Dellving Deep

[peterbirks]

So, I finally cracked this morning and bought myself a Dell. I was humming and hahhing between a Dell and an Acer, but I got my act together and made a random decision, picking an Inspiron 530. I then promptly doubled my expenditure by clicking on the Dell 24 inch super sharp monitor. Hell, if you are spending fortunes on a bathroom, just think of it as an additional bathroom expense.

Since I already have the Sony 23 inch monitor (plus another couple of bog-standard 19-inchers), I'm not really sure how I'll put the new set up together. I quite fancy putting one of the computers near the piano so that I can record wav tracks. What I really need there, though, if I'm going to have fun, is a mixing desk. And that could end up taking over my entire life. So perhaps that isn't the best idea.

I made my decision now because we haven't got into the increased Christmas demand period yet, which is when Dell eases up the prices. The spec that I got for £400 was fairly amazing to my old-fashioned eyes.

Dells have a few quirks -- the amazing moving mouse arrow is one of them; while an apparent conflict with McAfee that can cause the fan to head into overdrive at random moments is another.

But the old warhorse is beginning to be a bit too noisy, and slow. It's only the horror at having to install so many things again that's put me off. But it has to be done eventually so, why not today?

Well, because it won't arrive today, but you get my drift.

PJ

Comments

Obsolete PCs

[geoffchall.livejournal.com]

This is starting to exercise my attention again. Replacing the office PCs is something budgeted for on a 3 year cycle. getting 4 yrs out of the things is good, but this generation of Eveshams are now 4.5yrs old which is very pleasing. Only one of them is seriously erratic and we don't use that one.

However our latest Sage upgrade brings with it the message that it's willing to work with such a piss-poor 256Mb of RAM if I insist, but it'd really rather have 1024Mb. The only encouraging thing is that any re-equip will be at a cost of around one third of the previous go. And the crap old ones will actually be quite nice really (even if they don't have sound-cards in them).

I've half a mind to go with the thought that if it ain't broke I shouldn't fix it but the thought of having to do an enforced network re-creation from back-ups when the server siezes up is not a pleasant one.

[jellymillion.livejournal.com]

Part of the reason the spec is so good is because of the crap they install for a fee. Like Norton AntiVirus, AOL, Tiscali and other crap.

Did you/were you able to specify the downgrade to XP? I hope so.

Downgrades

[peterbirks.livejournal.com]

I think it was a relatively unadvertised option, but I didn't take it. I tend to keep these machines for quite a while, and the upside of XP being better now had the downside of having to upgrade in a couple of yeaqrs when XP stopped being supported by new stuff coming out. But I did consider it.

The other option, having witnessed the shit pre-installed by Dell, was to simply wipe the machine the second it arrived. I mean, utterly zap it. Then I could go out and buy Windows XP and start from scratch.

That would be technically possible, wouldn't it?

Then again, my mum seems to have survived with the rubbish on the Dell that I bought her 18 months ago. I'm sure that if I put my Ukrainian heritage to work I could zap out the Tiscali and AOL crap without much trouble. The Norton Anti-Virus is a bigger problem. I've had experiences of that before. It's a tenacious bastard. Worse than the worst virus, actually. Up there with Real Player.


PJ

Re: Downgrades

[jellymillion.livejournal.com]

DIY downgrading is not recommended - XP in its off-the-shelf form doesn't have drivers for SATA hard drives, which means you have to roll your own modified install disk. Which is non-trivial, as I discovered.

That said, Vista can be lived with, it just seems to have more small annoying negatives than it has positives.

Re: Downgrades

[peterbirks.livejournal.com]

Er, so, as an operating system, XP, off the shelf, doesn't work as an operating system?

I mean, having drivers for hard drives is kind of one of the things I would expect from an operating system, or perhaps I'm very old-fashioned.

PJ

Re: Downgrades

[real-aardvark.livejournal.com]

Yes, that would be technically possible.

And advisable, under the circumstances.

Microsoft were forced to continue "supporting" W88 after the official expiry date (2003? Can't remember) because corporate customers demanded it. You can be sure that XP will go the same way, if only because, like W98, it's the version that actually worked for most people. (Me, I prefer Windows 2000, but that's the old Cutler-worshipping Multix in me.)

Buy a copy of XP Professional (you need the "Professional" bit for decent networking. Hell, any networking) from EBay, wipe the disk, and install now. Sell the Dell collection of Vista disks down your local crack-house, now.

Do it before reformatting your disk is too much pain.

If XP is too expensive (and it might well be -- last time I looked, the Professional edition was still being charged at Soho Professional charges, ie £150), then go for Windows 2000. It's just as reliable, all the drivers will work, and it'll last as long.

There are also solutions to Norton AntiVirus, which I have learned at the knee of my gorgeous ex, Ms B. Ranninger, attorney-at-large in their HR department. Seriously, it's fairly simple to rid yourself of the infestation.