The computer and electronics super geek thread

[areaseven]

I'm looking to pick up an Android phone later this year. What recommendations do you guys have?

[pfunk]

an iPhone, JK I think the best reviews come from the HTC phones as far as freezing up and durability

[mikeszekely]

I'm looking to pick up an Android phone later this year. What recommendations do you guys have?

Usually, experts say don't wait, because there's always going to be something bigger and better. But these same experts are saying wait a few months, because the expected "bigger and better" is supposedly going to be a little more significant than usual.

That said, it's going to depend a lot on your carrier. Sprint and AT&T are both supposed to be getting HTC ONE series phones this year, and the Galaxy S III is also supposed to be coming this summer. My last two Android phones were HTC, and I liked them both, but the Galaxy S III has my interest piqued.

[BeyondTheGrave]

which is better inkjet printer or laserjet?

[azrael]

which is better inkjet printer or laserjet?

Price-wise, ink. Quality-consistency, laser.

[areaseven]

Well, I picked up a Samsung Galaxy W, since I don't care much about the higher-end models like the S II and Note.

[mikeszekely]

which is better inkjet printer or laserjet?

What kind of printing do you do? How much printing do you do? Do you need other features, like scanning, faxing, or duplexing?

While, as Az suggests, a high-quality laser will give you the best quality (especially text), they can be pricey. Especially if you want color, or more than just printing. And a high-end inkjet can actually deliver better quality than a cheap laser.

Inkjets are generally cheaper, too. The printers are cheaper, an ink cartridge costs less than a toner cartridge, and better inkjets actually have a lower cost-per-page than most laser printers under $400.

That said, I think the best bang-for-your-buck might be HP's OfficeJet 8600 Plus. Depending on sales and promotions, you can find it for around $180. It scans (legal size). It duplexes. It makes two-sided copies from two-sided originals (handy for making D&D character sheets). It can scan to and print from an SD card or a flash drive (with OCR software for making PDFs). It's wireless (useful when you've got 8 computers on your network). Best of all, the printing cost is cheap. The ink isn't the cheapest, sure, but a $37 high-capacity black cartridge gets something like 2000 pages.

(No, I don't own that printer. I do own the 8500 Plus, which it replaced. And yeah, it's a pretty awesome printer).

[areaseven]

I've been aching to start a discussion on this for a while, so here's the question:

Is Sony worth buying anymore?

Back in the old days, there was practically only one brand that people related to when it came to electronics. Television? Sony Trinitron. Music? Sony Walkman. Hell, even though their Betamax bit the dust, Sony still made excellent VHS VCRs. Sony was THE household name for electronics in the '80s and '90s. Nowadays, the Trinitron name is long dead and the TV market is now dominated by Samsung. Sony is still struggling to keep the Walkman name alive following the advent of the iPod.

Hell, they're sticking their noses into businesses they practically don't belong to; most notably computers. VAIO always has been, and always will be, overpriced and overrated for what they are capable of, not to mention the tons of bloatware stuffed into them. I feel sorry for my dad, as he bought a VAIO P, only to find out that Sony abandoned the series. At least VAIO laptops are more reliable than anything HP makes.

BTW, anyone here own a Sony Tablet (Talk about desperately jumping the bandwagon.)?

Another thing Sony is notorious for is swallowing a company and eventually screwing up on the industry that company was best known for. Take Minolta, for example. For decades, it was a leading brand of professional cameras, just behind Canon and Nikon. When Sony acquired Konica Minolta's camera division, they cannibalized their technology and came up with the Alpha - the worst DSLR line I've used so far. I'm not even gonna talk about Sony's cell phones, as I've never owned an Ericsson.

These days, the Sony name brand is only worthwhile in the video game industry, as the PlayStation is the #1 home console brand and the PSP/PS Vita is the #2 portable console.

So, aside from their PlayStation 3 and PS Vita, is Sony worth buying anymore?

[Lynx7725]

I can go one big round, but I'll boil it down.

I believe that Sony takes pride in its products and manufacture them the best they can, so they *should* have solid build quality. However, Sony has developed a reputation for "doing their own thing" and properitary technologies that makes it difficult to share commonality across other electronics. And you'll always have other electronics.

