Need a new computer...

January 25, 2003 8:42 PM from

I can't seem to make a working theme on mycomputer anymore. It is hard to test something when it keeps crashing. My computer is pretty old and held up but now it is showing its age.

My laptop is gone so all I got is my old desktop. I was wondering what type of new laptop should I get? Do you guys have any suggestions? Is windowblinds, objectbar and desktopX run at the same time? what about windowFX? that too...

Every thing use to work on my laptop... but now I can't even play around with some of the programs because my desktop can't go on the internet anymore (so I have to use my sisters

)

Help!

10,178 views 45 replies

Reply #1 January 25, 2003 8:44 PM from

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IBM Think Pad or Dell.. But for Audio I would say Sony has some cool ones.

Reply #2 January 25, 2003 9:00 PM from

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JoeTheBlow: Would you be intimidated by building your own? You can make a VERY sweet box without spending a ton of money on the BrandName.

Groupy 2 - Organize multiple applications into grouped tabs on your Windows desktop

Reply #3 January 25, 2003 9:01 PM from

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Thinkpads are the greatest. If you're going to run WindowFX though - try to avoid a notebook running the GeForce Go chipset I'm discovering - try to find something with a Radeon chipset.

I'm running a Toshiba notebook: 1.8Ghz Celeron, GeForce4 420 Go, 256MB Ram (wish I'd upgraded.. *sighs*) 30gig HD, CD-RW/DVD combo, etc. It's a sweet little machine, and I love it.

The only thing I wish it had was the 1600x1200 display of my roomie's Dell - but mine was also about $2000 cheaper than his. ^_~

Reply #4 January 25, 2003 9:02 PM from

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Oh crud...nevermind...didn't read your post very well.

/me is not going to answer anymore questions this weekend...

Reply #5 January 25, 2003 9:09 PM from

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That's okay werewolf - you helped to save us all from future alien abduction!

Reply #6 January 25, 2003 9:12 PM from

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Reply #7 January 25, 2003 9:16 PM from

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Oh - another note on notebooks. If you're going to be doing a lot of typing on it - I endore the Thinkpads even /more/. They have the best keyboards of any laptop I've ever used.

I love my Toshiba - but I /hate/ the keyboard. When I'm doing lots of typing - I still bring down my old Thinkpad 600 (A 300Mhz PII!) because the keyboard on it is just /so/ sweet.

Reply #8 January 25, 2003 9:21 PM from

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I would like to biuld a laptop... I never heard of that before though... desktops yes, but I really need a laptop.

My desktop makes a nice test box for themes and stuff, but creating them on it is a trial. I find that also I have bugs in a theme that was not there before 2 days ago. I have so many themes on the shelf... but I refuse to upload them. For that matter, I can't even really use them myself because they cause so many problems.

Also sharing a computer with someone makes it hard to creat a theme that you need to work on.

there has got to be a laptop I can buy or make that runs all this stuff.

Reply #9 January 25, 2003 9:24 PM from

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Nearly any laptop out there today will run it. Hell, mine is considered a 'low end' laptop now (it's -only- 1.8Ghz, horror.) Outside of the nVidia drivers not liking WindowFX (or specifically shadows + transitions turned on at the same time... or shadows and /anything/ actually,) it all runs great.

But like I said - find one with one of the decent Radeon chipsets - and it's even better.

Reply #10 January 25, 2003 9:25 PM from

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Making a laptop will cost you way more then what it's worth. I've checked on part prices to do that.

But I would say, IBM think pad with their dock, external mouse

Reply #11 January 25, 2003 9:26 PM from

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Yea, they are bringing the wonderful 3.2ghz out this quarter

Reply #12 January 26, 2003 1:35 PM from

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thanks, you guys really helped me. I will try to get something with a Radeon chips set.

Reply #13 January 26, 2003 1:42 PM from

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I think that the Geforce FX is gonna blow the Radeon you may want to reoonsider...

think of all of the skinning possiblilities with the most kick Arse video card on the market

I could only imagine...

Reply #14 January 26, 2003 1:53 PM from

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My Sony Vaio has been good to me but the female part of my power cord connection (no rude jokes please,

) is already dying and I need to bring 'er in for a tune-up (good thing I bought the extended warranty).

