Rothen Posts

I have never heard of this for Linux, although it appears that it is cross-platform for any system except for maybe BSD/Solaris based Unix.

Of course... I left my old iPod classic on a flight in Costa Rica.... so I am not interested in this kind of software anymore.

Where there is flint, and there is tinder... you will get flame.

This can apply to anything when you have two groups who believe different things. The Shi'a and the Sunnis have been in conflict for decades, and it is primarily because they disagree on who should have been Muhammad's successors.

I am glad that ImperialX decided to be as impartial as he could, mediating between both sides. I really don't care too much which is better. I have used windows a lot more than I have used OS X, but both seem viable operating systems to me. However, I don't like it how OS X can only (officially) be used on Apple computers, where as Windows can be used on all computers, even Apple ones. Otherwise, that's my only real major beef with OS X.

One really good thing I find with OS X, is that it doesn't use Direct X (not too much, but there are CIDER ports) and that it encourages the growth of OpenGL as a engine for rendering games. It's too bad that Valve doesn't have any interest in porting Steam (and the source engine) to Linux, despite having rebuilt the engine for OpenGL.

Nothing wrong with the hardware. Sounds like a software (operating system) issue. Really, I would start by removing all the HP bloatware and processes that might be slowing down (or even freezing) your computer.

Then just look at how many system processes are running in the background when the computer is idel. The ideal would be below 30.

Apple's official statement (not verbatim):

"Well, we know there's an antenna problem with the iPhone 4, but really... if you just hold it a different way or buy a case, it isn't much of a problem at all!"

This isn't the Apple I know. The Apple I know would have recalled the devices quickly and fixed the problem.

How high is it going up?

If it is within the range of 200~500 that is a natural range for Windows based computers to function under. But to alleviate this problem...

Go to run, and type "msconfig"

Then go to startup, and uncheck all the programs you don't want running in the background.

Then go to services, (check hide all microsoft services) and uncheck all the services you don't want running in the background.

Restart, and check your page file (virtual memory) usage.

If that doesn't work, run spyware/adware/virus scans and the problem should be fixed.

I have got the Logitech webcam myself, and I say, it will clip onto anything, regardless of the thickness. It doesn't look awkward either.

I tested it on the front cover of a Dictionary (thinner than a laptop screen), and it held it's grip quite nicely. I was going to send pictures, but I don't have an SD card reader on me at the moment.

Also about that HP, that one looks like it would have trouble clipping on to the end of a notebook screen.

I tend to believe that logitech webcams are better quality than most other web cams that aren't made by a major manufacturer.

If you live in the US, B&H Photo has an incredible deal on the best Logitech QuickCam 9000, which is less than $50. I just purchased one a few days ago, but it has yet to arrive. I have heard the quality is more than enough for most uses, 1600 x 1200 resolution without software enhancement.

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2088696

^This. Just as your computer turns on, it will show some screen before it boots into Windows. It will also tell you what key will bring you to "Setup". Press that key, and an outdated (probably blue colored) looking BIOS screen will appear. From there, set the time and it will change the time you have set in Windows.

I think too many people sell their souls to Apple (and AT&T) and its iPhone. I know so many people who cannot afford one, and they end up getting one.

I guess this is good for Apple, because they reap the benefits of creating one of the most popular phones on the planet.

Install Avast. Then go into "msconfig" and disable all the Avast startup processes and services. Now you have an Avast that doesn't make your computer any slower, and scans only when you want it.

Understand there are many front-ends to MPlayer. Front ends like 'Gnome MPlayer' or 'SMPlayer' (the one I use) can help you play with codecs and video output. I have learned there are certain video outputs that are picky with a few codecs like .ogm and some others. In those front-ends you can open up "Preferences" and select the various video outputs/codecs and see if that changes your result. 'gl2" seems to be friendly to me, but I don't know how it would run on Intel integrated graphics.

Also this problem could be caused from a very large range of ailments. First, the video files could be corrupt. This is a common thing to happen to video files when downloading via torrent (I just had Eva 2.22 corrupt) because the videos are pieced together. Clients like Deluge or Transmission can "Force Re-Check" these files, see if they downloaded improperly, and then fix them. Also it could be caused from the update, which didn't recompile/add required dependencies, which cause certain videos to crash.

I have all the [Mazui]Angel_Beats_****.mkv files that you have listed, and on my MPlayer they run perfectly. However, I am on Arch Linux, and I am using VDPAU (video acceleration) with my Nvidia card. So there are differences between your system and mine. I don't really like VLC because it can't buffer videos very well, and the video acceleration is poor.

That gives you more options. Upgrading the processor is difficult, because there isn't much higher you can go. You could get a single core 3.2 GHz Pentium 4 for cheap somewhat...
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?client=opera&rls=en&q=478+pentium+4&oe=utf-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=15416524197090488200&ei=CJoCTPWiKoP6NaLBrTs&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCcQ8wIwAQ#
This is for socket 478, download the program CPU-Z and confirm that your socket is 478 before you consider buying this processor.

Graphics card is a little hard because your computer is older and doesn't use the modern PCI-e bus.
http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Radeon-HD3650-Video-100258L/dp/B001L62INY this is a good option, but I wouldn't go much higher than that.

Both these total to 110.98. The PC will be significantly faster, but it won't be that much faster for having spent a lot of money.

Now, if you build a new computer:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?nm_mc=AFC-SlickDeals&cm_mmc=AFC-SlickDeals-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&ItemList=Combo.404502 $99.97

This comes with everything but RAM and a Video Card
9800GT http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121352 $70
2GB RAM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820161030 $45

This is a brand new computer for $215 (yeah, a $100 is a lot more, I know), only lacking a hard drive which you can transplant from your old computer.