If I have to pass data around, I rather not deal with Sony's weird-assness. If it's a standalone appliance, I don't mind exploring.

End of day Sony's selling more a lifestyle product than anything else. In its way it's like Apple, only stranger.

[nhyone]

Any Ubuntu users here? I've been running 11.10 on my Acer Aspire One ZG5 for over a week now. As the netbook is four years old, it is obviously slower than newer computers, but it runs considerably faster than it did when it had Windows XP on it. Too bad Ubuntu is a battery guzzler, though.

Have you tried to tweak the power usage?

Am running Ubuntu Server 10.04 24/7 on a headless Atom PC. I use it as a file repository, bittorrenting as well as an almost-zero-traffic website.

The HD died recently (after SMART started warning 5 months ago). I tried to install 11.10 Server on the new HD. I couldn't. So, I installed back 10.04. 12.04 is coming soon, so I'll upgrade to that then.

Even though I installed the Server edition, I also installed the Desktop. I've tried 11.10's Unity and I can safely say I'll be using Gnome Classic in 12.04. Even Gnome 3 seems too dumbed down (by default). I think it's a mistake to force a tablet L&F for "desktop" users.

[azrael]

...Is Sony worth buying anymore?...

Is Sony still worth buying? I'm not sure I can answer that. In this very competitive electronics market that we have, does Sony still have the same value, price/performance, features that a competitor may have? Not looking at the Playstation brand, can the same be said about the rest of their products? Is there a equal product that has similar or better features, price/performance factor, etc.?

[mikeszekely]

These days, the Sony name brand is only worthwhile in the video game industry, as the PlayStation is the #1 home console brand and the PSP/PS Vita is the #2 portable console.

So, aside from their PlayStation 3 and PS Vita, is Sony worth buying anymore?

Keep in mind, I say this as a Vita and PS3 owner, but do you have numbers for that? Last I checked, the Wii is the #1 home console in all regions, and the Xbox is #2 in the States (and although the PS3 has a solid lead over the 360 in Japan and a slight edge in Europe, global figures still put Microsoft ahead).

So when it comes to video games, right now Sony is in last place for home consoles, and #2 in a two-man handheld race is means they're in last place there, too.

Honestly? I think the days of buying a Sony product just because it's a Sony product are long gone. I don't think Sony can survive as a "premium" or "boutique" brand, like Apple can. We've reached a point where people aren't willing to pay more to have a Sony.

That said, I don't think Sony is peddling crap, either. Their stuff might not always be the best, but I think it's still consistently quality. If Sony could recognize that, and if Sony could find a way to retain their quality while pricing their stuff more competitively, then I think they'd be alright.

[eugimon]

There's nothing particularly "wrong" with Sony... it's just that there's nothing about them that make me sit up and take notice. They've become like the Honda of electronics. Solid but boring.

[mikeszekely]

There's nothing particularly "wrong" with Sony... it's just that there's nothing about them that make me sit up and take notice. They've become like the Honda of electronics. Solid but boring.

Yeah, that's what I meant to say.

[mikeszekely]

My brother dropped off his laptop that he says mysteriously "stopped working." Basically, it doesn't turn on. If it's plugged in, a light comes on on the side near the plug (I assume to indicate that it's getting power). On the front, there's three more lights for power, charging, and HDD. None of them come on. Push the power button, and nothing happens. Doesn't matter if the battery is in the computer or not, it just sits there, lifeless.

I'm feeling like it's gotta be a short on the board. If it was the battery, it should still run from AC power, and if it was the AC adapter, I don't think the solitary light would come on. But before I look into replacing the board for him, I figure I'd run it by you guys.

[areaseven]

My brother dropped off his laptop that he says mysteriously "stopped working." Basically, it doesn't turn on. If it's plugged in, a light comes on on the side near the plug (I assume to indicate that it's getting power). On the front, there's three more lights for power, charging, and HDD. None of them come on. Push the power button, and nothing happens. Doesn't matter if the battery is in the computer or not, it just sits there, lifeless.

I'm feeling like it's gotta be a short on the board. If it was the battery, it should still run from AC power, and if it was the AC adapter, I don't think the solitary light would come on. But before I look into replacing the board for him, I figure I'd run it by you guys.

