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  1. K

    Best cheap used laptops for web surfing

    I currently have a PII 300 laptop that I use for web surfing. It still works fine, except it's slow when I hit a site with flash ads. I was thinking of picking up a ~$200 laptop off ebay to replace it. I think a PIII 800mhz or better processor and 256mb would probably work fine (OS will either...
  2. K

    Video card won't come out of standby

    I recently got a widescreen LCD for my wife's Dell 4500. The ATI Rage in the system didn't support widescreen resolutions so I plopped in an Geforce 6200a. Everything works fine, except when the machine comes out of standby, the video sometimes doesn't come back to life (drives spin up, lights...
  3. K

    P4 2.4 & x800xl = another year of 1024x768 gaming?

    I currently have a P4 2.4ghz AGP system w/ a Radeon 9800pro. I'm considering getting a little more mileage out of my current setup by getting the AGP x800xl that's on clearance at ATI's web site for $119. I was just wondering if anyone wanted to venture a guess as to how long it might last me...
  4. K

    Program to store CD Keys / license numbers

    I'm just curious what people do to store software and cd keys. I have a binder that can hold CDs, but the problem is that most software either comes in a cardboard sleeve with a key printed on it, or in a multipack jewel case with a key printed on it, which means I have to keep the sleeve /...
  5. K

    Gainward 5.1 Sound XPlosion 5.1 Headset

    I purchased a pair of these, based on all the positive reviews at newegg. I tried them out, and they suck. I tried two 5.1 sound sources, the realtek chipset built into my MB, and an old Hercules 5.1 sound card I have lying around (C-Media chipset). I tested using Doom 3, Far Cry, and various...
  6. K

    Horizontal lines @ 640x480 w/ CRT monitor

    I have a Hitachi CM721F 19". Whenver it's at 640x480 it appears that every other line is blank. I never really cared, because I never used 640x480. Unfortunately, with Doom 3, I now have a reason to use that resolution. Anyway. What would cause this? I played with the convergence settings on the...
  7. K

    Automated WMA -> CDRW -> MP3?

    I've purchased a fare amount of tracks from Napster and I'd like to convert them to MP3. The workflow for doing this is: 1) Record to CDRW 2) Rip the tracks. 3) Re-add all the tag information to the MP3s. 4) Repeat 1-3 until all tracks are converted. Is there a way to automate this...
  8. K

    Computer hangs after POST w/ USB devices connected

    My computer hangs right after POST when USB devices are connected to my USB hub. If I disconnect some of the devices the computer boots fine. I figured this was a power issue so I got a powered USB hub, but I have the same problem (Windows does show the hub as self powered). Any ideas? If I...
  9. K

    Too many 802.11b networks... 802.11a?

    More and more of my neighbors are setting up 802.11b networks (I used netstumbler down three streets in my neighborhood and found 48 networks). I'm running out of clean/fast channels. I see that I can pick up 802.11a gear (specifically the proxim stuff) for dirt cheap. This seems like an ideal...
  10. K

    Is a natural (ergonomic) keyboard really better?

    I'm about to replace my keyboard, and was wondering if there were any health benefits associated with natural keyboards. I'm 32, and have been typing since I was around 12. I've never had any pains or problems.
  11. K

    Walmart now sells music downloads - how does WMA digital rights management work?

    I hope this is the right forum... I know with iTunes the license for downloaded music follows the user, not the machine (i.e. you can deauthorize a machine to play the music, allowing another machine to play the music). This allows you to upgrade your computer indefinately, and keep your...