[one_2_three]

It seems more like an everyday battle to prove who has the best of the best when infact, it really is "in your face". Not to mention that the best of the best is sometimes the dumbest move. No offense, but who needs that much graphic and that much sound in their faces?

The human eye can only see so much and the human ear can only hear so much, and the human mind can only process and understand/notice so much. After a certain point, it becomes a popularity contest and is there for glamor only.

For example:

Someone who plays games, runs everyday internet programs and runs his small business using a 1.0 Ghz Machine, 512 MB RAM, GeForce 3 Video and SB Live! X-Gamer 5.1

Someone else who plays games, runs everyday internet programs and runs his small business using a 1.8 Ghz Machine, 2 GB RAM, GeForce 4 Video and SB Audigy!

The different is hardly even noticed....just in the device manager and sales receipts.

I know that even 5 years from now I will laugh at this post, but I'm talking as a whole here, considering the future, but also considering the present and short-term.

Anyone care to comment on the direction the world is taking with hardware in not only computers, but even consoles?

[Admiral LSD]

Some people like having bigger machines because it helps compensate for deficiencies elsewhere :p

[GTwannabe]

Gigaherz... bah! I'm puttering along at 733mhz, with GF2 quite nicely!

However, when I do eventually upgrade, I'm going to wait for a 2.0 Ghz or more chip from AMD (hopefully Hammer :))

[Admiral LSD]

I'm going to wait until I actually have some money before I upgrade :p

[Alien]

Yeah, sadly the best things in life aren't free.

[CrazyKillerMan]

I disagree. I dont need a big computer to enhance anything else (thats what a corvette is for). I like having a fast computer and learning as much as I can about it. Having a 700MHz machine would probably suffice for my programming and the odd IE venture, but being a "do-it-yourselfer" I like to run new programs, test new programs, set up multiple software packages to mesh together. This would be fine if I was running one program at a time, but I run ALOT of programs at the same time. I have 5 different desktops set up sometimes (using hydravision) and each of them is packed with resource heavy programs, such as photoshop, an FTP server, apache, mySQL (databases are usually always matched with fast computers) then there is openoffice.org running, along with a spreadsheets that contain data I need to reference. Sure I can manage having one window open at a time, but why? I ahve dual monitors ... so why the heck not. Or what about leaving my user account the way it is, switching users and throwing a DVD from my DVD player out the S-Video to the TV and watch some movies while I have a silly amount of programs running in my main account.

Having a fast computer isnt something that I buy to show off, its something that I buy to make my life easier and to use. Also, I dig the warcraft 3 look at 1600x1200x32.

Its almost time for me to do some upgrading too, as I only have a t-bird 1.2 GHz (my mobo blew last month and I know have an A7V333 to run it). Might wait for t-bred to come out, but if I dont grab any new $$$ it will be the Barton most likely.

I know you were referencing video game/email checkers only kinda thing, but I felt that I need to defend those who like HEAVY multi tasking.

[clutch]

First, hardware and software manufacturers are going to push technology and move forward as there isn't much money in mainting both the "this will get us by" sector and developing new technologies. Most pieces of video hardware that you see in servers (like the Rage Pro from ATi) were actually quite popular but very expensive in their time, and now are only being use for simple 2D display duties (I loved mine for Forsaken and used the OpenGL wrapper [who here remembers that term for drivers eh? ;)] for Quake/Quake2). There's only so much production time and inventory a given manufacturer will sink into a specific model before retiring a model and moving to the next up the line, since it can be quite expensive to maintain several lines of product (because of increased overhead).

Second, with the selection of hardware/software moving forward, most will not have the ability to look for older hardware in a particular application. I know that I had a problem just trying to dig up an old P3 500+ for a workstation and wound up getting a 1.2GHz Celeron with a new motherboard. Sure, it's pretty fast at running the OS (NT4) and the *ONE* measurement application that it hosts, but I figured this was going to be the case. I would rather have the price dropping on faster hardware than to have a ton of surplus of old stuff keeping the costs up for everything else. My workstation at work is a P3 733 with 512MB RAM, and I will be thrilled to replace that this month with a dual Xeon box since all of my applications (SQL Server, VS.NET, Adobe this, that, and the other, etc) tend to slow it down to a crawl.

So, with the design of software/hardware moving forward, and in doing so driving up the performance of the lowest common denominator, what other reason is there to buy faster than needed machines? What about just for the hell of it? People do it all the time with cars, and computers are much cheaper, so why not? Companies wouldn't make cold cathode tubes and window kits if nobody was buying them, and having a machine that flies when opening and closing applications is much more fun than one that just crawls...

[one_2_three]

True...I can understand it from the point of having to use heavy applications like SQL, VS.NET, etc.

As I run my business, I hear people saying things like "We should just get your mother this 1.8 Ghz machine" and i'm thinking "what the heck could your mother possibly want with a 1.8 Ghz machine?"