What brand is it?

[azrael]

...I'm feeling like it's gotta be a short on the board. If it was the battery, it should still run from AC power, and if it was the AC adapter, I don't think the solitary light would come on. But before I look into replacing the board for him, I figure I'd run it by you guys.

Yep, sounds like a short circuit.

[mikeszekely]

What brand is it?

Compaq. CQ61.

Yep, sounds like a short circuit.

Yeah, that's looking more likely. I took it to work with me, cleaned it up, and tried it with a universal AC adapter. I got the VGA, trackpad, wifi, power button, and main power lights to light up, but no screen, charging, or hard drive activity. Hitting the power button neither turns it on nor shuts off the lights. I can't get a replacement board through work either. I'll probably tell my brother it can't be fixed to save myself some hassle.

[areaseven]

Compaq. CQ61.

Yeah, that's looking more likely. I took it to work with me, cleaned it up, and tried it with a universal AC adapter. I got the VGA, trackpad, wifi, power button, and main power lights to light up, but no screen, charging, or hard drive activity. Hitting the power button neither turns it on nor shuts off the lights. I can't get a replacement board through work either. I'll probably tell my brother it can't be fixed to save myself some hassle.

That's what happens when you buy a Compaq.

[mikeszekely]

That's what happens when you buy a Compaq.

Don't look at me, man. I'm a desktop guy, and I roll my own. My brother is just one of those people who buys the cheapest junk, takes lousy care of it, and wonders why stuff breaks all the time.

[areaseven]

Don't look at me, man. I'm a desktop guy, and I roll my own. My brother is just one of those people who buys the cheapest junk, takes lousy care of it, and wonders why stuff breaks all the time.

Usually, it's user error that's to blame, but Compaqs are almost always guaranteed to break down, regardless of how much you take care of them. Good thing HP killed the brand, even though HP computers are also crap.

[pfunk]

Usually, it's user error that's to blame, but Compaqs are almost always guaranteed to break down, regardless of how much you take care of them. Good thing HP killed the brand, even though HP computers are also crap.

Ive had decent luck with them. My laptop is an HP, and my old desktop was a compaq that I bought a couple years old and I never shut down in the 2 years I owned it.... of course i reloaded windows on both machines,,, hp is THE WORST when it comes to bloatware and dell coming in a close second

[mikeszekely]

Ive had decent luck with them. My laptop is an HP, and my old desktop was a compaq that I bought a couple years old and I never shut down in the 2 years I owned it.... of course i reloaded windows on both machines,,, hp is THE WORST when it comes to bloatware and dell coming in a close second

HP's actually not too bad for bloat. Acer's the worst. Toshiba puts a ton of bloatware on their computers too, but it's their own first-party junk. Trust me, part of my job is removal of bloatware.

[Chowser]

ACER's also suck because they always partition the HD and stick you with a data partition. Everytime someone I know buys an ACER, the first thing I do is remove the bloatware and repartition the HD back into one large one.

[areaseven]

HP's actually not too bad for bloat. Acer's the worst. Toshiba puts a ton of bloatware on their computers too, but it's their own first-party junk. Trust me, part of my job is removal of bloatware.

ACER's also suck because they always partition the HD and stick you with a data partition. Everytime someone I know buys an ACER, the first thing I do is remove the bloatware and repartition the HD back into one large one.

Really? I wouldn't know, as the Acer I own didn't have an OS (or even a hard drive, as it was originally equipped with an 8GB SSD) in the first place.

And most of you don't know bloatware unless you've owned a Sony VAIO.

[myk]

And most of you don't know bloatware unless you've owned a Sony VAIO.

Funny that you mention that. I was building my own laptop on their site, and one of their options is called "Clean slate" or something. Basically, Sony claims that they'll leave you with just the operating system on the laptop, in a way admitting to their bloatware practices. Naturally, they charge you a nice premium just to "not program" your computer with something......LOL

[areaseven]

Looks like I spoke too soon...

How Sony Fell Behind in the Tech Parade

[myk]

Looks like I spoke too soon...

How Sony Fell Behind in the Tech Parade

Hmm...Come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I ever seriously considered a Sony product for anything electronic...

