New Computer!

[ALLSKIING]

This is precisely why I purchase PCs from reputable vendors with good support, vs. building my own or going with some cheesy brand.

Like my eMachine...:wink:

 

[ckofer]

Ah, the Vic-20. Only slightly worse than the Trash-80. Anyone remember the Timex computer that came out? I don't remember what it was called, but I wanted one, just because it looked cool.

The Timex-Sinclair. I've got one in the attic I think. I may even have the memory upgrade module. I never remember doing anything useful with it.

Found this on the web:

[SIZE=+1]Timex Sinclair 1000[/SIZE] Introduced:July 1982 Price:US $99.95 How many?500,000 in first 6 months Weight:12 ounces CPU:Zilog Z80A, 3.25MHz RAM:2K, 64K max Display:22 X 32 text
hooks to TV Ports:memory, cassette Peripherals:Cassette recorder
T/S printer OS:ROM BASIC

[FONT=arial,helvetica] The Timex Sinclair 1000 is the North American version of the Sinclair ZX-81, from British based Sinclair Research Ltd. They are nearly identical, except for the name on the front, and minor motherboard layout differences.

The first Sinclair computer was the ZX-80, released in 1980 for $200.00.
It was still very popular when they came out with the improved ZX-81 in 1981.
By mid 1982, Timex was selling the ZX-81, renaming it as the 'Timex Sinclair 1000'. The system shown above has the optional 16K memory expansion unit attached to the back.

[/FONT][FONT=arial,helvetica][/FONT]

 

[ckofer]

Sorry I started on the trip down memory lane...I should have figured it was a matter of time before someone would mention a TRS-80.

Next thing we'll have are stories about working with punch cards...

Punch cards!!!

Freshman year UNH, first half of first semester (1981). You'd send your program out for compiling and wait about 20 minutes to figure out if it worked. No freakin' way I was going to consider computer sciences as a major after that crap.

I even used paper tape on teletype machines in my middle school days....

 

[dmc]

We used to write our cobol programs on punch cards... Then feed them into a machine a wait for a printout... Also remember playing with a friends Timex... It was the shizzle bake then...

I got in big truoble in 1980 for setting a goto loop that displayed "school sucks" on a printer- over and over again the teacher didn't know how to stop it..

I don't want to hear anyone complain about computing...

that being said I got my new IMac.... And it screams!!!

 

[severine]

Motherboard fried today. Luckily I have 84 days left on my warranty. New MB and power supply coming Tuesday. Opening a support ticket with Dell and dispatching the parts took 5 minutes. This is precisely why I purchase PCs from reputable vendors with good support, vs. building my own or going with some cheesy brand.

I'm impressed. The only Dell I ever owned (briefly) was broken upon arrival and the customer support in India made Brian un-/re-install the operating system even though it was clearly a hardware problem. After a few phone calls, and fighting for parts that ended up not fixing the problem, that laptop went right back to Dell.

We've been very happy with our Gateways though. I did dabble in Mac for a bit... had an iBook and luckily replaced it (with a Gateway) just before the motherboard died this summer. It was just under 4 years old.

 

[dmc]

:shock:

i can't even begin to tell you how that blows my computer away.

i have 2 on my IMac... makes rendering video nice...

 

[dmc]

All hail Microsoft... :beer:

All that matters is it works for you...

 

[hammer]

Just pulled the trigger on a new PC for the family for Christmas...

HP Pavilion m9000t
Windows Vista
22"W monitor
Intel Core 2 Quad processor Q6600
3GB DDR2 RAM
320GB HDD
NVIDIA GeForce video card (8400GS or 8500GT, don't remember)
LightScribe 16X max. DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive

Bought it from Costco of all places...liked their return policy.

Hopefully this will do for the next 5 years...that's how long I usually try to make computers last.

 

[Greg]

Motherboard fried today. Luckily I have 84 days left on my warranty. New MB and power supply coming Tuesday. Opening a support ticket with Dell and dispatching the parts took 5 minutes. This is precisely why I purchase PCs from reputable vendors with good support, vs. building my own or going with some cheesy brand.

Success! Back in action.

 

[Marc]

Motherboard fried today. Luckily I have 84 days left on my warranty. New MB and power supply coming Tuesday. Opening a support ticket with Dell and dispatching the parts took 5 minutes. This is precisely why I purchase PCs from reputable vendors with good support, vs. building my own or going with some cheesy brand.

Regarding building your own... most components, if name brand will come with a warranty. I built mine with an MSI mobo that crapped out a couple months after I put it together, got on the phone with MSI, they stepped me through all the trouble shooting I just did myself, but that's ok, I know the drill. Sent out a new one before I even shipped out the old one.

I would think, as long as you're going with reputable manufacturers, you'd see similar results (Intel, ASUS, AMD, Crucial, Corsair, Kingston, WD, Sony, Plextor, etc. etc. ad naseum)

 

[deadheadskier]

It is amazing, the drop in prices over the years.

I very much remember my father bringing home a 'Rainbow' computer in the early 80's. The thing pretty much didn't work out of the box and we spent around 4K on the thing.

My first computer was a MAC Power PC in 1994, 1st or 2nd year you could run windows, I believe it was called 'soft windows' and it ran $2700 with a 13 inch monitor, no printer.

Last computer I bought, ole Wally the HP I called it, was nearing death, but I purchased him at Walmart, hence 'Wally' in 2002 for $450. I could still fire it up now if I didn't use my work lap top and it worked pretty much fine for 5 years.

Christmas day we'll be testing out the new lap top I got for the girlfriend. It's a basic Compaq with I suppose and okay amount of memory, but honestly, outside of printing photos and surfing the net, she doesn't need it for anything hi-tech. Paid $520 for it.

I'm as computarded as they come, so its nice that computers keep getting easier and easier to use while becoming cheaper and cheaper at the same time. I wish the automotive industry were the same or hell, ski industry for that matter. I guess skis have gotten more user friendly, but certainly not cheaper.

 

[bigbog]

...

...add another couple Gigs when possible Greg, you'll love it...(just my $.02)...especially when you wanna use a DB on the same machine....and browse at the same time...
Saw somewhere lately an external terabyte drive for under $160....:roll:

$.01