Do I need a new computer?

[fgarvb1]

I agree systems works does take up a lot of resourses and space but damn its worth it.

I have installed it on several systems 98se, me, & xp.

I am always amazed at how much space it cleans up on a computer which has not been cleaned up.

The record for broken shortcuts on one womans computer was 104. her registery was...was to be nice, not in good order and almost a quarter of her harddrive was freed up and she had serveral sectors bad inwhich i was able to fix .

I ran win doctor, disc doctor, fast and safe clean up as well as speed disc. It made one hell of a difference!

She wouldn't let me leave until i installed it on her new computer also and explained what it did and how to work it.

I use ghost so if my harddrive dies it's no big deal. I can go buy one install it and have my computer just like it was in a couple of hours.

I also have the latest version of Goback so i don't even think before trying something new or downloading anything. If my computer crashes i just turn it off, then turn it back on and hit the space bar, pick out when i want to revert my hard drive back to and push the revert button.

I find i no longer worry about it.

But to each their own.

One more thing i'd like to say it does not matter how much systems resorces you have, RAM, or hard drive space, or how fast your processer is...If your computer doesn't work worth a fuck what good is it?

One time i had my systems resorces down to twelve percent.
I almost fainted! Your damned right i restarted!

 

[Shy Tall Guy]

It sounds like you may have some file system corruption - all kinds of widely varied wierd things happen when your file system gets confused. Of course it could be something else altogether though, but that is where I would start. As others have stated, Scandisk is a place to start, but I would try to back up anything important first, even if the backup contains corrupted data files, it is better than losing the file when Scandisk finds that it can't recover it. Happened to me a nubmer of times.

If you ever do get back to normalcy via Scandisk and then it starts acting up again in less than a few months, I would start to suspect the hard disk hardware, either the disk itself or the controller. I had that happen too. It doesn't happen too often, but it does still happen.

 

[Jedi_Outcast]

usually the win9x series likes a fresh re-install about once a year, my expreience has been about once every couple of months. but then I install a lot of stuff.

you should try running ad-aware (www.lavasoft.de) If you have stuff like gator or bonzi buddy installed it will hose a system.

I'm currently upgrading my babysitter's pc to winXP, win98 was giving her fits. but she's got tons of CRAP, (the little kitty screen companion for example) that sucks down resources without giving anything back.

 

[Calamity Jane]

UPDATE:

Freaky is a bitch and stood me up. All this coffee, and no one to drink it with.

I finally got scandisk to run in dos. Took FOREVER, but it ran. Started defrag, and 27 hours later, was up to 32% defragged. When I gave up a couple hours ago, it had actually made it to 40%. I'm going to try again when I go to bed.

I've got everything I need backed onto zip disk, and someone coming over tomorrow to see if he can get it to do anything.

I know that I'm trying to function with an archaic system, and that's part of the problem. The machine is 6 years old, and doesn't have nearly enough RAM to do the things I request of it.

So, one more question...

If what I currently have is a 200 MHZ Pentium with a 6.4 gig hard drive and 64 meg of RAM... should I upgrade the existing system or get a new one?

I do a lot of design work, running photoshop, pagemaker, illustrator, etc... and I also do a lot of secretarial type stuff... of course, there's also my Lit addiction...

STG, will a wussy system like mine support the sattelite connection?

 

[fgarvb1]

I'm just shooting in the dark here but i bet it will cost you as much if not more to upgrade your computer as it will to buy a new one.

On the other hand i have found sites to buy stuff to upgrade computers. Honey, it is six years old if it was me i would bury the bastard.

or have one custom made.

A brother-in-law rebuilt one of my sister-in-laws computers, hell he threw everything out but the case and i helped him install everthing, it cost her about $900.00 but she had a top notch computer.

anything less and you will have something going out all the time

 

[Weird Harold]

So, one more question...

If what I currently have is a 200 MHZ Pentium with a 6.4 gig hard drive and 64 meg of RAM... should I upgrade the existing system or get a new one?

I do a lot of design work, running photoshop, pagemaker, illustrator, etc... and I also do a lot of secretarial type stuff... of course, there's also my Lit addiction...

Your system is fine for your Lit addiction, however...

Part of the problem you're having with Defrag is a a six-year-old 6 GB drive -- it's probably over 80% full and that doesn't leave enough space for Defrag to move things around efficiently.