[VF-19]

ACER's also suck because they always partition the HD and stick you with a data partition. Everytime someone I know buys an ACER, the first thing I do is remove the bloatware and repartition the HD back into one large one.

I'll have to dissagree with that approach. I had to reinstall windows on a netbook that was trashed with malware, and that partition (which had the restore on it), is what got the netbook up and running. If I had gotten rid of it when I got the netbook, it would have been more difficult to re-install windows, as the netbook wasn't playing nice with either a USB boot stick, or a USB CD drive

[pfunk]

I used to be a pretty big fan of Sony, they did have a lot of proprietary stuff, but not half as bad as apple. Now its shop for the best deal in quality components, like Canon for cameras for example. Epson for photo scanners, etc....

[mikeszekely]

Ugh.

For some reason, my computer was connected to my network, but my wife complains her computer wasn't. So I check my Mac, just to see what it's doing, and it's not connected either. I do a power cycle on the modem and router, and my wife hops happily back onto the internet. Which is fine, until later when I go back to my lair to work on my computer some more, only to find that I couldn't connect to the internet because, as Windows helpfully points out, another device is using its IP address.

See, as I'm sure many MWers do, I do bittorrent. And to keep my torrenting at its speediest, I set a static IP up on my main computer so I could forward a port for my bittorrent client. But my main computer is the only computer I set a static IP on, everything else is on automatic. So I spend the next half hour checking the IPs on all my other connected devices, only to find that it was my freaking Blackberry Playbook. A device I haven't used as more than on overpriced clock on my desk in probably two months. In the meantime I set static IPs on my iPad, my Mac, and the Playbook. Maybe tomorrow, I'll see about getting a static IP for the other Mac, the bedroom computer, my laptop, and my wife's laptop. That'll still leave several game consoles, an HP Touchpad, and an Acer Android tablet with automatic settings.

The moral of the story, I suppose, is you don't realize how much of your crap gets on the net until something gets screwed up.

[azrael]

See, as I'm sure many MWers do, I do bittorrent. And to keep my torrenting at its speediest, I set a static IP up on my main computer so I could forward a port for my bittorrent client. But my main computer is the only computer I set a static IP on, everything else is on automatic. So I spend the next half hour checking the IPs on all my other connected devices, only to find that it was my freaking Blackberry Playbook. A device I haven't used as more than on overpriced clock on my desk in probably two months. In the meantime I set static IPs on my iPad, my Mac, and the Playbook. Maybe tomorrow, I'll see about getting a static IP for the other Mac, the bedroom computer, my laptop, and my wife's laptop. That'll still leave several game consoles, an HP Touchpad, and an Acer Android tablet with automatic settings.

If your router can, I would look into using a fixed IP for your computer or any stationary device which you want to have a static IP, like a wireless printer. Yes, it's no better than using a static, but at least you're telling the router, at the router level, to not use a certain address as oppose to you assigning IPs around the house or relying on fate to not assign your IP to another computer.

[David Hingtgen]

Oddity I've noticed recently:

When my internet connection's down (usually when the ISP is doing like a 2AM upgrade or something) I notice that my computer slows way down. And I'm 100% sure it's because of Avast, because if I disable Avast, everything's normal.

So----why does losing 'net connectivity cause Avast to massively slow down my computer? As in, things take 5 times longer to load if not more, and everything else stutters along. It basically "kills" my computer, because I can't even open up a vid file to watch or anything in the meantime. (unless I shut off Avast---but I didn't know that was a fix the first few times)

Note that watching processes for CPU/memory usage show no change whatsoever---there's no massive 99% RAM or CPU hog or anything. But it's Avast, and it's slowing EVERYTHING down, big-time, when it can't access the net continuously. I don't remember this happening before, either. Just the past few weeks or so.

[pfunk]

I notice that also Dave

[mikeszekely]

Az, that was my first thought too, but I couldn't find any settings on my router (a Netgear N300 with Gigabit).

David, I had different issues with Avast a few years back, and at the recommendation of several PC mags/blogs I switched to Microsoft Security Essentials. It's extremely light and unobtrusive, integrates well with Windows, and performs well in testing.