://bcm43xx.berlios.de/ Probably the "I'm NO LONGER with stupid" move in FC6 is that Red Hat is shipping _both_ Firefox.i386 and x86_64, like SuSE Linux 10.x, at least as of the 5.92 (6 Test 3) release: http://download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/core/test/5.92/i386/os/Fedora/RPMS/ About damn time! That definitely removes the issue of dealing with common plug-ins and what-not. While I have praised Red Hat in their most excellent choice of select i386 libraries to complement the x86_64 ones -- all of which _still_ (along with compat-libs et. al.) allow me to run stuff from all the way back to Red Hat Linux 7 and even 6 from 6-8 years ago, the select of actual i386 programs was always a PITA -- like only Firefox x86_64 with _no_ i386 option. I finally just started maintaining a separate /usr/local with those select programs (e.g., Firefox, MPlayer and its dependencies, etc...) instead of fighting" the repositories (even if there are no library issue). But that should be no more. Hopefully the Livna.ORG guys will take note and offer .i386 multimedia libraries and packages in their x86_64 that are used by Firefox (e.g., MPlayer and MPlayer-plugin). Before noting this change in FC6, I decided I was just going to put the .i386 version on any new system. But now that FC6 x86_64 actually offers Firefox.i386 and a few more, select, key i386 programs, I think I'm going to stick with x86_64 like my Athlon x2 4600+ desktop. I can't wait to update my desktop to FC6 as well. I'm going also start goof'ing with the Compiz Window Manager using AIGLX, which is now in FC6, although I might just fall back to the standard MetaCity AIGLX enhancements: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/RenderingProject/aiglx AIGLX is fully supported by the Beta nVidia ForceWare95 drivers: http://www.nzone.com/object/nzone_downloads_linux_display_x86_1.0-9625.html http://www.nzone.com/object/nzone_downloads_linux_display_x86_64_1.0-9625.html There are two different approaches to OpenGL accelerated/buffered window managers. SuSE has gone down the full OpenGL as the window manager "xgl" route, while Red Hat has gone with a split model that nVidia prefers (which is actually a bit more involved development-wise, but more compatible IMHO). FC6 actually now supports Compiz too, which is not a xgl-only option. BTW, for more on nVidia's logic, see: http://download.nvidia.com/developer/presentations/2006/xdevconf/compositing-with-current-framework.pdf I plan on documenting my exploits in my Blog and put them to LinuxLaptops.ORG, since no HP Pavillion dv9000z documentation exists yet. My contract ends here in New England at the end of next week, so I'll definitely have some time again at home to do so -- maybe in time for the October 19 meeting? ;-> From thebs413 at gmail.com Sun Oct 1 21:27:52 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] For Sale: Toshiba Satellite 2805-S402 ... Message-ID: Okay, this is my 5 year-old unit. It was well ahead of its time in its day (Summer 2001). At $2,300 on-sale back then, it was the first notebook with the nVidia GeForce Go Mobile -- with 16MiB of dedicated, 64-bit DDR VRAM (wow! ;-), although Dell followed shortly. Now I know I can't get even 10% of that for it, but I still want to offer it up for a good home -- especially for Linux users. Specifications: - Intel Mobile Pentium III 850MHz (still kicks a Celeron M's butt**) - 256MiB PC100 SDRAM (expandible to 384MiB) - Intel i815 chipset** -- non-integrated GPU version, because ... - nVidia GeForce Go Mobile (NV11), 16MiB DDR VRAM - IEEE1394 FireWire and USB 1.1 ports - Toshiba 20GB, 4200rpm hard drive - CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo drive - Battery doesn't hold charge long (it's 5 years old, after all ;-) **NOTE: I have a 2004 Toshiba M35X (a model 3 years newer) with a Celeron M 1.4GHz, i845/855GM CPU-integrated chipset and this 2001 model _still_ beats it in _all_ 3D benchmarks, and most 2D ones as well (the Celeron M really sucks, especially compared to the Pentium M or even this mobile Pentium III). The only reason I'm keeping the 2004 is that I've really "beat it up" and you wouldn't want it (backspace key is broken, the enclosure isn't as "tough" as this 2001 model). I only paid $499 for the 2004 model (and that was a steal at the time). The 2805-S402 came with Windows ME (just about 3 months too early for XP Home), and I've run Red Hat Linux 7.1 through Fedora Core 3 on it. I'll pre-install CentOS 3 or 4, your choice, as well as Windows ME dual-boot if you want it. If you want another distro, I can do that too, but I won't know my way around as much. For Linux, I recommend CentOS 3 with kernel 2.4 instead of 2.6. Kernel 2.4 works with the Toshiba utilities for power, fan and other management, 2.6 does not. I also recommend either sticking with the stock XFree/Xorg drivers (if you don't need 2D), or the older nVidia 3D drivers -- as newer nVidia drivers won't support TwinView so you can't have simultaneous LCD/VGA-out: http://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86/1.0-8774/README/appendix-i.html Virtually everything works in Linux -- audio (i810 -- either ALSA/2.6 or OSS/2.4), NIC (Intel e100), IEEE1394 (Ti chipset), USB, etc... Again, power management works on 2.4 with the Toshiba utilities, but I couldn't get it to work on 2.6 -- other than the power button automatically shutting down proper. I haven't tried kernels newer than 2.6.12 though -- newer distros might do better with its ACPI. I'm not going to rip you off on the price. I mean, you can get a Mobile Sempron with the GeForce 6150 GPU-integrated chipset for $600 these days after rebates. And the battery is rather worthless now, which limits mobility (unless you want to pay $75 for a new one). But it's a solid Linux notebook, and I've run XFCE on CentOS 3/4 and Fedora Core 3 with good performance -- including MP3 playback, DVD movie playback (MPlayer), etc... I kept it as my "backup," especially as my 2004 model wasn't as sturdy and I've still used this 2001 model several times (especially for 3D when the 2004 model didn't cut it), but I don't need a 3rd notebook with my new HP dv9000z coming soon. From thebs413 at gmail.com Sun Oct 1 21:32:14 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Re: For Sale: Toshiba Satellite 2805-S402 ... In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: On 10/1/06, Bryan J. Smith wrote: > Okay, this is my 5 year-old unit. It was well ahead of its time in > its day (Summer 2001). At $2,300 on-sale back then, it was the first > notebook with the nVidia GeForce Go Mobile -- with 16MiB of dedicated, > 64-bit DDR VRAM (wow! ;-), although Dell followed shortly. Now I know > I can't get even 10% of that for it, but I still want to offer it up > for a good home -- especially for Linux users. Oh, I still have 100% of the documentation, media, etc... I also have a good, solid notebook bag that I've lugged all over with it. LCD size is 15", resolution 1024x768. Nothing special in today's resolutions, rather standard. From thebs413 at gmail.com Sun Oct 1 23:03:22 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] For-Sale: Loaded LAN Party Cube (6800GT/256MB, A2600+, 1GB, 160GB, DVD-R/RW/RAM) Message-ID: I was going to give this to my brother, but he really doesn't need such a gamer's box. I.e., it would go greatly under-appreciated and under-utilized -- let alone he can buy a sub-$300 system with a Windows license. This is largely my wife's old system, before I upgraded her to a Socket-939 Athlon 64, GeForce 7900GS, 2GB RAM, etc... It's in one of those portable, sub-10lbs., 9"x11"x14" aluminum MicroATX cubes that you've probably seen me bring to an InstallFest or two. If not, this AnandTech article gives you an idea: http://www.anandtech.com/casecooling/showdoc.aspx?i=2464 The sucker keeps your CPU (right below the 120mm outtake fan), drives (intake vents are right next to them, air is pulled right over them to the 120mm outtake fan) and cards (right below the power supply with its 80mm outtake) very, very cool and has a temp monitor for both CPU and HDD on the front-pannel. I never see more than 30C on this CPU or HDD (even with 2 hard drives and the thermaresistor deep between them where no air flows) -- and even my Athlon x2 4600+ (in a similar case) never passes 34C on full-load. Specifications: - Sub-10lbs. Alumninum, 9"x11"x14" MicroATX Cube w/460W Power Supply*1* - Asus A7V266-MX MicroATX Mainboard (KM266/VT8235CE) - Athlon XP Model 8 2.13GHz, 256KiB (XP2600+) - (2) 512MiB DDR400/PC3200 2.5-3-3-6** Memory (runs at DDR333/PC2700*2*) - KICK-ASS: PNY GeForce 6800GT 256MiB GDDR3 AGP video [ Sucker bests the GeForce 7600GS and ATI X1600 series, only a 7600GT, 7800+ or ATI X1800+ series beats this sucker -- most of which are still well over $150 today ] - WD1600BB Western Digital 160GB, 7200rpm UltraATA/133 drive*3* - LG GSA-4167 16x DVD-R/+R, 4-8x DVD-RW/+RW/-DL, 5x DVD-RAM - 1.44" Floppy (it also has a 8-in-1 card reader, but it doesn't work) - Coordinated Black'n Silver finish/color *1* NOTE: I'm going to put in a power supply that is more adequate than the 420W that I originally had in it. I have a 460W that is rated better that's likely going to go into it. *2* NOTE: The memory is _not_ cheap DDR400/PC3200, but "gaming" rated 2.5-3-3-6 that you can't find much better. It only runs at DDR333/PC2700 because of the mainboard, and I've been able to time it at 2-3-3-5 at that signaling which is within its rating. *3* NOTE: I actually have (2) WD1600BB drives I don't need, but the mainboard only has (2) ATA channels, and I never use a master/slave setup. I originally had them on a 3Ware Escalade 6200 card in the system, with the DVD on one of the mainboard channels. If you have your own, add-in PCI ATA card, then I'll give you both WD1600BB drives. Or if you want to slow your performance down, I guess you can use the master/slave (such as if you had Windows on one drive, Linux on the other, and they aren't used in the same boot). I really don't have a need for this, because I've gone 64-bit everywhere. But as a 32-bit system, this older Athlon XP2600+ sucker will _beat_ pretty any Sempron but the latest Sempron AM2/S940 (3400+) -- the Sempron being rated against Celerons, whereas the XP2600+ is rated against the Pentium 4. The "diamond" in this system is the GeForce 6800GT 256MiB GDDR3 AGP video -- which works in both AGP 3.0/x8 0.8V and is compatible with older AGP 2.0/x4 1.5V AGP slots (unlike a lot of newer AGP mainboards that require AGP 3.0/0.8V only). The sucker overclocks well (I never needed to though), runs Doom3/Quake4 great, and just about anything else you can throw at it. It bests virtually all PCIe video cards under $150 (or $130 after rebates), and you have to go a 7600GT to get slightly better performance (like with 10-15%), or a 7800+ or ATI X1800+ to do better (it still beats a ATI X1600 Pro -- sans maybe Half-Life which runs on ATI better). I'd rather give it to someone who can make use the of 3D better than my brother. It's an older system on a platform that is basically a "dead" end, and other than upgrading the memory (it can support up to 2GB) or hard drives (if you think 160GB isn't enough), it's basically a system to use as-is. Although that GeForce 6800GT is still pretty kick-ass compared to all but $150+ cards video cards, despite being 2 years old (I bought it for $399 right when it came out). As always, I'll load whatever you want -- although I'm more capable at Fedora Core / CentOS. I'll load all the nVidia drivers and other goodies, download the Doom3/Quake4 demos and Linux binary, etc... From thebs413 at gmail.com Sun Oct 1 23:23:03 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Re: For-Sale: Loaded LAN Party Cube (6800GT/256MB, A2600+, 1GB, 160GB, DVD-R/RW/RAM) In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: On 10/1/06, Bryan J. Smith wrote: > ... > - KICK-ASS: PNY GeForce 6800GT 256MiB GDDR3 AGP video > [ Sucker bests the GeForce 7600GS and ATI X1600 series, only a 7600GT, > ... > The "diamond" in this system is the GeForce 6800GT 256MiB GDDR3 AGP > video ... the sucker overclocks well (I never > needed to though), runs Doom3/Quake4 great, and just about anything > else you can throw at it. It bests virtually all PCIe video cards > under $150 (or $130 after rebates), and you have to go a 7600GT to get > slightly better performance (like with 10-15%), or a 7800+ or ATI > X1800+ to do better (it still beats a ATI X1600 Pro -- sans maybe > Half-Life which runs on ATI better). For those of you who with FX or cheaper 6000 series cards, here's what this card does: http://www.tomshardware.com/2005/07/05/vga_charts_vii/page9.html Now what is shown "at the bottom" is the FX 5700. The FX 5700 "LE" is only 55% of that card. The FX 5200/5500 _suck_ even harder (well sub-10fps) where this card does over 100fps. The GeForce 61x0 chipset-integrated GPUs won't break much beyond 20fps either -- a nice "intro-GPU" but nothing like this sucker. It's AGP, which is a "dead-end" essentially. Other than the 6800Ultra, this was the Cadillac of the AGP products -- even PNY only sells _slower_ 6000 series now (6200, 6600 and the slower/crippled 6800"GS"). That's why I have no use for it, and have gone PCIe ($400 7800GTX and, more recently, that 7900GS for my wife). But I figured there are plenty of you that do. If it wasn't for the Woot deal on the 7900GS (which is $200+ normally), my wife would still be using this card. You might look at the clock and say 350MHz isn't fast. But it's a full 256-bit memory bus, with 1GHz GDDR3 memory. The 7600 series uses a 128-bit memory bus and the 7600GS, even overclocked, can't match it. It takes a 7600GT running at 560GHz with 1.2-1.4GHz memory to get about 15% more, because of the 128-bit memory. And beyond that, you're talking a $200+ GeForce 7800 series or ATI X1800 series to get 25+% more. Again, just looking for someone who wants to upgrade and use this system for 2+ years. I have no use for a 3rd system with such 3D capability. If I don't get a price I like, I'll pass it on to my brother. But I'd rather give it to someone who wants to kick Linux 3D. From b.j.smith at ieee.org Mon Oct 2 07:28:45 2006 From: b.j.smith at ieee.org (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Re: For-Sale: Loaded LAN Party Cube (6800GT/256MB, A2600+, 1GB, 160GB, DVD-R/RW/RAM) In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1159788525.2923.18.camel@bert64.oviedo.smithconcepts.com> On