Partial's Technology Buzz

[Partial]

I have decided that I am going to start a thread that will contain tech news that is relevant to those looking to buy new products, or invest in a company that produces a new technology that could have a big impact on the industry. I will keep this thread up to date. If anyone wishes to add their own content, feel free. We can also discuss the latest Tech Buzz here.

[Harlan Huckleby]

OK. What is a blackberry?

[Little Whiskey]

OK. What is a blackberry?

is that similar to a dingle-berry??

[Zool]

A blackberry is essentially a PDA with wifi and 802.x wireless built right in. It works as a cellphone and it will connect with email servers. It also has a web browser built in, tho I find the browser clumsy at best. Its best feature is that its basically a portable email machine.

I've been looking at the 7000 series nVidia video cards. Does anyone here have one yet?

[Partial]

From Wikipedia: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlackBerry)
The BlackBerry is a wireless handheld device introduced in 1999 which supports push e-mail, mobile telephone, text messaging, internet faxing, web browsing and other wireless information services. It was developed by Research In Motion (RIM) and delivers information over the wireless data networks of cellular telephone companies. BlackBerry made headway in the marketplace by first concentrating on e-mail. RIM currently offers BlackBerry e-mail service to non-BlackBerry devices, such as Palm Treo, through BlackBerry Connect software.

Research In Motion was involved in a patent dispute with NTP, Inc., which could have potentially forced RIM to suspend service to most BlackBerry users in the United States. The dispute was settled out-of-court in March 2006. See NTP, Inc.

The devices are manufactured by the Canadian company Research In Motion (RIM) in Waterloo, Ontario, and are resold by cellular phone companies throughout the world. They fit in the palm of the hand and are operated using a trackwheel and buttons. The original BlackBerry device had a monochrome display, but all current models have colour displays.

While including the usual PDA applications (address book, calendar, to-do lists, etc.) as well as telephone capabilities on newer models, the BlackBerry is primarily known for its ability to send and receive e-mail anywhere it has access to an appropriate wireless network, as well as for its built-in keyboard optimized for "thumbing", or using only the thumbs to type. System navigation is primarily accomplished by the trackwheel (or "thumbwheel"), a scrolling wheel with a "click" function, located on the right side of the device. Some models (currently, those manufactured for use with Nextel, TELUS, and other iDen networks) also incorporate a two-way radio.

Modern BlackBerry handhelds incorporate an ARM 7 or 9 processor, however older BlackBerry 950 and 957 handhelds used Intel 80386 processors. The latest BlackBerry models (8700 series) operate with an Intel PXA901 at 312 MHz, 64 MB flash memory and 16 MB SDRAM.[1]

The devices are very popular with some businesses, where they are primarily used to provide e-mail delivery to roaming employees. To fully integrate the BlackBerry into a company, the installation of BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) is required.

In November, 2004, RIM announced that the number of subscribers to the BlackBerry service had reached two million, having doubled within ten months.[1] Continuing their growth, RIM announced an additional one million subscribers in May, 2005, only six months after reaching two million.[2] On December 21, 2005, RIM announced that their subscriber base reached 4.3 million subscribers [3] and has surpassed 5 million by March 2006, despite slowing sales [4].

Most BlackBerry devices come with a full, albeit tiny, QWERTY keyboard, using the "Alt" key to enter numbers and special characters. A self-configurable "Auto Text" feature can be used for frequent words or easier input of special characters like umlauts (point 13 at [5], German). The 7100 series models feature a reduced-key keyboard and use a technology called 'SureType' to allow each key to represent multiple letters, numbers, and symbols. SureType uses a prediction dictionary to figure out which word a user will want, similar to Tegic's T9, used on many cellphones.

RIM provides a proprietary multi-tasking operating system (OS) for the BlackBerry, which makes heavy use of the device's specialized input devices, particularly the thumbwheel. The OS provides support for MIDP 1.0 and WAP 1.2. Previous versions allowed wireless synchronization with Microsoft Exchange Server's e-mail and calendar, as well as with Lotus Domino's e-mail. The current OS 4 provides a subset of MIDP 2.0, and allows complete wireless activation and synchronization with Exchange's e-mail, calendar, tasks, notes and contacts, and adds support for Novell GroupWise and Lotus Notes.

Third-party developers can write software using these APIs, and proprietary BlackBerry APIs as well, but any application that makes use of certain restricted functionality must be digitally signed so that it can be associated to a developer account at RIM. This signing procedure guarantees the authorship of an application, but does not guarantee the quality or security of the code.

BlackBerry handheld integration into an organization's e-mail system is provided through a software package called "BlackBerry Enterprise Server" (BES). Versions of BES are available for Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino and Novell GroupWise.

Individual users can often use e-mail services provided by the wireless provider and therefore may not be required to install a BES server on their local network, but organizations that have multiple wireless users usually run BES on their own network.

BES can act as a sort of e-mail relay for corporate accounts so that users always have access to their e-mail. The software monitors the user's local "inbox", and when a new message comes in, it picks up the message and passes it to RIM's Network Operations Center (NOC). The messages are then relayed to the user's wireless provider, which in turn delivers them to the user's BlackBerry device. This is called Push procedure, where the mobile user doesn't have to synchronize the data by hand. All new e-mails, contacts and calendar entries are pushed to the BlackBerry device automatically. Device storage also enables the mobile user to access all data offline in areas without wireless service. As soon as the user connects again, the BES sends the latest data. This way the handheld is always up-to-date.

BES also provides handhelds with TCP/IP connectivity that is proxied through a component called "Mobile Data Service" (MDS). This allows for custom application development using data streams on BlackBerry devices based on the Sun Microsystems Java ME platform.

In addition, BES provides security, in the form of Triple DES or, more recently, AES encryption of all data (both e-mail and MDS traffic) that travels between the BlackBerry handheld and a BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

The universal and push-based connectivity of the BES/MDS infrastructure are among the most valuable aspects of Research In Motion's product. An organization can have devices on different carriers, and connected through different cellular network protocols, all functioning in an integrated fashion.

Most providers offer flat monthly pricing for unlimited data between BlackBerry units and BES, which also enhances the value of the MDS component. In addition to receiving e-mail, organizations can make intranets or custom internal applications with unmetered traffic.

With more recent versions of the BlackBerry platform, the MDS is no longer a requirement for wireless data access. Beginning with OS 3.8 or 4.0, BlackBerry handhelds can access the Internet (i.e. TCP/IP access) without an MDS - previously only e-mail and WAP access was possible without a BES/MDS. The BES/MDS is still required for secure e-mail, data access, and applications that require WAP from carriers that do not allow WAP access.



