Logbook: Computers
Logitech G7 double click Abyss
I’ve just about had it with the G Series of Logitech mice. I don’t know why but, they always seem to get the double click of death after only months of use.
right now my mouse is inthe process of being sent to Logitech, Thankfully support was willing to RMA my mouse for a completely different mouse.
our Warranty Department and I can offer you the MX1100 Cordless Mouse as a replacement.
The MX1000 I had lasted 4 years before any problems what so ever with that mouse and I hope the quality is better than the Logicrap G7
So hopefully there should be a Review of the MX1100 thats Favorable instead of Hulk angry want to kill a mouse rant.
Console Gaming without a TV part V (Samsung 2333HD monitor)
From my last post I had talked about getting a new Monitor and retiring the Wii VGA cable . The thing is the post was getting to the epic dictionary size so I felt the need to make another post, After doing much research after my first failed attempt at getting a monitor I noticed they were making Monitors with TV tuners built on to them. Personally I don’t want a TV with a VGA input on it for many reasons, TV generally have very limited resolutions as far as computers are concerned.
Looking around I stumbled upon Samsungs lines of monitors with TV Tuners built in, the T2#0HD line of monitors are basically monitors with an HD Tuner built in. I like the idea of a monitor that has a built in TV tuner, It removes the need for a TV and also it is more convienent for me, The major problem with these monitors is there fucking imposible to find locally in a store, best buy has them on there site but there all WEB ONLY which is a pile of moose shit, they went you to purchase a TV rather than taking more convienent route of getting a monitor with built in tuner.
After the fun I had with the Samsung 2253BW, I just for the hell of it looked at TV’s on the Office Depot site- which hit me with a profound yet silly answer– I had to look twice because the model number did not make sense- Samsung 2333HD 23″ Widescreen LCD HDTV? Wait a sec.. 2333HD? And I just had a 2253 ? and the T220HD ????? What the.. going to google it made alot more sense after. The model number didn’t look like a HDTV Model number, after dealing with a TV problem in the house that needed to be replaced I became familiar with model numbers. Usually a model number from samsung for a monitor would be ####AB where-as tv’s used a much differnt sequence like – Samsung LN26A450. The only exception I’ve found was the T###HD monitor line, which is still much different than any model numbers for TV’s.
Comparing the T220HD to the 2333HD yielded another interesting result. The 2333hd Can goto 1080p while the T220HD could only achieve 720p. After a call to Office Depot I manages to get the 2333HD.
For A TV analog channels do look a little fuzzy but on HD channels this monitor really shines, as for the Wii, It Removes the need for a VGA cable, it also has enough inputs to not clusterfuck the back of the pc with inputs and outputs. The sound from the built-in speakers is very tinny. The easy fix is to use the optical out on the back of the monitor which provides excellent sound through a Stereo reciever. As for the wii using a RGB Component in with the audio inputed in through the TV Also is a huge bonus (less cables all over the place).
As for the monitor end of things the monitor give an excellent response time for gaming with no noticeable trails or other things that would otherwise annoy you. Also the monitor goes into standby when you turn the PC off which is the BIGGEST thing I wanted and the reason I did not want to buy a TV. When you turn off a TV with a PC connected 95% of the time your left with a screen that says “no signal” and your just wasting power. the 2333HD does not do that after you shut down your PC the monitor happily goes to standby.
the Images look great as far as I’m concerned and this really is the best of both worlds when considering your options for a setup for a console without a TV.
Console Gaming without a TV part IV (Samsung 2253BW monitor)
I’ve written in the past about not having a TV to play Console games on , And through many trials I settled on the VD-W2 Wii VGA cable. The cable definitely served its purpose, after trying many TV Cards that just could not hold up to console gaming I decided to try that cabled on a whim. Honestly it was one of the best things I bought to use with my monitor. So if you have a small room and do not want to deal with the annoyences of TV Card or having a TV and a Computer monitor in the same room with your console and PC, The Vdigi Wii VGA Cable is worth the buy!
well….