Sun, 2006-10-01 at 23:23 -0400, Bryan J. Smith wrote: > Again, just looking for someone who wants to upgrade and use this > system for 2+ years. I have no use for a 3rd system with such 3D > capability. If I don't get a price I like, I'll pass it on to my > brother. But I'd rather give it to someone who wants to kick Linux > 3D. Last post, I promise (yeah, yeah, who is this "BS" spammer anyway? ;-) BTW, I actually do have an extra Socket-939 AGP MicroATX mainboard, just no extra Socket-939 CPU. It's an Asus A8V-MX: http://www.asus.com/products4.aspx?modelmenu=2&model=743&l1=3&l2=15&l3=0 The kicker is that it's a ViA K8M800 with the newer VT8251 southbridge. The peripherals on the southbridge -- like the SATA and ALSA audio -- require a very, very late Linux 2.6 kernel for support -- 2.6.17 (although distros have patched as early as 2.6.15). But it does give the full DDR400/PC3200 performance -- _true_ 128-bit dual channel DTR performance in Socket-939 (and not merely interleaved latency benefit like Socket-A/462), plus a PCIe slot. If you want that mainboard instead, and will put your own Socket-939 CPU in, let me know. The Retail Box Socket-939 Athlon 64 3000+ starts at $50 these days, so it might be better (as long as you're running a very late Linux kernel). The only kicker is that I haven't tested this mainboard but once -- it booted the Fedora Core install CD, but that's it. In a nutshell, I was going to put my old Athlon 64 3200+ on it, with the GeForce 6800GT AGP before the 7900GS PCIe was Woot'd, so I promptly put the Athlon 64 3200+ in a PCIe mainboard instead. If it's the case that people want this mainboard in the box, then I have the Asus A7V-MX MicroATX w/Athlon XP2600+ (has a Thermaltake 6Cu+ copper fansink atop) for sale separately. Won't charge much at all for it on its own. ;-> -- Bryan J. Smith Professional, technical annoyance mailto:b.j.smith@ieee.org http://thebs413.blogspot.com --------------------------------------------------------- The world is in need of solutions. Unfortunately, people seem to be more interested in blindly aligning themselves with one of only two viewponts -- an "us v. them" debate that has nothing to do with finding an actual solution. From dmckenna at thelimucompany.com Mon Oct 2 12:55:44 2006 From: dmckenna at thelimucompany.com (Damien McKenna) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Western Digital 500GB (WD5000) "KS" (SE16/consumer) and "YS" (RE2/enterprise) ... In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <7F04E0B6-54A3-4A1E-A6AC-D65E677B3933@thelimucompany.com> On Sep 28, 2006, at 11:32 PM, Bryan J. Smith wrote: > NewEgg has the "consumer" KS for $180 ($0.36/GB), and the "enterprise" > YS for $200 ($0.40/GB): > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822136014 > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822136032 The NewEgg comments give it 4/5 average, with several comments saying the drives were dying very quickly. -- Damien McKenna - Web Developer - dmckenna@thelimucompany.com The Limu Company - http://www.thelimucompany.com/ - 407-804-1014 #include From thebs413 at gmail.com Mon Oct 2 13:40:24 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Western Digital 500GB (WD5000) "KS" (SE16/consumer) and "YS" (RE2/enterprise) ... Message-ID: Damien McKenna wrote: > The NewEgg comments give it 4/5 average, with several comments saying > the drives were dying very quickly. And there are similar ratings/comments on not only the WD3200JD/SD (Caviar SE/RE) that I've installed over 2 dozen times with 0 failures in 18 months, but even some of the Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 models, of which I personally own over a dozen (and have installed countless others) in over 2+ years with 0 failures. Failures will happen. People are stupid and don't adequate cool hard drives. Active cooling is NOT OPTIONAL today. In fact, one of the WD5000YS comments was someone who used 4 in a RAID-10 configuration. It wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't adequately cooled, let alone the guy probably fit them in a cramped, 4 atop one another, configuration. I recently used just 2 Samsung "consumer" 160GB drives in a temporary enclosure for my wife when I was moving data without any cooling. Sitting directly atop of each other, I BURNT MY FINGER BY MERELY TOUCHING THE DRIVES AFTER 15 MINUTES OF USE! Using a thermaresitor, I MEASURED A TEMPERATURE OF ALMOST 70C! (OUCH!) When placed in the MicroATX cube, right next to each other with the thermaresistor in-bteween, they didn't break 30C. It has side vents and the 120mm fan 6" behind them is pulling air over them. You need to cool drives today. Otherwise, I don't care what you buy, THEY WILL FAIL VERY QUICKLY as they break 50C or even 60C. From thebs413 at gmail.com Mon Oct 2 14:23:57 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] eVGA GeForce 7900 GTO 512MiB for $230 ... Message-ID: nVidia kinda changed things around by introducing the GeForce 7900 GTO. Same 24/8 engine running at 650MHz, the best nVidia has to offer in the 7900 GTX, but with memory slowed down to 1320MHz effective GDDR, like the 7900GT (and most GS models). TigerDirect has the eVGA 7900 GTO 512MiB for $259 - $30 rebate: http://dealnews.com/deals/e-VGA-Ge-Force-7900-GTO-512-MB-PCI-Express-Video-Card-for-230-after-rebate/134608.html Kicker is that it takes up a full 2 slots because of the cooling for that powerful 650MHz core. But it's a steal compared to a full 7900 GTX, despite the memory signal reduction, it still has 512MiB. As always, comparisons to other products can be made in my blog article (which I'll modify to add the new card shortly -- probably on the Wikia page instead): http://thebs413.blogspot.com/2006/02/geforce-6-and-7-series-variants-nuts.html From thebs413 at gmail.com Mon Oct 2 14:44:37 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] nVidia first G80 series due in mid-November ... Message-ID: This is just the G80 GPU, not necessarily end-user products (which probably won't hit until 2007, at least not in quantity). The first, planned card will typically be the initial "high-end" card, and most likely called the GeForce 8800. Although it probably won't be the fastest in the series, it will be until a die shrink/feature improvement that allows better -- e.g., the FX5800 and 7800, followed by lesser GPUs, then finally the FX5900 and 7900 series. DirectX 10, at the heart of Windows Graphics Foundation (WGF) 2.0 and the alleged, originally promised Vista Avalon presentation (now due 2007? 2008?), is the highlight feature. If it's like any past DirectX "technology," Microsoft basically tells GPU developers where it wants to go -- function-wise -- and they make the hardware with the API to support it (quite the opposite of OpenGL). I'm more interested to see if DirectX 10 really lets them deliver what they promised for WGF 2.0, which was supposed to be the original foundation of the Avalon system. So far, WGF 1.1 -- based on DirectX 9 -- has proven you need at least a NV40/R400 to get what Linux Compiz and MacOS X QuartzExtreme can do with a NV10/R100 generation. All while Vista runs even legacy Explorer rather crappily without a decent GPU -- much like the same thing that happened with NT 4.0 "Cairo" upon release. Story: http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20061002A2007.html From thebs413 at gmail.com Mon Oct 2 18:01:19 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Re: Another easy one. Message-ID: George Laiacona wrote: > Well, it was "working". Except that it wasn't, so rebooting cleared that up. > Don't think Automounter would have helped, since "disk and network > filesystems" seemed to think it was OK. I guess I made an assumption from the fact that you forgot about it. I assumed (incorrectly?) that you hadn't accessed the link in awhile. The automounter would have umounted the smbfs VFS hack after a period of inactivity. It's been my experience that SMB is a PITA with all its required TCP Keepalives and other issues for a system that assumes when it's mounted, it's always there --like UNIX--or, more specifically, Linux (because most UNIX flavors don't even offer a VFS-like hack like smbfs). Automounter helps that, because it just umounts its after a period of inactivity. I find that removes the overwhelming majority of disconnects with SMB. SMB has always wreaked havoc on even Windows clients -- e.g., even the NT print spooler (the #1 reason why NT crashed was due to SMB-based print queues). > I'd like to set it up as a NFS share, eventually, when I learn how and get a round tuit. > I need that link to be a little more robust, so to speak. Regardless of what filesystem you choose, if you only use the link every now and then, you want to use the Automounter. From thebs413 at gmail.com Mon Oct 2 18:16:33 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Re: For-Sale: Loaded LAN Party Cube (6800GT/256MB, A2600+, 1GB, 160GB, DVD-R/RW/RAM) Message-ID: Okay, maybe I confused people a bit. Let's start from the beginning. Here's the "SFF kit": - Enclosure: Sub-10lbs. Alumninum, 9"x11"x14" MicroATX Cube - Power Supply: 460W Power Supply (not for certain, but it won't be "weak/cheap") - (2) 512MiB DDR400/PC3200 2.5-3-3-6 Memory - KICK-ASS: PNY GeForce 6800GT 256MiB GDDR3 AGP video - (1 or 2) WD1600BB Western Digital 160GB, 7200rpm UltraATA/133 drive - LG GSA-4167 16x DVD-R/+R, 4-8x DVD-RW/+RW/-DL, 5x DVD-RAM - 1.44" Floppy (it also has a 8-in-1 card reader, but it doesn't work) - Coordinated Black'n Silver finish/color And I can add-in either the "Socket-462 w/CPU": - Asus A7V266-MX MicroATX Mainboard (KM266/VT8235CE) - Athlon XP Model 8 2.13GHz, 256KiB (XP2600+) Or the "Socket-939 w/o CPU" (BYOC): - Asus A8V-MX MicroATX Mainboard (K8M800/VT8251) - BYOC (Bring Your Own [Socket-939] CPU) If you want the mainboard+CPU combo in the "SFF kit," I can ship it _working_. If you want the latter, it's a "SFF kit" that needs the CPU (BYOC). Although if you want the latter "SFF kit" (BYOC), I'd also be willing to sell the former "combo" (that you can put in your own case, adding memory, disk, etc...) If you want just the Socket-939 mainboard, to be honest, there more Linux compatible nForce3 mainboards for $60 new IMHO -- even if I sold you the A8V-MX for half that ($30). I just offered the S939 mainboard option largely for the "SFF Kit" if you didn't want to go with an older S462. But if you're big on ViA mainboards, more power to you (I'm not ;-). From thebs413 at gmail.com Mon Oct 2 18:30:51 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Re: For-Sale: Loaded LAN Party Cube (6800GT/256MB, A2600+, 1GB, 160GB, DVD-R/RW/RAM) In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: On 10/2/06, Bryan J. Smith wrote: > If you want just the Socket-939 mainboard, to be honest, there more > Linux compatible nForce3 mainboards for $60 new IMHO -- even if I sold > you the A8V-MX for half that ($30). I just offered the S939 mainboard > option largely for the "SFF Kit" if you didn't want to go with an > older S462. > But if you're big on ViA mainboards, more power to you (I'm not ;-). Doh! I just remembered why the nForce3 is _not_ an option -- they are virtually _impossible_ to find in MicroATX. That's why I bought the A8V-MX -- again, doh! I'm willing to sell the S939 A8V-MX for $30 (NewEgg.COM wants them for $52 new) if you really want it. You need to be running a very late Linux kernel (again, 2.6.17) for SATA and Audio support. I bought it months ago and it's just been sitting. If you want the S462 A7V266-MX with XP2600+ on its own, we'll talk. It's a good performer, especially for a desktop (and especially with that 6800GT). You used to be able to find a similar combo for $100+ new, or even below $100 used. Given the price of S754 mainboards+CPUs these days, I would be far more relative in pricing (like half that). I'm not going to rip anyone off when they can get new (even if different) stuff for about the same as what people on eBay want used. If you want lower power/set-top usage, then CompGeeks.COM has similar S462 ViA chipset mainboards with the AMD Geode (ultra low-power Athlon) 1.2-1.5GHz for $80-100. I'd go for those instead if power/set-top is your goal, and performance is not as crucial. *BUT* I'd rather at least one of the mainboards (plus CPU sell it in the "SFF Kit" -- along with the 256-bit/256MiB GDDR3 6800GT good video card, very well timed 1GB of DDR400/PC3200, etc... I put the higher-end components in it for a reason, and how someone else would buy it to use it as such. Although I could probably sell off the 6800GT for more than I sell it to a friend (although the brand new AGP 7600GT for just over $200 is making finding an old 6800GT less attractive for AGP now, thanx to its increase core/memory clocks despite having half the memory width). Or just keep it in case I need a good AGP card in the future -- especially one that works with both 0.8V and 1.5V -- very rare! From thebs413 at gmail.com Mon Oct 2 18:36:40 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] [Take off-list] For-Sale: Loaded LAN Party Cube (6800GT/256MB, A2600+, 1GB, 160GB, DVD-R/RW/RAM) Message-ID: William Warren wrote: > let me make sure i have told you correclty i was pretty excited.. > I would be interested int he byoc pacakge as i have an athlon64 3500+ > jsut waiting to be used..:) Okay, let's talk off-list on that. BTW -- to the list -- I only re-posted the details in case this falls through, as well as for Linux compatibility. If anyone (or William) is interested in the "leftover" Socket-462 Asus A7V266-MX mainboard (DDR266) + Athlon XP2600+ (Model 8) 2.13GHz/256KiB (DDR266) including Thermaltake copper fansink, I'd probably part with that combo for $50. From thebs413 at gmail.com Tue Oct 3 19:38:33 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] DLP and LCD 1080p becoming commonplace ... Message-ID: As I've noticed 26 to even 32" LCDs with 720p resolutions dropping to $750 and even $500, I've noticed the new crop of 32-37" 1080p LCDs dropping to $1,000 and larger 1080p DLP projections dropping to $1,500 and up. Even Toshiba's 72" 1080p is now under $2,500: http://www.buy.com/prod/Toshiba_72HM195_72_Inch_Integrated_1080p_DLP_Projection_TV_HDMI_Input/q/loc/101/202045872.html?adid=17662 I'm hoping by next fall (football season, ya know ;-), I can get a TiVO Series3 and 60+" 1080p DLP projection for