In summary, a BlackBerry is a wireless office tool. It has essentially the merger of a pda/palm pilot and a cell phone. They receive a wireless signal similiar to a cell phone, and when you pay for the service they use that signal to connect to email servers and the internet. They're really nice for checking and sending email on the road. My mom has one from work and I am convinced she would go crazy without it.

[Partial]

I've been looking at the 7000 series nVidia video cards. Does anyone here have one yet?

Wait. Definitely wait. GeForce 8 series will be coming before Christmas because of directx 10. The difference in quality will be HUGE. The rumored specs for the 8 series is ridiculous. Definitely wait if you can afford to, it will work much better with games in the future.

[Deputy Nutz]

Blackberrys = Crack

[Zool]

I've been looking at the 7000 series nVidia video cards. Does anyone here have one yet?

Wait. Definitely wait. GeForce 8 series will be coming before Christmas because of directx 10. The difference in quality will be HUGE. The rumored specs for the 8 series is ridiculous. Definitely wait if you can afford to, it will work much better with games in the future.

The "afford it" part is the hard part. The 8's will probably start at $350. A 7600gts is under $200 right now with i think a 16 pixel pipeline and is supposed to have the DX10 support without a firmware upgrade. When the 8's come out the 7900's should drop quickly and thats what I'm hoping for. about $150 is my ceiling for now. Im going to get a new processor at the same time.

Right now i have an MSI Nforce4 ultra with a 3200+ OC'ed to a 3500+ and a 6800 256. I heard a rumor about AMD's prices dropping at the end of this month also.

Thanks for the info.

[Partial]

AMD is going to drop there prices like crazy (40%ish) in about 3 weeks to compete with Core 2 Duo. You have a fine gaming rig. Upgrading really won't give you any advantage right now. a 7600gt isn't going to give you a huge advantage over the 6800. I am not sold that the advantage is even notable. It's flat out not worth it. Save your money and wait. If you are really looking to upgrade badly, I would wait until next summer. By then the AMD will have to come out with something to keep pace with core 2 duo, or they will be toast for a few years. By that time, the 8 series cards (which will be a much bigger jump from a 6 series to a 7 series) will be out for awhile and be about the price of the mid-range 7 series cards now. By waiting until next summer, you'll get about a 40% speed improvement versus upgrading now. 40% improvement is virtually unheard of, but that is what happens when you a new processor design (core 2 duo) and the dx10 cards come out.

[Zool]

The problem is my 6800 is overheating even though my case temp is 40 degrees. I have a bad feeling its not going to last.

[Partial]

clean it

[Zool]

I got a new fan for it even. I got a 400watt Antec PS thinking that might be it. Its fine most of the time, but when playing Oblivion for a while it slows down then the monitor goes blank for 5 minutes.

I thought maybe it was my monitor, but I tested that too. Cant be the processor or the system would lock.

I just thought of something. Maybe its the OC on the processor. Maybe I have the clock speed set wrong.

I'll have to check tonight.

[Tony Oday]

Looking for an HD monitor for the bedroom.

I already have a 60 inch TV for the NFL ticket downstairs. I upgraded my Direct TV HD reciever so I have an extra one. Im looking for something between 27" and 32".

Since I already have a tuner I would think that would get me some savings. Where and what would you suggest?

[Zool]

I have an LG LCD and been extremely happy with it. Its pretty much as bright as a plasma.

[Tony Oday]

Price range?

[Zool]

My 37" was $1699 at Bestbuy.

I also see that Viewsonic has some coming out. Havent found a price range yet.

[Tony Oday]

yah thats a little pricy for a bedroom TV. I dont care if it is a flat TV just a flat screen :) im looking to keep it below $500.

[Partial]

I got a new fan for it even. I got a 400watt Antec PS thinking that might be it. Its fine most of the time, but when playing Oblivion for a while it slows down then the monitor goes blank for 5 minutes.

I thought maybe it was my monitor, but I tested that too. Cant be the processor or the system would lock.

I just thought of something. Maybe its the OC on the processor. Maybe I have the clock speed set wrong.

I'll have to check tonight.

how many watts does the card take? That seems like a very weak power supply given you're obviously pushing your cpu, gpu to the max. My guess is that is where your problem comes into play. Are you getting screen artifacts?

[Partial]

I got a new fan for it even. I got a 400watt Antec PS thinking that might be it. Its fine most of the time, but when playing Oblivion for a while it slows down then the monitor goes blank for 5 minutes.

I thought maybe it was my monitor, but I tested that too. Cant be the processor or the system would lock.

I just thought of something. Maybe its the OC on the processor. Maybe I have the clock speed set wrong.

I'll have to check tonight.

are you overclocking your graphics card too? if so, LOCK your bus speed on the GPU. Do it strictly through a software overclock. Otherwise you can screw up your card.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Apple Computer sucks.
Go Microsoft!!!!

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Should i buy and 360 or wait for the ps3?

I am learning toward the 360 since Bill Gates is a liberal, whereas Sony is a Japenese firm (not that theres anything wrong with that; i have a ps2 and enjoys it, although their controllers are not durable, as Ive to replace like 10 of them due to my addiction to madden).

[Partial]

Impossible to predict. We won't know how much prettier the PS3 is gonna look until dev kits are out for longer. If you don't have an HDTV, its not going to make any difference. I would recommend a Wii myself, Madden just sounds ridiculously fun on that.

[Partial]

Apple Computer sucks.
Go Microsoft!!!!

Microsoft doesn't make computers. OS X is as close to computing bliss as one can be. Not only is it beautiful, it's extremely flexible, reliable, and stable. I haven't rebooted my computer since I bought it. It has all the benefits of Linux, without any of the headache. Not to mention when you buy an Apple, you get a ton of great free software with it. The software they provide is integrated so well with one another, down to the ease of emailing photos, or adding a date with a contact to your calender, to drag-and-drop file transfers over your chat client. It's awesome. You can say what you want, but Apple has top-notch build quality, is competitive in price now-a-days(especially for students), runs windows natively, and now they finally have competitive, quality processors (Intel stuff. Same thing Dell and everyone else uses. Once Core 2 Duo gets released next month, they will be even faster). Everyone knocks Apple for their price, and I will say they're probably 100-200 more expensive then a similiarly spec'd dell. That's fine, they're not after the dell crowd. Apple is all about quality. You cannot even compare a 2 inch thick inspiron laptop to a MacBook Pro. The only company that could touch Apple in build quality is IBM, and since they've sold their soul to lenovo, Apple takes the cake.

