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    Recommend a GOOD 19" widescreen LCD, w/ wide viewing angle

    I'm interested in a 19" widescreen LCD (1440x900) which I know is less pixels than traditional square 19" (1280x1024) but I still want wide due to to how I position my windows and how I watch widescreen DVDs. I don't want anything larger than 20" But here is the thing, I have looked at several...
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    Router recommendations needed

    What routers do you recommend for me with my 12 mbit cable modem? I think my 4 years old DLink router is just too slow to be useful anymore. When I plug my computer directly into the cable modem I get about 11.8 mbit from the Speakeasy Speed Test. But when I go thru the DLink router I only get...
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    "The Alternative" to iPod is SanDisk e200 ???

    The news today has been buzzing about the corporate-fueled, counter-culture backlash against the iPod, often referencing idont.com, which is a marketing website put together by SanDisk to promote their e200, "The Alternative to the iPod". So, let met get this straight, iPod owners are...
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    Here's why Apple charges so darn much...

    Steve Jobs and the Great Glass Elevator/Staircase/Cube. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/148925935/ and http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1759 and http://switchblog.com/2006/05/apple-store-fifth-avenue_114806485711353517.html Yes, that's all glass. Yes, that's an all...
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    How often do you build a new rig?

    I have a friend who has been wanting to build THE ULTIMATE PC for many years now. In fact, when he first started specing out THE ULTIMATE PC, it was going to consist of dual 450 MHz Pentium II processors on an Asus P2B board, 256 MB PC100, and whatever the fastest video card was at the time...
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    Idiot-proof Inkjet printer?

    I need a recommendation for a good, affordable, reliable inkjet printer that's fairly idiot proof. Something that doesn't jam very often and isn't likely to suck several pages in at the same time, as my dad's current cheap HP inkjet does.
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    Set "Classic" appearance in Office 2003?

    In WinXP I am able to use the "Classic" theme to make the OS look more like Win95/Win2K. Is it possible to do this with Office 2003 too? By default, Office 2003 has a crappy "new" look with blue gradients on the tool bars, etc. Is there a way to enable some sort of "classic" theme for Office...
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    Benchmarks, Quake3, and Mac OS X performance

    Here is the issue, there has been a lot of discussion about how Mac OS X for Intel is slower than Windows XP on the exact same hardware. Yet in at least two benchmarks, the Mac version of the applications were faster than the Windows versions of those applications...
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    Any 939 boards with 6 or 8 DIMM slots?

    Topic says it all. Any non-server (ie, semi-affordable) boards with a bunch of DIMM slots?
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    Is there a minimum IDE length?

    This might be a stupid question, but is there such a thing as a minimum IDE length? Just in case the IDE designers, for whatever timing reasons, assumed that cables woud be at least a foot long or so? I ask because I'm working on a case mod that involves a custom made IDE cable only 2 inches...
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    Thin+Light notebook with onboard eSATA ports

    I'm specing out a notebook for someone who needs a portable video editing system. For best performance, he would like to use one or two external-SATA (ESATA or eSATA) drives. I need a thin-and-light notebook with at least one onboard eSATA port.
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    MacBookPro's ATI X1600 is very underclocked

    I've been reading thru the various forums and have been toying with my MacBookPro and it's Windows XP partition for dual boot. Game performance has been good, but not quite as good as I had expected (aka Oblivion can't run higher than 800x600 unless I really sacrafice quality). This thread...
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    Help! How to clean up Arctic Silver from mobo?

    I managed to use way too much thermal paste when changing my northbridge heatsink. The paste is spilled all around my northbridge chip and has coated an entire row of pins where the chip is soldered to the mobo. I cleaned it up as good as I could with paper towel and a piece of yard (I tried to...
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    XP Pro vs XP Home

    Most of my friends, and most of the people on this website say the same thing about Windows XP Home: "d00d, XP Home is t3h suxx0r, you need XP Pro!" Yet, after a lot of googling and a lot of reading it seems to me that the only real difference for my needs is the lack of Remote Desktop in...
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    Help me build a cheap PC

    Using newegg.com I was able to configure a complete PC for just over $240. Help me get even more bang for the buck! I chose a 1.4 GHz AMD Sempron (2500+ I think) and a mobo with integrated graphics, sound, and ethernet. I don't need any more than 40 GB of drive space. 512 MB is a must. Cheapest...
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    $1000 - $1400 best bang for the buck?

    I need to buy a laptop for work. I've been given $1200 to spend, but I can probably squeeze an extra $200 from my boss if I really need it. I need something with a 15" screen, 1 GB ram, dedicated GPU (X600 would be perfect), CDRW/DVD-ROM combo drive, decent battery life, good quality. It...
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    Best wireless router w/ USB printserver?

    I am helping someone upgrade their computer setup. They have a cable modem connected to their PC via a basic 1+1 port firewall router. In the next few days they will be buying a laptop with 802.11g support and would like to replace the router with a wireless router. It would be great if the same...
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    PC similar to new iMac G5?

    The new Apple iMac G5 is a nice looking machine and I really like the remote control and builtin webcam. But I don't want a MAC. Does Dell or HP make a PC similar to this iMac? I don't want a tower plus a monitor, I want a slim all-in-one computer, I want the PC equivalent to the iMac. Does...
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    Best place to buy a DVI cable??

    My new monitor did not come with a DVI cable. Locally I can't find a cable for less than $45!! What is a good online store with good DVI cables at sane prices?
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    Samsung 710N

    I am considering buying a Samsung 710N LCD monitor. I would like to hear from actual users first though. I will be using it via analog VGA due to my systems not having DVI. If the brightness and viewing angle are good (the specs numbers suggest that it's a good monitor) then I will go ahead and...
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    Compact Keyboards

    I am looking for a nice little keyboard for a rig that will be used on a very cramped desk. The computer will be used only for basic eBay shopping and selling so the mouse will get much more use than the keyboard. I have so far tried the Happy Hacking Keyboard (nasty ah heck) and the Logitech...
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    Cool / Unique accessories? Seeking a new look.

