New computer

[Shaggy Hiker]

This may be my first ever Chit-Chat thread....but I'm too lazy to check.

Just got a new system that is pretty cool. I didn't want to get the top of the line, but some aspects are pretty near there. It's a Pentium D 2.8GHz, which is pretty near the top. What I really wanted to go along with this was a large flat screen. Even the 19" CRT I had didn't offer enough screen area. Once you get the properties window...uh...and all those other little windows you can have on the screen...Well, there just wasn't much room left for code.

Therefore, I decided to get a 20" flat screen. However, I went with a Dell, and in one of the configurations, there was an option for a 24" wide format flat screen for about what I would have paid for a 20" screen. Cool. With that wide format, I can watch theatre cut DVD's, and have 50% more screen width than I had before. I am running it in 1650x1050 mode (or something like that). It goes to 1900x1200, but at that size I have a hard time reading text on the screen.

What next? Will we be seeing 36" wide-format, wall-hanging monitors? Will we be able to sit across the room in the recliner with a wireless keyboard, wireless mouse, wireless fridge, etc., while we code on our wall-sized projection screen? Will we be able to play Doom III with life-sized characters and full suround sound? We're close already (in fact, I think I could do that in our conference room at work, though the computer may not be good enough for a cutting edge game).

Oh yeah, I also got the surround sound speaker system. Didn't really mean to get that, it was practically bundled in. I'm not quite sure what to do with the 'rear' speakers. My setup isn't appropriate for such things.

[si_the_geek]

What next? Will we be seeing 36" wide-format, wall-hanging monitors? Will we be able to sit across the room in the recliner with a wireless keyboard, wireless mouse ...

If you're willing to spend a little extra (but not too much), you've already got that option Lumina (32")



Oh, you could always attach the speakers to the back of your chair!

[Jacob Roman]

The new computer that I got...well it needs to be put together since I'm building one, has got an AMD Athlon 64 3700+ 2.2 GHz (which is just as fast as a Pentium 3.7 GHz), 1 Gig of RAM, an Asus A8N-SLI NVIDIA Socket 939 ATX motherboard, 250 Gig 8 Mb cache harddrive, and I forgot what kind of video card I got. All I know is that it is super fast. And since my motherboard is a SLI, I can have two video cards running at the same time, giving me blazing speed for my games. Damn my computers gonna be fast. Also my sound card has got 8 inputs and outputs.

On a side note, I don't use typical computer speakers (ie. satellite speakers). I use real speakers. Got my computer all hooked into my 100 watts per channel receiver, which is hooked into my equilizer, which is hooked into my Dolby Digital Prologic Surround Sound Processor. The speakers I got hooked in are 100 watts, with 4 of them being 2 1/2 feet tall, with 10 inch woofers in each other them. Plus my center speaker, and 2 rear speakers. Also got my 2 turntables + mixer hooked into the line-input of my computer. And on top of that, a real microphone (not a PC mic) on a 4 ft tall boomstick hooked in as well. Nice setup I got going isn't it? I just can't wait to get my new computer in there after it's built. You should never buy an already built computer from Dell, Gateway, Compaq, etc. It's a pain when it comes to working with the hardware and the lack of space makes it even harder, plus they put generic components in there.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Oh, you could always attach the speakers to the back of your chair!

I thought of that, but the chair is too mobile to be wired in. I thought of combining the two cables so that there is only one, but even one would be a pain.

[Shaggy Hiker]

The new computer that I got...well it needs to be put together since I'm building one, has got an AMD Athlon 64 3700+ 2.2 GHz (which is just as fast as a Pentium 3.7 GHz), 1 Gig of RAM, an Asus A8N-SLI NVIDIA Socket 939 ATX motherboard, 250 Gig 8 Mb cache harddrive, and I forgot what kind of video card I got. All I know is that it is super fast. And since my motherboard is a SLI, I can have two video cards running at the same time, giving me blazing speed for my games. Damn my computers gonna be fast. Also my sound card has got 8 inputs and outputs.

On a side note, I don't use typical computer speakers (ie. satellite speakers). I use real speakers. Got my computer all hooked into my 100 watts per channel receiver, which is hooked into my equilizer, which is hooked into my Dolby Digital Prologic Surround Sound Processor. The speakers I got hooked in are 100 watts, with 4 of them being 2 1/2 feet tall, with 10 inch woofers in each other them. Plus my center speaker, and 2 rear speakers. Also got my 2 turntables + mixer hooked into the line-input of my computer. And on top of that, a real microphone (not a PC mic) on a 4 ft tall boomstick hooked in as well. Nice setup I got going isn't it? I just can't wait to get my new computer in there after it's built. You should never buy an already built computer from Dell, Gateway, Compaq, etc. It's a pain when it comes to working with the hardware and the lack of space makes it even harder, plus they put generic components in there.

I used to agree with that last statement, but I don't anymore. You can't get a monitor like I got for the price I got without bundling it with a computer. Frankly, my #3 system is only a 1.2 GHz AMD Athlon, and I don't notice the difference between that and the #1 system for anything except some of the highest-end games. I don't know what I get for my money doing build-my-own anymore, so I haven't built a system in years.

As for the sound, it sounds like you have better equipment where it counts: your ears! My hearing is too poor to bother getting any kind of descent sound equipment. That would be a waste of money. For anybody who has good hearing, good sound is essential. For those of us who have crappy hearing, good sound equipment is the same as poor sound equipment.

[kfcSmitty]

If you want to put the speakers on your chair, you could always get bluetooth speakers

[moeur]

It goes to 1900x1200, but at that size I have a hard time reading text on the screen.

Get stronger glasses.