[Tony Oday]

APB I love the 360 for nothign else than oblivion that is an intense game. MAdden looked good on it but was a rushed release. I have played almost every game on it, i have gamefly, and they all look great. not the revolution I thought it would be but still great on a 60" TV playing MLB baseball is great fun.

PS3 will more than likely have more games but depends on the genre of the games you like. If its sports and thats it I would be too anxious for Madden this year so 360.

In the end I am getting both :) and prolly the Wii as well for the wife.

[Iron Mike]

Looking for an HD monitor for the bedroom.

I already have a 60 inch TV for the NFL ticket downstairs. I upgraded my Direct TV HD reciever so I have an extra one. Im looking for something between 27" and 32".

Since I already have a tuner I would think that would get me some savings. Where and what would you suggest?

I'd suggest you have me over for some beers and Packers this fall.... :razz:

[Harlan Huckleby]

A blackberry is essentially a PDA with wifi and 802.x wireless built right in. It works as a cellphone and it will connect with email servers. It also has a web browser built in, tho I find the browser clumsy at best. Its best feature is that its basically a portable email machine.

ok, thanks. I don't know anybody who has one.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Apple Computer sucks.
Go Microsoft!!!!

Microsoft doesn't make computers. OS X is as close to computing bliss as one can be. Not only is it beautiful, it's extremely flexible, reliable, and stable. I haven't rebooted my computer since I bought it. It has all the benefits of Linux, without any of the headache. Not to mention when you buy an Apple, you get a ton of great free software with it. The software they provide is integrated so well with one another, down to the ease of emailing photos, or adding a date with a contact to your calender, to drag-and-drop file transfers over your chat client. It's awesome. You can say what you want, but Apple has top-notch build quality, is competitive in price now-a-days(especially for students), runs windows natively, and now they finally have competitive, quality processors (Intel stuff. Same thing Dell and everyone else uses. Once Core 2 Duo gets released next month, they will be even faster). Everyone knocks Apple for their price, and I will say they're probably 100-200 more expensive then a similiarly spec'd dell. That's fine, they're not after the dell crowd. Apple is all about quality. You cannot even compare a 2 inch thick inspiron laptop to a MacBook Pro. The only company that could touch Apple in build quality is IBM, and since they've sold their soul to lenovo, Apple takes the cake.

Microsoft Windows still beat whatever crap progamming that comes out of Apple. Heck, Apple is allowing the intergatation of Windows into their computer now.

[Partial]

They are allowing their computers to dual-boot, yes. This is a good business decision for them, as I am sure there are many people who want to switch but are hesistant to. This way, you get the best of both worlds.

OS X uses a Free BSD (Unix) kernel. Windows Vista was scheduled to be built around something similiar, and infact promised to be for quite some time. Microsoft's engineer's failed to live up to yet another promise, though, and couldn't get the job done.

[Zool]

He's obviously baiting you for a psuedo argument Partial, or he's a really that clueless.

I would own only Mac's myself if games actually existed on them, and if the hardware prices werent so high. I realize that laptops are about the same now but desktops are still too high with limited-no upgradability.

My mom surfs the web and checks email. She has a Mac and I have very little tech support to do for her. Its nice.

[Tony Oday]

I would take a Mac but no fun for gaming and such. They are a better machine.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

If Apple is so good, how come they are playing second fiddle to Microsoft-backed IBM? You could argue that Apple is a unique computer maker whereas IBM computers are composed of clone companies. But if Apple is so good, they should’ve been Microsoft before Microsoft, and therefore would dominate the computer market entirely. Microsoft obviously has the more efficient and more effective programming, and that creates a demand for IBM computers. Steve Jobs is rich but he's not Bill Gates rich.

[Tony Oday]

Actually my little idiot that is a false deduction of what happened.

Apple wanted all the glory for themselves so they decided to keep everything in house allowing allmost no other companies to clone their information and technology. They went for quality.

IBM cloned the hell out of themselves and flooded the market with cheap clones to get their product out to the masses. they went for quantity.

Now Apple has the highest quality product but has to regain market share in a flooded market. not easy. Apple is also for a more computer savy person in my mind because it is more expensive where as a person who doesnt know much about computers sees the $299 E machine at best buy and thinks that is a great deal.

[MJZiggy]

The reason that Windows running machines are more popular than Apple actually has little to do with the operating function of the machine, Tank. IBM is a behemoth because Bill Gates is a master at marketing and controlling the market. It is the same reason that VCR's became popular when BetaMax machines were clearly better. Apple is a much more popular machine among graphic artists and people who need to work with image and graphic files. Windows is just catching up in that area which is why Apple didn't actually go under like Beta video recorders.

[Partial]

He's obviously baiting you for a psuedo argument Partial, or he's a really that clueless.

I would own only Mac's myself if games actually existed on them, and if the hardware prices werent so high. I realize that laptops are about the same now but desktops are still too high with limited-no upgradability.

My mom surfs the web and checks email. She has a Mac and I have very little tech support to do for her. Its nice.

The laptops are competitive. I will give you the desktops are overpriced. Especially the iMac. That is their biggest seller though. It's weird. The PowerMac is actually a pretty good deal(the Mac Pro is coming out soon) because it uses the 4 chips, and they will be super powerful server chips shortly.

Now that macs are x86, I have a hunch that you will see more games ported to them, though they still won't run as well because the Directx environment is way ahead of Opengl. That's why its nice that you can run windows now a days!

[Partial]

If Apple is so good, how come they are playing second fiddle to Microsoft-backed IBM? You could argue that Apple is a unique computer maker whereas IBM computers are composed of clone companies. But if Apple is so good, they should’ve been Microsoft before Microsoft, and therefore would dominate the computer market entirely. Microsoft obviously has the more efficient and more effective programming, and that creates a demand for IBM computers. Steve Jobs is rich but he's not Bill Gates rich.

He actually is Bill Gates rich. He's also a liberal :lol: He now only receives 1 dollar a year for working!! What generosity :roll: . IBM no longer makes computers. What you mean by IBM you mean x86. Apple was very competitive about 15-20 years ago, then windows started taking off. Businesses chose windows where as education chose macs. Then Apple went underground for awhile and nearly bankrupt until Steve Jobs came back and proposed switching to a free bsd with the best user interface ever. He accomplished that in my opinion.