under $2,000 total. Even 4 of UCF's games are nationally televised in high-def this year. From thebs413 at gmail.com Wed Oct 4 11:12:38 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] AMD Readying PCIe HyperTransport Tunnel ... Message-ID: AMD is readying a new AMD 8000 series PCIe HyperTransport Tunnel for the workstation and enthusiast market. I've been trying to find out more information on the IC, but there's little other than block diagrams of the solutions -- many of them _inaccurate_. Most system ICs used in AMD platforms these days are a single or dual-chip combination -- one with a set of 17-24 PCIe channels and peripheral logic, another with additional peripheral logic, possibly more PCIe channels. Other than ViA, who -- like Intel -- is still leveraging 533MBps-2.0GBps peripheral PCI logic as a "poor man's system interconnect" -- ATI, nVidia and SiS are all using 1.0-8.0GBps HyperTransport for true system interconnect. But despite the flexibility of HyperTransport, most of these designs are still 1 and optional 2-chip only configurations. This new AMD 8000 series HyperTransport Tunnel will allow PCIe channels to be placed in-line anywhere, to any processor, for workstations and enthusiast game systems -- much like the AMD8131/8132 is used for PCI-X 1.0/2.0 is used in servers. So it won't be a surprise to find not only dual, but even quad PCIe video cards in higher end systems. Despite the gross ignorance of most of the enthusiast community, this HyperTransport Tunnel IC will work with _any_ AMD platform. The question is, how well? If you ask the enthusiasts, their articles bitch'n moan about AMD not offering it on the Socket-AM2/940. Little do they stop to realize why it won't be sold there. On a Socket-AM2/940 platform, with limited HyperTransport interconnects, the solution won't offer much over an nVidia nForce SLI32 or 590 platform -- as all I/O still throughs through a single HyperTransport link to one processor. You're going to get the same performance with those -- because the limitation is at the processor, _not_ ICs. The nForce 4 Professional, designed for Socket-940 (not AMD2) and newer Socket-F/LGA-1207 using the 2200 on one processor with the 2050 on another, is a better solution -- because it relies on multiple HyperTransports, one from each CPU. So the power of this new addition to the AMD 8000 series is when it is used in the same way. Each AMD 8000 PCIe HyperTransport tunnel has its own connection to its own CPU, possibly two ICs per CPU (in a 4-way GPU configuration to 2 sockets for processors), using Socket-F/LGA-1207 Opteron 200 or 800 series. This can't be done with the Socket-AM2/940 solution. I'll draw some diagrams and post to my blog later in the week that explains its better graphically, especially for the ignoramous enthusiasts sites that "just don't get it." From thebs413 at gmail.com Wed Oct 4 12:24:07 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Socket-A Small Form-Factor (SFF) for $108.99 ... Message-ID: I'd normally only post this to PC_Support, but given the fact that I posted my flexible SFF for sale on this list, I figured I'd pass this along on LEAPList too. NewEgg has a Socket-A SFF enclosure, mainboard with (non-standard) 250W ATX power supply (plus CPU cooler). It's a 8"x8"x12" form-factor, a bit smaller than the MicroATX (with ATX PS) 9"x11"x14" I normally rave about (1-3" smaller in each dimension). Normally I don't go for those non-standard units, but this one was cheap enough that you might consider for a set-top. Nothing you could throw a GeForce 6800GT (PS is no where near adequate), but still a nice consideration. It's a nForce2 IGP -- all peripherals will be supported in Linux, integrated NV17 (GeForce4 MX) GPU is a quad of generations beyond, but it is not bad for 2D (and will do a few things in 3D too, with the closed source drivers). Socket-A is now typically $50 Sempron (S462) as well as ultra-low power Geode NX (which are $100+), although Duron is an option that starts at $25. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16856153005 From dmckenna at thelimucompany.com Thu Oct 5 09:28:40 2006 From: dmckenna at thelimucompany.com (Damien McKenna) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Core2Duo-compatible mobos comparable to nForce 61x0-based? Message-ID: <7DA0D951-0FC9-4BD3-BF44-D29CB8B33480@thelimucompany.com> Does anyone know of a Core2Duo-compatible motherboard (or at least the chipset) that is comparable in terms of functionality to the nForce 61x0-based Athlon motherboards? Thanks. -- Damien McKenna - Web Developer - dmckenna@thelimucompany.com The Limu Company - http://www.thelimucompany.com/ - 407-804-1014 #include From thebs413 at gmail.com Thu Oct 5 11:45:24 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Core2Duo-compatible mobos comparable to nForce 61x0-based? -- no volume = no interest Message-ID: Damien McKenna wrote: > Does anyone know of a Core2Duo-compatible motherboard (or at least > the chipset) that is comparable in terms of functionality to the > nForce 61x0-based Athlon motherboards? Thanks. Nope. You see, Intel is the 800lbs. gorilla that sells the complete solution -- chipset with IGP (Integrated GPu) and processor. As we all know, the i9xx _sucks_ in comparison to even the _worst_ of the NV4x series, and even the combination chipset-IGP + CPU is a lost cause with Intel. So due to the lack of volume, both ATI and nVidia limit their developments for Intel. IGP chipsets are virtually non-existent right now, with only a few non-IGP offerings. Although nVidia does offer the nForce 500 series in Intel flavors, none of the 500 series offers an IGP. Which means you either have to add a cheap 6200/7300LE for $30-40, or just "suck it up" with i9xx graphics. ;-> Furthermore, with AMD owning ATI now, it's extremely doubtful ATI will design any new Intel chipsets. There will be some limited offerings and that's it. nVidia looks like they may be releasing a very inexpensive, single-IC chipset for both AMD and Intel soon. A really stripped down G7x (GeForce 7100?) with either no external PCIe option, or only 11-12 PCIe lanes -- 8 for an external PCIe video. From thebs413 at gmail.com Thu Oct 5 11:52:13 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Re: Core2Duo-compatible mobos comparable to nForce 61x0-based? -- no volume = no interest In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: On 10/5/06, Bryan J. Smith wrote: > So due to the lack of volume, both ATI and nVidia limit their > developments for Intel. IGP chipsets are virtually non-existent right > now, with only a few non-IGP offerings. Although nVidia does offer > the nForce 500 series in Intel flavors, none of the 500 series offers > an IGP. > Which means you either have to add a cheap 6200/7300LE for $30-40, or > just "suck it up" with i9xx graphics. ;-> I just checked. No ATI Xpress 200 chipset seems to be available with Core support. It's already a lackluster chipset (with endless Linux incompatibilities on the SB4xx), and it seems like every mainboard manufacturer is waiting for a newer ATI offering. From thebs413 at gmail.com Thu Oct 5 11:59:05 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] nVidia G80 begins with 8800GTX and GTS ... Message-ID: nVidia is reviving the old "GTS" moniker instead of the "GT" for the G80, something not seen since the NV1x (GeForce2). Details on the devices are in these two articles: http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=4441 http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=4442 It's clear the engines in the G8x series are more revolutionary than evolutionary -- probably the first major change since the NV3x (GeForce FX) which the NV4x (GeForce 6) and G7x (GeForce 7) evolved from. As such, performance might not be as superior out-the-gate -- at least not for the clocks involved -- and it will probably be the G9x in late 2007 or 2008 that will refine the tweaks. Let alone that's before we consider the power-use v. performance at current feature sizes, resulting die and raw power hunger in the G8x. From thebs413 at gmail.com Thu Oct 5 12:05:30 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Re: nVidia G80 begins with 8800GTX and GTS ... more on physics Message-ID: On 10/5/06, Bryan J. Smith wrote: > nVidia is reviving the old "GTS" moniker instead of the "GT" for the > G80, something not seen since the NV1x (GeForce2). > Details on the devices are in these two articles: > http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=4441 > http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=4442 http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=4444 From thebs413 at gmail.com Thu Oct 5 15:36:33 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Re: Ultra ATX Mid-Tower for $39.99 shipped - $30 rebate ... Review? Message-ID: On Wed, Sep 27, Teeemmmaaaay! wrote: > The nice FedEx man is supposed to drop one of these off today > according to the tracking info. I'll report back once it shows. Hey Tim, you gotta an update on this? Good? Bad? Radio Crap? From thebs413 at gmail.com Thu Oct 5 16:45:21 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] 20" monitors Message-ID: Homer wrote: > Are 20 inch LCD monitors worth the extra cost? Depends on the brand, model, etc... Widescreen (~16:10 aspect) is typically more costly than standard (~4:3 aspect). Most 20-21" LCDs are widescreen, whereas most 17-19" LCDs are standard. A new crop of 19" LCD widescreens are becoming available though. 2 years ago I bought my wife the Dell 2005FPW 20.1" widescreen LCD for $600. It has a resolution of 1680x1050. She loves it more than any other monitor. On my desk, I have two (2) standard Sceptre X9g series 19" LCDs. They have resolutions of 1200x1024 each. > If so, what are the primary considerations to be concerned with in the > spec's? Most 17-19" standard LCDs have a resolution of 1280x1024 (near 4:3). A few cheaper 17" standard LCDs, and all 15" LCDs, offer only 1024x768 (4:3). Most 20-21" widescreen LCDs have a resolution of 1680x1050 (16:10). Newer 19" widescreen LCDs have a resolution of 1440x900 (16:10). There are also costly 21-22" standard LCDs with resolutions of 1600x1200 (4:3). They are nice because you can perfectly downgrade to 800x600 res (1/4th). Even more costly are 23-34" widescreen LCDs with resolutions of 1920x1200 (16:10). Anything bigger is either a "TV" (only 1280x720-1366x768 and not very sharp), or a very expensive 30" widescreen LCD with 2560x1600 (16:10). > Are there any best choice (of any size) that should be considered? First off, when you go LCD, you _want_ DVI. That means a DVI output video card with a DVI input LCD panel. As long as you don't go higher than 1920x1200, you don't need a dual-link DVI output. Secondly, it really all depends on what _you_ want. You should go to the store and inspect ... 19" standard LCDs at 1280x1024 that start below $200. 19" or 20" widescreen LCDs at 1440x900 to 1680x1050 that start at $200. Unless you are buying a cheap 15" or 17", you want DVI. But even 19" standard LCDs with DVI can be had for as low as $100 after rebate at times. > Any input on your latest research would be welcomed. I like portable LCDs. For that, Dell FP/FPW models are the absolute worst (they have heavy bases for their rotatable panels), and Sceptre X9g (and similar designs) with folding basis (you never remove/assemble). From thebs413 at gmail.com Thu Oct 5 16:52:59 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Re: 20" monitors -- Check DealNews for regular special offers ... Message-ID: On 10/5/06, Bryan J. Smith wrote: > Most 17-19" standard LCDs have a resolution of 1280x1024 (near 4:3). > A few cheaper 17" standard LCDs, and all 15" LCDs, offer only 1024x768 (4:3). > Most 20-21" widescreen LCDs have a resolution of 1680x1050 (16:10). > Newer 19" widescreen LCDs have a resolution of 1440x900 (16:10). > ... > First off, when you go LCD, you _want_ DVI. That means a DVI output > video card with a DVI input LCD panel. > ... > 19" standard LCDs at 1280x1024 that start below $200. > 19" or 20" widescreen LCDs at 1440x900 to 1680x1050 that start at $200. Check DealNews for regular special offers. I spent $199, $99 after rebate, on my last 19" LCD acquisition. http://dealnews.com/categories/Computer/Peripherals/Monitors/Flat-Panel-LCDs/76.html?showall=1 BTW, anything 25ms refresh rate or better refresh is fine for normal desktop usage -- that's virtually everything today. Anything 16ms or better is definitely fine for movie watching or gaming, which is almost everything today as well. From dmckenna at thelimucompany.com Thu Oct 5 17:15:07 2006 From: dmckenna at thelimucompany.com (Damien McKenna) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] 20" monitors In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <7891A46C-0439-443B-B986-D0C565056520@thelimucompany.com> On Oct 5, 2006, at 4:45 PM, Bryan J. Smith wrote: > 19" standard LCDs at 1280x1024 that start below $200. We got some recently at work: http://www.mc-kenna.com/articles/19-widescreen-monitors-are-awesome/ > Unless you are buying a cheap 15" or 17", you want DVI. The savings to not have it on new 15" or 17" LCDs is negligible so its worth making sure you get it. -- Damien McKenna - Web Developer - dmckenna@thelimucompany.com The Limu Company - http://www.thelimucompany.com/ - 407-804-1014 #include From thebs413 at gmail.com Thu Oct 5 17:21:46 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] 20" monitors Message-ID: Damien McKenna wrote: > The savings to not have it on new 15" or 17" LCDs is negligible so > its worth making sure you get it. And that's why I not only wrote the first statement you quoted, but immediately followed with ... 