Myrrdin
Agrarian
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2000
- Posts
- 3,246
Do computers have built in obsolescence.
My pc is not that ancient, only 4 years old. 200mhz Pentium, 16mb RAM, 3.2gb hard drive etcetra. But I've noticed it's run slower and slower all the time since I've had it
It's only got basic software, MSWorks etc. I've added a photo programme, Virus protection and messenger Services. But no power soaking 3D games. But even so it's now slowed to the point where I read a book while I wait for Lit' pages to load !
So while reading magazines about improving computer performance, I find the interesting fact that " 64 mb of RAM is now considered the realistic minimum for running Windows and it's applications" !
I mean WTF! When I was first intested in PC,s the red hot thing was a 486 with 4mb of RAM (and it wasn't that long ago!) When I bought mine it was a good middle range machine more than adequate for a small business and internet surfing. So who's moved the goalposts? Why the extra power?
I know I could buy a new computer , four times as powerful, for half the money I spent then, but I dread to think what the value of my present one has now depreciated to.
Anyway I start looking into my pc's diagnostic programmes, sure enough that 16mb of memory is now just about enough to start itself up. To cope with anything more energetic it's had to build itself a 30mb swap file on my hard disc. Which also solves the other problem of what was whirring under the desk all the time.
So there will now follow a short intermission while I disembowel my tower and wonder what size of DIMM I need to buy.
~Scratches head~ Now is live, blue, or brown ?
My pc is not that ancient, only 4 years old. 200mhz Pentium, 16mb RAM, 3.2gb hard drive etcetra. But I've noticed it's run slower and slower all the time since I've had it
It's only got basic software, MSWorks etc. I've added a photo programme, Virus protection and messenger Services. But no power soaking 3D games. But even so it's now slowed to the point where I read a book while I wait for Lit' pages to load !
So while reading magazines about improving computer performance, I find the interesting fact that " 64 mb of RAM is now considered the realistic minimum for running Windows and it's applications" !
I mean WTF! When I was first intested in PC,s the red hot thing was a 486 with 4mb of RAM (and it wasn't that long ago!) When I bought mine it was a good middle range machine more than adequate for a small business and internet surfing. So who's moved the goalposts? Why the extra power?
I know I could buy a new computer , four times as powerful, for half the money I spent then, but I dread to think what the value of my present one has now depreciated to.
Anyway I start looking into my pc's diagnostic programmes, sure enough that 16mb of memory is now just about enough to start itself up. To cope with anything more energetic it's had to build itself a 30mb swap file on my hard disc. Which also solves the other problem of what was whirring under the desk all the time.
So there will now follow a short intermission while I disembowel my tower and wonder what size of DIMM I need to buy.
~Scratches head~ Now is live, blue, or brown ?