The cable earned its retirement after almost a year of faithful service, I had given away one of my monitors due to the fact we still had a monstrosity of a CRT monitor in the house, That given, It started me on a new quest.
To find a monitor to fit my needs….
Since I was using both the VGA and the DVI inputs that meant I needed a monitor to have at least 2 inputs. The last time I had purchased a monitor was 2007 and, I was not sure exactly sure how things have changed in that technology.
Well I took a little crash course.
(click more to read on)
Logitech G7 Hell.
Oh the fun of Windows XP (fun with windows activation)
I’ve made some hardware updates to my machine and really the biggest pain of any machine I’ve built is one thing… Windows XP. As I sit here I have a legit copy of the software but, Every time I’ve reinstalled since maybe the 5th time I’ve reinstalled over the years there is one nagging thing that outright just pisses me off.
Windows Activation….. Its basically the most annoying prospect on this planet. After entering the product key than clicking the keys in the small keys in the bottom right it says “you can activate windows over the Internet or over the phone” the Internet will be quickest and easiest .. my ass… if you have had windows a couple of years you will run into this same activation wall. Basically, once you have activated your windows a few times you will get an error:
“this copy of windows has been activated too many times”
An option for a entering another key comes up or you have to dial up the 1-800 Number, So you call the 800 number and you are greeted by a female robot that asks you questions. Rather than being able to input your answers by keypad your stuck with dealing with a voice response system. Now being a voice recognition system your already aggravated due to the point you have to speak like Anakin Skywalker from the first starwars movie, if you don’t speak with any emotion or even twinge the wrong way you should get through the first prompts ok, but when it comes to the next part which is speaking a forty-eight digit string of numbers.
You will need the powers of a jedi , A vulcan and an android in order not to loose your sanity.
8 groups of 6 numbers each , or so you think….. you start slowly and speak each number like every emotion has been ripped from your head and your the original terminator .. if you succeed you will hear a bell signaling that you’ve just passed the first trial, if not the “friendly” robot voice says it does not understand you and to repeat the numbers again. You try the numbers a second time and wait for the bell.. if not your treated to the third form of this torturous adventure. Keypad entry …. If you input the keys on a poor signal from say a cell phone, your fucked, because the robot will kick you back to voice prompt or the 4th option. If your lucky and you don’t fart breath the wrong way or scratch and itch you get to the end of the numbers. The robot now tells you to hold on and is validating your install.. You breath a sigh of relief for a mo- “sorry I can not validate this install You are now being transferred to a representative”
In the moment you channel every emotion you’ve held back in the past 5 minutes and try to channel enough anger over the phone hoping that the robot explodes. As your own robot demeanor slowly turns into darth vader after finding out his ship was towed for parking in a non-sith zone.
The thought of throwing the disc across the room and killing something with it comes to mind.. Finally you get an operator, They ask for the First six digits of the installation ID, Than after that it turns into a interrogation.
You get asked questions
- Did you buy this software at a store…
- How many Machines do you have this software installed on.
- Is this your first time activating this software
- How many machines is this software installed on(again)
This is what pisses me off to the core.. I purchased this software from a fucking store.. I have in my hand the damn case for the disk an original CD and now I’m getting 20 questions? I did not pirate the damn thing.. (who would be stupid enough to call on a pirated disk ? ) And the fact they ask you twice about how many machines its installed on is just about Saying your trying to steal the disk. what the fuck? How about instead of beating around the bush.. just ask outright . ARE YOU STEALING THIS SOFTWARE! After the interrogation you get to the next fun part of the “easy activation”
Now i have nothing against foreign call centers but at this point your bloods boiling you’ve just used every ounce of mental strength not to go batshit crazy over the phone and now the fun begins.. you are read a forty-two digit code from someone who does have an accent that sometimes can be VERY hard to understand. So at times your asking to go back but occasionally you will get a person who is rattles off the numbers like they’re an Auctioneer onethreefoursevensixfive HOOOOOOOOOLD THE FUCK ON…
after what seems forever and a day and half you finally get through this depleted and wanting to kill something you have windows activated till the next time you upgrade/something goes wrong/you look at windows the wrong way/ your cat sneezes.