[Partial]

The reason that Windows running machines are more popular than Apple actually has little to do with the operating function of the machine, Tank. IBM is a behemoth because Bill Gates is a master at marketing and controlling the market. It is the same reason that VCR's became popular when BetaMax machines were clearly better. Apple is a much more popular machine among graphic artists and people who need to work with image and graphic files. Windows is just catching up in that area which is why Apple didn't actually go under like Beta video recorders.

They're more popular with Artists because Apple produces a ton of professional quality tools at an affordable price for the artistic professional. They have really great music, video, and photo tools.

All analysts right now are saying Apple is due for a huge boom over the next 5 years because of their ability to run windows, yet have all the benefits of great build quality, customer service, and os x. It's a good and bad thing, if they do grow to say 6-7% market share over the next 5 years, people will begin righting malware for them. That will be a shame and take away one of the big advantages of OS X.

[Zool]

He's obviously baiting you for a psuedo argument Partial, or he's a really that clueless.

I would own only Mac's myself if games actually existed on them, and if the hardware prices werent so high. I realize that laptops are about the same now but desktops are still too high with limited-no upgradability.

My mom surfs the web and checks email. She has a Mac and I have very little tech support to do for her. Its nice.

The laptops are competitive. I will give you the desktops are overpriced. Especially the iMac. That is their biggest seller though. It's weird. The PowerMac is actually a pretty good deal(the Mac Pro is coming out soon) because it uses the 4 chips, and they will be super powerful server chips shortly.

Now that macs are x86, I have a hunch that you will see more games ported to them, though they still won't run as well because the Directx environment is way ahead of Opengl. That's why its nice that you can run windows now a days!

I actually forsee Apple porting OSX to run on all x86 instruction set machines. When that happens the hardware companies will scramble at first to release drivers that work, but a couple of years down the road we should have the choice of Windows Vista or OSX on any machine.

It only makes sense if profit is your main goal. If I could dual boot my next PC I would happily use OSX for my web surfing\music recording\photo editing and Vista for gaming.

Even better yet, release a keyboard and mouse for the xBox360 and let it play on something other than xBox Live.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

He (Steve Jobs) actually is Bill Gates rich.

Forbes' Worlds Richest People for 2006

Rank Name Citizenship Age Net Worth ($bil) Residence
1 William Gates III United States 50 50.0 United States
2 Warren Buffett United States 75 42.0 United States
3 Carlos Slim Helu Mexico 66 30.0 Mexico
4 Ingvar Kamprad Sweden 79 28.0 Switzerland
5 Lakshmi Mittal India 55 23.5 United Kingdom
6 Paul Allen United States 53 22.0 United States
7 Bernard Arnault France 57 21.5 France
8 Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud Saudi Arabia 49 20.0 Saudi Arabia
9 Kenneth Thomson & family Canada 82 19.6 Canada
10 Li Ka-shing Hong Kong 77 18.8 Hong Kong
11 Roman Abramovich Russia 39 18.2 United Kingdom
12 Michael Dell United States 41 17.1 United States
13 Karl Albrecht Germany 86 17.0 Germany
14 Sheldon Adelson United States 72 16.1 United States
15 Liliane Bettencourt France 83 16.0 France
15 Lawrence Ellison United States 61 16.0 United States
17 Christy Walton United States 51 15.9 United States
17 Jim Walton United States 58 15.9 United States
19 S Robson Walton United States 62 15.8 United States
20 Alice Walton United States 56 15.7 United States
21 Helen Walton United States 86 15.6 United States
22 Theo Albrecht Germany 83 15.2 Germany
23 Amancio Ortega Spain 70 14.8 Spain
24 Steven Ballmer United States 50 13.6 United States
25 Azim Premji India 60 13.3 India

I dont see Steve Job anywhere on that list.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Dear Mr. Technology:

I have Spy Sweeper and Norton antivirus on my computer. The licenses just ran out, and I don't feel like spending $30 each to renew them.

Norton has NEVER detected a virus. Spy Sweeper doesn't (apparently) find any spyware, all it does is eat up my computer resources. Well, it does notify me when programs attempt to load annoying startup programs, that is cool.

My question: it seems like my personal habits are careful enough that I don't run into viruses. Can I skip the virus protection? Please? I think Spy Sweeper is stealing more computer power than it saves from spyware.

What protection do you'all have on your computers?

[Anti-Polar Bear]

The reason that Windows running machines are more popular than Apple actually has little to do with the operating function of the machine, Tank. IBM is a behemoth because Bill Gates is a master at marketing and controlling the market. It is the same reason that VCR's became popular when BetaMax machines were clearly better. Apple is a much more popular machine among graphic artists and people who need to work with image and graphic files. Windows is just catching up in that area which is why Apple didn't actually go under like Beta video recorders.

VCR are more popular than BetaMax thanks to the Porn industry. Pornography is capable of influencing technology, and the VCR is an example. But I dont see the Porn industy having a say in what Mirosoft do business, do you?

Gates is a software developer. He doesnt have a degree in Marketing. Gates products obviously appeal to more customers. Microsoft didnt become what they are today because they lacks quality.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Dear Mr. Technology:

I have Spy Sweeper and Norton antivirus on my computer. The licenses just ran out, and I don't feel like spending $30 each to renew them.


You live in Madison, Party University USA. Just bribe someone to take your computer to the University's tech office. They will install a perminant version of Norton for you for free (well not technically free since you are bribing someone but it might be cheaper). Were I am at, we get Micosoft Office and Norton free of charge (well not techincally free since tuition isnt free; if one is not paying for it, someone else is).

[Tony Oday]

APB you really have no idea how microsoft was born do you?

since you are in all 100 level classes I will try to keep the words small:

Microsoft purchased DOS and got that on millions of cloned IBM machines. The expese and the accesability and upgradability of the IBM type PCs won over many people and they sold more computers than the apple primarily because of business software. people used it at work so they wanted to be able to use it at home aswell.

Microsoft used the U.S. army strategy in WWII against the germans out produce them with lesser quality tanks, planes and weapons. Microsoft has been seen by tech guys as always a step behind the rest of the software developers however they own such a large market share that by sheer size they can crush competition.

Microsoft just used a different business model than the guys over at Apple and it worked well it really didnt have that much to do with the actual product.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Lets just put it in a way so we all can agree ODay, because quality lies in the eyes of the beholder. Microsoft it superior to Apple in business strategy, and more people and businesses prefer their software. Microsoft is a giant corporation; compared to Microsoft, Apple is a dwarf corporation. If it isn’t for the ipod, Apple likely would be filing for bankruptcy today.

I learned that from Economics 311.

