The OFFICIAL Unofficial Achewood Message Board
Trivial Pursuits => Science & Nature => Topic started by: linnea on September 10, 2007, 06:25:50 am
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So I need a computer. I'm currently borrowing my roommate's old laptop, which I believe is a Pentium III that is still running Windows 2000. I tried to install Second Life upon the recommendation of a friend and it won't run.
I'm not looking for something slick, I'm looking for something around $100 (I got a computer at auction in Alaska for $20 that worked pretty damn well and could even run the latest Photoshop). Do you party people have any suggestions? I'm on funemployment so I doubt I can even get anything decent. Should I try pawn shops? Specific places online? I'd love some help, here.
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Craig's List? 100 is nothing, if you can find anything even remotely decent get it immediately.
That is my only advice.
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I think it's probably going to be pretty difficult to find a machine capable of running Second Life for $100 -- SL is kind of a demanding program and you need a fairly powerful (and thus, fairly new) computer to run it well. Of course, who knows, you might be able to find some people on craigslist who are looking, for whatever reason, to unload their new-ish computer for a hundo, or you might find a decent computer at a pawn shop that cheap, but frankly I'd be wary that a decent computer being sold for that price is stolen.
So I think you'd probably have better luck spending that hundred bucks on hoss tranquilizers to knock out your friend so you can steal their computer. After all, it must be capable of running SL or they wouldn't have suggested that you try it.
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Yeah, for $100, that's going to be virtually impossible. If you're really dedicated and willing to do enough homework, you MAY be able to collect a bunch of people's discarded components (from craigslist or freecycle or something) and cobble them together into some sort of Frankenstein computer, but it would be pretty difficult. I think this is pretty much a lost cause.
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Seized property auctions?
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So I need a computer. I'm currently borrowing my roommate's old laptop, which I believe is a Pentium III that is still running Windows 2000. I tried to install Second Life upon the recommendation of a friend and it won't run.
I'm not looking for something slick, I'm looking for something around $100 (I got a computer at auction in Alaska for $20 that worked pretty damn well and could even run the latest Photoshop). Do you party people have any suggestions? I'm on funemployment so I doubt I can even get anything decent. Should I try pawn shops? Specific places online? I'd love some help, here.
Strongarm robbery - the kind where you just kick someone's door down and steal their shit. And if you get some nice stuff you don't want, can I have it?
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Get this one (http://denver.craigslist.org/sys/419368363.html).
I agree it probably isn't going to run Second Life, but it will probably run older/less intensive games just fine, and can probably handle the interwebs with gusto. I would like for it to have at least 1Gb of RAM (or 2 for a new one), but 512Mb will do for XP if you don't get too crazy.
That's a lot of probably.
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If older computers mean that less thirty-five year old men can have lesbian sex as giant anthropomorphized rabbit-women on an imaginary island they paid ten thousand real dollars for... under a sky sponsored by the newest Mountain Dew variant... then, brother, I don't wanna be right.
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from what I understand, everyone in Second Life is doing one of two things:
-having bizarre fake sex
-writing an article about how Second Life is groundbreaking, amazing, a whole new frontier, etc.
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My experience with SL lasted under a week. it was an interesting concept at first and then I quickly realized what a scam it was and it quickly became boring. I guess if i had oodles of money to buy the fake online currency and throw it around some internet world, then ok, but well... I dont.
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Apparently the newest trend in SL is getting raped by a virtual unicorn and having its unicorn baby. (http://www.secondlifeherald.com/slh/2007/09/afternoon-delig.html)
I think that pretty much sums it up.
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Apparently the newest trend in SL is getting raped by a virtual unicorn and having its unicorn baby. (http://www.secondlifeherald.com/slh/2007/09/afternoon-delig.html)
I think that pretty much sums it up.
V, will you have my retarded unicorn baby?
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Apparently the newest trend in SL is getting raped by a virtual unicorn and having its unicorn baby. (http://www.secondlifeherald.com/slh/2007/09/afternoon-delig.html)
I think that pretty much sums it up.
Dude, no. Just no. How can that be legal and prostitution not be? Do people not have any shame anymore?
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Upon further research of the Second Life phenomina, it seems that we have finally built The Hammer.
The Hammer is part of a story I've been working on where...
God or an alien or something is considering whether to wipe out the human race and we are left, those of us who want or do not want the human race wiped out, to agree on one piece of evidence each and to present them to the judge making the decision.
The Hope would be the one thing we could hang our hats on to prove our continuing worth.
The Hammer would be the one thing that proves we should basically just die.
A long time ago, I decided that The Hope would be playing "Abbey Road" for the judge.
For a long time, I assumed an episode of Family Guy would be The Hammer.
But no.
Show this alien or God an explanation of Second Life and down comes The Hammer.
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Sometimes I forget to tell you that you are awesome.
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The Hammer is part of a story I've been working on where...
God or an alien or something is considering whether to wipe out the human race and we are left, those of us who want or do not want the human race wiped out, to agree on one piece of evidence each and to present them to the judge making the decision.