Since most of your design work is image manipulation, you need mor emeory and a bigger hard-drive -- both will improve image manipulation. Upgrading to a Pentium 4 class CPU will improve image processing even more.

Given that you use the computer for design work and secretarial stuff, I'd guess that you could write most of the cost of a new computer off your taxes. That alone could make buying a new machine worthwhile.

I'd suggest you upgrade to a P4 with at least a 40GB drive and 256Mb of RAM. A CDRW drive for backing up important documents and images wouldn't be a bad addition to your wish list either -- especially if copyright protection might be an issue. (the file date on a CDR can't be changed, establishing when the work was created.)

 

[freakygirl]

UPDATE:

Freaky is a bitch and stood me up. All this coffee, and no one to drink it with.

I finally got scandisk to run in dos. Took FOREVER, but it ran. Started defrag, and 27 hours later, was up to 32% defragged. When I gave up a couple hours ago, it had actually made it to 40%. I'm going to try again when I go to bed.

I've got everything I need backed onto zip disk, and someone coming over tomorrow to see if he can get it to do anything.

I know that I'm trying to function with an archaic system, and that's part of the problem. The machine is 6 years old, and doesn't have nearly enough RAM to do the things I request of it.

So, one more question...

If what I currently have is a 200 MHZ Pentium with a 6.4 gig hard drive and 64 meg of RAM... should I upgrade the existing system or get a new one?

I do a lot of design work, running photoshop, pagemaker, illustrator, etc... and I also do a lot of secretarial type stuff... of course, there's also my Lit addiction...

STG, will a wussy system like mine support the sattelite connection?

Excuse me.. I'm currently typing this from my lap top at the airport. I'm waiting for my flight back to Washington state...


Who's the bitch now??


Oh.. bury the old computer and buy a new one

 

[Guru]

 

[Shy Tall Guy]

STG, will a wussy system like mine support the sattelite connection?

Maybe, but unless you absolutely can't get DSL or cable, then I don't recommend satellite - it is more expensive (especially the equipment), not as fast, and there are certain things you can't do well with it (online games, VPN, etc.).

If you do go with satellite, then consider DirectWay unless you do a lot of downloading. The main differences between DW and Starband are:

1) DW has a download policy that will restrict or even cutoff your access if you download too much (like when people download hundreds of megabytes of MP3s or porn). I download a lot of porn (one day I downloaded half a gig from the newsgroups), so that policy probably wouldn't work well for me.

2) SB is in serious financial trouble; they have filed for Chapter 11 and worst case this may mean that they are not around in 6 months. I hope that isn't true, but it is possible. I personally think and hope that their parent company will pick them up and continue service, but it is a risk.

DW, isn't making a profit either, but they are not having the problems that SB is.

The DW equipment and monthly fee is less expensive too, so depending on your 'net usage then DW may be fine for you. Check out the differences quite extensively though. They both have similar technical problems:

1) Latency - which pretty much precludes things like online games and VPN, but is otherwise tolerable.

2) Slow upload speeds when compared to other broadband connections. Most people download about 10 times as much data as they upload, so for people like me this isn't that big of a deal, but if you upload a lot it is a big deal - some dialup connections can actually be faster for uploads.

3) SB seems to be widely variable in performance - some people get lousy performance, some get pretty good performance. Most get better than dialup, few get better than DSL or cable. I am not sure how variable the performance is for DW, but I suspect it may be similar. I think a lot depends on location and installation.

3) Weather. Both at your site and at the NOC (Network Operations Center) in Georgia can affect your service - during rain storms (or snow) at either site, service can be interrupted. I haven't had an interruption yet this week, but I have had about 4 interruptions (that I know of) since I have had the system. The longest was for 30 minutes, the shortest about 5 minutes. To me that is acceptable.

4) Many people have problems with P2P and file sharing software, anything that has problems working through firewalls, proxies, slightly non-standard TCP/IP protocols (SB uses a layer on top of TCP/IP).

5) You cannot hook up an SB sat. connection directly to a router and share the connection that way - you must share through a WIndoze computer using ICS, and that means leaving that computer up and running when you want everybody else to have access. I don't know about DW, but I suspect they are the same.

SB has recently had a few problems with their email service, which is leased from ProntoMail - actually it is ProntoMail that had the problems (or so SB claims). Why SB can't run their own email server I don't know, but don't expect fast service from SB to remedy outages or problems on weekends or holidays. They didn't lose any of my email that I could tell (I did tests from another email server), so I can live with a temporary outage as it is better than my dialup which actually lost multiple emails sent to me.

