Computer Questions Not Worth Their Own Thread II

[aimeeandbeatles]

Well I've only hit the out-of-memory issue a couple times, once when I accidentally opened a few thousand tabs in Firefox (lots of html files) or when I load an overly-large map in Garry's Mod with the graphics settings too high.

 

[_random_]

I'm looking into a new laptop. Does this seem to be worth getting? How long could I reasonably expect it to last?

 

[Zelig]

1366x768 = no.

 

[Quintillus]

Thank you!

Question here: Are there any practical benefits to 64-bit operating system besides the fact that you can have more memory than 4 gigabytes?

That really is the main one. Performance differences are by and large going to be minor unless you are running into a memory cieling (though I'm sure there's a few exceptions where 64-bit does help noticeably... but if so, you'd probably already know about them from using those programs and reading up on them).

There's a few other minor benefits. ASLR memory protection is arguably better on 64-bit. 64-bit Vista and later versions of Windows (though not 64-bit XP) enforce driver signing, which is an extra protection against installing potentially destabilizing drivers of low quality - though I personally find it to be more of an annoyance than a benefit, as sometimes there are unsigned drivers that are legitimately useful. But most people aren't going to notice these things. So I guess it depends on how you define "practical".

I'd go 64-bit with a new computer, just due to the memory benefits, but I don't think it's worth a reinstall for on an old machine unless you need more memory.

There's also the issue of 64-bit Windows not being able to run 16-bit code. On the whole, I'm pretty sure I run into more 16-bit code than 64-bit that doesn't have a 32-bit also available. It's minor either way, though. And just as you can run a 32/16 bit VM in 64-bit Windows, you can also run a 64-bit VM with 32-bit Windows using VirtualBox if you have a CPU with Virtualization Technlogy.

I'm looking into a new laptop. Does this seem to be worth getting? How long could I reasonably expect it to last?

Well, it depends. For the price, the specs are pretty good (though the resolution is indeed pretty low). But, you can probably do better if wanting it to last is a primary concern. Acer is pretty much at the bottom of the totem pole among major brands in terms of their reputation for reliability. And with that good of specs at that price, costs must have been cut elsewhere. So I would not bet on it lasting a long time. Maybe two years without significant issues on average? Which means half of them lasting less than that.

If you want something that has a better chance of lasting awhile at that price range or not that much higher, I'd look at Lenovo's IdeaPads or ThinkPads (the T series is best, but the lower-priced R and such will still be a lot better than a consumer-grade Acer). The specs won't be nearly as impressive, but the average reliability will be quite a bit better.

 

[Iranon]

Fairly high specs, low resolution makes some sense for gaming (using the native resolution generally looks better than scaling down on a higher-resolution display, lowering resolution for performance is often a lesser sacrifice than lowering other graphical settings).
Still, I'd look for a machine with a 1920x1080 screen - while I'd prefer something taller, that's a standard that should work well with most things.

It's hard to make laptop recommendations without knowing specifics...

Do you care about build quality, design, nicer or tougher materials?
Do you care about screen quality, if yes which aspects: resolution, contrast, colour fidelity, viewing angles?
Do you care about audio quality (always compromised without external speakers, but some are quite good)?
Do you care about maximum performance?
Do you care about maximum performance without getting unpleasantly hot and noisy?
Do you care more about raw power or a smooth user experience?
Do you need a good touchpad, or will you use a mouse anyway?
Will your most demanding programs be limited by processor or graphics card?
Do you care about battery life?

Picking the right laptop involves compromises. Regardless of relative importance of the above, most in the $500-$600 range don't look very good to me:

It's not "Cheap and disposable" any more and higher power over those may actually compromise reliability.
Moderately nice ones start at around $800... probably more if bundled with an operating system.
At the consumer-centric high end, the Retina Macbook Pro is the only one I find convincing unless you really know your niche and what you're willing to blow your money on.

 

[Zelig]

Acer is pretty much at the bottom of the totem pole among major brands in terms of their reputation for reliability.

Acer has gotten much, much better recently - I wouldn't really expect any $500 consumer laptop to last much longer than the warranty period, but Acer's higher end models are suddenly good laptops.

If you want something that has a better chance of lasting awhile at that price range or not that much higher, I'd look at Lenovo's IdeaPads or ThinkPads (the T series is best, but the lower-priced R and such will still be a lot better than a consumer-grade Acer). The specs won't be nearly as impressive, but the average reliability will be quite a bit better.

Yeah, if you're American you can get a refurb T430 with a 1600x900 screen for $550 from their outlet store.

At the consumer-centric high end, the Retina Macbook Pro is the only one I find convincing unless you really know your niche and what you're willing to blow your money on.

I haven't really looked into the half-dozen or so recently announced/released "retina"-quality Windows machines, but some of them must be rMBP quality.

 

[Mr.WorldWide]

Yeah, if you're American you can get a refurb T430 with a 1600x900 screen for $550 from their outlet store.

How good is the reliability of refurbished products in contrast to new? I have often considered buying refurbished but feared reliability was lacking.

 

[Zelig]

Depends on the source, Lenovo and Apple have good reputations for their refurb stuff, otherwise probably worth doing some research on the source.

I'd stress test components to make sure they're working, but I do that with new parts too.

 

[cardgame]

Refurbished items are restored to factory defaults, so they're 'like new'. However, since they have been used, certain parts may be more likely to fail, like the hard drive.

My refurb desktop had its RAM fail, which from what I understand is rather rare, but that's just an anecdote.

 

[Zelig]

I've actually had quite a lot of RAM fail, probably next most after hard drives and optical drives.

 

[Souron]

I'd recommend buying a new harddrive if you buy refurbished. It's the part that's most likely to fail, and most catastrophic if it does. RAM and optical discs can be replaced, but data can't.

 

[Zelig]

I'd recommend buying a new harddrive if you buy refurbished. It's the part that's most likely to fail, and most catastrophic if it does. RAM and optical discs can be replaced, but data can't.

Not really worth buying a new drive if the refurb drive is working. You need to expect catastrophic failure and have everything backed up with either a new or refurb drive.

 

[PlutonianEmpire]

Edit: <nvm>, apparently I already had it.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Is there any way to look up online (for free) the name that is associated with a phone number that has called or texted you?

 

[PlutonianEmpire]

No, IIRC.

 

[bhsup]

Try http://www.whitepages.com/reverse_phone

 

[Mise]

If it's from a company then googling the number will normally give me the website of the company (or if it's a spam number, forums and such where people complain about spam calls from that number). If it's a private number then you might be able to find it by searching the number on facebook.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Thanks guys.

 

[Yeekim]

My computer has a Intel® Desktop Board DG41TY motherboard and an old Realtek netword adapter without wifi support.

To hook that rig up to wifi, my ISP has provided a modem. I still require a network adapter that would support IEEE 802.11n standard. I see some local traders offering adapters from ~&#8364;7 to ~&#8364;33.

How do I make sure if one is compatible with the motherboard? What parameters besides that should I look for? Is it going to be complicated to install?
I am a total noob in this regard.

Thanks!

EDIT: ...or can the adapter also be external one with USB connection...?

 

[Zelig]

Yes, external with USB would be my preference.

Or you can get a router, put it in bridge mode, and use wired networking on the computer from the router.