'Unless you are buying a cheap 15" or 17", you want DVI. But even 19" standard LCDs with DVI can be had for as low as $100 after rebate at times.' It used to be you could find 15" or even 17" for under $100 after rebate, but you had to give up DVI. Nowdays you can find 19" with DVI for under $150, if not $100. My wife has been DVI for almost 4 years and I've been DVI for nearly 3. There's nothing like it. Both ATI and nVidia are pretty much making dual-link DVI standard on their nexgen (R6xx and G8x, respectively), so there's virtually no resolution you can't do -- even with $1,000+ LCDs. From whittake at sbaflorida.com Thu Oct 5 19:35:07 2006 From: whittake at sbaflorida.com (Homer Whittaker) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] 20" monitors In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <452596AB.9010801@sbaflorida.com> Bryan J. Smith wrote: > Homer wrote: >> Are 20 inch LCD monitors worth the extra cost? > > Depends on the brand, model, etc... > > Widescreen (~16:10 aspect) is typically more costly than standard > (~4:3 aspect). > Most 20-21" LCDs are widescreen, whereas most 17-19" LCDs are standard. > A new crop of 19" LCD widescreens are becoming available though. > > 2 years ago I bought my wife the Dell 2005FPW 20.1" widescreen LCD for > $600. > It has a resolution of 1680x1050. She loves it more than any other > monitor. /I have been looking at that model. It appears to have some of the best specs around. Sorry to tell you that the price is now $365 delivered, oh well :-$ / > > On my desk, I have two (2) standard Sceptre X9g series 19" LCDs. > They have resolutions of 1200x1024 each. The Sceptre 20.1 inch has 1680x1050, response 8ms, brightness 300cd/m2, pitch o.25 and contrast 800:1. The cost is $269. So, which one is the best buy? > >> If so, what are the primary considerations to be concerned with in the >> spec's? > > Most 17-19" standard LCDs have a resolution of 1280x1024 (near 4:3). > A few cheaper 17" standard LCDs, and all 15" LCDs, offer only 1024x768 > (4:3). > > Most 20-21" widescreen LCDs have a resolution of 1680x1050 (16:10). > Newer 19" widescreen LCDs have a resolution of 1440x900 (16:10). > > There are also costly 21-22" standard LCDs with resolutions of > 1600x1200 (4:3). > They are nice because you can perfectly downgrade to 800x600 res (1/4th). > > Even more costly are 23-34" widescreen LCDs with resolutions of > 1920x1200 (16:10). > Anything bigger is either a "TV" (only 1280x720-1366x768 and not very > sharp), or a very expensive 30" widescreen LCD with 2560x1600 (16:10). > >> Are there any best choice (of any size) that should be considered? > > First off, when you go LCD, you _want_ DVI. That means a DVI output > video card with a DVI input LCD panel. As long as you don't go higher > than 1920x1200, you don't need a dual-link DVI output. > > Secondly, it really all depends on what _you_ want. You should go to > the store and inspect ... > > 19" standard LCDs at 1280x1024 that start below $200. > 19" or 20" widescreen LCDs at 1440x900 to 1680x1050 that start at $200. > > Unless you are buying a cheap 15" or 17", you want DVI. But even 19" > standard LCDs with DVI can be had for as low as $100 after rebate at > times. > >> Any input on your latest research would be welcomed. > > I like portable LCDs. For that, Dell FP/FPW models are the absolute > worst (they have heavy bases for their rotatable panels), and Sceptre > X9g (and similar designs) with folding basis (you never > remove/assemble). > _______________________________________________ > Pc_support mailing list > Pc_support@matrixlist.com > http://lists.matrixlist.com/mailman/listinfo/pc_support > From whittake at sbaflorida.com Thu Oct 5 19:42:35 2006 From: whittake at sbaflorida.com (Homer Whittaker) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] 20" monitors In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <4525986B.2000900@sbaflorida.com> Bryan J. Smith wrote: > > > My wife has been DVI for almost 4 years and I've been DVI for nearly > 3. There's nothing like it. Both ATI and nVidia are pretty much > making dual-link DVI standard on their nexgen (R6xx and G8x, > respectively), so there's virtually no resolution you can't do -- even > with $1,000+ LCDs. So are you saying that NON-Gammer's should spring for one of these new dual-link DVI nVidia cards for the few dollars extra? The do all resolution sounds very attractive to me! Homer > > _______________________________________________ > Pc_support mailing list > Pc_support@matrixlist.com > http://lists.matrixlist.com/mailman/listinfo/pc_support > From b.j.smith at ieee.org Thu Oct 5 22:47:13 2006 From: b.j.smith at ieee.org (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] 20" monitors In-Reply-To: <452596AB.9010801@sbaflorida.com> References: <452596AB.9010801@sbaflorida.com> Message-ID: <1160102833.2923.10.camel@bert64.oviedo.smithconcepts.com> On Thu, 2006-10-05 at 19:35 -0400, Homer Whittaker wrote: > The Sceptre 20.1 inch has 1680x1050, response 8ms, brightness 300cd/m2, > pitch o.25 and contrast 800:1. > The cost is $269. So, which one is the best buy? The Dell isn't worth the cost. I only bought it because 2 years ago, it was one of the few widescreens available. Everyone seems to like the Sceptre's X20G 1680x1050 widescreens. You can get them for as little as $220 after rebate sometimes. If you don't mind going down an inch, the Sceptre X9WG 1440x900 are liked as well for $50 less. -- Bryan J. Smith Professional, technical annoyance mailto:b.j.smith@ieee.org http://thebs413.blogspot.com --------------------------------------------------------- The world is in need of solutions. Unfortunately, people seem to be more interested in blindly aligning themselves with one of only two viewponts -- an "us v. them" debate that has nothing to do with finding an actual solution. From b.j.smith at ieee.org Thu Oct 5 22:51:46 2006 From: b.j.smith at ieee.org (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] 20" monitors In-Reply-To: <4525986B.2000900@sbaflorida.com> References: <4525986B.2000900@sbaflorida.com> Message-ID: <1160103106.2923.15.camel@bert64.oviedo.smithconcepts.com> On Thu, 2006-10-05 at 19:42 -0400, Homer Whittaker wrote: > So are you saying that NON-Gammer's should spring for one of these new > dual-link DVI nVidia cards for the few dollars extra? _Everyone_ should go DVI if they go LCD. No more dorking with positioning, no more misaligned pixels, etc... And you only need _single_ link (original) DVI. It supports up to 1600x1200 (4:3) or 1920x1200 (16:10). > The do all resolution sounds very attractive to me! I think you mis-read what I said. First off, understand DVI is a _digital_ connector. VGA (mini-DB15) is an analog. There are limits to what the DVI can push through -- around 6MHz of updates or around 1920x1200 (60Hz). It's not like analog where you merely get "interference" or "artifacts" on-screen at higher bandwidth. Secondly, you _only_ need a dual-link DVI for higher resolution -- basically what a $1,500+ 30" LCD that does 2560x1600. For what you're going to buy, you don't need it. BTW, dual-link DVI has the same connector as single-link DVI, but a second set of lines are active. -- Bryan J. Smith Professional, technical annoyance mailto:b.j.smith@ieee.org http://thebs413.blogspot.com --------------------------------------------------------- The world is in need of solutions. Unfortunately, people seem to be more interested in blindly aligning themselves with one of only two viewponts -- an "us v. them" debate that has nothing to do with finding an actual solution. From thebs413 at gmail.com Fri Oct 6 09:19:34 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:06 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Wikipedia: DVI Connector and Specification Message-ID: For more on DVI, see the excellent Wikipedia page, namely the Connector section: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVI#Connector Most video cards today are Single Link DVI-I, meaning they can send either digital or analog signal. The analog "RGB" is located in the "plus" portion. Most LCD displays are Single Link DVI-D, meaning they can only accept a digital signal. But the majority also have a mini-DB15 (VGA) in, which can handle analog. Again, a few video cards lack the analog RAMDAC for analog or, more likely, lack dual-RAMDACs, so their DVI connector is only a DVI-D. E.g., again, the GeForce 61xx series of GPUs are commonly implemented with only a single RAMDAC, so if there is both a mini-DB15 (VGA) and 24-pin (DVI), the latter is only a DVI-D and not a DVI-I (as the RAMDAC is only connected to the former). Also note the Specification section: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVI#Specifications It lays out the maximum data transfer rate (DTR) of single link (3.7Gbps) and dual link (7.4Gbps). I believe the physical, analog maximum is around 6GHz given the gage of the wire, hence these limitations. From thebs413 at gmail.com Fri Oct 6 11:54:26 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] ViA C3 for IPCop? Yes/no? Message-ID: I've noted NewEgg has been selling a nice 7" x 11" x 12" mini-tower with the ultra low-power (sub-10W) Via C3 800MHz -- 165W PS and CD/floppy included -- for $100: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833156171 My Pentium isn't cutting it for IPCop, especially not with the new Snort rulesets and OpenVPN (forget enabling Squid), and I was considering just using one of my existing S754/939 MIcroATX near-SFF (9" x 11" x 14") or buying one of those $110 Socket-A SFF (7.5" x 8" x 12") units. But those solutions would definitely eat up 2-3x as much power -- e.g., even the older Duron Applebred is 50+W. I'd rather go with something lower power and very quiet (like the current Pentium NLX solution I have). I thought the C3 would be a good option, but then I saw this thread: http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1053648 I think the guy made a poor hard drive choice and other issues, but then again, it could be the C3. I'd like to enable Squid (and get it off my main file server) on this unit, as well as Snort and OpenVPN. Is anyone else using IPCop with a ViA C3? From thebs413 at gmail.com Fri Oct 6 11:58:58 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Re: ViA C3 for IPCop? Yes/no? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: On 10/6/06, Bryan J. Smith wrote: > ... I was considering just using one of my existing S754/939 MIcroATX > near-SFF (9" x 11" x 14") or buying one of those $110 Socket-A SFF > (7.5" x 8" x 12") units. But those solutions would definitely eat up 2-3x > as much power -- e.g., even the older Duron Applebred is 50+W. I'd > rather go with something lower power and very quiet (like the current > Pentium NLX solution I have). Of course, there are the Geode NX products that use 6-14W: http://www.amd.com/us-en/ConnectivitySolutions/ProductInformation/0,,50_2330_9863_10837%5E10858,00.html I just can't find them CPU-only. If I could, I'd buy them instead. From thebs413 at gmail.com Fri Oct 6 14:02:29 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Re: ViA C3 for IPCop? Yes/no? -- ViA C3/C7 v. AMD Geode NX ... Message-ID: On 10/6/06, Bryan J. Smith wrote: > Of course, there are the Geode NX products that use 6-14W: > http://www.amd.com/us-en/ConnectivitySolutions/ProductInformation/0,,50_2330_9863_10837%5E10858,00.html > I just can't find them CPU-only. If I could, I'd buy them instead. I found some ALU, Multimedia and Memory benchmarks comparing the ViA C3 1.0-1.3GHz, VT-310 (dual-processor C3) and ViA C7 1.5GHz and versus the AMD Geode NX 1.0GHz (NX1500 -- essentially a low-power Athlon Model 10 128+256KiB L1+L2) here: http://www.epiacenter.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=88&page=4 AMD rates the Geode NX versus the ViA solutions, and AMD is still being way too conservative! The "1500" (1.0GHz) _roasts_ the ViA C7 1.5GHz. I guess someone wasn't kidding when they said the 500MHz C3 is slower than a 266MHz Pentium II. I've been using 400MHz C3s in embedded but they were only doing basic networking. I still can't find the AMD Geode NX on its own, much less the fanless 1250/1500 models (667MHz/1.0GHz) models that use 1.0-1.1V. I can only find the Geode NX 1750 (1.4GHz) model that uses 1.25V in MicroATX (I thought I saw a MicroATX too) form-factors. Although at 1.25V, it probably works in any modern Socket-A (462) mainboard. And I guess I could always try under-clocking/under-volting. I'm tempted to buy that nForce2 IGP SFF and a PCChips board (which is essentially the Geode NX1750 reference MicroATX mainboard with the SiS741GX chipset) and moving the processor. From hescominsoon at emmanuelcomputerconsulting.com Fri Oct 6 18:26:52 2006 From: hescominsoon at emmanuelcomputerconsulting.com (William Warren) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] ViA C3 for IPCop? Yes/no? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <4526D82C.9030108@emmanuelcomputerconsulting.com> squid isn't Cpu intensive..only Dansguardian..however snort IS cpu intensive. HOw much ram is in the box? the 800 mhz c3's have equivalent FP performance of 400mhz p-2's so keep that in mind when delaing with something like DG or snort. Bryan J. Smith wrote: > I've noted NewEgg has been selling a nice 7" x 11" x 12" mini-tower > with the ultra low-power (sub-10W) Via C3 800MHz -- 165W PS and > CD/floppy included -- for $100: > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833156171 > > My Pentium isn't cutting it for IPCop, especially not with the new > Snort rulesets and OpenVPN (forget enabling Squid), and I was > considering just using one of my existing S754/939 MIcroATX near-SFF > (9" x 11" x 14") or buying one of those $110 Socket-A SFF (7.5" x 8" x > 12") units. But those solutions would definitely eat up 2-3x as much > power -- e.g., even the older Duron Applebred is 50+W. I'd rather go > with something lower power and very quiet (like the current Pentium > NLX solution I have). > > I thought the C3 would be a good option, but then I saw this thread: > http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1053648 > > I think the guy made a poor hard drive choice and other issues, but > then again, it could be the C3. I'd like to enable Squid (and get it > off my main file server) on this unit, as well as Snort and OpenVPN. > Is anyone else using IPCop with a ViA C3? > _______________________________________________ > Pc_support mailing list > Pc_support@matrixlist.com > http://lists.matrixlist.com/mailman/listinfo/pc_support > -- My "Foundation" verse: Isa 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. -- carpe ductum -- "Grab the tape" CDTT (Certified Duct Tape Technician) Linux user #322099 Machines: 206822 256638 276825 http://counter.li.org/ From b.j.smith at ieee.org Sat Oct 7 04:55:11 2006 From: b.j.smith at ieee.org (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] ViA C3 for IPCop? Yes/no? In-Reply-To: <4526D82C.9030108@emmanuelcomputerconsulting.com> References: <4526D82C.9030108@emmanuelcomputerconsulting.com> Message-ID: <1160211311.3020.35.camel@bert64.oviedo.smithconcepts.com> On Fri, 2006-10-06 at 18:26 -0400, William Warren wrote: > squid isn't Cpu intensive..only Dansguardian..however snort IS cpu > intensive. HOw much ram is in the box? the 800 mhz c3's have > equivalent FP performance of 400mhz p-2's so keep that in mind when > delaing with something like DG or snort. Actually, the FPU is worse than that in my experience. I used to think the ALU was comparable, but I guess not either. But the FPU wouldn't be used for any caching -- unless the developers really didn't know what they were doing (which is not always uncommon as one might assume ;-). -- Bryan J. Smith Professional, technical annoyance mailto:b.j.smith@ieee.org http://thebs413.blogspot.com --------------------------------------------------------- The world is in need of solutions. Unfortunately, people seem to be more interested in blindly aligning themselves with one of only two viewponts -- an "us v. them" debate that has nothing to do with finding an actual solution. From hescominsoon at emmanuelcomputerconsulting.com Sat Oct 7 07:48:01 2006 From: hescominsoon at emmanuelcomputerconsulting.com (William Warren) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] ViA C3 for IPCop? Yes/no? In-Reply-To: <1160211311.3020.35.camel@bert64.oviedo.smithconcepts.com> References: <4526D82C.9030108@emmanuelcomputerconsulting.com> <1160211311.3020.35.camel@bert64.oviedo.smithconcepts.com> Message-ID: <452793F1.1070005@emmanuelcomputerconsulting.com> FPU is hammered due to the packet analysis of snort. Also the data analysis Dansguardian does is also very FPU intensive. As i said squid isn't cpu intensive at all..the other two(dansguardian and snort) are highly fpu intensive. Bryan J. Smith wrote: > On Fri, 2006-10-06 at 18:26 -0400, William Warren wrote: >> squid isn't Cpu intensive..only Dansguardian..however snort IS cpu >> intensive. HOw much ram is in the box? the 800 mhz c3's have >> equivalent FP performance of 400mhz p-2's so keep that in mind when >> delaing with something like DG or snort. > > Actually, the FPU is worse than that in my experience. I used to think > the ALU was comparable, but I guess not either. But the FPU wouldn't be > used for any caching -- unless the developers really didn't know what > they were doing (which is not always uncommon as one might assume ;-). > > -- My "Foundation" verse: Isa 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. -- carpe ductum -- "Grab the tape" CDTT (Certified Duct Tape Technician) Linux user #322099 Machines: 206822 256638 276825 http://counter.li.org/ From pc_support at thingbuilder.com Sat Oct 7 19:02:51 2006 From: pc_support at thingbuilder.com (BBBB) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Streaming Video over LAN to Browser. Message-ID: <001b01c6ea64$b721c270$4c01a8c0@dvdburner> I am looking for suggestions for streaming video on an office LAN. This is for a studio that produces TV commercials. The idea would be that the client/agency/producers/etc, would be able to see what is going on in the studio without being in direct sight of a video monitor. (they are usually in front of a computer screen) I have VLC streaming but I haven't been able to get it to open a Firefox plugin. It will only open with the VLC player. I am still working on VLC and may get it working. Everyone will have a browser on their laptop or desktop. (About 50/50 Mac and Windows.) I will have a composite video signal for input. If anyone has had good or bad experience with this type of setup, I would really like to get your input and suggestions. Thanks, Bradley From tim at mcdonough.net Sat Oct 7 22:50:12 2006 From: tim at mcdonough.net (Tim McDonough) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Re: Ultra ATX Mid-Tower for $39.99 shipped - $30 rebate ... Review? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <45286764.9090302@mcdonough.net> Bryan J. Smith wrote: > On Wed, Sep 27, Teeemmmaaaay! wrote: >> The nice FedEx man is supposed to drop one of these off today >> according to the tracking info. I'll report back once it shows. > > Hey Tim, you gotta an update on this? > Good? Bad? Radio Crap? > Apologies to the list. It was delivered while I was finishing things up for work and then my wife and I went and vacationed in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee for a week -- 7 days with no email and extremely little cell phone service. Nice! I have not used the case at this point. The metal framework is nicely constructed and does not seem flimsy in any way. Finish on the plastic pieces is nice and every thing fits together very well. A nice bonus in my opinion is a front panel firewire and USB connector tucked away behind a small door. Lots of space for mounting things and room to work for folks like me with big hands. The case has more of a professional/industrial look to it than some others I've seen at low sale prices. I like artistic stuff as much as the next guy but I just don't care for a lot of the newer cases with clear sides, lighting that does nothing useful, and gaudy color schemes. If they run a similar sale again I'll but another. I don't know what I'm going to build with the case yet. I like computers that ideally I cannot hear. I need to research power supplies and very quiet fans. Tim From thebs413 at gmail.com Sat Oct 7 22:52:09 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] ViA C3 for IPCop? Yes/no? -- ALU v. FPU usage ... Message-ID: [ Hmmm, my original post didn't make it to the list? ] William Warren wrote: > FPU is hammered due to the packet analysis of snort. Also the data > analysis Dansguardian does is also very FPU intensive. As i said squid > isn't cpu intensive at all..the other two(dansguardian and snort) are > highly fpu intensive. I don't see how/why the FPU would ever be used at all? I don't see any floating point need at all, and it would be a lot slower than integer. In fact, the software wouldn't run at all (or require software emulation) on virtually all microcontrollers -- even Intel's XScale IXP (communication I/O processors). The only remote usage I see is to leverage some integer SSE instructions using the 128-bit XMM registers of the Athlon XP and later units, which are microcoded to leverage its 3-issue FPU. Intel processors (at least P3/P4) have dedicated SSE pipes for such. Nearly all, 45 of 47 instructions, of MMX do integer transforms as well. The only legacy FPU hack I know of was for the defective ALU load in the original, 2-issue ALU of the original Pentium. Pentium Pro on-ward corrected that (and was largely a completely different design from the Pentium). So this doesn't make sense at all. I guess I should look at the code to see for myself -- possibly disassemble to ensure no FPU opcodes are used at all. I bet it's only limited, integer MMX/SSE. From thebs413 at gmail.com Sat Oct 7 23:38:03 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] JetWay J7F3 Mini-ITX w/DaughterCard option ... Message-ID: Found this cool Mini-ITX Socket-A platform for the Geode NX: http://www.jetway.com.tw/jetway/system/productshow2.asp?id=258 Supposedly it is under $200 with Geode NX CPU. But even cooler is its daughtercard options, like this $50 tripple GbE LAN: http://www.jetway.com.tw/jetway/system/productshow2.asp?id=271 Can't find a US distributor, but here's a British one: http://linitx.com/product_info.php?cPath=12_145&products_id=1085 http://linitx.com/product_info.php?cPath=12_138&products_id=1116 Not a great GbE NIC, but for a basic 'Ritter, it'll do quite nicely. From work at sprynet.com Sat Oct 7 23:42:58 2006 From: work at sprynet.com (John Hayden) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Streaming Video over LAN to Browser. In-Reply-To: <001b01c6ea64$b721c270$4c01a8c0@dvdburner> Message-ID: All I could suggest is shout cast J.T. Hayden KG4BFJ 1419 Oregon Ave. St. Cloud, FL. 34769 Home/Office - 407.891.1835 office/mobile - 407.922.3091 -----Original Message----- From: pc_support-bounces@matrixlist.com [mailto:pc_support-bounces@matrixlist.com] On Behalf Of BBBB Sent: Saturday, October 07, 2006 19:03 To: This is the PC Support list. Subject: [Pc_Support] Streaming Video over LAN to Browser. I am looking for suggestions for streaming video on an office LAN. This is for a studio that produces TV commercials. The idea would be that the client/agency/producers/etc, would be able to see what is going on in the studio without being in direct sight of a video monitor. (they are usually in front of a computer screen) I have VLC streaming but I haven't been able to get it to open a Firefox plugin. It will only open with the VLC player. I am still working on VLC and may get it working. Everyone will have a browser on their laptop or desktop. (About 50/50 Mac and Windows.) I will have a composite video signal for input. If anyone has had good or bad experience with this type of setup, I would really like to get your input and suggestions. Thanks, Bradley _______________________________________________ Pc_support mailing list Pc_support@matrixlist.com http://lists.matrixlist.com/mailman/listinfo/pc_support -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: smime.p7s Type: application/x-pkcs7-signature Size: 4483 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://lists.matrixlist.com/pipermail/pc_support/attachments/20061007/33615281/smime.bin From thebs413 at gmail.com Sat Oct 7 23:46:28 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Re: Ultra ATX Mid-Tower for $39.99 shipped - $30 rebate ... Review? Message-ID: Tim McDonough wrote: > Apologies to the list. It was delivered while I was finishing things > up for work and then my wife and I went and vacationed in the Smokey > Mountains of Tennessee for a week -- 7 days with no email and > extremely little cell phone service. Nice! It's always good to get away. My wife and I did the Smokeies earlier in the year to "get away from it all" and "disconnect," totally leave the notebooks behind. When we go to the Florida Keys, we bring our notebooks. It all depends. > I have not used the case at this point. The metal framework is nicely > constructed and does not seem flimsy in any way. Finish on the plastic > pieces is nice and every thing fits together very well. A nice bonus > in my opinion is a front panel firewire and USB connector tucked away > behind a small door. Lots of space for mounting things and room to > work for folks like me with big hands. It's always nice when FireWire is included on the front in addition to USB. > The case has more of a professional/industrial look to it than some > others I've seen at low sale prices. I like artistic stuff as much as > the next guy but I just don't care for a lot of the newer cases with > clear sides, lighting that does nothing useful, and gaudy color schemes. Same here. Thanx for the update! From pc_support at thingbuilder.com Sat Oct 7 23:59:43 2006 From: pc_support at thingbuilder.com (BBBB) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Streaming Video over LAN to Browser. References: Message-ID: <003701c6ea8e$2ff07060$4c01a8c0@dvdburner> ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Hayden" To: "'This is the PC Support list.'" Sent: Saturday, October 07, 2006 10:42 PM Subject: RE: [Pc_Support] Streaming Video over LAN to Browser. All I could suggest is shout cast J.T. Hayden Thanks. It looks like Shoutcast is only audio unless I have missed something. Bradley > _______________________________________________ > Pc_support mailing list > Pc_support@matrixlist.com > http://lists.matrixlist.com/mailman/listinfo/pc_support > From thebs413 at gmail.com Sat Oct 7 23:59:05 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Geode NX Voltage ID, Specifications, Socket Modfication, etc... Message-ID: I found an expert on the Geode NX here: http://fab51.com/mobile/tbred/geode_nx-e12.html In a nutshell, the Geode NX uses the same "Mobile" Voltage ID as the Athlon XP-Mobile (XP-M). Now it all makes sense. So the key is to get a mainboard that supports manual modification of the voltage, or possibly modify the mainboard physically yourself. I still can't find someone that sells the Geode NX CPU on its own. Oh well. From thebs413 at gmail.com Sun Oct 8 02:16:15 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] AMD S939 Athlon 3400+ with nForce4/Ultra mainboard for $110 ... Message-ID: Not a bad combination for the price, if you're in the market for a full ATX mainboard+CPU upgrade: http://dealnews.com/deals/AMD-Athlon-64-3400-2-2-GHz-Processor-motherboard-for-110-shipped/135308.html Processor page at NewEgg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103023 Mainboard option pages at NewEgg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813135003 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813138248 I'd opt for the ECS, the Biostar is getting poor reviews. From thebs413 at gmail.com Mon Oct 9 14:27:38 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Microsoft still caters to people who write letters, not books ... Message-ID: The New York Times had an article today about the current bug squashing status in both Microsoft Windows Vista and Office 2007. RE: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/09/technology/09vista.html In reality, let's fact it, the two products are still designed for people who write letters, not books much less have serious document and factory-floor product backends. Working a several large, but still American industry powerhouses myself, Office on the factory floor is still very much a _joke_ and has 0% automation. One of my favorite quotes was at the very end ... "If you look at the mean time to crash for most Office customers, it's very high," he [Ben Canning] said. "There is a small minority that crash all the time, and they hate us, and we want to help." Can I get a "bullshit"?! Mr. Canning knows, as everyone else who attempts to use MS Word in a _production_ environment knows, that MS Office -- through 11 (2003) -- is a letter writing program. It has _no_ strict, internal documentation typset or language, and compounds meta-data upon meta-data as you mark-up text with_out_ any "clean up." As a result, as you use more sectioning, figures, tables and other meta-data-filled objects, they compound and compound upon one another. MS Word slows to a crawl and, at some point, Windows itself will detect it is "unresponsive." People like to say it's memory leaks but it's not. It's the result of the meta-data of objects in the document applied over and over