You should "upgrade" (get a newer/better computer) for other reasons; as WH said, the other stuff you do needs more juice/power, almost any computer is fine for web surfing. Don't get the latest and greatest, just the most for your money.

 

[Calamity Jane]

Thanks WH, I was pretty sure that's what I was going to hear. I'm looking into a new CPU. I don't need a new monitor or anything else, so that should save me some $$.

I have a ZIP for backup, that'll have to do for now, unless the new CPU comes with a CDRW.

Maybe, but unless you absolutely can't get DSL or cable, then I don't recommend satellite - it is more expensive (especially the equipment), not as fast, and there are certain things you can't do well with it (online games, VPN, etc.).

I absolutely can't get DSL or cable. The best I can do is a 19200 dial-up. And that's on a really good day. I called the phone company to inquire about DSL, and the woman laughed at me. Not a good sign.

If you do go with satellite, then consider DirectWay unless you do a lot of downloading. The main differences between DW and Starband are:

1) DW has a download policy that will restrict or even cutoff your access if you download too much (like when people download hundreds of megabytes of MP3s or porn). I download a lot of porn (one day I downloaded half a gig from the newsgroups), so that policy probably wouldn't work well for me.

I do very little downloading. I upload quite a bit, because I maintain a couple of websites. I'm looking into DW because they're currently offering an installation special. $100 for all the equipment and hookup, and $100 a month for a year. After that, it's only $60 a month. Something I can live with. I don't do any gaming, and since I have no idea what VPN is, I probably don't do much of that either.

2) Slow upload speeds when compared to other broadband connections. Most people download about 10 times as much data as they upload, so for people like me this isn't that big of a deal, but if you upload a lot it is a big deal - some dialup connections can actually be faster for uploads.

Upload cannot possibly be slower than what I'm dealing with now.


You should "upgrade" (get a newer/better computer) for other reasons; as WH said, the other stuff you do needs more juice/power, almost any computer is fine for web surfing. Don't get the latest and greatest, just the most for your money.

Where's the best place to look for 'the most for my money'? Obviously, it's been awhile since I bought a computer. (Except for my laptop, and another Gateway isn't on the list of things I want in my house.) I ordered this desktop through a company listed in Computer Shopper. They built it for me, and it's served me pretty well, but of course, they no longer exist.

 

[Shy Tall Guy]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I do very little downloading. I upload quite a bit, because I maintain a couple of websites. I'm looking into DW because they're currently offering an installation special. $100 for all the equipment and hookup, and $100 a month for a year. After that, it's only $60 a month. Something I can live with. I don't do any gaming, and since I have no idea what VPN is, I probably don't do much of that either.

Be aware then, that your upload speeds may not increase, if they do at all. I did some tests, and my upload speed on my dialup was actually twice as fast as on my sat. connection, but it doesn't bother me because I downaload ten times as much stuff as upload.

Go here http://www.dslreports.com/stest to test your connection to see what you really get - what your connection doodads report is often not an accurate representation of actual throughput.

This is what I saw just now when I tested my SB connection:

2002-07-19 17:22:35 EST: 574 / 53
Your download speed : 574220 bps, or 574 kbps.
A 70 KB/sec transfer rate.
Your upload speed : 53008 bps, or 53 kbps.
Your upstream result was very slow! .. not good

I have seen as slow as 27 kbps with the sat. connection, and 80 kbps with dialup.

You might also consider a double line - some ISPs offer a setup that uses two 56k V90 lines. I am just worried that you will be dissapointed with upload performance with satellite - it just isn't geared for that, and they actually discourage a lot of uploading.

Where's the best place to look for 'the most for my money'? Obviously, it's been awhile since I bought a computer. (Except for my laptop, and another Gateway isn't on the list of things I want in my house.) I ordered this desktop through a company listed in Computer Shopper. They built it for me, and it's served me pretty well, but of course, they no longer exist.

I prefer Dell, I have had pretty good luck with them both from a hardware perspective, and with their service. They are usually a bit more than buying a lesser known brand, but I think they are worth it if you don't know how to put together your own computer from scratch.

