The "New Toys" Thread

*sexy guitar*
Epiphone Les Paul '57 Goldtop reissue. I've already annoyed the neighbors with it while plugged into a very nondescript Crate practice amp. P-90s are epic.



Very nice, and Fixed :p

I have an Epiphone Les Paul studio and it has been a great guitar.
 
Well, it's basically what I said. As far as I know, there is no recording medium that can record more than about 1024:1 in contrast ratio, consumer video cameras are at best 32:1 (5 stops on the aperture), professional video cameras somewhere in between. On either side of that scale, there would just be pure black and pure white, no details

I also doubt that broadcasting standards allow showing a contrast rate as high as 20 000:1.

So unless there are video games that have 20 000:1 contrast range, I can't fathom why you would need a television set capable of showing that kind of dynamic range. I either smell a marketing ploy or they've just created technology that no one really needs....

I don't think you can make a direct correlation between the "contrast ratio" of a recording device and that of a display. Even in your example of a camcorder at 32:1, black would still be black and white would still be white, you just wouldn't have much detail in between those two. In display terms, that would be like a TV with an infinite contrast ratio, but with only a 5-bit panel (i.e. 32 distinct brightness levels). If the display actually had a 32:1 contrast ratio, white would be white, but black would look gray. The only way to get real black and white on a display is with a high contrast ratio.
 
@ labcoatguy: you're talking about the thinkpad, right? floppy plastics? Build quality issues?
huh?
I have one and it's the only laptop I've encountered I'm not afraid to touch in case something breaks.
And I wouldn't call them cheap either. Or maybe if you are used to military standard rugged laptops or something.
 
@ labcoatguy: you're talking about the thinkpad, right? floppy plastics? Build quality issues?
huh?
I have one and it's the only laptop I've encountered I'm not afraid to touch in case something breaks.
And I wouldn't call them cheap either. Or maybe if you are used to military standard rugged laptops or something.

To be fair, it's just the display bezel that flexes and goes out of whack when I nudge it. I'm used to my Thinkpads being completely solid, like my T40, so this is a relative letdown what with it being 95% solid. The T40 died inside after 1.5 years of ownership, but it was already pretty old by the time I picked it up off of ebay for $300. Still, I have a two-year extended warranty on this sucker just in case.
 
Yeah, it's not completely rigid. Keep in mind the T versions are a bit stronger than the cheaper R version.
 
I can now say for certain that the brick shithouse Thinkpad era is long over. Build quality and little niggles on this thing are more noticeable than they should be, though still better than most Dells or HPs.

I have a Thinkpad fetish too, and while Lenovo has been fairly concentrated on keeping up the tradition, you can definitely see it if you know the old Thinkpads or even compare the beginning of the Lenovo takeover to now. For example I went from an X31 to an X40 a few years later, essentially the same design criteria and the X40 does feel slightly cheaper and less solid. I have seat time on a T61p and an R60 and while it's still good it's noticeably cheaper when you sit it next to an old school A22p. Also annoyed that their LCDs aren't terribly bright. Going from LED macbooks to the current Thinkpads is like losing partial vision.
 
Just picked this up today.

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I figured it's time to get serious about my playing again.
 
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A new mouthpiece for my flugelhorn so I can sound more like Kenny Wheeler with less effort. The biggest difference is that the one I have is goldplated and a 3.5FL.
 
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A new mouthpiece for my flugelhorn so I can sound more like Kenny Wheeler with less effort. The biggest difference is that the one I have is goldplated and a 3.5FL.

I have no idea what you just said there....
 
Lots of lego over the past 2 weeks and some new parts. The Creator series has some nice alternates, I haven't bought much non-technic in a while, but these seem a good bunch of sets.

8296

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8415

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8434

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8654

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4896

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4953

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4995

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EVGA 9800GTX+ 1GB
to replace the dead 8800GTX
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Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro
OC'd my E6600 from 2.4 to 3GHz now.
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Logitech MX1100, absolutely fantastic, a tad better than my old MX1000. A happy day for the MadCow family, new MX1100 for me, and the good old faithful MX1000 goes to my sister.
 
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Logitech MX1100, absolutely fantastic, a tad better than my old MX1000. A happy day for the MadCow family, new MX1100 for me, and the good old faithful MX1000 goes to my sister.

I love the crap out of mine. The MX1000 is also great, I gave mine to a friend who was still using some three button mouse. VX Nano at work and for the lappy at home, also awesome.
 
Off-topic(-ish):

Can I buy those little Logitech Nano dongles separately and use it with my LXsomething? Guess not, uhm?
 
You might be able to get them directly through Logitech.
 
It's the Logitech Illuminated (the keys are backlit). I'll have to wait for mine for 1 more week...
 
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