I'd watch that movie, don't get me wrong. But wasn't that basically the reason that Q existed on Star Trek: The Next Generation?
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That's just why Q SAID he was on the show.
Actually, it was because he had a really fun time being a dick... and God bless him for it.
Anyway, it's more of a short story. I have reams and reams of five-to-ten page short stories that'll never see the light of day anywhere just sorta clogging up computers. I... I'm basically Vonnegut's Kilgore Trout or PKD's H-o-r-s-e-lover Fat for the modern age. I've come to grips with this.
I am a made-up writer character in a story from a much better writer's imagination, used mainly to express his stranger and less useful ideas through.
It's cool. I am hip to this.
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I am a made-up writer character in a story from a much better writer's imagination, used mainly to express his her stranger and less useful ideas through.
It's cool. I am hip to this.
You got Wombat's gender wrong, there.
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LFM, you need to track down the Penn & Teller short story "Invisible Thread."
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I really like the sound of that one LFM. Reminds me of Asimov-era sci fi short stories. You know back when sci fi was 'what would be the social reaction to x, let's write a story exploring that and thus reveal deeper truths about humanity' not 'CHICKS WITH LAZER GUNS!!!'
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H-o-r-s-e-lover Fat
Please don't mention h-o-r-s-e loving. I'm trying to get that second life thing out of my brain.
I'm agreeing with Doc, that story of yours sounds pretty cool. I'm completely not averse to reading science fiction, so if you ever upload any or whatever, y'know, tell us.
I just read Iain M. Bank's Against a Dark Background and it has some interesting ideas in it, not to mention chicks with laser guns. Also, death. Lots and lots of death.
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You got Wombat's gender wrong, there.
jaydub all on top of things.
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Thanks for the craigslist suggestions. I put in emails to about a dozen people who listed their computers for sale, and only one got back to me. I asked Kellichou to come with me, and god damn am I glad I did. I bought the computer and my roommate is helping me configure it for our wireless intarwub connection here in the house.
Backstory about the creepy Craigslist dudes: Kelli and I pull up to an older suburban house. The driveway is cluttered with old bike frames, an old lawnmower, all kinds of shit. The guy I spoke with on the phone, J, invites us in and I immediately make up my mind that if we have to go any farther than the front door that I am pushing Kelli out the window to safety and jumping after her. Inside the house there is a dude the size of a god damned wall standing there. The house is pretty damn cluttered, although not the worst I've seen in my EMT days (you would be appalled at how some people live). A little boy sits on the stairs. The computer is on a card table in the living room. Mercifully there's no carpeting and the whole place was hardwood floors...but even still the place smells awful. You notice a huge tank that contains - yep! Two huge snakes. Lovely.
The huge dude is introduced as J's son Vern. The little boy is not introduced. Maybe he is Vern's son and J's grandson? I have no idea. J starts messing around with the computer. I'm nervous about being in the situation and thereby jumpier than a flea on a flat dog and say, "That's fine, I'll take it" while whipping out my wallet. He shows me the software it's got preloaded and I'm just like, fine, fine. I ask about the hard drive size and he says "40 gigs". Vern pipes up that he has a 400 gig drive because he downloads anime. Then he makes a comment that it's not hentai. CREEEEEPY. Don't want to know, thanks.
Kelli tries to make small talk with the dudes. I shoot her the evilest look I can muster. Christ, don't talk to them! We need to get the computer and get the hell out! The dudes are talking to each other about the snakes, Kelli asks about them, and then Vern goes over to get them out!! I wanted to kick her. Fortunately Vern only holds them out for us to look at and then puts them back. They are ball pythons, about 5 feet long. Fortunately I don't get skeeved out by snakes, otherwise I would have fled.
Anyway, then J wants to install a program that plays DVDs. Finally, after a bunch of finagling I finally get him to shut down the computer. He realizes that he's left the damned software CD in the drive so he has to repower it. It's like pulling teeth. The little boy helps me with the cables. J says to me, "Have you ever had mumps?" The little boy has mumps.
Kelli and I look at each other, appalled. Kelli manages, "Uh, well, we've had our MMRs..." Vern laughs and says, "So did he!" Kelli and I FLEE AS FAST AS OUR LEGS WILL CARRY US.
Damn. Nothing bad happened (except for the vaccine-resistant mumps exposure) but I won't be buying anything off Craigslist again unless I can bring a burly man with me. And maybe an N95 face mask.
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So...this craigslist computer just made a terrible burning smell and shut down.
Probably the power supply just took four shits and died.
Fuck. At least I still have this old laptop as a backup. Dammit.
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You have to be careful of those internet used computer salesmen.
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So...this craigslist computer just made a terrible burning smell and shut down.
Probably the power supply just took four shits and died.
Did you know electronics run on magic smoke? They break when the smoke gets out.
A power supply fix is pretty easy (assuming it didn't somehow fry the rest of the board). Get yourself a nice Antec. There's lots of education available on such things at anandtech.com (http://www.anandtech.com/) or Tom's Hardware (http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/08/09/pc_power_supplies/) (and a million overclocking sites). Anyone who can figure out which end of a screwdriver is the pointy one can replace a PSU.