[Tony Oday]

thats close APB but if there is any type of graphics or anything like that most professionals prefer to use Apple. The ipod is a huge thing for apple that is for sure but their computers are making inroads again into the market.

Microsoft definately had a better business model in the 80's and 90's but we will see how it works for the next decade. This is when the computer software industry will either go with te current paradigm or switch to many companies that can change rapidly instead of one monster company. Time will tell.

[Partial]

Apple is doing just fine. They shoot for 25% margins on PCs. Even though Dell has a much higher market share, Apple is worth more than they are. Apple is not after the bargin customers.

[Scott Campbell]

Vista - why bother?

[Partial]

Now that the file system WinFS has been scrapped (significant speed increase, more advanced file system than anything else), I don't know that there is a huge reason to upgrade. I haven't followed it too closely to be honest. I think the Graphics User Interface is going to be an improvement, however most windows users aren't especially picky about that to begin with, and understand the current one well enough to get by.

It'll be pretty looking. It will also come at a price though. The system recommendations are especially high. My two year old gaming rig scores a poorly on their scale, however I am sure they are aiming that at systems over the next 5 years.

The biggest improvement will be meta-data and searching. You'll have a search option that will actually be faster than manually going through and finding the file. Say you wrote an essay about john deere, but saved it as essay 3 english class. In the search field, you type a J - immediately every file that contains the letter j pops up. You type the Jo. Then files that have JO in them and relevant(it will automatically determine if its relevant) and so on and so forth, where by typing John, you'll have the john deere article near the top of your results. It is very similair to the search field in iTunes as how it indexes everything and provides immediate results. That will be nice.

Other than that, I really don't think its anything to rush out and spend the cash on. It'll come on your next computer, so get it then and no earlier.

[Bretsky]

Partial,

Educated on NVIDIA ? I was considering an investment in the Graphic Chip maker many years ago and should have. The stock has come down enough where I'm considering it again.

B

[Fosco33]

:?:

The girlfriend just bought a new laptop. A few questions...

Norton or McAffee? She's got CDs for both. To whomever wanted a license number, I could give you the one she doesn't use. Just PM me.

Is there a way to transfer her Windows programs from the old laptop to the new one? Why pay all the license fees again for Microsoft Office, etc / ?

Any info would help.

Thx-

[Partial]

Give it a few days and remind me about that Bretsky. I will post an article about it if it happens. AMD, Intel's competitor has been in negoitation to buy ATI, Nvidia's competitor. If they do this, and ATI becomes AMD exclusive, then I would say it might be worth buying. I am a firm believer than Intel is going to pull significantly ahead of AMD in the next few years simply because downsizing is incredibly expensive and Intel just flat out has more money for R&D to get this done. That, and the fact Intel has changed their philosophy's on how to build an efficient processor will lead to Intel making a big-time comeback. If ATI is AMD exclusive, that means all the more Nvidia GPU's out there.

That is definitely something to keep an eye on.

[Partial]

The desktop version of Core 2 Duo was officially launched at midnight tonight. This is gonna be huge. Very huge. Intel's processors are beating AMD's best SERVER (highest end processor available) by a "conservative" 20% in applications, consumes significantly less power, and is HALF the price. Also, they took a 2.6 ghz processor up to 4.0 ghz on an overclock with the stock cooling. This thing is going to be HUGE with gamers. HUGE!!!

Here is an article on overclockers.com about it. It gets kind of techy, but they have graphs and stuff to show there points. (http://www.overclockers.com.au/article.php?id=489587&P=7)

Read the conclusion at the very least. It summarizes it very well.


Thanks to its new micro-architecture, Core 2 Duo is performing far better than the previous generation dual core Pentium D. An X6800, for example, is between 30% ~ to 40% faster than a Pentium D 955XE. Core 2 Duo is achieving performance in applications and games that has not been seen before with a dual core desktop CPU. In addition Core 2 Duo consumes 40% less power and runs much cooler than Pentium D. An additional bonus for many enthusiasts is certainly the solid overclocking headroom we found with both Core 2 Duo test samples.

In February 2006 an Intel engineer was quoted with the claim that a certain new product with the codename Conroe would be at least 20% faster than the fastest AMD offering at the time when it would released in mid 2006. That claim was promptly dismissed by those “in the know” as frivolous marketing talk. Well, the Intel man was right. There is no doubt that Core 2 Duo is indeed, as claimed, substantially outperforming AMD's fastest desktop processor running with DDR2 on the just released AM2 platform. With the exception of memory bandwidth and latency, in none of our 26 tests did the FX-62 come close to the X6800 or E6700. A conservative estimate would be that on average an X6800 (2.93 GHz) is at least 20% faster than the FX-62 (2.80 GHz) and even an E6700 (2.67 GHz) is around 10% faster. We can estimate from our test results that the FX-62, currently AMD’s fastest desktop processor, is approximately performing like an E6600 clocked at 2.40 GHz.

We see Core Duo 2 reigning supreme for some time to come. At the end of 2006 AMD will breathe new air into the Athlon 64 by moving the production process to 65nm technology. This will probably allow them to scale the almost exhausted K8 architecture another 200 MHz or 300 MHz higher. We doubt though that this will be enough to regain the desktop performance crown. Intel will launch higher clocked Core 2 Duo versions as well. And the just launched Conroe core has certainly more headroom left than AMD’s 3-year old K8 design. In addition Intel will probably enable Hyperthreading and will in the first half of 2007 already move to 45nm production technology.

Another interesting question is how the quad-core products announced by both companies will compete against each other. But with the Core micro-architecture it seems Intel will have the better basis for quad-core products as well. A serious challenge to Core 2 Duo will probably not come before AMD introduces their revamped K8L micro-architecture later in 2007. In the meantime AMD will do what Intel has done over the last 2 years: undercutting competitor prices until their products become competitive at a given price point. That will certainly be another positive impact of the Core 2 Duo introduction from the consumer's point of view.

That leaves us with the question of Core 2 Duo prices. Wearing the performance crown is a matter of prestige and good for the brand image. But at the end what matters most for the consumer is value for performance. Intel has announced the following Core 2 Duo wholesale prices to distributors as of July 26.

*graph here, read article!!*

These wholesale prices are a good indication for the expected retail prices when adding around 15%. Although we have to marvel about the outstanding X6800 performance we think that a processor retailing for more than 1000 USD won't be a popular choice. We expect the E6600 to be the most sought-after Core 2 Duo processor, because it is the cheapest version with 4 MB L2 cache. At an expected price level of around 360 US$ or 480 AUS$ the E6600 would cost less than half of an FX-62, and would deliver the same performance. In addition an E6600 will allow overclocking far above 3 GHz.