Reply #15 January 26, 2003 2:35 PM from

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Well zman - I only mention straying from the GeForce mobile chipset in favor of the Radeon mobile chipset because nVidia's drivers absolutely /blow/ when it comes to running WindowFX.

Funny, actually - it used to be that nVidia had the great, wonderful drivers - and ATI's software engineers were smoking crack - but now, I /love/ my Catalyst drivers with the Radeon 8500 in my desktop - and with each release of the nVidia drivers, I merely cringe in fear.

Reply #16 January 28, 2003 7:31 PM from

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You have a Sony Vaio Shmoopy? I always thought they were... well crappy, but if yours is running fine then maybe I should think about getting it too.

I usually put Celron chipsets, Heward/Packard computers and Compaq computers in the same catogory as Sony Vaio. Lame. Maybe things have changed.
I am starting to hear good things about Celron. And Heward Packard merged with Compaq so maybe Sony Vaio has moved up as well.

Reply #17 January 28, 2003 8:17 PM from

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Celron burns up fast. Just gets too hot. If you have a liquid cooling system it might help

Sony Vaio are suppose to be one of the best laptops for audio. I don't know about the rest.

I still say either a IBM Thinkpad or Dell.

Reply #18 January 28, 2003 8:28 PM from

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I have heard great things about the Alienware laptops...and they come in more than black & grey.

A little pricey, though.

As I type this, I'm on a Dell Inspiron 7500, 512MB RAM, PIII 600MHz, with a crappy 8MB ATI Mobility-P video card. I'm running WindowBlinds, ObjectBar, Iconpackager, ObjectBar, SysMetrix and CursorXP at the same time with a MINOR hit in speed. In fact, it's so minor that I hardly notice it except in Photoshop and Eudora, so I excepted them. I think it's all in how you put the system together, software-wise. Load one thing at a time and check for stability.

I'm rebuilding my AMD Athlon tower...can't wait to see how WB4 performs with a fast machine and a GeForce Ti4600 and a gig of RAM!

Reply #19 January 28, 2003 9:19 PM from

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stark23x, sweet. I wish mine went up to 1gig of ram. I have 768mb right now

But only a 700mhz CPU. AMD Athlon

Reply #20 January 28, 2003 9:40 PM from

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speaking of systems - i've been having some strange problems with spontaneous shutdowns and I was thinkning it was a power supply problem, since its basically now a clean install - 2.53 P4, 1.5g ram, 2x120g hdd, floppy, 1xDVD burner, 1xCDRW, and 4 USB devices, and radeon 9700 pro - should a 350w power supply run all this fine or no ?

thanks!

Reply #21 January 28, 2003 9:53 PM from

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Mine is that and it runs more than that. I have 4HDs, 2 CDRoms, 2floppies, and my PCI slots are full

O', can't forget 2 USB Hubs which is running about 7 USB devices. And who knows whatelse my machine is running

And shutdowns could be from surges if you don't have a surge protector, A loose wire somewhere, bad switch, it could be many things.

Reply #22 January 28, 2003 9:58 PM from

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sigh - nod time to keep lookin

Reply #23 January 28, 2003 10:08 PM from

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Just make sure all the wires are snug. That's the most easy thing to check. If it does it after that. check your plugs or do that at the same time. Make sure all your computer stuff is plugged in snug. Especially in the back of the computer.

Reply #24 January 28, 2003 10:57 PM from

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Cavanaugh - 350 /should/ push that, but it would be really borderline, if you ask me. I'd definitely look at a larger power supply. Also - what about heat? You're pushing a lot of hot items into that box - make sure you've got some /really/ good, and unrestricted airflow. Heat will cause those exact same problems you've mentioned.

Reply #25 January 28, 2003 10:58 PM from

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As for the new Celerons...

You know - I'm pleasantly surprised with my 1.8Ghz celeron in my notebook. The new ones, built on the P4 core. It performs remarkably well - though you can still notice the smaller cache in it (which is, from my reading, the only difference between it and a 'true' P4.)

In fact - software doesn't even recognize it was a Celeron - it gets recognized as a P4.

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