August 18th, 2004
Upgrades
I’ve been spending some time updating all of my systems with the release of Windows XP SP2. I’ve wanted to make some small upgrades to most of my systems so I decided to spend some time taking down the systems and refreshing them with a few modest hardware changes (i.e. mostly larger hard disks) and a fresh copy of Windows XP with SP2 installed.
It’s always a somewhat tedious process but even though I complain, I secretly like it as well. Of course, re-installing all of my app requires digging out the old CDs and entering a ton of CD keys. That’s probably the most tedious part. The one good thing about it is that it helps me determine which apps I’m really using and helps me get rid of that inevitable system clutter.
My desktop system is remaining the same. It’s just getting a new OS tune up. I had thought to upgrade the CPU slightly but it’s not very cost effective. I’m running a Pentium 4 2.4B (533MHz FSB) chip which I purchased nearly 2 years ago. I was thinking about spending around $150 to upgrade the CPU now. Unfortunately, $150 will only get me a 2.6GHz Pentium 4. I might be able to get a 2.8GHz for just a few dollars more but that’s somewhat shocking to me especially after all this time. I must be used to AMD pricing since you can get a lot for $150 and even more for $200….which is how much I’d have to pay to get a meaningful upgrade. So, it looks like my desktop gets to stay the same for the time being. It’s still a relatively good system though sporting 2GB of DDR RAM, 180GB hard disk, original SBLive! card, and a Radeon 9700 128MB video card. It helps me get my work done…and plays Doom 3 admirably for those times I need mindless entertainment.
I also have two other systems in the labs. One is my venerable SN41G2 “server”. It’s the one system that’s always on and has voluminous hard disk space. It’s running a very modest Athlon XP 1600+ (1.4GHz) and is extremely reliable. The jury is still out on this upgrade. I’ll probably end up leaving it alone for the present time although I had some thoughts of transplanting the system into a slightly larger case.
The other system I have is my prototype PVR system that I built. I was comprised of a SN45G SFF system, an Athlon XP-M 2500+ processor, 1GB of DDR RAM, a Radeon 9600 256MB video card, Hauppauge WinTV PVR250 card, and 80GB of hard disk space. Using BeyondTV software, it has worked extremely well even though my cable company forces me to use a crappy set top box. This system was getting the main upgrade. First, a 200GB Seagate drive from Fry’s for $69.99. Secondly, ATI’s HDTV Wonder card for pulling Free-To-Air HDTV signals. The upgrade went pretty well and then I hit a snag.
HDTV Experience
The card works as advertised however, there seem to be some issues. The picture quality of HDTV (on my HDTV capable LCD TV) is jaw dropping amazing. I watched NBC’s HDTV broadcast of the Olympics and it was so nice. The software interface could use a little bit of work but it works. So, what’s the snag?
Sadly, every couple of seconds, the picture would freeze and get choppy. It’s a known but “unreproducible” issue on ATI’s support site. More googling found that people who have NForce2 based systems seem to be having this problem (comprising of 2 of my three computers). ATI suggests that a clean install with XP SP1 installed might work. I tried it. It doesn’t. As of right now, I’m ready to take it back to the store; however, I will try the card in my desktop system (Intel based chipset) and see if it works…just to confirm my suspicions.
I’ll update tomorrow on what happens with the test.
August 11th, 2004
Some of you were kind enough to e-mail me to figure what’s going on with the site. It’s still alive…maybe not kicking but still alive. My life has gone crazy in the last few months so it’s been hard to keep a normal routine.
So, I have a new review of a Type S notebook slipcase which I’ve posted. The Type S review is still a few weeks away since I haven’t battle tested it enough yet. Also, I’ve been working on a massive redesign of the site and trying to move it to a new server so it’s a lot of work and preparation to make sure everything goes smoothly.
More updates soon…but I just wanted to keep everyone in the loop. And…there will be no more 2 month leave of absence in between posts. I can guarantee that. 
June 18th, 2004
There’s an interesting article over at Brighthand that discusses why Sony failed in the US.
http://brighthand.com/article/Why_Sony_Failed_in_US
I don’t know if I agree completely with all the points but it’s interesting nonetheless.
He doesn’t mention that Sony also purposely crippled some of the best models when bringing them over here pissing off the educated customers who would have helped spread the word on these products.
But I do agree that in general, the American public is not as savvy about gadgetry compared to our European and Asian counterparts. Of course, these companies shouldn’t abandon the market but rather they should try to educate the customers better so they understand why they need these devices.
Sony’s software does leave little to be desired. Most of the time they seem to focus more on creating their own interfaces than on the actual functionality and workflow of the software. Sometimes, their software is neat but it’s never fully polished. Sony definitely has the resources to overcome this but it’s up to them to find a way to do it. I think they need to create a separate company that focuses specifically on software design and UI (maybe they do already….i don’t know) and come up with some cool, useful, and easy to use software not unlike the Apple iLife products.
Due to a recent surge in traffic from this site, I’ve been forced to move this site to another hosting account and that’s been taking up some of my time as I’m trying to do it in the least painful way. I suspect it will happen next weekend when traffic is a little less. Maybe Friday night…so that it’s definitely back up by Monday. So, you can expect some weirdness coming.
Also, I have a review coming on something unexpected and that should be done this weekend before I do the server moving stuff. I promise to have that thing up this weekend as I have to prepare for another gadget that’s arriving this weekend or early next week.
If any of you are wondering whatever happened with my HTPC project well you can happily know that it’s working…mostly. There are still some kinks that I’m trying to work out with my IR blaster but for the most part it’s pretty smooth. Once everything is solid, I plan on detailing the whole process but I want to make sure everything’s working solidly first.
June 11th, 2004
There’s an interesting article over at CNN about the possibility of the Playstation Portable (PSP) being an expensive device when it comes out.
http://money.cnn.com/2004/06/09/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/index.htm
Of course, this is all hearsay but given all the functionality they plan to add to that system then it’s very possible. Granted, it’s going to be marketed as a “do everything” device and not just a gaming device. I’m sure Sony will think that “hey, people are willing to spend $499 on an iPod (which only plays music) so they will be willing to spend just as much on our product since it’s a Sony”. That may actually be true but it’s going to kill their overall sales…especially if Nintendo’s more focused gaming device Gameboy DS is priced around $99-149. I think Nintendo sells a hell of a lot more Gameboys than Apple does iPods.