To sum it up: Core 2 Duo has regained the performance crown for Intel in spectacular fashion. We have no doubt that Core 2 Duo will be the most popular product for desktop computing well into 2007.



I will be posting a ton more articles about this in the near future. If you're in the market for a new processor and don't buy new stuff, AMD is going to drop their prices on Sat up to 40% to fight with Intel for sales since they are getting CRUSHED as of today for the next year on performance.

[MJZiggy]

Is there a way to transfer her Windows programs from the old laptop to the new one? Why pay all the license fees again for Microsoft Office, etc / ?

Any info would help.


I ned to know that too. We wiped the old computer before we got rid of it and the new computer keeps saying we have an invalid key when we go to reinstall windows.

[Zool]

Wow so the x6800 will cost roughly $1150. I still think I'll stick with my AMD's. They havent done me wrong in the last 6 years. I started with a Duron 700 and havent looked back.

My system issues turned out to be a driver conflict. I put a TV tuner into my system a few months ago and updated my nVidia drivers a couple weeks ago. Well I pulled out that TV tuner and uninstalled the drivers and my system is happy again.

Weird.

[Partial]

Wow so the x6800 will cost roughly $1150. I still think I'll stick with my AMD's. They havent done me wrong in the last 6 years. I started with a Duron 700 and havent looked back.

My system issues turned out to be a driver conflict. I put a TV tuner into my system a few months ago and updated my nVidia drivers a couple weeks ago. Well I pulled out that TV tuner and uninstalled the drivers and my system is happy again.

Weird.

6600 costs 300. It will beat a top of the line opteron. They are not only beating AMD in performance, but on prices as well. It's foolish to buy a top of the line chip right away. Over the course of the next year they'll realize faster ones and bring the prices down significantly. Core Duo had a 35% price cut 3 months after it's release. The 6600 is also a steal in the sense that it is 20% more performance, 50% less electricity/heat generated, and more than 50% less expensive. That seems like a good chip to me. Plus, it overclocked from 2.6 ghz to 3.3 ghz on air cooling. Considering how much more efficient this chip is cycle for cycle, that is a HUGE gain. That's a 22% increase. Assuming at 2.6 it is beating the FX by 20%, do the overclock and its crushing it by 42%. 42% more performance, less heat generated, about the same electricity, and 40% of the cost. Generally, when a new processor comes out you can expect 10% more performance. This is the biggest gain seen by any processor in years.

Sticking with AMD will probably be a decision that hurts you more and more in the future when you see the power of money come into play with down sizing to avoid current leak.

[Partial]

Is there a way to transfer her Windows programs from the old laptop to the new one? Why pay all the license fees again for Microsoft Office, etc / ?

Any info would help.


I ned to know that too. We wiped the old computer before we got rid of it and the new computer keeps saying we have an invalid key when we go to reinstall windows.

You should just be able to install them on the laptop with the same license key. If this does not work, Microsoft has an upgrade from an old system program which lets you transfer your documents and programs from the old computer to the new one. This is worth looking into and is built into windows.

[Zool]

I only do a processor upgrade every 2 years so it shouldnt be a huge deal. I've been anti-Intel for a while now. I used to use them exclusively till I had 3 straight bad experiences with their quality. Dont get me started on their customer service department either.

[Partial]

I only do a processor upgrade every 2 years so it shouldnt be a huge deal. I've been anti-Intel for a while now. I used to use them exclusively till I had 3 straight bad experiences with their quality. Dont get me started on their customer service department either.

I used to buy AMD exclusively because they were cheaper by a landslide. Then Intel lost the performance crown temporarily and had to begin cutting their prices to compete. Ever since then, I am fine with them. It is without question that they have crushed AMD in this round of the processor battles. That, and my experience with core duo in my MacBook is quite awesome. It runs infinitely fast.

[Scott Campbell]

I only do a processor upgrade every 2 years so it shouldnt be a huge deal. I've been anti-Intel for a while now. I used to use them exclusively till I had 3 straight bad experiences with their quality. Dont get me started on their customer service department either.

I used to buy AMD exclusively because they were cheaper by a landslide. Then Intel lost the performance crown temporarily and had to begin cutting their prices to compete. Ever since then, I am fine with them. It is without question that they have crushed AMD in this round of the processor battles. That, and my experience with core duo in my MacBook is quite awesome. It runs infinitely fast.

Time to short AMD?? They trade at almost 30 times earnings while Intel trades at a paltry 14 times earnings.

[Scott Campbell]

Partial,

Educated on NVIDIA ? I was considering an investment in the Graphic Chip maker many years ago and should have. The stock has come down enough where I'm considering it again.

B

I owned NVDA last year, and am very bullish on the company. But it's always hard for me to say about how they are currently valued though.

They build more than graphics chipsets. Most AMD motherboards are shipping with NVIDIA northbridge chipsets on them, and they've introduced Intel compatible motherboard chipsets. I don't know what kind of market percentage they own over there on Intel motherboards though.

[Partial]

I only do a processor upgrade every 2 years so it shouldnt be a huge deal. I've been anti-Intel for a while now. I used to use them exclusively till I had 3 straight bad experiences with their quality. Dont get me started on their customer service department either.

I used to buy AMD exclusively because they were cheaper by a landslide. Then Intel lost the performance crown temporarily and had to begin cutting their prices to compete. Ever since then, I am fine with them. It is without question that they have crushed AMD in this round of the processor battles. That, and my experience with core duo in my MacBook is quite awesome. It runs infinitely fast.

Time to short AMD?? They trade at almost 30 times earnings while Intel trades at a paltry 14 times earnings.

I don't know what that means, but I do know they are going to lose the processor battle from atleast a year from today.

[Partial]

Dear Mr. Technology:

I have Spy Sweeper and Norton antivirus on my computer. The licenses just ran out, and I don't feel like spending $30 each to renew them.


Just get Ad-Aware instead. It's a free program that works just as well as Spy-Sweeper. Just make sure you update and run it often. Use Firefox, also. In addition to this, there are plenty of free virus scan programs that can be found with a google search. No need to waste your money!!

[SkinBasket]

Dear Partial,

My x700 256 crashes when I preform magic in Sacred Underground when I am in a cave. It's not a big deal, but I want to throw a fireball, not hit him with my staff of virtue. Drivers are up-to-date. Please advise.

[SkinBasket]

Also, can I get rid of Catalyst Control Center somehow. It's slow and crappy.