It's about as powerful as my computer, which can still hold it's own in new games. I remember when I did this (from a similar situation), I was just simply amazed to have a super fast like-new computer.

It's like saying that all Android phones have a larger share of the market than the iPhone. That is just slurring words, just like this argument.

Apple designs software, as well as manufactures a wide variety of products, like MacBooks, iPods, iPads, iPhones, iMacs and the list goes on. Microsoft does not manufacture any of it's products. Microsoft is almost strictly a software company. There is no Microsoft "Win Mini", or "Winbook", or "WinPhone". Manufacturers like Dell, HP, Acer, Motorola, Gateway, Asus, HTC, etc. use Microsoft's software (i.e. Windows & Windows Mobile) to contribute to the PC market. Microsoft itself doesn't manufacture very many products, Apple does. This is the fundemental difference between the two companies. Therefore, comparing Apple to Microsoft would be like comparing apples to oranges.

I don't think the original poster had any intention of buying a new computer. He wanted suggestions to increase performance.

In any case, a few suggestions

1. Download CCleaner, and run a clean up.

2. Uninstall all programs you don't use. They make your computer slower

3. Defragment your hard drive: You can do this by going to "My Computer", and clicking "Properties" on your main drive. Click on the tabs until you find it. This will take a while. Also you can download My Defrag which can do it for you.

4. Download the latest graphics drivers. http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp_175.19_whql.html. Install these These are for Windows XP 32 bit

5. Go to "run" and type "msconfig". Then uncheck some things (you don't need) in the "Startup", and "Services" tabs. Use your judgment on this one, you can always change them back if you realize you need a startup process.

6. Virus/Malware/Spyware scans tend to find bugs which reduce performance. Scan your computer up.

7. (OPTIONAL) Overclock your processor, RAM, and graphics card. This may or may not be possible with your computer. You can overclock your graphics card with
Coolbits. You want to increase your Core and Memory (by a few MHz each) frequencies here. If you overclock it too much, it will cause your card to crash. This doesn't hurt it, you'll just need to restart your computer and try again.

7.1Most factory built computer's can't overclock their CPU and RAM, so don't worry about this if you can't find anything. To overclock your RAM and CPU, boot up your computer. Just before it boots into windows, it will say something like "Press (F4) for Startup". Press whatever key is required, and a really old-style blue/gray screen will appear. Then see if there are any settings which let you play with the FSB/Core/Nib frequency. If you see settings like the ones I have described, find a more detailed guide about this. It takes a lot of time and effort to overclock CPU and RAM.

Your computer is old. I still have a P4 2.2GHz, and and I understand it's really slow sometimes. Do as I suggested, and you'll probably see a noticable performance increase. However, you'll probably experience the same type of lag you always have. The only way to fix that is to upgrade, or buy a new computer altogether.

My primary browser is Opera, but I have to say both browsers have their advantages and disadvantages.

Yes, Chrome is faster than Firefox (some browsers are marginally faster than others) but Firefox has had a larger user base and more addons. However I would choose Firefox any day over Google Chrome. Why? Because Google Chrome isn't entirely open source. I'd rather use Chromium or Iron over the Google-branded Chrome.

Also for Firefox, there are a few Firefox derivatives, i.e. most notably the Pale Moon Project. Unlike the original Firefox, the Pale Moon project seeks to compete with Chrome in speed, and have the same plugin compatibility with the original Firefox. I don't know how it compares, but it should be better than the original Firefox.

EDIT: I have just tried the Nightly Minefield release, and have been very impressed. It seems comparatively faster than the Chromium stable release. I think Mozilla has finally realized that the need to speed up the browser which is now lagging behind Chrome and Opera.

Provide more details about this problem.

As for a guess, a cable can't be plugged into a laptop (VGA, HDMI, DVI) without configuring the display settings. Otherwise, it will appear as if it was unplugged. Open up either Display Settings in Windows or the Nvidia Control Panel and make sure you add the new device you are connecting to by adding another display. It's like adding a new screen, it needs to be first configured in display settings.

The Acura is a little expensive for a car, and the Kia is well priced. I would pick the Kia, even though it has only two doors..

Agreed, dust it out. Also make sure you dust out the Power Supply, the box in the top left corner of the computer.

As for explaining your problem, it appears to be a strange one. The two symptoms (100% CPU load followed by termination of power) make it seem like this is a power related issue, like the power supply may be dusty or going bad. The peak utilization of power when a computer is running is when it is at 100% load. Therefore, when it is at 100% load, it is putting the greatest strain on the power supply. All power supplies have varying levels of integrity, and they will shut down once they have been strained enough.

Download and install the communist-looking benchmark utility OCCT

From there, you can perform all kinds of tests that determine system integrity and stability. First, I would recommend doing the Power Supply Test, and then from there move on to the CPU Test. Feel free to set the time to as short or as long as you want. If both run fine without giving an error or suddenly shutting down, then it's probably not a PS or CPU related problem. From there, I would make sure your computer is virus/malware free, and then make sure the outlet you are using to power your computer is not defective or prone to surges.

[EDIT]
Also, I am aware of the warning that the Power Supply Test gives. It won't generally cause your Power Supply to explode, but there have been times when very weak power supplies are tested, they die permanently. If you feel in no way comfortable with this test, you don't have to do it. But if you don't do it, you don't know if your Power Supply is at fault.

Should post the prices of all the items for sale individually, so people can determine for themselves if these computers are a good deal. I think people are intimidated when they see a range of prices saying (computers! 500-800) without providing specific specifications and pricing for each computer. It implies that the seller is not providing an honest, reasonable deal.

Personally, I think a little more work on that ad will give you more offers.

Used Avira Anti-Vir and Spybot Search and Destroy with Adaware-SE sometimes. But after switching to Linux, I haven't had to use these... yet.