without any control. Until MS Word is fundamentally changed from its "letter writing" aspect to a _true_ documentation system, this will not be solved. Mr. Canning knows it. Mr. Gates knows it. And God knows Microsoft's own, internal documentation team knows it -- because they do _not_ use MS Word. Because it was _never_ designed for such. Microsoft was supposed to really adopt a true documentation backend with XML for Office 12 (2007). But they said that for Office 11 (2003) as well, and what did we get? 0% XML for its own structure, only add-in/extensions for 3rd party. But the reality is that from what I've seen and read, Office 12 is _not_ a true back-end re-design, and the XML is still _not_ native or 1:1 to internal. It's in Microsoft's own benefit to make good on XML. Not because it will offer interoperability, but because XML -- or _any_ back-end documentation format -- will actually get Microsoft to "clean up" how it handles meta-data by dealing with tag layout, reformat and re-format / clean up. They haven't to date, and it's no better than your typical Javascript/Ajax HTML editor. Not something for writing books much less can be automated on a factory floor. At the most, you have to write a serious amount of code and other, _100%_external_ systems to "extract" from it via its "fat" client -- when it doesn't crash as a result. From wam at HiWAAY.net Mon Oct 9 15:16:51 2006 From: wam at HiWAAY.net (William A. Mahaffey III) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Microsoft still caters to people who write letters, not books ... In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <452AA023.40103@HiWAAY.net> Bryan J. Smith wrote: > The New York Times had an article today about the current bug > squashing status in both Microsoft Windows Vista and Office 2007. > RE: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/09/technology/09vista.html > > In reality, let's fact it, the two products are still designed for > people who write letters, not books much less have serious document > and factory-floor product backends. Working a several large, but > still American industry powerhouses myself, Office on the factory > floor is still very much a _joke_ and has 0% automation. > > One of my favorite quotes was at the very end ... > > "If you look at the mean time to crash for most Office customers, > it's > very high," he [Ben Canning] said. "There is a small minority that > crash all the time, and they hate us, and we want to help." > > Can I get a "bullshit"?! Mr. Canning knows, as everyone else who > attempts to use MS Word in a _production_ environment knows, that MS > Office -- through 11 (2003) -- is a letter writing program. OK: *BULLSHIT !!!!* -- William A. Mahaffey III ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "The M1 Garand is without doubt the finest implement of war ever devised by man." -- Gen. George S. Patton Jr. From b.j.smith at ieee.org Sat Oct 7 15:56:20 2006 From: b.j.smith at ieee.org (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Re: ViA C3 for IPCop? Yes/no? In-Reply-To: <452793F1.1070005@emmanuelcomputerconsulting.com> References: <4526D82C.9030108@emmanuelcomputerconsulting.com> <1160211311.3020.35.camel@bert64.oviedo.smithconcepts.com> <452793F1.1070005@emmanuelcomputerconsulting.com> Message-ID: <1160250980.3020.49.camel@bert64.oviedo.smithconcepts.com> On Sat, 2006-10-07 at 07:48 -0400, William Warren wrote: > FPU is hammered due to the packet analysis of snort. Also the data > analysis Dansguardian does is also very FPU intensive. As i said squid > isn't cpu intensive at all..the other two(dansguardian and snort) are > highly fpu intensive. Hmmm, why are they using the FPU? That just doesn't make sense to me. The only reason to use the FPU would be on the original Pentium (not Pro or later) because of its buggy ALU. I just have no idea where the FPU would be useful for what type of analysis. -- Bryan J. Smith Professional, technical annoyance mailto:b.j.smith@ieee.org http://thebs413.blogspot.com --------------------------------------------------------- The world is in need of solutions. Unfortunately, people seem to be more interested in blindly aligning themselves with one of only two viewponts -- an "us v. them" debate that has nothing to do with finding an actual solution. From b.j.smith at ieee.org Sat Oct 7 16:00:36 2006 From: b.j.smith at ieee.org (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Re: ViA C3 for IPCop? Yes/no? -- this still doens't make sense to me ... In-Reply-To: <1160250980.3020.49.camel@bert64.oviedo.smithconcepts.com> References: <4526D82C.9030108@emmanuelcomputerconsulting.com> <1160211311.3020.35.camel@bert64.oviedo.smithconcepts.com> <452793F1.1070005@emmanuelcomputerconsulting.com> <1160250980.3020.49.camel@bert64.oviedo.smithconcepts.com> Message-ID: <1160251236.3020.54.camel@bert64.oviedo.smithconcepts.com> On Sat, 2006-10-07 at 15:56 -0400, Bryan J. Smith wrote: > Hmmm, why are they using the FPU? That just doesn't make sense to me. > The only reason to use the FPU would be on the original Pentium (not Pro > or later) because of its buggy ALU. I just have no idea where the FPU > would be useful for what type of analysis. I guess the only time you'd use the FPU is if you were leveraging some SSE instructions on the Athlon/XP/64. They aren't floating-point operations, but actually 128-bit (4 x 32-bit) data integer matrix operations. In a Pentium III/4/Core, they will use dedicated SSE pipes (although Core might use its FPU too?), and only the Athlon uses its FPU. But that doesn't mean anything for Pentium II, Pro, Pentium, K6, pre-SSE microcoded Athlons -- let alone microcontrollers that _lack_ a FPU like Intel XScale, ARM, select MIPS, SH4, etc... I know Snort runs on them too. -- Bryan J. Smith Professional, technical annoyance mailto:b.j.smith@ieee.org http://thebs413.blogspot.com --------------------------------------------------------- The world is in need of solutions. Unfortunately, people seem to be more interested in blindly aligning themselves with one of only two viewponts -- an "us v. them" debate that has nothing to do with finding an actual solution. From dmckenna at thelimucompany.com Tue Oct 10 09:12:40 2006 From: dmckenna at thelimucompany.com (Damien McKenna) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Microsoft still caters to people who write letters, not books ... In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: On Oct 9, 2006, at 2:27 PM, Bryan J. Smith wrote: > Working a several large, but still American industry powerhouses > myself, > Office on the factory floor is still very much a _joke_ and has 0% > automation. So what do they use instead? And in what way is OOo any better? > "If you look at the mean time to crash for most Office customers, it's > very high," he [Ben Canning] said. "There is a small minority that > crash all the time, and they hate us, and we want to help." A text editor with shortcuts for embedded printer control strings would work better for many people. -- Damien McKenna - Web Developer - dmckenna@thelimucompany.com The Limu Company - http://www.thelimucompany.com/ - 407-804-1014 #include From b.j.smith at ieee.org Sun Oct 8 23:52:58 2006 From: b.j.smith at ieee.org (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Re: 20" monitors -- notebook v. standalone (desktop) LCD cost In-Reply-To: <7e3993190610082018qb5953f1ka63ad71252ec7759@mail.gmail.com> References: <20061005183010.f87e45e1.ozz@ozz.is-a-geek.net> <4525CF50.4030509@cfl.rr.com> <200610052202.35764.arodland@comcast.net> <1160210616.3020.22.camel@bert64.oviedo.smithconcepts.com> <7e3993190610082018qb5953f1ka63ad71252ec7759@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <1160365978.3133.22.camel@bert64.oviedo.smithconcepts.com> Excellent and far deeper insight! Thanx! [ CC'ing PC_Support ] On Sun, 2006-10-08 at 23:18 -0400, Randall Perry wrote: > Let's not forget that laptop LCD's are quite a bit dimmer than their > desktop/wallmounted counter parts. Also, the viewing angles are MUCH > better on our desktop LCD's in the house compared to any of my > laptops. > > I have done my fair share of rebuilding laptop LCD panels in the past > couple of years (had them shipped in from California to Georgia and > those inbetween). The construction is significatly different than > desktop LCD's > > In contrast to the desktop LCD's the CCFL's aren't as bright, the > inverters are cheap (especially on HP's). Like Bryan mentions---you > don't have to convert analog to digital. Heck one of my 17" LCD > panels also has RGB, Svideo, SVGA and a F-coax connector (and houses > speaksers and a cable tuner internally). Lots of stuff crammed in > there. > > Note that you also don't have to bundle a power supply for the > laptop(because the notebook already has a DC power source). > > Now outside of construction, let's consider other costs: > > A standalone LCD is a standalone product. It does NOT benefit from > 'bundling'. But, if that LCD were thrown in with a DVD player, > surround sound and FM tuner...you would see a 'discount' applied. > > Now take the FLIPside of that. Suppose you need an LCD for your 14" > notebook. Toshiba wants $400. Sony wants..well, it is too high to > mention. Check on ebay and get a used one for $120. $120??!! yep. > For just the LCD with no bezel, no inverter. Sure, you can just buy > a brand new notebook and strip it for parts. In fact, that is what > most of us do who resell screens and parts. It is much cheaper that > way. But isn't it frustrating that a new 17" can be bought complete > for under $100? > > It _USED_ to be that there were more laptops sold than standalone LCD > panels sold. > LCD prices were very high then. > Not anymore. Right now, the sales numbers are neck and neck. > In 2005, there is an estimation that over 100 million laptops were > sold worldwide in 2005. > According to DisplaySearch, 106.2 million LCDs were shipped in the > same time period. (in 2004 only around 70 million standalone LCDs were > sold). But that would explain the falling of LCD prices as more > manufacturers jump on board with more offerings. > > And as LCDs become the standard display to bundle with a new PC, we > will all benefit from better technology at lower prices. > -- Bryan J. Smith Professional, technical annoyance mailto:b.j.smith@ieee.org http://thebs413.blogspot.com --------------------------------------------------------- The world is in need of solutions. Unfortunately, people seem to be more interested in blindly aligning themselves with one of only two viewponts -- an "us v. them" debate that has nothing to do with finding an actual solution. From whittake at sbaflorida.com Tue Oct 10 13:08:22 2006 From: whittake at sbaflorida.com (Homer Whittaker) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: Do your own blog, Bryan (was "Re: [Pc_Support] AnandTech reviews the 7900GS (and I updated my blog last night) ...") In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <452BD386.4050308@sbaflorida.com> Bryan J. Smith wrote: > Damien McKenna wrote: >> Why not just do your own blog? Wouldn't take but seconds to install >> e.g. Wordpress, and many hosts have install programs to simplify it >> even further. Then you could be rid of the needless junk, and >> control your own data :-P > > Yeah, I've been too lazy to get a hosting provider. I still own a few > domains (lost a few others, long story). > > Anyone you recommend that could host Wordpress (is that what everyone > is running today? I did before! Try www.powweb.com. They have all the bells and whistles to make life easy for you. Homer > PHP-based I assume?)? Comments, suggestions, > etc... welcome. > _______________________________________________ > Pc_support mailing list > Pc_support@matrixlist.com > http://lists.matrixlist.com/mailman/listinfo/pc_support > From hescominsoon at emmanuelcomputerconsulting.com Tue Oct 10 20:18:05 2006 From: hescominsoon at emmanuelcomputerconsulting.com (William Warren) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: Do your own blog, Bryan (was "Re: [Pc_Support] AnandTech reviews the 7900GS (and I updated my blog last night) ...") In-Reply-To: <452BD386.4050308@sbaflorida.com> References: <452BD386.4050308@sbaflorida.com> Message-ID: <452C383D.5020903@emmanuelcomputerconsulting.com> actually read the fine print. They have just been bought out and now they have serious limits on everything from webserver connections to a limit on concurrent and total database queries. Homer Whittaker wrote: > > > Bryan J. Smith wrote: >> Damien McKenna wrote: >>> Why not just do your own blog? Wouldn't take but seconds to install >>> e.g. Wordpress, and many hosts have install programs to simplify it >>> even further. Then you could be rid of the needless junk, and >>> control your own data :-P >> >> Yeah, I've been too lazy to get a hosting provider. I still own a few >> domains (lost a few others, long story). >> >> Anyone you recommend that could host Wordpress (is that what everyone >> is running today? > I did before! Try www.powweb.com. They have all the bells and whistles > to make life easy for you. > Homer > > >> PHP-based I assume?)? Comments, suggestions, >> etc... welcome. >> _______________________________________________ >> Pc_support mailing list >> Pc_support@matrixlist.com >> http://lists.matrixlist.com/mailman/listinfo/pc_support >> > _______________________________________________ > Pc_support mailing list > Pc_support@matrixlist.com > http://lists.matrixlist.com/mailman/listinfo/pc_support > -- My "Foundation" verse: Isa 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. -- carpe ductum -- "Grab the tape" CDTT (Certified Duct Tape Technician) Linux user #322099 Machines: 206822 256638 276825 http://counter.li.org/ From thebs413 at gmail.com Tue Oct 10 21:04:48 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Microsoft still caters to people who write letters, not books ... In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Damien McKenna wrote: > So what do they use instead? A strictly defined and fully documented XML with namespace, schema, etc... Understand that Office 11 (2003) XML is not used for the documents themselves. It is only for integrating 3rd party XML and schema and is not used by Office itself. In other words, you have to be running the "fat" software to interact at all, using VBA. Especially for translators and templates -- they don't work outside of the "fat" software. Office 12 (2007) has much of the same limitations. Most of the continued complaints are due to the fact that you still have to run the "fat" software to access the namespace and schema via VBA, although there is a huge swell and push to get Microsoft to fully document them for external use. Especially since the translators and templates still rely on the "fat" software. I personally think the problem is due to the fact that Microsoft still hasn't made XML the true foundation, and it's non-native. We'll see. > And in what way is OOo any better? It's not OOo, but the OpenDoc XML standard from OASIS, sponsored by Boeing, Corel, Sun and others. It's been fully standardized for years now. Everything is a modular and standardized mark-up, with namespace and schema well-understood. Where applicable, select schema is based on existing W3C standards -- e.g., MathML for equations and formulas. Now that on its own isn't enough. Which brings me to 2 further points ... 