this activation crap needs to be fine tuned .. or at least have some sort of system where you can de-authorize an activation like bioshock did. Honestly when it comes to the next edition of windows or even Vista I cant afford it. So I’m stuck on XP. But every time I’ve had a problem i don’t feel like saying more numbers than a Stock sheet in the newspaper.
If you look at it, Its a 48 to 96+ digits for an installation key because of the autobot phone lady, Not to mention if that fails its another 48+ digits after that. six more digits If you get “too many activations and the megamaid robot cant authorize your windows”. Than another 42+ digits for the “confirmation ID”, so in total its anywhere from
Ninety-six to one-hundred and ninety-two spoken numbers over the phone.. that’s just totally insane.
Site Dry spell.
I’ve not posted in awhile , Just a little dry spell but, now i’ll get back up posting on the site. One of the main reasons was I updating my PC, The computer i was using has been having a rough time with things. Upgraded to 2.7GHz processor and a new geforce 9800 gt to boot.
so after going through a few reformats and 20 gallons of coffee I’ve finally got everything together. My biggest annoyance is Windows Activation, I’ve reformatted through almost every hardware change and activation for xp is just a big pain in the ass because you get the “you’ve activated this product to many times”. Which is nothing short of saying FU to the customer who has a legit version of xp.
Also I have currently installed window 7, I had it installed before but made the mistake of installing it over XP, That was a huge mistake – for as well as 7 runs there are some things that just don’t run and your better off having a dual boot to get around that. Windows 7 as far as i am concerned is an improvement over Vista but, I am not totally confident that the current state of 7 will last. Microsoft started vista the same way , in the early beta’s it looked good but once they let the devs put all the crazy shit like UAC in it went down the hole. The methods they use to get to certain menus is silly. Gaming for the PC with vista has been hit or miss but, mostly miss. the performance hits I’ve seen from vista keep me going to XP , With 7 I’ve actually seen some decent frame rates in games without taking a huge hit. The annoyance factors with windows 7 Have been slightly minimized but not to a level I like, Its not like Vista where every action is followed by a warning (are you sure you want to breath *accept/deny). Also with Microsoft coming out with 7248572 version of vista is pure annoyance, Windows XP started with 2 editions Home and professional that was fine, They later added MCE (media center edition). But when Vista came out they went with version clusterfuck, most sites list 6 version but in reality its 11+ versions of the same OS
- Windows Vista Starter
- Windows Vista Home Basic
- Windows Vista Home Basic 64
- Windows Vista Home Premium
- Windows Vista Home Premium 64
- Windows Vista Business
- Windows Vista Business 64
- Windows Vista Enterprise
- Windows Vista Enterprise 64
- Windows Vista Ultimate
- Windows Vista Ultimate 64
- Windows Vista Ultimate bill gates limited edition
- Windows Vista Ultimate bill gates limited edition 64
Sure you can say some of its redundant but its way the fuck too much. hopefully with 7 they have ALOT less versions because going through all that feels like going through all the Sims 2 expansion packs from EA no thanks. Hopefully windows 7 will be like XP was after they released there nightmare windows ME
My printer is slightly confused today….
I’ve been having problems installing a printer, when i finally got it installed it threw an interesting error
Your
has less than 20% of ink remaining. Click Buy Now to purchase Genuine Epson Ink for your Buy Now/Where to Buy online. Shipping available only in the continental U.S. Click Remind Me Later to see this screen again when the level falls below 10107372%.damn .. I want a printer cartridge with 10107372% ink
Phone Fun .. Katana LX mini-review
I was on a Pay as you go plan for AT&T and it worked out well if you made next to no calls. but then again there were times you were forced to make calls. That got expensive quick, the silly rounding rules for minutes killed off money faster than anything. After signing up to sprint on there low plan 29.99 for 200 minutes.