[Zool]

Catylist control center startup files are in the registry under

hkey_local_machine\software\microsoft\windows\curr ent version\run

Disclaimer!!!! Do not delete registry keys. Trained professional on a closed course. Dont try this at home. CYA.

Anyways yes the Catalyst control center is bothersome. As for your system hanging in a specific spot of a specific game when doing a specific action, I would say thats a problem with the software. Havent heard of that game. Any good? Oblivion is good so far.

[Partial]

Hmm, I have no idea on yours skin. Especially if the game plays without a hitch the rest of the time.

[SkinBasket]

Catylist control center startup files are in the registry under

hkey_local_machine\software\microsoft\windows\curr ent version\run

Disclaimer!!!! Do not delete registry keys. Trained professional on a closed course. Dont try this at home. CYA.

Anyways yes the Catalyst control center is bothersome. As for your system hanging in a specific spot of a specific game when doing a specific action, I would say thats a problem with the software. Havent heard of that game. Any good? Oblivion is good so far.

Hell, Ive been deleting reg keys since before it was cool.

Anyway, I like Sacred. It is a bit buggy, but they've killed most of em over time. I'm more of a collector type player, and I never play online. So, that being said, I keep coming back to it every now and again to try to find some more cool equipment. Just like Disgaea on PS2.

I might have oblivion around here somewhere. Is that the one you need to upgrade your whole damn system to play?

Goddamn I am a dork. But who do I have to impress?

[Zool]

Oblivion is a system hog. I upgraded to play Halflife 2 and Oblivion runs fine on my system. I should think your x700 should be fine.

The game i keep going back to is Diablo 2. Its addictive.

[Partial]

I gave up on computer games. I am all for faster encoding and multitasking, though.

[Fosco33]

Tech Rat-

Can you help answer my question on a previous page about transferring programs (namely Office) from an old laptop to a new one w/o reregistering? Is it possible, if so how do I do it?

If I can figure it out, I'm sure there's plenty of head to be had from the ladyfriend - you can live vicariously through this :lol:

Thanks!

[Scott Campbell]

Time to short AMD?? They trade at almost 30 times earnings while Intel trades at a paltry 14 times earnings.

I don't know what that means, but I do know they are going to lose the processor battle from atleast a year from today.[/quote]

Short selling. It's basically a bet that the stock will go down in value. You get to sell it at todays price, and buy it at a future price.

[Scott Campbell]

Dear Mr. Technology:

I have Spy Sweeper and Norton antivirus on my computer. The licenses just ran out, and I don't feel like spending $30 each to renew them.


Just get Ad-Aware instead. It's a free program that works just as well as Spy-Sweeper. Just make sure you update and run it often. Use Firefox, also. In addition to this, there are plenty of free virus scan programs that can be found with a google search. No need to waste your money!!

I use Spybot in addition to Ad-Aware. And I use a program called Spyware Blaster that is supposed to keep you from getting infected with adware in the first place. They're all freeware.

I've used AVG as a free anti-virus program in the past. But I pay for my current program.

[Zool]

Tech Rat-

Can you help answer my question on a previous page about transferring programs (namely Office) from an old laptop to a new one w/o reregistering? Is it possible, if so how do I do it?

If I can figure it out, I'm sure there's plenty of head to be had from the ladyfriend - you can live vicariously through this :lol:

Thanks!

Do you have the programs on CD with license codes? If not, you can use THIS (http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml) program to find your key for Microsoft products. You will need an installer CD for what ever program you are trying to install. If you only have the restore CD that came with your system, you will not be able to pull individual installers off of that.

[SkinBasket]

The game i keep going back to is Diablo 2. Its addictive.

that's what Ive heard, and that's what Im afraid of. Sorry to butt in on your techie thread with geek-talk P.

[Zool]

The game i keep going back to is Diablo 2. Its addictive.

that's what Ive heard, and that's what Im afraid of. Sorry to butt in on your techie thread with geek-talk P.

Its all good. Games are what made me buy a computer in the first place. Then take it apart a week later to upgrade.

[Scott Campbell]

It's foolish to buy a top of the line chip right away. Over the course of the next year they'll realize faster ones and bring the prices down significantly.


Unless you are a maniacal gamer or video editor, I see little reason to ever spend more than $150-200 on your CPU. That's the value pricing sweetspot. Just buy on a platform that allows for a future upgrade path as programs begin to require more CPU horsepower. By then prices will have come way down.

[Fosco33]

Tech Rat-

Can you help answer my question on a previous page about transferring programs (namely Office) from an old laptop to a new one w/o reregistering? Is it possible, if so how do I do it?

If I can figure it out, I'm sure there's plenty of head to be had from the ladyfriend - you can live vicariously through this :lol:

Thanks!

Do you have the programs on CD with license codes? If not, you can use THIS (http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml) program to find your key for Microsoft products. You will need an installer CD for what ever program you are trying to install. If you only have the restore CD that came with your system, you will not be able to pull individual installers off of that.

No. She got the laptop as a 'hand me down' from her Dad a few years back. Looks like I'll need to make a run and pick it up. But thanks for the info!

Anyone know/recommend of any good sites/stores w/ cheap Office suite packaged software?

[Zool]

Tech Rat-

Can you help answer my question on a previous page about transferring programs (namely Office) from an old laptop to a new one w/o reregistering? Is it possible, if so how do I do it?

If I can figure it out, I'm sure there's plenty of head to be had from the ladyfriend - you can live vicariously through this :lol:

Thanks!

Do you have the programs on CD with license codes? If not, you can use THIS (http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml) program to find your key for Microsoft products. You will need an installer CD for what ever program you are trying to install. If you only have the restore CD that came with your system, you will not be able to pull individual installers off of that.

Sorry. Its Friday and my brain is shutting down for the weekend.

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml

[Scott Campbell]

Other than that, I really don't think its anything to rush out and spend the cash on. It'll come on your next computer, so get it then and no earlier.

I build my own, so it won't be coming on anything that I buy. What you've outlined is an incredibly weak value propostion, and MS is in a lot of trouble if they're counting on people to upgrade to Vista. I suppose they'll make loads of money bundling the license into consumer PC purchases, but those might slow down a bit too as applications are not obsoleting systems quite as fast as they used to.

I've heard the Vista version of MCE is a complete mess so far, and for all your trouble you get big brother DRM to boot.

[Scott Campbell]

Fosco,

Here's an office suite - freeware.

http://www.openoffice.org/

I can't vouch for it, as I already own MS Office and don't really need an alternative.