1. The namespace and schema have countless translators. E.g., SGML and LaTeX have extensive translators to/from ODT, as do other, common (albeit subset) XML mark-ups such as DocBook XML. 2. Any and all possible code/libraries to use ODT are fully available as LGPL via OpenOffice.org. If you want to write an external application, you can link against those routines directly, without using the "fat" software. It's these two details that Microsoft will virtually _never_ provide, especially #2. Visual Studio for Microsoft Office is _not_ the same as #2, and it's a bloated, crash-happy POS -- even for Office 12 (2007). > A text editor with shortcuts for embedded printer control strings would work > better for many people. Or a text editor with a standard output language, like Postscript. But in reality, for writing letters, MS Word is not ideal either. It's better to use a lighter-weight "writer" program than not only MS Office, but even Open/StarWriter. And that's where the existing (and new) crop of ODT compatible software comes in. ;) Open/StarWriter isn't perfect, but it's a _true_ mark-up/typeset back-end thanx to ODT -- as is the rest of the OpenOffice.org/StarOffice suite. And anything that wants to do anything it does can leverage its LGPL libraries -- back-end processing, GUI, whatever and only exactly what it needs, with no bloat. From thebs413 at gmail.com Wed Oct 11 00:31:00 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] NEC promises two new, commodity chips in 2007 that handle both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray ... Message-ID: I hope to God these ASICs catch on ... http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/6222/53/ It would be nice to see dual-format drives available for PCs, possibly being only a few hundred bucks by late 2007/early 2008. I don't think I'll bother buying anything until then. From jvsmith at digitalmatter.us Wed Oct 11 23:39:10 2006 From: jvsmith at digitalmatter.us (Jason Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Power Supply Question Message-ID: <1160624350.3092.24.camel@athlon.bedroom.lan> I've already purchased the components for the system but got to thinking whether or not the PSU that I bought would be enough. Couldn't really find anything with a couple of quick google searches so I thought I'd ask the list. Here's what I'm getting. Cooler Master Centurion RC541 case w/o power supply 2 - 80MM case fans 2 - 512MB DDR2 sticks 1 - 250GB WD2500YS 1 - Samsung SH-S182D DVD burner 1 - USB card reader 1 - Asus M2NPV-VM mother board 1 - AMD 64x2 4200+ 65W Now the PSU I bought is a Seasonic S12-330 330W unit. Is this PS big enough? I assumed it would be but I'm not so sure now. Thanks, Jason -- Jason Smith jvsmith at digitalmatter dot us http://www.digitalmatter.us From b.j.smith at ieee.org Wed Oct 11 23:55:50 2006 From: b.j.smith at ieee.org (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Power Supply Question -- you're more than fine In-Reply-To: <1160624350.3092.24.camel@athlon.bedroom.lan> References: <1160624350.3092.24.camel@athlon.bedroom.lan> Message-ID: <1160625350.3006.129.camel@bert64.oviedo.smithconcepts.com> On Wed, 2006-10-11 at 22:39 -0500, Jason Smith wrote: > I've already purchased the components for the system but got to thinking > whether or not the PSU that I bought would be enough. Couldn't really > find anything with a couple of quick google searches so I thought I'd > ask the list. Here's what I'm getting. > Cooler Master Centurion RC541 case w/o power supply > 2 - 80MM case fans > 2 - 512MB DDR2 sticks > 1 - 250GB WD2500YS > 1 - Samsung SH-S182D DVD burner > 1 - USB card reader > 1 - Asus M2NPV-VM mother board > 1 - AMD 64x2 4200+ 65W > Now the PSU I bought is a Seasonic S12-330 330W unit. Is this PS big > enough? I assumed it would be but I'm not so sure now. For on-board video? That should be _more_than_well_enough_! Especially for the GeForce 61x0 versus the Intel i9xx series -- the former is faster and far more efficient per Watt. You also have a 65W TDP Athlon64 x2 4200+. The Athlon design, despite being 90nm, still bests even Core (let alone P4) on TDP/power -- even if Core is more powerful per MHz (per Watt for performance is about equivalent). You probably won't break 120W on the unit. The Seasonic S12 PSes are very, very efficient -- 85+%! You'll get a lot out of that 330W. -- Bryan P.S. You can run dual-head with that mainboard. But you just can't use any converters on the outputs -- i.e., the DVI has to be digital, the miniDB15 has to be VGA/analog. Also, nice break-out on the HDTV/component! That can also be your 2nd head instead. -- Bryan J. Smith Professional, technical annoyance mailto:b.j.smith@ieee.org http://thebs413.blogspot.com --------------------------------------------------------- Fission Power: An Inconvenient Solution From pctech at htc.net Thu Oct 12 01:50:19 2006 From: pctech at htc.net (JohnH) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] OT: Generic Quicken Message-ID: <006c01c6edc2$5347a380$6401a8c0@3a5ah6vqcd> My VistaPrint Electronic Business CardDoes anyone know of a cheap (if not free) knock off of Quicken and/or Quick Books? JohnH pctech@htc.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.matrixlist.com/pipermail/pc_support/attachments/20061012/3aed2f5d/attachment.html From thebs413 at gmail.com Thu Oct 12 02:24:31 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] OT: Generic Quicken Message-ID: JohnH wrote: > My VistaPrint Electronic Business Card > Does anyone know of a cheap (if not free) knock off of Quicken and/or Quick Books? Is not Quicken and/or QuickBooks fairly inexpensive already? At least in the case you want to use various support services? It's those service alliances that you pay for. Under Linux, GNUCash does _both_ personal financial _and_ small business accounting. It replaces _both_ Quicken and QuickBooks. And it imports/exports many standard (and reverse engineered, older proprietary) formats, including several on-line/Internet formats. But because it's Open Source, it will never establish industry relationships that might be advantageous to pay for. Just wondering. From pctech at htc.net Thu Oct 12 13:36:03 2006 From: pctech at htc.net (JohnH) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] OT: Generic Quicken References: Message-ID: <000301c6ee24$eca7a180$6401a8c0@3a5ah6vqcd> Brian Thanks for the info! I will try GNUCash. Your right, Quicken and/or QuickBooks, is allot cheaper now. However, when a person has not worked for over a year, even $1.00 is too expensive. Thanks JohnH ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bryan J. Smith" To: Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 1:24 AM Subject: [Pc_Support] OT: Generic Quicken > JohnH wrote: >> Does anyone know of a cheap (if not free) knock off of Quicken and/or >> Quick Books? > > Is not Quicken and/or QuickBooks fairly inexpensive already? At least > in the case you want to use various support services? It's those > service alliances that you pay for. > > Under Linux, GNUCash does _both_ personal financial _and_ small > business accounting. It replaces _both_ Quicken and QuickBooks. And > it imports/exports many standard (and reverse engineered, older > proprietary) formats, including several on-line/Internet formats. But > because it's Open Source, it will never establish industry > relationships that might be advantageous to pay for. > > Just wondering. > _______________________________________________ > Pc_support mailing list > Pc_support@matrixlist.com > http://lists.matrixlist.com/mailman/listinfo/pc_support > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.408 / Virus Database: 268.13.2/472 - Release Date: 10/11/2006 > > From pberry2 at cfl.rr.com Thu Oct 12 16:40:34 2006 From: pberry2 at cfl.rr.com (patrick) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] OT: Generic Quicken In-Reply-To: <000301c6ee24$eca7a180$6401a8c0@3a5ah6vqcd> References: <000301c6ee24$eca7a180$6401a8c0@3a5ah6vqcd> Message-ID: <452EA842.6060908@cfl.rr.com> JohnH wrote: > Brian > Thanks for the info! I will try GNUCash. > Your right, Quicken and/or QuickBooks, is allot cheaper now. > However, when a person has not worked for over a year, even $1.00 is > too expensive. > Thanks > JohnH > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bryan J. Smith" > To: > Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 1:24 AM > Subject: [Pc_Support] OT: Generic Quicken > > >> JohnH wrote: >>> Does anyone know of a cheap (if not free) knock off of Quicken >>> and/or Quick Books? >> >> Is not Quicken and/or QuickBooks fairly inexpensive already? At least >> in the case you want to use various support services? It's those >> service alliances that you pay for. >> >> Under Linux, GNUCash does _both_ personal financial _and_ small >> business accounting. It replaces _both_ Quicken and QuickBooks. And >> it imports/exports many standard (and reverse engineered, older >> proprietary) formats, including several on-line/Internet formats. But >> because it's Open Source, it will never establish industry >> relationships that might be advantageous to pay for. >> >> Just wondering. >> _______________________________________________ >> Pc_support mailing list >> Pc_support@matrixlist.com >> http://lists.matrixlist.com/mailman/listinfo/pc_support >> >> >> >> -- >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >> Version: 7.1.408 / Virus Database: 268.13.2/472 - Release Date: >> 10/11/2006 >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > Pc_support mailing list > Pc_support@matrixlist.com > http://lists.matrixlist.com/mailman/listinfo/pc_support > Ah, we un-employed/under-employed folk are the perfect candidates to be GNU/Linux and FOSS advocates. http://pclinuxos.com contains all of the above noted programs. From thebs413 at gmail.com Fri Oct 13 13:26:58 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Commodity, $499 Projector with $30/bulb for 480i/480p TV Message-ID: Thought this was an interesting item: http://www.lumenlab.com/pm_projector.php It has a built-in NTSC support via coax. It also has component. It only does 854x480 native, so you only want to use it for 480i and 480p (today's DVD-Video), or maybe big-screen gaming (as it can down-convert from 800x600 and 1024x768 via VGA in). Probably the best thing about it is the cost of replacement bulbs, only $30, and rated for 6,000 hours. The contrast is only 600:1 and the lumens are only 1000, so it's not going to be brightest of solutions for a serious room. But it will do the job. From thebs413 at gmail.com Fri Oct 13 13:35:09 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Sceptre 22" Widescreen LCD for $299 after Rebate (Costco On-line) ... Message-ID: For those with a Costco membership, if you want a large (22"), widescreen LCD for cheap, this might be a good solution: http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11169064 $349 - $20 on-line price break - $30 mail-in rebate. Resolution is 1680x1050, 5ms response, excellent 1200:1 contrast and has not only VGA and DVI inputs, but a HDMI as well (which would make it usable as a TV with newer cable/satellite boxen). From whittake at sbaflorida.com Fri Oct 13 19:14:21 2006 From: whittake at sbaflorida.com (Homer Whittaker) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Sceptre 22" Widescreen LCD for $299 after Rebate (Costco On-line) ... In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <45301DCD.6090301@sbaflorida.com> Do you need a super good video card to run this at 1680x1050?? Or will one of my Matrox 4** cards work? Homer Whittaker Bryan J. Smith wrote: > For those with a Costco membership, if you want a large (22"), > widescreen LCD for cheap, this might be a good solution: > http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11169064 > > $349 - $20 on-line price break - $30 mail-in rebate. > > Resolution is 1680x1050, 5ms response, excellent 1200:1 contrast and > has not only VGA and DVI inputs, but a HDMI as well (which would make > it usable as a TV with newer cable/satellite boxen). > _______________________________________________ > Pc_support mailing list > Pc_support@matrixlist.com > http://lists.matrixlist.com/mailman/listinfo/pc_support > From b.j.smith at ieee.org Fri Oct 13 20:06:29 2006 From: b.j.smith at ieee.org (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:07 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Sceptre 22" Widescreen LCD for $299 after Rebate (Costco On-line) ... In-Reply-To: <45301DCD.6090301@sbaflorida.com> References: <45301DCD.6090301@sbaflorida.com> Message-ID: <1160784389.2987.12.camel@bert64.oviedo.smithconcepts.com> On Fri, 2006-10-13 at 19:14 -0400, Homer Whittaker wrote: > Do you need a super good video card to run this at 1680x1050?? > Or will one of my Matrox 4** cards work? Any video card capable of 1600x1200 should be able to do 1680x1050. -- Bryan J. Smith Professional, technical annoyance mailto:b.j.smith@ieee.org http://thebs413.blogspot.com --------------------------------------------------------- Fission Power: An Inconvenient Solution From b.j.smith at ieee.org Sat Oct 14 22:26:52 2006 From: b.j.smith at ieee.org (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:08 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Re: Vista EULA -- Windows Server 2003 Remote Administration v. Terminal Services ... In-Reply-To: <453198FE.5060802@sunstatemartialarts.com> Message-ID: <20061015022652.51076.qmail@web32908.mail.mud.yahoo.com> [ It's really time to move this to PC_Support ] ray wrote: > http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/howtobuy/licensing/ts2003.mspx > then the administrator set it up in breach of the EULA. Let's maintain _context_ here. People aren't being consistent in what they are discussing. First off, Ray, you just quoted Terminal Service Licensing mode. That has nothing with what I was talking about. Although you _can_ use the TS mode as long as you _either_ have the CALs _or_ you have Windows "Pro" licenses (which count as a "CAL"). [ NOTE: For Windows Server 2003, you have to have XP Pro without a CAL, as 2000 Pro is not "latest" (like XP Pro) and will eat a CAL for Windows Server 2003. For Windows 2000 Server, either 2000 Pro or XP Pro will provide a CAL. ] Secondly, getting back to what I was talking about, it seems Windows Server 2003 still has the _same_ 2 concurrent sessions for "Remote Administration" mode just like Windows 2000 Pro, Server and XP Pro. From: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/techinfo/overview/tsremoteadmin.mspx "Remote Desktop for Administration allows for the management of servers from any location without affecting server performance or application compatibility. In addition to the console session, up to two remote administration sessions are supported, Since this is meant as a single-user remote access solution, no Terminal Server Client Access License (CAL) is required to use Remote Desktop for Administration." Again, if you only need 2 user access, just using Windows 2000 Pro or Windows XP Pro in "Remote Administration" mode works. You can also use this on Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003 as well. If you need more than 2 concurrent sessions, buy Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003, use Terminal Services (not Remote Administration mode), and load however many CALs you need where you don't have Windows 2000/XP Pro (or XP Pro for Server 2003). -- Bryan J. Smith Professional, Technical Annoyance b.j.smith@ieee.org http://thebs413.blogspot.com -------------------------------------------------- Fission Power: An Inconvenient Solution From b.j.smith at ieee.org Sat Oct 14 22:46:42 2006 From: b.j.smith at ieee.org (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:08 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) Message-ID: <20061015024642.64406.qmail@web32909.mail.mud.yahoo.com> LSI Logic has an entire series of SAS HBAs now that start at $200: http://www.lsilogic.com/storage_home/products_home/host_bus_adapters/sas_hbas/index.html Most of these HBAs are "intelligent ASICs" that also due hardware RAID-0, 1, 1E and 10E ("E" being where you stripe on a mirror -- e.g., 2-disc RAID-0+1). Virtually every drive available in SCSI or FC can be found for the same price in SAS, including 15Krpm drives. The switching and performance of the interconnect is _superior_. Length (8m) is also better than U160/320 LVD SCSI, and more flexible with x1** or x4 connectors. **x1 is SATA compatible, although the length drops to 1m if you use commodity SATA devices, cabling and even backplanes. I don't see any reason to put in SCSI drives anymore. SAS is leveraging the commodity of SATA, and even SAS x4 backplanes are not that costly -- largely because it's far less traces and signal issues than 80-pin SCA LVD SCSI. There are also no termination details (1 device per channel). And then it gives you multi-targetting capability. -- Bryan J. Smith Professional, Technical Annoyance b.j.smith@ieee.org http://thebs413.blogspot.com -------------------------------------------------- Fission Power: An Inconvenient Solution From b.j.smith at ieee.org Sat Oct 14 22:52:05 2006 From: b.j.smith at ieee.org (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:08 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) In-Reply-To: <20061015024642.64406.qmail@web32909.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <20061015025205.38436.qmail@web32911.mail.mud.yahoo.com> "Bryan J. Smith" wrote: > LSI Logic has an entire series of SAS HBAs now that start at $200: http://www.lsilogic.com/storage_home/products_home/host_bus_adapters/sas_hbas/index.html Rick Moen (who lambasted me on SVLUG for even suggesting serial storage about 2 years before "he woke up" ;-) has a good page on various Linux support of SAS ASICs/HBAs and more intelligent RAID cards: http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Hardware/sas.html As you'll note in Rick's (among other pages), when it comes to hardware RAID, it really doesn't matter what channels are used. For more HBA support, SAS is replacing SCSI as U640 isn't being adopted (as Rick notes as well). -- Bryan J. Smith Professional, Technical Annoyance b.j.smith@ieee.org http://thebs413.blogspot.com -------------------------------------------------- Fission Power: An Inconvenient Solution From b.j.smith at ieee.org Sat Oct 14 23:06:35 2006 From: b.j.smith at ieee.org (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:08 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) -- WAS: Vista EULA In-Reply-To: <4531A296.10602@sunstatemartialarts.com> Message-ID: <20061015030635.28932.qmail@web32912.mail.mud.yahoo.com> > ahh got ya. nice to know. so in bigger environments and places > with extremely heavy traffic going with the newer SCSI is the > way to go. First off, parallel has been _dead_ as a viable storage interconnect for some time. Secondly, the concept of 1 dedicated device per storage channel has been taking over for years now. Back when Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) and AT Attachment (ATA) were new, you still had Programmed I/O (PIO), and early Single/Multiword (8/16-bit) Direct Memory Access (DMA) did not do error checking. But once the newer ATA standards hit with UltraDMA modes and CRC, ATA started to show how powerful it could be for burst transfers. Which brings me to ... Third, more and more intelligence in the OS and controller options. OSes started doing better buffering and caching, especially with increased memory. Intelligent controllers started off-loading queuing and caching to their on-board ASIC/uCs. In fact, when doing raw block transfers with non-blocking I/O, including RAID-0, 1 and 10, an ASIC+SRAM with ATA drives just smacks everything silly. Now the SCSI vendors were just smart and realized that they needed a serialized version. It actually solved a _lot_ of issues they had with parallel SCSI in general. That includes multitargetting with SAS switches and storage subsystems. -- Bryan J. Smith Professional, Technical Annoyance b.j.smith@ieee.org http://thebs413.blogspot.com -------------------------------------------------- Fission Power: An Inconvenient Solution From b.j.smith at ieee.org Sat Oct 14 23:13:49 2006 From: b.j.smith at ieee.org (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:08 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Re: Vista EULA -- Windows Server 2003 Remote Administration v. Terminal Services ... In-Reply-To: <4531A296.10602@sunstatemartialarts.com> Message-ID: <20061015031349.82000.qmail@web32904.mail.mud.yahoo.com> ray wrote: > ok now that i knew, i was reading you stating it was built into the > OS. yes the Citrix MultiWin is all windows TS is. just in win2k > server it was part of the base OS and install. same with XP and > 2k3. Okay, let's clear through any confusion ... 1. _All_ NT5.x releases, including Windows 2000 Pro, includes Citrix Multiwin in its kernel. MultiWin is what virtualizes the Graphical Display Interface (GDI)** so it can be tied to a remote display. **NOTE: All Win32 applications bind to the _physical_ GDI of NT since version 3.1. This was a 100% personal decision by Bill Gates, and just one of endless clusterfscks built into NT thanx to Mr. Gates. Every single OS/2 user just rolled his/her eyes at the time, especially when it came to the CMD.EXE shell. 2. The "user space services" that provide access to the MultiWin capability is as follows ... Windows 2000 Pro: None included, period. Download and install administrative toolkit. Windows 2000 Server: On CD, but _not_ installed. Has to be installed post-install in either Remote Administration or Terminal Server Licensing mode. Windows XP/Server 2003: Included in install in Remote Administration mode. Windows Terminal Server licensing is installed on Windows Server 2003 to enable that mode. -- Bryan J. Smith Professional, Technical Annoyance b.j.smith@ieee.org http://thebs413.blogspot.com -------------------------------------------------- Fission Power: An Inconvenient Solution From Bruce.Metcalf at figzu.com Sun Oct 15 12:43:38 2006 From: Bruce.Metcalf at figzu.com (Bruce Metcalf) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:08 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Free Monitor In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <4532653A.6000603@figzu.com> Compaq FS740 monitor (without speakers), free to good home. Please contact off-list. Bruce Metcalf bruce@figzu.com From b.j.smith at ieee.org Sun Oct 15 12:43:44 2006 From: b.j.smith at ieee.org (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:08 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Tom's Hardware updates VGA Charts ... Message-ID: <20061015164344.12042.qmail@web32906.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Lots of newer cards in the comparisons: http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphics.html -- Bryan J. Smith Professional, Technical Annoyance b.j.smith@ieee.org http://thebs413.blogspot.com -------------------------------------------------- Fission Power: An Inconvenient Solution From whittake at sbaflorida.com Mon Oct 16 11:26:24 2006 From: whittake at sbaflorida.com (Homer Whittaker) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:08 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Sceptre 22" Widescreen LCD for $299 after Rebate (Costco On-line) ... In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <4533A4A0.5030206@sbaflorida.com> Bryan J. Smith wrote: > For those with a Costco membership, if you want a large (22"), > widescreen LCD for cheap, this might be a good solution: > http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11169064 > > $349 - $20 on-line price break - $30 mail-in rebate. > > Resolution is 1680x1050, 5ms response, excellent 1200:1 contrast and > has not only VGA and DVI inputs, but a HDMI as well Thanks for the info Bryan. I ordered one from Costco. Odd that I could not find another mention of a Septre 22" LCD on Google. > (which would make > it usable as a TV with newer cable/satellite boxen). Would you expound on the mechanics of how this works? Will it work on a normal in house TV connection? And if so what does one need to make it play? Homer Whittaker > > _______________________________________________ > Pc_support mailing list > Pc_support@matrixlist.com > http://lists.matrixlist.com/mailman/listinfo/pc_support > From thebs413 at gmail.com Tue Oct 17 15:26:57 2006 From: thebs413 at gmail.com (Bryan J. Smith) Date: Tue Oct 31 13:18:08 2006 Subject: [Pc_Support] Sceptre 22" Widescreen LCD for $299 after Rebate (Costco On-line) ... Message-ID: Homer de Hacker wrote: > Thanks for the info Bryan. I ordered one from Costco. Odd that I could > not find another mention of a Septre 22" LCD on Google. Try spelling it "Sceptre"**. ;-> Here's a searches using the start of the model number: http://www.google.com/search?q=review+Sceptre+x22wg **NOTE: As an engineer with piss-poor spelling, I always assume I can't find something due to spelling. But it seems to be a brand new model, with the older Sceptre 20.1" being more commonplace. > Would you expound on the mechanics of how this works? First off, even though I know you won't read it, the Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI > Will it work on a normal in house TV connection? Secondly, by "normal," you mean? 2 wire? Coax? Other? > And if so what does one need to make it play? So, third, here's the "quick scoop" ... 1. NTSC "tuner" Understand that virtually all non-TV LCD panels do _not_ come with a NTSC ("normal TV") "tuner" -- i.e., that "Coax thinging" that you plug-in and get "all 'da channels _with_ sound schtuff." NTSC is used for terrestrial analog cable (over-the-air or "old/pre-digital" cable). Most TV LCDs typically do. 2. Composite or S-Video "input" A significant number of non-TV LCD pannels and virtually all TV LCD panels _do_, however, have a Composite ("Yellow colored" RCA jack) or S-Video (see Wikipedia for picture**) in. That is a direct analog connection already "tuned" at a specific frequency. You take your VCR, Cable, DVD, etc... output and you put it into it. **NOTE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-Video You still have to use another input for sound, which is provided _separate_. Typically this is 2 additional RCA jacks -- one Red (right) and one White (left). 3. ATSC "tuner" A small, but increasing number of HDTV LCDs also provide an ATSC tuner for unencrypted QAM digital HDTV. About the only thing it is good for is "over-the-air" HDTV. Virtually _no_ regular LCD panels offer ATSC built-in, only some of the TV versions. It's typically a $150+ (used to be $300+) add-on box if you don't have it. 4. Component "input" There is an improved version of Composite (yes, that'a mega-oversimplification) called "Component," which uses 3 "RCA-like" jacks for higher bandwidth analog -- and even digital (long story) -- video. That is what nearly _all_ TV LCDs support (as well as plasma, projection, DLP, etc...) and a good number of regular LCD panels nowdays. I won't get into all the details, but here's the Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Component_video Component "input" is how the _majority_ of cable, DVD and other "consumer high-def" video is put to HDTVs. E.g., most DVDs have 1 Composite, 1 S-Video and then the 3-jack Component Video -- plus 2 jacks for audio. Depending on your TV's inputs, you should be able to use at least one of the first two for 480i (480 lines interlaced), but if it does 480p (480 lines progressive -- i.e., "double scan") or higher (like 720p or 1080i), it will have that 3-jack Component. Again, that's in addition to the audio. 5. HDMI "input" HDMI is basically the new-age "true digital equivalent" of a "Component input plus audio _plus_ control." 1 cable for everything -- _including_ control. I.e., if I have a T