I Finally Went And Did It...
Hello everyone. I hope you are all in good health.
Well, I finally went and did it (guess I am a damned, dirty ape!). I finally went and bought a new computer. Yes, I finally retired the venerable "HAL-9000". For those of you who don't know me, retiring HAL is a big step for me. HAL has been with me since roughly 2000. To explain a little further, HAL is the name I chose for my ancient Compaq Presario. I call it my "digital abacus" because it was/is an old AMD K6-2, 400 MHz system with a whopping 224 MB of ram. It also had an ATI Rage video card with 4MB of SGRAM and (originally) a 10 GB HDD (I later upped it to 90 GB total [80 GB + 10 GB]. When it came from factory it also had DVD-ROM. I changed that out for a CD burner.
To say the least, I extensively upgraded the system. I massaged, tweaked, and pretty much did everything by OC and make voodoo sacrifices to it to keep it running at a reasonable level. But, alas, all was for naught. In the last six months, it started crashing and corrupting files on a pretty regular basis. So I figured it was time for a new system (a decision not taken lightly). I know, people are saying what's the big deal, but I am a geek and I get somewhat attached to my electronics, especially my computer. I put in a lot of hours, sweat, blood, and, yes, even some tears (of frustration) to keep my system in good shape, and now I was going to junk it. I was going to relegate it to my pile of obsolete stuff. Eventually, part of the old system will live on in my new system, most likely in the form of cannibalized parts (probably the new 80 GB WD HDD and my CD burner). However, it didn't change the fact that a machine that had given me so much entertainment and pleasure was going to be tossed aside like so much other personal detritus. Alas, poor HAL! I knew him Horatio; a machine of infinite jest, of most excellent websurfing. (Yes, it is a paraphrase of "Hamlet" [act 5, scene 1])
So, the other day (Friday, I think), I finally got a new system. The system I ordered hasn't arrived yet, so the place I got it gave me a loaner. The system I ordered is an HP s7612n. It has an AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Dual Core (2 GHz), 1 GB RAM, 200 GB HDD, an NVIDIA GeForce w/ 256 MB, a dual layer DVD burner with LightScribe, and a 17" LCD monitor. I can hardly wait to get it.
Hell, the loaner system I am using isn't that bad either. It is an HP s7520n. It has a AMD Turion (1.8 GHz, 64 bit), 1 GB RAM, 200 GB HDD, an ATI Radeon w/ 256MB, a dual layer LighScribe DVD burner, and a 17" LCD monitor. I like it, but I would rather have the 7612 system.
I've already added a few accessories to the system already. I mean the monitor speakers that came with it just didn't quite cut it (bluntly, they sounded like crap!), so I added some Altec Lansing 80 watt speakers (2.1 type--2 desktop, 1 subwoofer). Now it sounds pretty good. I also decided to get a 1 GB thumb drive, and, most importantly, I got myself a copy of Sid Meier's Civilization IV.
For those of you who don't have Civ 4 yet, get it. I thought Civ 2 was great until Civ 3 came out. I thought Civ 3 was really good, but when Civ 4 came out, I wanted it. Unfortunately, HAL wouldn't play it (system req's were too high). Now that I have this system, I can play it, and do. It blows Civ 3 away. It is no contest. It has all of the stuff that Civ 3 had, except pollution and civil disorder, plus it has civics, religion, and is 3-D. If you like the Civilization series, and haven't done so, get this game. It is one of the few games that actually live up to its hype.
Well, I gotta run (I actually have work to do).
So until next time, I am Chuck, and my new system's name is COLOSSUS. (I name my systems after their famous (fictional or real) predecessors).
Well, I finally went and did it (guess I am a damned, dirty ape!). I finally went and bought a new computer. Yes, I finally retired the venerable "HAL-9000". For those of you who don't know me, retiring HAL is a big step for me. HAL has been with me since roughly 2000. To explain a little further, HAL is the name I chose for my ancient Compaq Presario. I call it my "digital abacus" because it was/is an old AMD K6-2, 400 MHz system with a whopping 224 MB of ram. It also had an ATI Rage video card with 4MB of SGRAM and (originally) a 10 GB HDD (I later upped it to 90 GB total [80 GB + 10 GB]. When it came from factory it also had DVD-ROM. I changed that out for a CD burner.
To say the least, I extensively upgraded the system. I massaged, tweaked, and pretty much did everything by OC and make voodoo sacrifices to it to keep it running at a reasonable level. But, alas, all was for naught. In the last six months, it started crashing and corrupting files on a pretty regular basis. So I figured it was time for a new system (a decision not taken lightly). I know, people are saying what's the big deal, but I am a geek and I get somewhat attached to my electronics, especially my computer. I put in a lot of hours, sweat, blood, and, yes, even some tears (of frustration) to keep my system in good shape, and now I was going to junk it. I was going to relegate it to my pile of obsolete stuff. Eventually, part of the old system will live on in my new system, most likely in the form of cannibalized parts (probably the new 80 GB WD HDD and my CD burner). However, it didn't change the fact that a machine that had given me so much entertainment and pleasure was going to be tossed aside like so much other personal detritus. Alas, poor HAL! I knew him Horatio; a machine of infinite jest, of most excellent websurfing. (Yes, it is a paraphrase of "Hamlet" [act 5, scene 1])
So, the other day (Friday, I think), I finally got a new system. The system I ordered hasn't arrived yet, so the place I got it gave me a loaner. The system I ordered is an HP s7612n. It has an AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Dual Core (2 GHz), 1 GB RAM, 200 GB HDD, an NVIDIA GeForce w/ 256 MB, a dual layer DVD burner with LightScribe, and a 17" LCD monitor. I can hardly wait to get it.
Hell, the loaner system I am using isn't that bad either. It is an HP s7520n. It has a AMD Turion (1.8 GHz, 64 bit), 1 GB RAM, 200 GB HDD, an ATI Radeon w/ 256MB, a dual layer LighScribe DVD burner, and a 17" LCD monitor. I like it, but I would rather have the 7612 system.
I've already added a few accessories to the system already. I mean the monitor speakers that came with it just didn't quite cut it (bluntly, they sounded like crap!), so I added some Altec Lansing 80 watt speakers (2.1 type--2 desktop, 1 subwoofer). Now it sounds pretty good. I also decided to get a 1 GB thumb drive, and, most importantly, I got myself a copy of Sid Meier's Civilization IV.
For those of you who don't have Civ 4 yet, get it. I thought Civ 2 was great until Civ 3 came out. I thought Civ 3 was really good, but when Civ 4 came out, I wanted it. Unfortunately, HAL wouldn't play it (system req's were too high). Now that I have this system, I can play it, and do. It blows Civ 3 away. It is no contest. It has all of the stuff that Civ 3 had, except pollution and civil disorder, plus it has civics, religion, and is 3-D. If you like the Civilization series, and haven't done so, get this game. It is one of the few games that actually live up to its hype.
Well, I gotta run (I actually have work to do).
So until next time, I am Chuck, and my new system's name is COLOSSUS. (I name my systems after their famous (fictional or real) predecessors).
posted by Chuck | 10:50
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home