The Katana lx is decent looking phone but looks do not make up for its problems. the problem maybe more from my point of view, but moreso they tend to be things I look for in a phone and i have basic requirements for a phone.
1. to make calls
2. that the phone is somewhat configurable
3. can add/make own ringtones.
4. Durable
well the phone right out of the box passes only on #1 and #4. I had started with a bluetooth connector the phone connected right up but after that the phone really as far as accessing data and such was worthless, the best that could be done is a tether if you had a DataPlan.
Another issue i have with sprint is the fact that the phones dont use Sim cards which makes programing your phonebook a pain in the ass and you look like an ass doing it with 2 phones in hand. As Far as a Dead basic phone the Katana LX is just that.
After the bluetooth try i figured maybe the USB Cable would be more fruitful in getting the phone to be somewhat responsive , I was wrong, as Far as drivers from Sanyo – Good luck with that. It took me two days of looking and when i finally did get it working , the phone did Even less than when connected to bluetooth.
But for being a basic phone it does have its pluses , You can hear it ring from jupiter on its loudest setting. The T9 texting was decent.. but overall it was not what I would personally want in a phone.
So after talking to the rep at the sprint store I ended up returning the Katana after a good weeks use and learning its up and downs.
The phone would be good for someone who just wants to have a phone with not many bells and whistles.
Cuil sucks ..
Cuil A new search engine that came out, On the day it was released they plastered every site possible that they had come out with this. The company says that Cuil is Irish (Gaelic) for knowledge, It should stand for pile of shit. really what it seems is Cuil maybe knowledge but in no way experienced, there search just doesn’t make sense. Just a simple test will prove that. Cuil claims to have a larger index than any other search engine, with about 120 billion web pages. ok that’s stretching it there.. BADLY The only way for them to index that many webpages (4 times as much as googles index ) is to take every irrelevant page and index it , but thats cant be it , because why is it anything you search You get absolutely NO results relevant to your search, Dunkin donuts brings up the providence civic center. there Storage method for finding pages is insanity. you could Probably search what ever your looking for than type in moose balls in anger and find what your actually looking for .
Maybe someday this will be the next google but as far as knowledge that cuil claims to have its just not there. they basically make it where if you had a set of encyclopedias, and you searched “Car” the result would not be the “car” your looking for but rather opening up a random encyclopedia and finding a random Car stuff in under something completely irrelevant like the Carina constellation because it contains the word car.
from there site..
Rather than rely on superficial popularity metrics, Cuil searches for and ranks pages based on their content and relevance. When we find a page with your keywords, we stay on that page and analyze the rest of its content, its concepts, their inter-relationships and the page’s coherency.
Translation: blah blah blah we’re jealous of google, cuil blindly picks out words we think are related, More useless filler words because we don’t know what the fuck we are doing, We like adding big words and make it sound really personalized to you!
That’s about the right translation.
Now that I’ve typed out this clusterfuck Lets see how Cuils Search Picks up on this and i BET it wont show up under cuil sucks or cuil sucks monkey nuts or cuil sucks buffalo ass.
One more Test
Cuil = 12 results for cuil sucks
Google = 9,330 for cuil sucks. (0.14 seconds)
seems strange for the lack of cuil not indexing 9318 pages..
GTA Moronity part II
Went out to pick up a shelf today with bluesteel, We decided to stop at gamestop. so we poked around the Gamecube games and picked up a few. but in the time we saw at least 4 parents picking up GTA 4 for there kids. With the news going crazier than britney spears on a normal day about GTA it seems like parents dont give a shit about GTA/NEWs reports. so basically its a few crazy fucks going off on fictional material in the game that doesn’t exist. but Over all it was pretty entertaining to see that.