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I have the world's raddest roommate, and I mentioned it to him on chat (I live upstairs, he lives downstairs, it's a big house, we don't see each other that often). The next morning, when I woke up, he had installed a new power supply (I guess he has lots of computer parts) and brought it upstairs. It works like a charm...except for the shittay wireless internet card, he helped me find a linksys USB wireless networking card on eBay and hopefully that will arrive in a few days.
Damn! Lucky me!
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notice a huge tank that contains - yep! Two huge snakes. Lovely.
Hey! What's wrong with snakes!
No, I understand. An already obviously creepy guy who has snakes... it's probably not a good thing for the snakes either.
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Hey! What's wrong with snakes!
No, I understand. An already obviously creepy guy who has snakes... it's probably not a good thing for the snakes either.
It's disconcerting...not meant as a slam against reptile owners. A lot of people are scared of snakes.
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Oh man... what is wrong with the people on Craigslist? I swear this should be the Craigslist mascot. (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/abyss/life/images/wudep50.jpeg&imgrefurl=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/abyss/life/w50.html&h=365&w=290&sz=33&tbnid=HGznHIs1YMgTjM:&tbnh=121&tbnw=96&prev=/images%3Fq%3Danglergiraffe%26um%3D1&start=3&sa=X&oi=images&ct=image&cd=3) In trying to sell my car, I'm fairly certain at least one guy was trying to have a convenient mode of taking me away somewhere no one would find me via a test drive (thankfully I smelled danger and didn't give him my address) and at least four more people were trying to scam me. I swear Linnea, if you hadn't brought you sister we'd be asking, where's Linnea - oh she went away on work... she'll be back eventually... but it's been a long time..."
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That deep sea giraffe is all dangling a fraudulent counter check at the end of it's stock. It's all (bubble bubble bubble) "Yooooou can keeeep the extraaaaaa for yourseeeeeeelf".
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smells, yes...I would not have gone if Kelli couldn't go with me. Also, WTF about the creepy dude who tried to contact you about your car for sale! I'm glad you paid attention to your spidey sense and didn't give out your address. What a crazy asshole. Better safe than dead and chopped up in a dumpster somewhere.
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Hey! What's wrong with snakes!
We've got MUTHAFUCKIN' SNAKES!
Yeah, that's better.
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Did you know electronics run on magic smoke? They break when the smoke gets out.
A power supply fix is pretty easy (assuming it didn't somehow fry the rest of the board). Get yourself a nice Antec. There's lots of education available on such things at anandtech.com (http://www.anandtech.com/) or Tom's Hardware (http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/08/09/pc_power_supplies/) (and a million overclocking sites). Anyone who can figure out which end of a screwdriver is the pointy one can replace a PSU.
I'll investigate those links to see if I can't educate myself, but is it also easy to replace a hard drive? GF has a cheap-ass Averatec notebook that worked like a hoss through her grad school days until...it...finally...just...wouldn't.......boot.
Diagnosis is a failed HD, and local Laptop Guy wanted $275 to replace it and recover the data. I don't care about data recovery and $275 is like halfway to a new basic HP laptop, so I'm not paying that much cash to resurrect a four-year-old Averatec. If I could do it myself for $150 or so, I'd be interested. Is there any possibility this would be worth my time?
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Local Laptop Guy is probably charging a decent price for the service - if you like tinkering with computer innards though, and don't mind learning way more than you'll ever care to know about low-level stuff like setting master/slave dependencies, formatting, etc etc, then its not too hard. Putting the drive in is easy - a step more difficult than putting in a sound card. The annoying stuff comes with installing a new operating system. Sometimes its very simple - sometimes you have to do a little head scratching and manual reading. It really helps if you have a working computer around to look up stuff on Google.
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Hey! What's wrong with snakes!
No, I understand. An already obviously creepy guy who has snakes... it's probably not a good thing for the snakes either.
Fact: Snakes are drug dealer pets. If you have one, you are, or at least want to be, a drug dealer. Otherwise you are in denial.
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It really helps if you have a working computer around to look up stuff on Google.
Thanks. Can'd for being nice enough to explain it clearly.
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Here's one for you geeks out there:
Somewhere along the way I picked up some kind of virus/malware thingie that appears to create duplicate Svchost.exe files.
These seem to clone themselves, and then proceed to suck up all the virtual memory, eventually causing the computer to shut down or operate really slowly.
I don't know how to find/get rid of the cause or treat the symptoms.
Any ideas?
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From what I know having multiple copies of svchost.exe running is normal, but having so many that it eats up all your memory is not.
I assume that virus and spyware scans have turned up nothing? You might want to try HouseCall (http://housecall.trendmicro.com/) anyway. Since it's online it sometimes finds things that the scanner on your PC misses. The reason being that many viruses target your virus scanner immediately, telling it to ignore the virus. The online scanner can't be fooled by this type of trickery, since it's not actually on your computer and thus can't be altered.