Random thoughts.... [Tech Edition]

15.6" laptop with as low a resolution as you can find, and crank the DPI settings way up after you get it. :p

EDIT: AnandTech did a roundup of laptops a few months ago, if you're looking for more specific recommendations.
 
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I think I may be needing a new hard drive soon, preferably 1TB, any suggestions?

That depends on your criteria is "cheap and didn't break when dropped on the floor"
 
I wonder if this would be a good upgrade for my computer: http://www.msi.com/index.php?func=proddesc&maincat_no=130&cat2_no=136&prod_no=2123

My current computer set-up

E6700
Asus P5W DH Deluxe (Intel 975x chipset)
6GB DDR2-800
Asus EN8800GTS 320mb

Would the GTX460 be a good upgrade, or am I not really going to get any more performance out of my current system and instead should save for a new rig?

definite boost. that would increase your performance a good bit i think. CPU should be able to handle everything you throw at it so the GPU will be great.
i would recomment a 1024mb model though, better performance all round for a tiny bit of money on top.
also, if you have a little time on your hands: i just read that MSI will do a HAWK version with the twin frozr cooler for the gtx460. if you value a silent PC, i can highly recommend that thing (i have the R5770 hawk and it's a dream). don't really know whether it's necessary for the gtx460 though since the stock cooling system seems to be pretty good from the start.
 
A GTX460 is about a billion times better than an 8800GTS.
 
Anybody using one of these http://www.steelseries.com/int/products/audio/siberia-soundcard/information ?
A friend of mine is trying to decide between SteelSeries Siberia v2 full-size Headset and SteelSeries Siberia Full-Size Headset USB, the latter coming with one of these USB cards. He's afraid the integrated sound card on his mobo won't sound as good as the USB one.

His sound card's specs

VIA? VT1828S 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC
- Absolute Pitch BD192/24 featuring ENVY HD
- DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC
- Supports Jack-Detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-Retasking
- Coaxial / Optical S/PDIF out ports at back I/O
 
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A GTX460 is about a billion times better than an 8800GTS.

I'm more worried about the CPU holding performance back.

The 768mb card is about $60 cheaper than the 1GB card, and most reviews I've read seem to indicate I won't lose too much performance at the resolutions I intend on running anyway.

My old Antec NeoHE 500W power supply could also be an issue.
 
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So, I'm considering options for my upcoming HTPC.

What say you?

Option 1:
$59.99
http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Wire...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1281233054&sr=1-1
rii-mini-keyboard.jpg


Pros:
+Relatively cheap
+Backlit screen
+Nice-n'-small

Cons:
-Sketchy support
-Engrish: ""Spiritual bond" is the personality of your choice!" and "laser pointer in one hand and hand, three-dimensional explanation, amore lively!"


Option 2:
$48.99
http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Multim...6?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1281232730&sr=8-6
lenovo-keyboard-2-500x442.jpg


Pros:
+Less likely to get lost due to it's unique shape, and looks kinda cool
+Cheapest of the lot

Cons:
-No backlight (since this is likely to be primarily used for an HTPC...wtf?)


Option 3:
~$135
http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-920-000594-diNovo-Mini/dp/B0011FOOI2/ref=pd_sim_e_2
logitech-dinovo-mini_468.jpg


Pros:
+Slightly larger, which would make it easier to use it as an actual computer, if/when the need should arrise
+Seems a little better thought out

Cons:
-Why does everything have to be glossy?!?!
-$$$
-Some people have had trouble with getting it working correctly, but it's Logitech, so there's support.
 
Don't bother with #1. I have one and unless they updated the trackpad when changing the colors, it's pretty bad. The trackpad's placement also makes it difficult to type, but the overall smallness of it is pretty nice. It works well enough for me since I actually do very little with it, but if you're going to be using it to actually ise the computer, it'll be useless. If you have animals I have a feeling they will shed all of their hair directly into the trackball, which is pretty mucht he main reason I didn't get it when shopping around. I really want a DiNovo Mini, but like you said, $$$.
 
Droid X.
 
Every time I use my friend's DroidX I'm amazed at how awesome that huge screen is. I'd say the performance of the three devices is similar enough that it won't make much difference, and the only thing I can say against the X is not being able to use custom ROMs. That said the new MotoBlur is very unobtrusive and looks nice overall, and the custom widgets are nice if you want to use them.

As I've said before, I love my Nexus One, but unless later builds alleviated the touchscreen issues, I have to give a strong warning that it can be very annoying, even if it rarely happens. Another common issue is it not being able to hold onto a wifi connection, though there may be some custom ROMs or kernels that have addressed this. Also of note is that you can no longer buy the phone from Google, so unless you can find a reseller with some stock, you have to be a registered developer to get one, and it'll be T-Mobile only and ship with 2.1.

I've only very briefly played with an iPhone 4, but I can say that it was a good bit heavier than I expected, and the build quality seemed to be top notch, as one would expect.
 
my 386 is still running, never had to open it, 12 years and counting

strated playing mario on it.

I still cannot believe that my mobile phone is 25 time faster than my first computer.
 
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