 

[Shy Tall Guy]

Oh, and VPN is Virtual Private Network. People who work from home use it to make it seem like they are on the LAN where they work. There are VPN products coming out specifically for sat. ISPs, but I don't know how well they work. Other things that do similar things such as Telnet, and remote access/control of a computer are also not good to do on the Sat. connection.

Maintaining a web site with FTP may be problematic - although I have had no problems with my website using FTP going up, and FTP downoading has actually improved by quite a bit - it is now actually dependable.

 

[Calamity Jane]

Oh, and VPN is Virtual Private Network. People who work from home use it to make it seem like they are on the LAN where they work. There are VPN products coming out specifically for sat. ISPs, but I don't know how well they work. Other things that do similar things such as Telnet, and remote access/control of a computer are also not good to do on the Sat. connection.

Ahhh... I'm right then, I don't do that.

 

[Shy Tall Guy]

Ahhh... I'm right then, I don't do that.

I am interested to see what DSL Reports says your throughput is.

 

[Calamity Jane]

2002-07-22 11:48:40 EST: 16 / 16
Your download speed : 16548 bps, or 16 kbps.
A 2 KB/sec transfer rate.
Your upload speed : 16778 bps, or 16 kbps.

 

[binkley]

Get a Mac. Why?

• Prices have come way down and you can get an excellent machine for under $2000
• They now run Unix under the hood, but still have the same wonderful Mac interface. Think: never crash, easy to use
• The support the same hardware PCs do (this didn't used to be true)
• Insanely great

 

[Calamity Jane]

Re: Re: Do I need a new computer?

Get a Mac. Why?

• Prices have come way down and you can get an excellent machine for under $2000
• They now run Unix under the hood, but still have the same wonderful Mac interface. Think: never crash, easy to use
• The support the same hardware PCs do (this didn't used to be true)
• Insanely great

I'd love to have a Mac, but it's not gonna happen.

1.) When I think 'spend $2000' I'm wondering how much training the horse has, not how much memory the computer has. I'm looking at getting a CPU only for around $200. That, I can justify spending on something that's not breathing.

2.) I've already got a hefty investment in PC software and hardware. I can't afford to replace just my Adobe software, let alone anything else. The only peripherals that I KNOW work with Mac (that I already own) are my ZIP and my laser printer. Both were purchased with compatibility in mind. I'm not quite wasteful enough to chuck everything out and start over just because I'd like to have a Mac product.

 

[Shy Tall Guy]

2002-07-22 11:48:40 EST: 16 / 16
Your download speed : 16548 bps, or 16 kbps.
A 2 KB/sec transfer rate.
Your upload speed : 16778 bps, or 16 kbps.

Yep, that pretty much sucks big time - I assume you are using a 56k modem? Surfing must really suck at those speeds. You could try a different ISP, but I bet your problem is your phone lines and going to different ISP would probably only confirm that. You might indeed be better off with a satellite connection if you are willing to pop for the equipment and the increased monthly cost - my monthliy cost was offset by the fact that I can now disconnect my phone line - I use a cell phone for voice calls.

 

[Weird Harold]

Yep, that pretty much sucks big time - I assume you are using a 56k modem?

I think she said earlier in the thread, it's a 19,200 modem. It didn't really register at the time I first read it, but a 56K modem would improve her internet performance a bunch over a 19,200. (the numbers are quite respectable for a 19,200 or even a 28,800 modem on rural phone lines.)

 

[Calamity Jane]

I think she said earlier in the thread, it's a 19,200 modem. It didn't really register at the time I first read it, but a 56K modem would improve her internet performance a bunch over a 19,200. (the numbers are quite respectable for a 19,200 or even a 28,800 modem on rural phone lines.)

No, it's a 56K modem.

 

[Weird Harold]

Re: Re: Re: Do I need a new computer?

I'm looking at getting a CPU only for around $200. That, I can justify spending on something that's not breathing.

I think you're going to have to spend more than $200 -- my motherboard alone (with processor) was nearly that much four years ago.

The cheapest I've seen for just the CPU around Las Vegas, is $450-$500 and Dell is advertising "business systems" on TV for $599 (without monitor)

 

[Calamity Jane]

I found a remanned CPU for $110. It's not the best money can buy, but it's significantly better than what I have.

A friend has a hard drive he'll install for me, and I can harvest RAM from this machine and buy some more. I know I'll end up spending more than $200, but I'm not willing to spend much more than $500 right now.

I did finally get this to defrag. It's still slow, and not quite right, but it's functioning MUCH better.