[AtlPackFan]

Tech Rat-

Can you help answer my question on a previous page about transferring programs (namely Office) from an old laptop to a new one w/o reregistering? Is it possible, if so how do I do it?

If I can figure it out, I'm sure there's plenty of head to be had from the ladyfriend - you can live vicariously through this :lol:

Thanks!

Do you have the programs on CD with license codes? If not, you can use THIS (http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml) program to find your key for Microsoft products. You will need an installer CD for what ever program you are trying to install. If you only have the restore CD that came with your system, you will not be able to pull individual installers off of that.

No. She got the laptop as a 'hand me down' from her Dad a few years back. Looks like I'll need to make a run and pick it up. But thanks for the info!

Anyone know/recommend of any good sites/stores w/ cheap Office suite packaged software?

Fosco,

Something to consider. http://www.alohabob.com/products/pc_relocator_ultra_control/index.asp

I recently built a new PC and used this program to transfer all my files including Office. Worked pretty well. I bought it new for about $80 (still cheaper than Office) but I have seen it on Amazon for about $20-30? Make sure it comes with the USB cable or it ain't much good.

[Fosco33]

Tech Rat-

Can you help answer my question on a previous page about transferring programs (namely Office) from an old laptop to a new one w/o reregistering? Is it possible, if so how do I do it?

If I can figure it out, I'm sure there's plenty of head to be had from the ladyfriend - you can live vicariously through this :lol:

Thanks!

Do you have the programs on CD with license codes? If not, you can use THIS (http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml) program to find your key for Microsoft products. You will need an installer CD for what ever program you are trying to install. If you only have the restore CD that came with your system, you will not be able to pull individual installers off of that.

No. She got the laptop as a 'hand me down' from her Dad a few years back. Looks like I'll need to make a run and pick it up. But thanks for the info!

Anyone know/recommend of any good sites/stores w/ cheap Office suite packaged software?

Fosco,

Something to consider. http://www.alohabob.com/products/pc_relocator_ultra_control/index.asp

I recently built a new PC and used this program to transfer all my files including Office. Worked pretty well. I bought it new for about $80 (still cheaper than Office) but I have seen it on Amazon for about $20-30? Make sure it comes with the USB cable or it ain't much good.

Thanks! I'll give it a shot.

[AtlPackFan]

Thanks! I'll give it a shot.

Your welcome. You may want to do with Zool suggested and use the program he had a link to get the CD key.

Also, Scott is right, OpenOffice works very well (and runs in Linux!) and you can save to Office formats!!! That is certainly the cheapest alternative.

[Partial]

Other than that, I really don't think its anything to rush out and spend the cash on. It'll come on your next computer, so get it then and no earlier.

I build my own, so it won't be coming on anything that I buy. What you've outlined is an incredibly weak value propostion, and MS is in a lot of trouble if they're counting on people to upgrade to Vista. I suppose they'll make loads of money bundling the license into consumer PC purchases, but those might slow down a bit too as applications are not obsoleting systems quite as fast as they used to.

I've heard the Vista version of MCE is a complete mess so far, and for all your trouble you get big brother DRM to boot.

I haven't really followed Vista too much, so its very possible I am missing many features. I know the big things are a seperate administrator account from your personal account to nullify many of the security threats that exist today. In addition to that, the big feature was WinFS. That has been scrapped. I'll do some research over the weekend and look into it more. I too build my own computers, and I will probably get it since I believe i'll get it for free being in the SE/EE program. I would find a student if you could and have them purchase it for you at the 50 dollar price instead of several hundred dollars.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

I cannot wait for the Windows Longhorn. :cool:

[Scott Campbell]

I cannot wait for the Windows Longhorn. :cool:

LOL Good one.

[GBRulz]

Are laptop video cards easy to upgrade? I currently have a 128MB but would like a 256MB card. I had this laptop customized by HP and that is one thing that I wish I would have got. However, at the time it would have pushed the delivery back 2 weeks. Of course, my impatience won that battle.

I've done several hardware upgrades on towers, but never anything with laptops. Any advice?

[Partial]

Nope, cannot upgrade then. They're not socketed, they're soldiered directly to the board.

[Scott Campbell]

Some newer high performance laptops have upgradeable video cards.

Date: September 28th, 2005

The G70 and the XPS M170 Debut
Today, Dell has introduced the next version of their high performance XPS notebook series. The new XPS M170 is similar to the previous model with a few key upgrades. In keeping with their exemplary track record, NVIDIA has announced the GeForce Go 7800 GTX in coordination with the first product launch containing their part. The $349 upgrade to the Go 6800 Ultra can be added to any XPS M170 purchase. Paired with the Pentium M 780, this machine will be an absolute mobile monster.

[Zool]

Those are the Alienware laptops that they bought. Most Alienware laptops had upgradable video, but 99% of the laptops out there do not.

[GBRulz]

You can't upgrade video cards? WTF - that sucks.

No, I don't have Dell/Alienware :(

[Fosco33]

Does anyone know how to capture those videos from online news pages - like CNN, etc.?

I can email the site and remove the redirects but want to save it as a file so I can view it after the site takes it down from their playlist.

I could PM the actual video link if someone knows more about media player or flash or something.

Much appreciated.

Fos

[Partial]

Does anyone know how to capture those videos from online news pages - like CNN, etc.?

I can email the site and remove the redirects but want to save it as a file so I can view it after the site takes it down from their playlist.

I could PM the actual video link if someone knows more about media player or flash or something.

Much appreciated.

Fos

Unless they disable it you could right click on it and save target as or something to that effect

[Fosco33]

Does anyone know how to capture those videos from online news pages - like CNN, etc.?

I can email the site and remove the redirects but want to save it as a file so I can view it after the site takes it down from their playlist.

I could PM the actual video link if someone knows more about media player or flash or something.

Much appreciated.

Fos

Unless they disable it you could right click on it and save target as or something to that effect

Tried that too - not able to. I emailed the news director and asked him to send me a file. Hopefully he responds.

[Partial]

https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2390/

dunno if it works, but first google result

[Fosco33]

https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2390/

dunno if it works, but first google result

Well, I run Windows so this ain't gonna work. I was able to download it and turn in into a zip file (to open the root files) but windows doesn't recognize any of the file types.

[Partial]

it definitely runs with firefox, let me look into it further. I would think it woud run with windows firefox.

edit - download the latest firefox, go to that link within firefox, click install now. view > toolbar > customize
and you'll find a small icon named VideoDownloader

I haven't actually done this, so take it for what its worth