    Is it just me or does it seem like black and silver are the two dominating colors for computer peripherals and accessories these days? Black was cool 17 years ago back in 1988. I liked silver for a few years, it sure beat the transparent aqua blue iMac craze. But now I'm tired of that look too...
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    overcoming geek hair

    So I've finally moved into my own apartment and I've finally got an ok car. Even my wardrobe is finally getting better (I no longer wear freebie computer tshirts in public). But my hair still makes me look like that nerdy guy who always answered the teacher's questions in high school physics...
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    Looking for a specific fan

    I need three fans for a little server case that I'm fixing up. They need to be 40mm x 40mm, and 20mm thick. Each has to be at least 9 CFM, any noise level is fine. Normal 3 wire plug for 12v plus RPM monitoring. It would be helpful if the wire is only about 6 - 8 inches long since the plugs on...
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    Where should I buy patch cables?

    I would like to buy an assortment of patch cables, from 18 inches to 25 feet, in different colors. What's a good online store with good quality cables and low prices?
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    I'm about to order my new rig

    120mhz Cyrix M1 Abit IT5H mobo (Intel 430HX Chipset) 64mb Kingston EDO memory Matrox Millenium video card, 4mb, PCI SoundBlaster AWE64 PCI 2.5gb Micropolis IDE harddrive 24x Toshiba CD-ROM drive Plextor 2/2/6 CDR/CDRW/CD-ROM SCSI (via Adaptec 2906 PCI SCSI card) Iomega ZIP internal IDE...
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    Good page layout program?

    I am looking for a page layout / desktop publishing application to use for designing some posters and data sheets for my little side business (I'm going to start selling custom parts for RC cars). All of printers I have contacted want PDF files without embedded fonts, that is, they want all...
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    IRC on a 30" Monitor

    I ran across this photo on the VideoLan site: IRC on a 30" LCD Overkill? Maybe. But I think it's rather cool! :) They actually used that monitor to show some streaming HD video Edit: Wrong IRC link... proper one is here: http://videolan.org/events/20050201/irc_on_30_2.jpg
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    OEM Office Suite

    I'm building a PC for a relative who is not a student (nor a teacher), which means she's going to have to pay more for her office suite... Where can I find a cheaper version of MS Office 2003? Even NewEgg wants quite a bit of cash for the OEM version of MS Office. Is it possible to buy the...
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    Insurance for System Builders

    I often build machines for friends and family members, but I was recently asked if I could build some machines for a local business. I said no and suggested they look into Dell, mostly because I don't have time but also because I'm concerned about liability. I'm sure there has to be a few...
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    A64 + 6600GT or X800 cooling requirements

    Call me crazy, but I would like to build an A64 system with good graphics (6600GT or X800 or similar) but I want to put the whole works into a generic 1997 style beige case, like something from Inwin or Enlight. I have a few reasons for this, one is to reduce coworker envy, but the other is...
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    Digital Camera with Docking Station recommendations

    I would like to spend $120 - $175 for a digital camera and a matching docking station for syncing and recharging the batteries. The simpler / easier the better. I really like the Kodaks and their EasyShare docks, also the Fujifilm A340 and its docking station is also very nice. But most of...
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    Quiet HSF for Duron / Sempron

    I'm going to be building a system based around a 1.67 GHz Sempron. What's a good quiet HSF to use? Back in the day I loved using the Agilent Arcticooler but it's not beefy enough to cool a 1.67 Duron / Sempron, so I'm looking for something similar, I'd like a HSF that's very quiet without being...
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    Certifications (Cisco, etc)

    I am currently finishing my BS in Computer Science. Most of my classmates are getting programming related jobs but I just love working with the hardware. This past year I was able to get several scholarships and so I ended up spending less money than I had expected. So now I'm thinking about...
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    Hard Drive recommendations please!

    I am in the process of doing some minor updates to an old server (1.26GHZ P3, parallel ATA-100). I maxed out the ram, replaced the fans, and I now need a new hard drive. It had been using an old 7200RPM 40MB Seagate. I would like something that's a little bigger and a little faster. Reliability...
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    15" LCD

    I am looking for a nice black 15" LCD monitor with 1024x768 resolution. This will be for a generic web surfing box where a 17" LCD would be overkill and probably more expensive. I see that wal-mart.com has a variety of 15" LCDs for $180 - $200 and I'm curious and interested. In the wal-mart...
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    Mac Mini mini-review

    I will eventually have a full review posted online. For now I have some pictures and a list of comments I will be adding to: http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/feedback/mac_mini_review.html First impressions: FedEx delivered a BIG box about 26" x 16" x 14". Inside was a smaller box surrounded by...
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    Mac Mini versus homebrew PC versus AMD PIC

    There are lots of interesting threads about Apple's new Mac Mini, and there are many comparisons that I wanted to comment on. Rather than hijack some of the other threads, I am starting this new one. Mac Mini versus Home Brew PC. Below are prices from NewEgg. You can probably find these parts...
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    What 15" LCD do you recommend?

    I'm shopping around for a desktop 15" LCD. It doesn't need to be fancy, and I don't need DVI because VGA is fine for 1024x768@60Hz. What I do want is some quality, but nothing expensive. Basiclly, I want the best bang for the buck. What 15" LCDs have you used? What do you recommend?
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    Building the ultimate RAID

    Check this out! http://ohlssonvox.8k.com/fdd_raid.htm I'm not sure if I want to build that... or just buy this: http://www.sgi.com/products/storage/tech/9500.html