You know, it's just annoying. Plus I'm jealous cuz I am crawling at 650 Mhz with 512 MB RAM

[Jason B]

Yes, when I build mine, I'm actually going to use it to it's full potential. XP is great, because I will be able to have multiple logins going at the same time, all doing stuff. Here's what I hope to have:
AMD XP 2100
Abit KX7-333R
512 Mb DDR Ram
120 Gb HD
Probably Onboard Audio
GeForce 4 Ti 4600 (Maybe an nForce :D)
CD-RW (Maybe DVD-RW)
52x CD-ROM
Nice case with fans out the ***, a window, and lights.

And that's it. I don't think that's going overboard. I will run an FTP off of it, among other things.

[one_2_three]

Fans, Windows, Lights? Are you building a car or a computer sir?

DVD-RW is probably an "over-doing". DVD aren't even standard yet, nevermind DVD burning. I would stick with CD-RW for a long time

[Alien]

Also, why bother buying a 52x CD ROM drive, when you could get a DVD drive for more or less the same price, or maybe a little bit more? Although if you do get a DVD writer then you wouldn't need a DVD reader so much, but I agree with 123 about DVD writers - unless you really need a DVD writer.

[Admiral LSD]

Quote:

XP is great

Do you mind if I laugh at this now? :p

Oh, and Alien, My CD-ROM drive is buggered (the magnetic clutch mechanism is rooted meaning it won't eject properly without a disc in there) and while trying to decide what to replace it with I considered a new CD-ROM (the cheapest and easiest solution), a DVD drive or a CD-RW drive. I ended up deciding on the CD-RW drive (yet still lack the finances to follow through on it) since I only have a couple of things on DVD-ROM and I have no desire to watch movies on my PC so the extra functionality (and expense) of a DVD drive would be wasted.

[one_2_three]

Quote:

Do you mind if I laugh at this now? :p

And which OS are you using?

Yep.

[Admiral LSD]

Quote:

And which OS are you using?

Yep.

XP

But you don't know the reason I'm laughing at him. Less than 6 months ago (just how long has the VBB been closed now?) he never would have said that.

[one_2_three]

Quote:

XP

But you don't know the reason I'm laughing at him. Less than 6 months ago (just how long has the VBB been closed now?) he never would have said that.

I see, I see

[Jason B]

We know each other from another bulletin board. he's right, I never would have said it before, I was an ME *****. *shudder*

[Jason B]

A lot of times, CD's are too small for me. There are times when I need to put a bunch of crap on CD, and I hate having to use 2,3, or more CD's to do it. It's just a pain in the ***. And you're right, I should just go with a DVD instead of a 52x; I just need a second drive to burn CD's with.

[Alien]

Quote:

Oh, and Alien, My CD-ROM drive is buggered

LMAO @ the mental image this conjured up [an anthropomorphised PC case in prison uniform leaning over a poor defenceless CD ROM drive, with the caption "you're gonna get it now boy!"]

Quote:

[B]and while trying to decide what to replace it with I considered a new CD-ROM (the cheapest and easiest solution), a DVD drive or a CD-RW drive. I ended up deciding on the CD-RW drive (yet still lack the finances to follow through on it) since I only have a couple of things on DVD-ROM and I have no desire to watch movies on my PC so the extra functionality (and expense) of a DVD drive would be wasted.

Ah, right - that's where we differ - I want a DVD drive, as I already have my PC hooked upto my TV, & it's cheaper than buying a home player.

[Admiral LSD]

My PS2 has DVD playback pretty much wrapped up for the time being (that is, it plays my collection of about 20 Anime DVDs and 2 out of 3 of my movie discs) and if and when I get more than a couple of discs that it won't play I'll consider investing in a standalone player. Of course, those plans are about as far into the future as upgrading my PC since they all need money which I haven't got...

[Uykucu]

Quote:

True...I can understand it from the point of having to use heavy applications like SQL, VS.NET, etc.

As I run my business, I hear people saying things like "We should just get your mother this 1.8 Ghz machine" and i'm thinking "what the heck could your mother possibly want with a 1.8 Ghz machine?"

You know, it's just annoying. Plus I'm jealous cuz I am crawling at 650 Mhz with 512 MB RAM

Well one problem is, you will be hard pushed to find even a 1.4 P4 so you use whatever you can find in the market that is at least a bit future proof. I had to build some machines today 4 of them P4 1.8 with 512Mb and 40GB Ata 100. They are going to run a dos based accounting SW on W2k Pro over a network!!!!

I could not find any other CPU's readily available. Nor could i find even a 30 GB HDD. So here we are.

And some pay the amount they can buy a car for a new 2.4 Ghz "gaming" rig with 2GB of memory. And then install "WINDOWS 98SE" on it. This is true, i sold it myself. And the idiot did not listen to me to install 2K or XP, cause the gaming magazine he reads claimed W98 is still the best os for gaming and his "expert" friend said i was wrong when i said w98 can't use more than 256 MB memory!!!

Figure That!